The Barony Echo
A Quarterly of the Barony of Gaultier Historical Society
Issue
No. 10 April 2017
Society News
AGM and new Committee. Our
AGM was held in Hayes’s Bar on Monday March 6. A larger than usual number were
in attendance. The outgoing committee
was thanked for its work and the new committee was elected which consists of
the following: Michael Farrell.
Chairman; Martin McShea, Secretary, Margaret Brooks, Treasurer; John Burke,
Vice-chair, and Committee members, Richie Roberts, Mossie Fitzgerald, Cllr Pat Fitzgerald, Andrew
Doherty, Emer Martin Gordon, Brendan Dunne,
Ray McGrath, Geoff Power ( Hon Life President), Ben O’Shea, Brian Gordon. The Barony Echo wishes the new committee every
success.
Summer Evening Walks: The
following is the list of summer evening guided history/heritage walks: Wednesday June 7, 7.30 pm. Passage East.
Starting Point is the Community Hall.
On Wednesday July 19, 7.30 pm.
‘The story of Dunmore’ starting
from the Lighthouse, Dunmore East, 7.30 pm.
The final walk of the summer on Wednesday, August 16, following part of Bóithrín na mBan Gorm,
starts in the main car park at Woodstown at 7 pm.
Friend and Foe 1917: U-Boat activity and rescue in Waterford
Harbour. During the night of August 4/5, 1917 three
Dunmore fishermen, on hearing an
explosion at sea, set out through the
recently laid mines in Waterford Harbour to search for survivors. They picked up one – the only survivor of
the thirty man crew of UC44. To mark
the centenary of this event and to commemorate all those lost at sea in war
action in Waterford Harbour in 1917 the Society is hosting a two-day event on
August 4 and 5 Friend and Foe, 1917: U-Boat
activity and rescue in Waterford Harbour. The programme includes a memorial walk, an
exhibition, a memorial concert, seminar, laying of a wreath at sea, and
unveiling of a Memorial Seat and Plaque.
Details will be posted on our FACEBOOK page, on our webpage, gaultierhistoricalsociety.blogspot.com,
and locally in shops.
Winter and Spring Talks
Brendan Dunne, in
February, gave a very well- prepared and
well- received talk on the Dunmore East Lifeboat. We all came away with a great appreciation of
what a group of volunteers have achieved – crews, different coxswains,
administration and the fund-raising committee. From all those who go to sea or wait at home
for news our heartfelt thanks to all involved. In March, our speakers were Petrina McHugh
( née Walsh) and Eddie Stewart-Liberty who gave us the story of St Andrew’s
Church particularly the interesting history of the building itself. Thanks to
our speakers and the Church Vestry for making such an appropriate and
comfortable venue available. Liam
Murphy, a Dunmore native, brought us an insight into the life and career of Dr.
Thomas Hussey, Bishop of Waterford and Lismore. Liam’s account of the bishop’s 1797 Pastoral
Letter was a major contribution to our understanding of the political turmoil
of the period leading up to the Rebellion of 1798.
Killea Church
and St Andrews bi-centenary
This year Killea
Church will be 200 years old. We would
welcome any information you have on its history. Email to
woodhouseduo@gmail.com. St Andrew’s was also built in
1817 with funding from Board of First Fruits and we are also gathering together
it’s story. Items please.
The Battle of
Ballymacaw and the War of the Roses
Who would have thought
that the infamous War of the Roses in 15th century England would
have one of its scenes played out in the secluded Gaultier village of
Ballymacaw. Here’s the story. The powerful Power family of Curraghmore had
land and probably sea interests in Dunmore.
After all it was one of them that built Dunmore Castle. They and the O’Driscolls of Baltimore formed
an alliance and were in intermittent war with the City of Waterford for over
200 years. In the year 1460 one of the
contestants in the English War of the Roses, Richard, Duke of York, came to Waterford to regroup his thoughts and
forces and to plan an attack on the King in England, his Lancastrian rival,
Henry V1. Clearly, the city of Waterford
supported the Yorkist cause in the person of Richard. The Powers and O’Driscolls, never ones to
turn down an opportunity to defy the mayor and good citizens of Waterford, are thought to have prepared an ambush on
Richard as he was leaving Waterford to further his cause in England. The motive for this attempted seizure of the
Duke of York, according to Randolph Jones who last year gave the 2016 Niall
Byrne Memorial Lecture on the subject, was a request from the Butler family who
were supporters of the Lancastrian cause and therefore of the current King,
Henry VI. Word was brought to the Mayor
of Waterford that the Power’s and the O’Driscolls who had joined forces after
the latter landed there were now camped at Ballymacaw. The Mayor organised a force which attacked
the camp at Ballymacaw and easily won the day taking with them to Waterford
three of the O’Driscoll galleys, an action that led to the inclusion of three
ships in the Waterford Coat of Arms.
