Full title: Commemoration of Centenary of Death of Neil “Plunkett” Boyle 15 May 1923 – 15 May 2023 Knocknadruce, Valleymount, Co. Wicklow
Creator / Author: Pádraig O’Baoighill (translation by Maureen Phibbs)
Item Type / Page count: Booklet / 46p
When Published: 2023
Publisher / Place of Publication: Not Stated / Co. Wicklow?
About: Neil ‘Plunkett’ Boyle was born in County Donegal in 1898 and he reputedly became the last man to be killed in the Irish Civil War when he was shot at Knocknadruce, Valleymount in West Wicklow on 15th May, 1923. This booklet was published to commemorate the centenary of his death. Most of the content of this booklet is taken from the book ‘Óglach na Rosann’ by Pádraig O’Baoighill (1994). The original Irish text has been translated by Maureen Phibbs.
ID number(s): None
Chapters: [Foreword: Neil “Plunkett” Boyle in West Wicklow 1922-1923] — Dedication — Plunkett of the Hills (ballad) — 1916-1923 — Neil Boyle — Comdt. Neil “Plunkett” Boyle (ballad) / Dominic O’Kelly — Neil Boyle in West Wicklow — Dunlavin — Hempstown (Tinode) — Blessington — Valleymount — Commandant Tom Heavey’s Memories of Neil Boyle — The Killing of John Moore at Mooney’s Pub in Manor Kilbride — Kylebeg — Manor Kilbride — Lacken — Ballyknockan — Knocknadruce — Funeral of Neil “Plunkett” Boyle — Members of Plunkett’s Column — Timeline of Events in Irish History 1914-1949 — “Plunkett” O’Boyle (ballad) / Annie Timoney — Acknowledgements.
Full title: Left at the Lamb: a flavour of the history and heritage of the Blessington area
Creator / Author: Aidan Cruise, David Harrington and Seamus Balfe. Editor: Professor Tom Barragry
Item Type / Page count: Book / 280p
When Published: 2022 – 2023
Publisher / Place of Publication: [Lakeside Heritage Group / Blessington, Co. Wicklow]
About: The subtitle of this publication calls it “a flavour of the history and heritage of the Blessington area”. In truth, it is more of a feast than just a flavour. In just under 300 pages, readers are given an overview of the history and archaeology of Blessington and its wider hinterland and can embark on an imaginary road trip where the heritage of all places between Saggart and Hollywood is described in more detail. The extensive use of photographs and illustrations make every location come alive and help to highlight the human element of local history.
ID number(s): None
Contents: Introduction — A Brief Historical Profile of the Blessington and Lakeside Area
[Archaeology and History] The Ice and Stone Age – Paleolithic, Mesolithic and Neolithic – Cairns – The Bronze Age – Piper Stones – Standing Stones – The Iron Age – Hillforts – Early Medieval – Raths and Ringforts – The Age of Christianity – Ogham Stones – The Vikings – The Normans and the Birth of Blessington – The Lordship of Ireland – Early Modern Wicklow – Wicklow, the Last County – Nine Years War — Rebellion, Defeat, Confiscation, Plantation — Archbishop Boyle, The Downshires and Blessington Estate – The Manor House and the Estate of Blessington – Wicklow and the 1798 Rebellion – Edward Heppenstall “The Walking Gallows” – The Wicklow Military Road – Captain Michael Dwyer – The 1800’s.
