MOUNTCOLLINS

CHURCH SERVICES

Despite the lifting of some restrictions announced by the government last week, church services in the parish continue to be restricted until a further announcement. For the elderly and those who have been cocooning there will be Mass in Mountcollins Church on this Thursday evening at 7pm.

For the next four weekends Mass will be celebrated outdoors in Mountcollins on Saturday evenings at 7.30pm. People are asked to attend Mass in their own parish and to avoid parking in the church grounds. People attending the various ceremonies are asked to observe the H.S.E. guidelines. A box will be available at the entrance gate for your weekly contributions and your help in these difficult times is appreciated.

G.A.A. LOTTO

All homes should now have received notification regarding the commencement of the G.A.A. clubs weekly lotto. The first draw is due to commence on Monday next, July 6th and your contribution should be returned to the club by Friday. Due to the corona virus our usual promoters are unable to sell any weekly tickets at the moment. The yearly ticket costs €100 which gives you, club membership, text alerts and entry to draws for Munster and All Ireland final tickets. Tickets from club members or contact Eric O’ Connor on 087 2230580.

G.A.A. CLUBS

Our Intermediate footballers recommenced training on last Friday night in preparation for the forth coming championship which gets underway in August. The competition will consist of four groups of three teams. The top two teams will qualify for the county quarter final with the bottom team playing a relegation semi-final. We are grouped with Rathkeale and Claughan. Our under 16 footballers will play in the 13 a side Coiste na Nog competition for games against, Athea,

Ballylanders, Granagh/Ballingarry, Caherconlish and Blackrock.

INTERMEDIATE FOOTBALL

Mountcollins Intermediate footballers play a challenge game tonight, Wednesday, against near neighbours Brosna. The game will be played at 7.30pm in Brosna and all players are asked to attend as these are vital games as we prepare for the championship. Your support is welcome.

CARPENTRY: A TRADITION IN THE LYONS FAMILY

Article appeared in Mountcollins Fado magazine 1998

In the 1886 Postal Directory of Munster, Cornelius Lyons is recorded as being the Principal carpenter/slater in Mountcollins. Connie, as he was known as, came from The Meeng, Caherlevoy. His family went to school from here, walking through the fields coming out to the school at Paddy Roche’s. The Meeng was some distance from the road. To get bulky supplies from the road up through the fields to his house was difficult and Connie could be seen walking his well laden donkey the distance from the road to his cottage. Cottages were poorly built in those days, and there was a spring well right under his kitchen floor. Little remains of Lyons’ house in the Meeng today.

Connie married Mag Fitzmaurice who came from around Killeedy. At some stage in the 1890’s he moved to The Cross and practiced his trade of carpentry from here. Connie and Mag had four sons and one daughter, Con, Mick, Tom, Dave and Hannie. All four sons learned the trade of carpentry from their father. Con, Mick and Tom emigrated to America, never to return. But they hadn’t gone empty handed as all three made their living in the ‘new world’ as carpenters. Hannie, the only daughter married The Taylor Roche and Dave stayed at home and worked with his father.

Dave and his father worked from the cottage at The Cross. Their work bench was in the kitchen which was to the front of the cottage. The work bench spanned the length of the kitchen. They worked on houses in Mountcollins, Tournafulla and Brosna.

In the course of time Dave Lyons married Brigid Carroll from Toureenfineen. They had seven children, Connie, Nary (Mamie), Jerry, Peggy, Josie, Davie and Joseph. They all lived in the family cottage at The Cross. Davie died at an early age. The only family member to emigrate this time was Joseph who went to Australia. Again, the trade was handed down from father to sons. From an early age Connie and Jerry looked on at the carpentry, watching their father at work, turning ballistraids (for stairs) in a miniature lathe made by himself from an old ‘foot’ sewing machine. They got familiar with all the different tools he used and when they got old enough, they helped when they were needed. One of the jobs Jerry did in the evenings after school was to turn the wood on the home-made lathe.

The main carpentry work done at the time was the making of common and trap cars, houses, coffins, windows, stairs, handles for spades and so on. The timber had to be brought by horse and car from Whelan’s in Newcastle West, and later from Moloney’s and Connor’s in Abbeyfeale. They would do the round trip to Newcastle West in a day. Setting off with three horses and cars over ‘hard’ roads that were in very bad condition. The supplies brought home would include (besides the timber), glass. Bolts, nails etc. The glass was protected in crates and cut by themselves, as they needed it, using a diamond. On the way home they always pulled in at Strand for a drink and maybe a bite to eat to help fortify themselves for the hard journey up Knocknadaiha. Jerry’s grandfather and father (Connie and Dave) did this round trip journey on many a day. Jerry brought supplies by pony and car from Abbeyfeale until the late 1940’s.

Jerry began his apprenticeship at the age of sixteen, but at this stage he had learned a lot just by looking on and helping. It took six years to complete his training and he received no wage during this time. (At the time a tradesman was given a fee for taking on a trainee the trainee didn’t receive any payment for the duration of his training). Jerry’s father and uncles also served six years of an apprenticeship.

There was a lot to learn and the training was hard. There was no electricity, and everything was done by hand. The hours were long, from ‘dark to dark’ with no transport to or from work at the time.

Trap cars and common cars were in huge demand. Common cars used in tough work by horse, pony and donkey. The trap cars were needed for occasions such as wedding, mass, funerals or any special social occasion. It took roughly a week to make a trap car and Jerry at one time had a full time job just finishing off these cars.

Coffins were made to order, that is, when someone died. At times they had to be made in a hurry and this could mean working through the night. Jerry would hold a candle for his father on these occasions, moving the candle to throw light on the right spot to enable his father to work. The coffins were finished off with a coat of varnish and sometimes had to be brought into the kitchen to the heat, for drying purposes.

Jerry and Connie worked together for years. Connie died in his early 50’s.

In 1953 reconstruction of their family cottage started and it is now a two house. Jerry married Kitty Lenihan from Mountcollins and they settled at The Cross. Kitty ran a grocery shop from here which was very successful. Jerry and Kitty had three children, Breda, Leisha and David. The two girls are married locally, Breda lives in Freemount, Co. Cork and Leisha lives in Abbeyfeale.

David again followed the family tradition and is a qualified carpenter. He has worked in England and Ireland at this trade. He married Mary Fitzmaurice from Roscommon and they now lice in the house at The Cross.

David is the fourth generation of carpenters in this branch for the Lyons’ family.

Lyons’ House and Shop at The Cross Jerry Lyons and Páidí O’ SéA young David Lyons