March photo from our 2020 Calendar

Patrick Ahern Gaultier Co-op Manager
1902 - 1940

Patrick Ahern was born in the townland of Knocknabooly West, of which the Irish name is “Cnoc Na Buaile Thiar” which translates to “The Hill of the West Booley” or “The Hill of the West Summer Grazing”. Patrick’s parents, Thomas and Hanora Ahern ran a mixed farm in Knocknabooy West, Loghill, Co Limerick.

Pat as he was known came to Gaultier in 1902 aged only 32 and became the fourth manager of the Creamery. Pat married Julia Maher of Ballyglan in the early 1900’s. Julia had served as dairymaid in Gaultier Co-op since March 1899. Pat and Julia had three children and John the youngest son took over the farm in Ballyglan in due course. When Pat retired in 1940, he went to live with his daughter Una. He died in Dundalk in 1948 aged 78.

BGHS AGM this Thursday in Woodlands Hotel. All welcome

BGHS AGM this Thursday 5th March at 8pm in Woodlands Hotel, Waterford.

If you would like to influence, inform or support the ongoing work of the society in protecting and promoting the heritage of the Gaultier area we would be delighted to see you.

February 2020 Calendar photo

Our February photo from our BGHS  2020 Calendar.                                                 

Mercy Convent

This photo taken in 1971 shows the pupils and staff of the Mercy Convent, Dunmore East. The Convent was for many years the source of primary education for the girls of Dunmore East and its environs.

Know your Townland BALLINVELLA

BALLINVELLA
Canon Power tells us that BALLINVELLA is Baile an Bhile “Big Tree Homestead.”
Ballinvella has an area of:
• 1,003,910 m² / 100.39 hectares / 1.0039 km²
• 0.39 square miles
• 248.07 acres / 248 acres, 0 roods, 11 perches
Ballinvella borders the following other townlands:
• Ballyloughbeg (Gaultier) to the north
• Ballynamoyntragh (Gaultier) to the east
• Ballyshoneen (Gaultier) to the west
• Kilmacleague East (Gaultier) to the west
• Orchardstown (Gaultier) to the north
In the 1901 census there were 12 inhabitants making up two families (Kehoe and Gough). Three inhabitants stated that they could not read.
In the 1911 census there were 16 inhabitants making up three households (Whittle, Fowler and Whittle)
In the 1821 Census Matthew Butler tells us that Thomas White aged 44 was a farmer and had one son James aged 6 and three daughters Anne, Ellen and Mary. There were six houses and fifty five inhabitants in this townland. He also states that there was no mention of the windmill (see Photo).
In Griffith’s Valuation 1847 to 1864 we are informed of five holdings in Ballinvella. The occupiers and their Landlords of the holdings were:
Tenant - John Hennessy Landlord - John Burroughs
Tenant - James White Landlord - John Burroughs
Tenant - Ellen Murphy Landlord - Charles Byrne
Tenant - John Whelan Landlord – Charles Byrne
Tenant - John Power Landlord- Charles Byrne
The James White in Griffith’s Valuation is the 6 year old son of Thomas White of the 1821 census.

In the 1970’s and 1980’s Ballinvella was the home of Roger Shipsey’s Ballinvella Herd of pedigree British Friesian Dairy Cows.

Photos and text Michael Farrell

BGHS February lecture

 To all BGHS members and contacts,

The Barony of Gaultier Historical Society will hold the first of its spring series of Talks on Wednesday, 19 February. The Talk which is titled “ The Malcomsons – Ireland’s Secret Millionaires” will take place in the Woodlands Hotel, Dunmore Road and will commence at 8pm. Admission is €5 and members are free. The speaker is Maria Walsh who is a social historian and author. Her books include 'Waterford 914', 'Dunmore East - a Living History' and 'Ireland's Secret Millionaires - from Waterford.' She has also written many children's plays and a highly received children's book 'The Penguin who got lost'.
A Waterford native she has always had a keen interest in history. Maria and her husband Nicholas reside in Dunmore East
The subject of the Talk is the Malcomson Family, a Quaker family that among their many assets owned a cotton factory in Portlaw and also had shipbuilding interests in Waterford.