Blessington by Trap or Tram – The Scrap Iron Express – The Blessington to Poulaphouca Tram Co – Incidents and Accidents – The Blessington Tram [ballad] / Peter C. Grattan (Roving Bard) –The Blessington Lakes – The Crockery Way [ballad] / Martin Shaughnessy – Wildlife in the Area – The Blessington Game and Wildfowl Conservation Association
[A Trip to the Lake] Tallaght to Brittas – Sagart-Teach Sacra – Crooksling-Cnoc Slinne — Brittas-An Briotás — Kilteel-Cill Chéile – The Lamb – Rathmore-An Ráth Mhór – Hempstown – Golden Hill – Kilbride Lodge, Glen Heste Hotel and the Airfield – Lime Kilns – Quarries at Golden Hill, Three Castles, Oldcourt and the Dowrey – Manor Kilbride – St. Brigid’s – Hedge Schools in the Area – The Hollywood Grave-slabs – Mooney’s Pub – Cloghleagh – The Church of St. John the Baptist – Kilbride Army Camp – Seefin – Kippure – Boglands – Ballylow — The Coronation Planatation — Ballysmuttan – Ballysmuttan Bridge [poem] – Oldcourt – Ballyward – Three Castles – Interview with the late Paddy Phibbs – Crosscoolharbour & Crosschapel – The Church of Our Mother of Mercy – The Sandpits – The Fair Day – Gobbit’s Picture House (The Cottage Cinema) / Neville Gyves – Blessington Bridge – Knockieran (Cnoc Iarainn-the hill of iron) & Dwyer’s Brook – Carrig and Rathnabo (Rath na Bo-enclosure of the cows) — Lacken — Lacken Schoolhouse – St. Boden’s Well – St. Boden’s Well [poem] / Martin Keogh – The Cillín – Templeboden (Teampall Buadáin) – Kylebeg/Kilbeg (Coill Beg-small wood) – Mullaghcleevaun Mountain (Clefed Hill) – Blackhill (Cnoc Dubh) – Ballyknockan Granite – Ballyknockan (Bhuaile an Chnocáin) – Ballyknockan, my home on the hill [poem] / Peter Keogh – Valleymount (An Chrois) – Humphreystown – Baltyboys-Bhuaile Buí – Dame Ninette de Valois – Quakers – Tulfarris (“Tulach Ferghuis”-Fergus’ Hill) – Baltyboys schoolhouse – Hollywood – Poulaphouca — Song of Poulaphouca [ballad] –Dance halls — Russborough House – Interview with the late Frances O’Donoghue – Russellstown House – Killmalum-Cill Moloma – The Dispensary – Burgage – The Burgage Road [poem] – Burgage Castle.
Blessington – Garda station – New school – Boys’ schoolhouse – Downshire Hotel – Downshire Agent’s House — St. Mary’s Churchyard and St. Mary’s Church of Ireland – Church of Our Lady of the Most Holy Sacrament – Downshire Monument – The Four Stone Tree – Court House / Market House built 1820s – St. Joseph’s Hall and the Band Hall – Some of the locals [Photo Gallery].
Sport – GAA – Soccer – Acknowledgements.
Extra #1: Includes well over five hundred black and white photographs or other illustrations.
Full title: Patrick (Patsy) Kavanagh (1897-1957), Rathballylong, Co. Wicklow
Creator / Author: Paul P. Tyrrell
Item Type / Page count: Journal Article / 8p
Journal Information: Local History Journal, Vol. 22, pp. 98-105
When Published: 2017
Publisher / Place of Publication: Federation of Local History Societies. / [not stated]
About: Patsy Kavanagh was a veteran of the Easter Rising of 1916 and of the War of Independence. He was buried in Baltyboys cemetery with full military honours. This article gives an account of Patsy’s part in the fight for Irish freedom.
ID number(s): None
Extra #1: includes seven black and white photographs.
Extra #2: Browse the 1901 Census entry for Patsy Kavanagh.
Extra #3: Browse the 1911 Census entry for Patsy Kavanagh.
Publisher / Place of Publication: Kildare County Council / Naas, Co. Kildare
Parent Publication [book]: Lest We Forget: Kildare and the Great Famine / 106pp
About: This essay was published as part of a book commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Great Famine in County Kildare. It looks at the adjoining district of West Wicklow and uses contemporary accounts from the journal of Elizabeth Smith to show in particular how local officialdom responded to the crisis.
Full title: Wool and Weaving in the Kings River Valley, County Wicklow: 1660’s to 1840s
Creator / Author: John Hussey
Item Type / Page count: eBook / 95p
When Published: March 2nd, 2016
Publisher / Place of Publication: John Hussey / [Co. Wicklow?]
