Great stories of Old Abbey area...
Edward O’Neill was the local blacksmith
IT is wonderful to see the great job done at the Old Abbey, with the vast amount of trees and rubbish cleared away.
Although the green fences are probably required, it would be good to see the area opened up as an amenity and I imagine the Fleadh will be a focal point in the coming months.
I was taken by the parking sign that allowed just one hour in the vicinity. I wonder who had the last car to park here and when was it!
The Old Abbey is a great spot for stories from the past as it was a place of employment and also home to many in its day.
70 years ago this year, it lost two of its ilustrious names.
One was the local blacksmith, Edward O’Neill. He operated out of here, having secured an 81 year lease from the corporation for a forge and house in 1928. Sadly, he died in October 1948. He was married to Alice and his parents were Patrick and Catherine from Mullacrew originally.
His rent was £5 back then. 1948 also saw the death of Patrick lawless of the Old Abbe. He was a member of the Lawless family of Carrlcknane, Collon, was a brother of the Rev. Tom Lawless, Provincial of the Vlncentian Order, Australia, and a brother of Mr. Nicholas Lawless, who was a Customs and Excise official. He had two uncles, one of whom was Bishop Crinion, America, and the other was Dr. Crinion, who practised in the Collon district.
Patrick has been an extensive farmer and during the period of the famous evictions on the Massarene Estate he remained ln his home while the battering ram was being used against the walls of his house. The deceased man recovered his property some time later and spent thirty of his 88 years on a ranch in Australia. He had been residing in Drogheda since 1939.
No doubt, there’s so many more stories out there on the people of the Abbey in days gone by....