Barony
Townlands
In this issue we
continue our series on Gaultier townlands.
This is, as they say, a work in progress, and we would be very grateful if you can
forward to us at
woodhouseduo@gmail.com any information you have on our townlands.
Ballinvella: Situated to the west of Belle
Lake, the townland comprises 251 acres and was in the old civil parish of
Kilmacleague. According to Canon Power,
the name is derived from the Irish, Baile an Bhile, Townland of the Yew Tree. The stump of the last windmill functioning in
Gaultier is found near the centre of the townland. It is possible that an old road, part of
Bóthar na mBan Gorm passed through this townland.
Ballybeg: The townland of Ballybeg is now
within the Waterford city limits. The
Irish is Baile Beag which presents no translation problem – Small Town - which suggests a distinction from a larger
town, possibly Waterford. However Canon
Power, whose opinion needs to be considered, gives the Irish as Baile
Bocht - Poor Town. He
adds….’the real name was changed about a century ago (early eighteen hundreds)
for reasons other than euphonic’. The
townland comprises 257 acres and was in the old civil parish of Kilbarry.
Ballycanvan: Two sub-townlands here
comprising 340 acres. Canon Power has
the Irish as Baile uí Cheannabháin – O’Canavan’s townland. The areas, although generally fertile, has some boggy areas and Interestingly the
Irish for the lonely bog-cotton wild flower
is ceannabhán. Ballycanavan lies
just outside the city boundary on the left hand side of the Cheekpoint road
between Jack Meades pub and Strongbow’s Bridge (also called Cromwell’s Bridge
and Dobbyn’s Bridge)
Ballydavid: A townland of 227 roughly
between Woodstown Cross and Woodstown.
Baile Uí Dhaithí as given by Power is the Irish version. As with many townland names when named for a
family or person, there is often nothing in the archives nor in community
memory to fill in the story of its naming.
Ballyglan: Baile an Ghleanna according to Power is the
Irish. The ‘glen’ is certainly there running down to Woodstown beach. Ballyglan lies between the Fairy Bush and
Woodstown and is bordered on the west by Harristown and on the north by Woodstown
and Woodstown Upper. Ballyglan House
which still stands was a prominent social landmark in the story of Ballyglan
and part of that story is the popular sport of The Hunt. See item on page 4 in this edition. Another interesting fact about Ballyglan is
its boundary with Harristown – a portion of Bóithrín na mBan Gorm. The townland counts 381 acres and lies in the
old civil parish of Kill St Nicholas
Ballygarron: Comprising 412 acres in the
vicinity of the airport, the townland’s Irish name is Baile an Gharáin,
townland of the Grove according to Power.
Dineen mentions ‘ooze from limestone’… but is there any limestone in
Ballygarron? There was an eviction
here on June 8, 1881 when the Morriseys were put out of their house by agents
of landlord Carew. The Corbally Ladies Land League came to the rescue
and provided a hut in the townland of Kilmacleague. Ballygarron is also the birthplace of our
Gaultier historian, Matthew Butler.
Coastal
Placenames
Many of our coastal
placenames are unknown to the general public and some are forgotten even by the
fishing community. The Barony Echo
continues its Coastal Placenames series in this issue for the section Portally
Cove to the Entrenchment just before Rathmoylan Cove. The
two main sources are Canon Power’s Placenames
of the Decies, and Stephen Whittle, retired coxswain of the
Dunmore Liifeboat, whose spellings are retained here. Dineen refers to his
dictionary. The exact location of some of these names is
not known to the editor. If you can
offer help in this matter it will be much appreciated. Carraig na mBhád.
Whittle. Probably the Rock of the
boats or boat. Whittle puts it next to
Portally Cove. Poll uí Chadogáin.