About: The Quaker community based around Baltyboys were responsible for wool production in the area and supplied Dublin with this commodity. Later this enterprise developed into carding, spinning and weaving operations. In this substantial e-book publication, local author, John Hussey, details the almost 200-year history of wool and weaving in the King’s River Valley.
ID number(s): None
Contents: Abstract – Author details – Notes — Acknowledgements – 1650 to 1699 – The wool and weaving industries in Ireland — 1699 to c.1740 – The Wool Act and rustication — c.1750 – Weaving and tuck mills — 1760s – Road improvements — 1760s to 1770s – Pirn/Warping mills — 1770s to 1790s – The commercial state of Co. Wicklow — 1798 – The United Irish Rebellion — 1800 to 1840s — The final decline and death of weaving – Epilogue – Appendix 1 – Valleymount and hat-making – Appendix 2 – Weaving in the town of Blessington and on the estate – Appendix 3 – Flax growing and linen weaving in Co. Wicklow – Appendix 4 – General Holt’s metal boilers.
Extra #1: Includes several maps, photographs and illustrations.
Extra #2: Link to the author’s page onAcademia.edu
Update July 2022: This ebook does not appear to be currently available online.
Publisher / Place of Publication: St. Joseph Parish, / Valleymount, Co. Wicklow
About: In March, 1940, the valley of the River Liffey began to be flooded as a result of the construction of the Poulaphuca Dam. This book marks the 75th anniversary of the event by collecting together the living memories of some of the people who lived through the traumatic transition from land to lake. All proceeds from the sale of this book go towards the St. Joseph’s Church, Valleymount Renovation Fund.
ID number(s): None
Contents: 75th anniversary of the flooding of the valley — The flooding / Billy Craul — The building of the dam at Poulaphuca / Davy Doyle (aged 94 years, Harristown,Hollywood) – Flooding of the lake 1940 remembered / Dick and Annie Byrne (now living at Burgage, Blessington) – I remember the valley before the water came / Earnest Zeller (Lacken) – I remember the flooding of the valley / Pat Cullen (The Rock of Carrigacurra) — John Joe Cullen’s memories / John Joe Cullen – Looking back on the flooding / Kathleen Phibbs – Mary Ann Flanagan aged 94 years old – My story of the flooding of the lake / Maisie Miley (Baltyboys) – Memories of the flooding of the lake / Michael Freeman (Ballyknockan) – Flooding of the valley / Ned Fitzsimons – My story / Teresa Byrne (Humphreystown) – Remembering the flooding of the lake / Tom Tyrell (92 year old, Blessington) – Song of Ballinahown (as sung by Ted Balfe, Kylebeg) – [Advertisers’ Section].
Extra #1: Includes around fifty black and white photographs of people and places.
Extra #2: Check OCLC WorldCat.org for this publication in libraries worldwide.
When Viewed: Contents described are those showing when viewed in October 2015.
Publisher / Place of Publication: National Library of Ireland / Kildare Street, Dublin 8.
About: The National Library of Ireland holds microfilm copies of over 3500 church registers from parishes in Ireland. The library has now digitised these registers as images which provide records of baptisms and marriages from the majority of Catholic parishes in Ireland and Northern Ireland up to around 1880. The available registers are not searchable by individual names. Instead, they are browseable by diocese, parish and date, searchable by parish and it is possible to zoom from a country map to parish level. This blog entry relates to the parish of Blackditches in West Wicklow.
Contents: These registers cover baptisms and marriages from 1810 to 1881. Dates are indicative only and coverage may be incomplete. Please refer to the NLI site for specific coverage.
Full title: Blackditches: its traditions and its pastors
Creator / Author: T. M. O’Reilly
Item Type / Page count: Booklet / 13p
When Published: 1906
Publisher / Place of Publication: The Author and/or Leinster Leader Printing Works [?] / Naas, Co. Kildare.
About: T. M. O’Reilly from Ballyknockan was a local councillor and writer with a great appreciation of local history. According to Fr. Cantwell of Valleymount, he produced several pamphlets. This booklet mentions old churches and houses of prayer as well as sites of historical or archaeological interest. The derivations of placenames is also featured. The second part of the booklet deals with the various priests who have ministered in the area.
