What’s another year?

On February 15, 2021 Killavullen GAA Club quietly celebrated its 133rd birthday, having been ounded on the 15th February 1888. In its very long life a lot of water has gone through the eyes of the Blackwater bridge but the present situation is as difficult as any year in its long past, due to the Covid pandemic.

The founding of the club was tied in with nationalist sympathies and the Agrarian struggles at that time. The Land War (Cogadh na Talún) was a period of agrarian agitation in rural Ireland which began in 1879. It may refer specifically to the first and most intense period of agitation between 1879 and 1882 or include later outbreaks of agitation that periodically reignited until 1923, especially the 1886–1891 Plan of Campaign and the 1906–1909 Ranch War. The agitation was led by the Irish National Land League and its successors, the Irish National League and the United Irish League, and aimed to secure fair rent, free sale, and fixity of tenure for tenant farmers and ultimately peasant proprietorship of the land they worked.

From 1870, various British governments introduced a series of Land Acts that granted many of the activists’ demands. William O’Brien, from Mallow played a leading role in the 1902 Land Conference to pave the way for the most advanced social legislation in Ireland since the Union, the Wyndham Land Purchase Act of 1903. This Act set the conditions for the break-up of large estates by government-sponsored purchase.

The following is an extract from newspapers clippings about the meeting held on February 15th, 1888 which culminated in the founding of Killavullen GAA Club.

‘Killavullen – A largely attended meeting was held on Sunday for the purpose of Inaugurating a branch of the Gaelic Athletic Association, Mr T Barry presided. About eighty members were enrolled, and a subscription to a satisfactory amount handed in. The following officers were unanimously elected; Mr Thos. Barry, PLG, president; Mr Garrett Nagle, vice president; Mr Kennedy Roche, treasurer ; Mr Edward Buckley, hon. sec.; Mr. James Hickey, captain, and Mr M Nagle, vice-captain. It was decided to leave the selection of the committee to the elected officers who will meet during the ensuing week and see that the various districts of the parish are represented thereon.

It was suggested that the Rev Father Rea be asked to join the branch, and the chairman spoke at length on what the rightful position of the rev. gentleman should be in case he acceded to such a request, and went on to say that he (the chairman) would be most happy to hand over his position as well to the rev. gentleman whom he thought was well worthy of a greater honour. After an order was given to a local carpenter for a supply of hurleys, and the secretary directed to have the branch immediately affiliated, the meeting adjourned.”

In Killavullen, as with all rich fertile land along the banks of the River Blackwater you had a series of very large estates with considerable land banks. Below are some which may serve to illustrate why the land struggles were central to the politics of the time of the formation of the GAA Club, in 1888.

Rockforest - the seat of the Cotter family from the mid 18th century and occupied by them until the 20th century. Wilson, writing in 1786, describes it as “a most beautiful improvement, highly wooded, situated on the Blackwater, the seat of James Laurence Cotter”.

The Cotter family, possibly of Danish origin, who were settled in county Cork from at least the 16th century. James Cotter of Anngrove, County Cork, was executed in 1720 for supporting the Stuart claim to the English throne. His son, James Cotter of Rockforest, was member of parliament for Askeaton and was created a baronet in 1768. In 1746 he married Arrabella Casaubon, a widow, daughter and co heir of Lord Chief Justice John Rogerson. They had four sons. In 1820 their grandson, Sir James Laurence Cotter, member of parliament for Mallow, married Helena T Lombard, daughter and co heir of James Lombard of Lombardstown, county Cork. In the 1870s Sir James L Cotter of Sunny Hill, Mallow, owned 3,785 acres in county Cork while his uncle the Reverend George Cotter of Rockforest owned 916 acres. Carrigacunna - This house was the residence of Henry Baldwin Foote in the 19th century. Lewis writes that the estates of Monanimy, Ballygriffin and Carrigacunna formerly belonged to the ancient family of Nagle and that Carrigacunna was the residence of Sir Richard Nagle, Private Secretary to James II, who forfeited the estate in the late 17th century. In 1837 it was the property of H B Foott. He was the occupier in the early 1850s, the buildings were valued at £34 and the property was held in fee. Hajba writes that Henry’s son George Carleton Foott lived at Carrigacunna until 1929. The Humphreys family were living here in the mid 20th century.

Ballymagooly - According to Anna-Maria Hajba’s ‘ Houses of Cork’, Ballymagooly is the site of one of earliest Roche castles, built here in 1344. The property was sold to the Cotter family of nearby Rockforest House in 1682 for 2782 pounds. The castle was probably in ruins by the early 18th century when the original Ballymagooly House and outbuildings were constructed, possibly by John Norcott who died here in 1719. No trace of the castle remains today although some of the stone walls may be part of its curtain wall.

Carrig - This early 18th century house was the residence of William Causabon in 1744. By the 1770s it was the seat of a branch of the Franks family, who continued to reside there until the beginning of the 20th century. In the 1870s Thomas Franks of Carrig Park owned 1,255 acres in county Cork and 1,234 acres in county Limerick. In February 1873 the estate of the trustees of the will of William Hume Franks in counties Clare, Limerick and Cork amounting to a total of 1408 acres was advertised for sale. The purchasers included WM Jones and David Howe. Thomas Franks’ aunt was married to Sir Charles Denham O Jephson Norreys, Baronet of Mallow Castle. Matthew and Thomas Franks also held land in the parishes of Darragh and Particles.

Ballygriffin - Described by Smith in the mid 18th century as “a pretty seat of Mr David Nagle”. This house was the birthplace of Nano Nagle. By 1814 Ballygriffin was occupied by William J Boyce and in the early 1850s by Ellen Linehan who held the property from J C Nagle.

Annakisha - The Nagles appear to have held Annakisha from the end of the 17th century and the house may possibly have dated from this time. Pierce Nagle was resident in 1814 and in 1837 and in the early 1850s held the property in fee. The buildings were valued at £22. Sold by Pierce Nagle to the Hamiltons of Castle Hamilton, county Cavan. Pierce Nagle’s estate of 5,422 acres in the barony of Fermoy and city of Cork including Annakisha and Mount Nagle was advertised for sale in the Encumbered Estates Court in June 1851. The Freeman’s Journal reported that many of the lots were purchased by Charles Geoghegan, some in trust for the owner. The Nagles of Mount Nagle were descended from a younger son of Pierce Nagle of Annakisha.

Carrigoon - Occupied by Timothy Collins in the early 1850s and held from Joseph C Nagle.

Mount Nagle - An early Nagle home which by the mid 18th century appears to have become the residence of the Linehan family. Hajba records a Mrs Linehan dying there in 1755 and at the time of Griffith’s Valuation Myles Linehan occupied the house. He held it from Reverend William Nash.’

CLUB SPONSOR

Howard Farm Feeds.