Power. Cadogan’s Pool or
Hole. We have no knowledge of Cadogan. Poula
Shagadane. Whittle, but
Poll a’tSéine according to Power
The Hole or Pool of the Seine Net.
Power puts this east of Portally Cove but a local fisherman, Buddy (Fancy)
Power, has it just west of the Cove.
Buddy has the story of the Portally women carrying the seine net from
the village to the cliff top and dropping it to the men below. The
Navel. Whittle. Dubh
Ubh. Whittle. Probably Black Cave. Uaimh is Irish for cave according to Dineen. Faill
na gCaorach. Power. Cliff of the Sheep. Knock
na Vhar. Whittle. Power has Leac na bhFearr – Ledge of the
Men. Glas Sue Mhór. Whittle. Exact spot uncertain but Whittle places it
near Portally Cove. The Glas in this
name could have been derived from Clais, a cleft or gully. Glas
See Bheg. Whittle. Meaning is unclear but it could refer to a
‘clais’ meaning cleft in the cliff, a name that occurs between Brownstown and Saleens. Uaimh
Dhubh. Power. Black Cave.
On Doyle’s 1737 chart of Waterford Harbour it is halfway between
Portally Cove and Falskirt ( a large rock about 800 metres off Swine
Head). Power tells us it is a big cave
with a height equal to that of the aisle of a church. The
Ship. Whittle. Possibly the clearly visible sea-stack near
the cliff-face. Named for its outline
resembling that of a ship. Port na Lanaibhe. Whittle.
Probably Haven of the Children.
Was there a disaster here? Poll a Brandy. Whittle.
Hole or Pool of the Brandy. Not
too far-fetched to think of smuggling!
Uabh voon Naun. Whittle.
Obscure apart from uabh which probably is uaimh meaning cave. Falskirt
Rock. Whittle. This is a dangerous rock which just about
covers at high tide. Already
mentioned. Meaning obscure but the first
part could refer to ‘cliff’ and the second syllable to ‘scairt’ meaning
separation. Swines Head. Whittle. Meaning obscure. An important landmark marked on many
navigation charts. The Entrenchment. Power.
The site of a promontory fort.
Very likely dating from the Iron-Age and one of several promontory forts
along the Waterford coast. (The Society recently
commissioned an aerial survey of this site)
The Gaultier Harriers
In February Maurice
Whittle of Killure and I had an interesting conversation regarding the Gaultier
Harriers and Sir Robert Paul of Ballyglan.
The Hunt, an important social and
sporting event in Gaultier, if indeed restricted to a particular social class
prior to WWI and then again from the mid 1920s, was led by Paul until his
retirement as Master of the Hounds in 1930.
In 1923, Mr Darrell Gallwey gave
a pack of harriers to Sir Robert. They
became known as the Gaultier Harriers and hunted east Waterford and south
Kilkenny. By 1930 ‘their country measured fifteen miles by
twenty-five miles’. At our February
conversation Maurice gave me an article from the magazine Hounds (December
1993) by James E. Norton, a now rare
description of one particular chase in Gaultier. ‘On the 3rd of March, 1925 hounds
met at Woodstown Gate. They first drew
Woodstown Marshes opposite the kennels and at about 11.50 they got away on good
terms with their pilot. In spite of a
rather catchy scent they pushed him through Woodstown Demesne, through Kilbride
Covert, across the Folliune(sic) Road and onto the high ground above Belle Lake
nearly to the Gaultier Creamery. Here he
was headed and turned left handed pass (sic) the Fairy Bush, he went in
direction of Harristown and short of this covert, he turned left-handed into
Woodstown again. Hounds worked on him
steadily without being touched and pushing him through Woodstown and Kilbride
Covert he headed for Ballyglan. Here he
ran past some unstopped earths and did a short circle and came back in the direction
of Belle Lake.’ And the
description continues in this colourful vein of
language. Linguistically it is a
treasure. This particular chase lasted
two hours with Misses de Bromhead, Mrs Spark, Miss Goff, Major Carew, Miss Richardson and Mr David finishing
the run. Is the Kilbride mentioned here locally known as Sir’s Cover?) (Thanks for this Maurice).
Do you have a story or an item of
information? It would be welcomed. Send it to Ray McGrath woodhouseduo@gmail.com