ID number(s): None
Extra #1: Browse the 1901 Census return for the author Thomas O’Reilly.
Full title: The leathers echo: a story of hurling, football, handball and camogie in Co. Wicklow from 1884 to 1984
Creator / Author: Jim Brophy / photography by Johnny Kelly
Item Type / Page count: Book / 638p
When Published: November 1984 in honour of the Centenary year.
Publisher / Place of Publication: Wicklow Co. Board G.A.A / [Aughrim, County Wicklow]
About: To commemorate the centenary of the founding of the Gaelic Athletic Association each county in Ireland produced a book on the history of the GAA in that county. This is Wicklow’s contribution and what a contribution it is. A massive 638-page volume details 100 years of Gaelic Games activities in the county. It includes club histories, significant results and teamsheets all set against the context of 100 years of local and national history.
ID number(s): None
Contents: Author’s Note – Focal ón gCathaoirleach – Thanks – Dialann Seachtaine i gClub i 1984 – The First Convention – The Power and the Politics – How it all began – The Years of Struggle 1887-1929 – [Club Histories Section] – Annacurra – Arklow Rock Parnells – Arklow Geraldines – Ashford – Avoca – Avondale – Aughrim – Ballinacor – Ballinastoe – Ballymanus – Ballymoney – Baltinglass – Barndarrig – Blessington – Bray Emmets – Carnew Emmets – Coolboy – Coolkenno – Donard – Dunlavin – Enniskerry – Forestry College – Bray – Glenealy – Greystones – Hollywood – Kilbride – Kilcoole – Killiskey – Kilmacanogue – Kiltegan – Knockananna – Lacken – Laragh – Newcastle – Newtown – Rathdangan – Roundwood – Rathnew – Shillelagh – Stratford – St. Kevin’s, Bray – St. Patrick’s – St. Fergal’s – The Glen of Imaal – Tinahely – Tuckmill – Valleymount — The Men of the West / Peter Keogh – In the deep South / Seamus O’Duinn – Along the East Coast – Report from the North / Tommy Coleman – [Some Other Clubs Section] – Ballinglen – Grangecon – Ballykillageer – Crossbridge – Ballinatona – Whitestown – Glenmalure – Ballyteskin – Glassnarget – Moneystown – Delgany – Redcross – Brittas – Hacketstown – Ballycoogue – Eire Óg/Greystones – The Greatest Wicklow Team – A leader from Killiskey – One of Wicklow’s Biggest days – Six Wicklow Teams Played in Wexford – The Year Wicklow Reached the Leinster Senior Final – A Trip to Clonskeagh in 1889 – How I Became a Referee / Eamonn Moules – The Perils of Refereeing! / Jimmy Hatton – The day of the ‘Long Count’ – From Kilcoole to San Francisco / Jimmy Hatton – Cumann Luth-Chleas Gael na nGairm Scol / Hugh O’Brien – When Wicklow Played Senior Hurling – Wicklow’s First Hurling Win – Champions of Leinster 1954 [ballad] / Jimmy Smullen – The Rise of Wicklow Hurling / Jackie Napier – The Year Sixty-Seven an All Ireland Success [poem] / Jimmy Smullen – The Hurling Resurgence – In Luton Town / N. J. Lawlor – Three Finals 1971 [ballad] / Jimmy Smullen – The Day Wicklow Won Their First All-Ireland – The Men of Thirty-six [ballad] / Jimmy Smullen – Leinster Champions in 1949 – A Great Leinster Junior Football Final – Dunlavin’s Finest Hour / Johnny Kelly – A Report from the Wee North / Pat McEntaggart – Happy Days in Barndarrig / Patrick Furlong – The Great 1969 Junior Team – The Match I Refereed Without a Watch / Eamonn Moules – Some of Wicklow’s Football Greats – The “Blues” had the Touch of Class – The Day Blessington Won the Big One! — A Wicklow Final Played in Carlow – Lest we Forget / George Nichols – A Flashback to 1952 –“C. M.” was the G.A.A – The ‘Exiles’ Played a Major Role – The day that Ashford Broke the Barrier / Tom McHugh – The Man Who Made it to the Top – A Record Breaker from Avoca – Hugh McCarthy “The Man from Ballinaclash” / Jimmy Dunne – The Centenary Year – A Laois Man Looks at Wicklow – The Men at the Helm – The Railway Cup Men – A Note from the Early Days – County Officers for Centenary Year – Getting the Scores – Battles in the Boardroom – The Day Ashford Rocked Rathnew – Bord na nÓg / Seamus O’Duinn – The Good Samaritans – The Day that Wicklow Shocked Wexford – The Day of the Shambles in Aughrim – Newtown’s First Senior Championship Win / Michael Crinnion – Kilbride’s Big Day in 1962 / Charlie Roe – SCÓR – The Wintertime Winner / Tomas Breathnach – A Place to Play – Memories from the West / Joe Deering – Santa Came Early to Glenealy! / Tommy Glynn – The Role of the Rúnai / Liam O Cathain – The Crystal Ball! – O’Byrne Cup and National League Wins – Arklow Showed the Way – History Makers – The Ban – The Dublin Connection – The Under-Age Scene – A Great Woman – A World Champion from Wicklow Town – Two Famous Wicklow Men – Special Trophies for County Championship Winners 1984 – Feach MacHugh O’Byrne’s Last Words [poem] – The Battle of Dernamuck [ballad] – Random Reflections – The Blackbird of Sweet Avondale [ballad] – Camogie Flowed Like the Tide / Mary Moran – A Thought for the New Century – [Camogie Section] — The Wicklow Camogie Story – Camogie Down the Years – Great Wicklow Camogie Teams – When Wicklow Were Expelled – The Year Wexford Nearly Got Us – All-Ireland Stars – The Day the Man Wore a Skirt – Arklow – the Cradle of Wicklow Camogie / Nancy Lynch-Quinn – Glenealy were in a Class Apart – When St. Martin’s won County Titles – Along by the Dargle – Hollywood in the Rare Ould Times / Brid Ni Bishman – Great Days in Ballyrichard – Activity in Kilmacanogue – Donard Michael Dwyers – Aughrim Camogie Club – Avoca – the Current Champions – Champions from Stratford – Shillelagh – a Camogie Stronghold – Camogie on Wicklow Town / Angela Cullen (nee Quinn) – Hollywood Won Three Titles – Kiltegan Won Five Senior Camogie Titles – Game is Flourishing in Knockananna – Annacurra’s Headquarters was “Sweeney’s Island” – Some of the Other Camogie Clubs – Senior Camogie Winners – Far Away in France and Flanders [poem] / W.J. Duffy – The Wicklow Vales [ballad] / Fr. Butler – [Handball Section] — Handball in Wicklow – The Handball Story / Dick Arnold – [Record Section] – The Eight Red Letter Days – Centenary Year Results – County Teams Centenary Year – Champions in the Centenary Year – The First Thirty Years – Roll of Honour – Final Score for Sixty Years – Football Champions – Hurling Champions – Inter-County Senior and Minor Football Teams 1937-1983 – The Junior Footballers – Senior “B” Hurling Championship – Intermediate Hurling Championship – The Junior Hurlers – Vocational Schools Roll of Honour – Wicklow Handball Wins – The Lady Handballers – Handball Champions – Wicklow Handball Championships – The Last Word.
Journal Information: Archaeology Ireland, Vol. 24, No. 2, pp. 24-25
When Published: Summer 2010
Publisher / Place of Publication: Wordwell Ltd. / Unit 9, 78 Furze Road, Sandyford, Dublin 18.
About: A short article describing a small strange palm-sized stone picked up from the shores of Poulaphuca during a period of low water levels. The author calls it the ‘Weirdstone of Wicklow’. Is it carved by a human hand or could it be the actions of the Pooka? The author is open to all suggestions.
ID number(s): 0035-9106
Extra #1: Includes a full page colour photograph.
Extra #2: Check OCLC WorldCat.org for this publication in libraries worldwide.
Extra #3: Read this article online via JSTOR. [Personal registration / conditions apply]. Alternatively, your local public library may provide free online access to this article.
West Wicklow Bookshelf 