A LOOK AT THE YEAR 1900

Looking at some notable events at the turn of the century in the year 1900, we recount a ‘personal selection’ from the pen of the late TA Barry, Rathcormac in this mini-series.

Duncan Chisholm was charged at a Special Magistrate’s Court in Fermoy with having unlawfully and maliciously shot John Flynn, inflicting grievous bodily harm. Mr Montgomery made a short statement. He said he would protect his interests at any costs.

He complained of his boats being used by people across the river to get to Keane’s public house during prohibited hours. By the road they resided outside the three mile limit, and thus could claim to be bona fida travellers, but coming by the way they did across river, they only had a mile to travel.

Sergeant Connolly and Dr Aherne said that they could not discover any marks of shot passing through the shirt or coat which Flynn had wore corresponding with the wound. Dr Aherne found a slight wound about an eight of an inch deep in the left arm. The shot did not pass through the arm, but he found no shot in the wound although he examined and probed it carefully. The wound possibly may have been caused by something else.

Mr Carroll, defending, said that no jury could convict on the evidence. How could the shot have caused the wound without going through the coat and shirt? Mr Kilbride granted bail and returned the case for hearing to the next Quarter Sessions. At the renewed hearing in June, Flynn’s coat was produced and examined. It showed evident signs of blood, but no sign of a perforation. The jury found there was no evidence to support the charge, and Chisholm was accordingly discharged.

U.I.L. AGITATION

On Sunday, April 15, the newlyformed branch of the Castlelyons UIL held its first meeting, D Verling, vice president in the chair. The chairman thanked Fr O’Leary PP for consenting to act as president. Messrs W McAuliffe, W Hayes, J Verling, T Maye, J Maye, A Meade were elected delegates to the forthcoming conference in Mallow.

The meeting approved the principles of the UIL as the only means of redressing wrongs. It recommended a Compulsory Purchase Bill, pledged to use all means to root out the land grabber, and called on the shopkeepers of Castlelyons not to supply the same. The thorny issue of an alleged land grabbing case in the parish was postponed to the next meeting.

At the next meeting in May, all new members were enrolled and membership cards distributed. The committee then heard evidence in the case of the alleged land grabbing from both parties, who agreed to abide by the decision reached. The room was then cleared to allow the committee deliberate the issue. They decided that the alleged grabber should surrender the farm. When the decision was announced the alleged grabber said he was fully satisfied with it, and said he would never have it thrown in his face or his children’s that he was a landgrabber, or outside the pale of the UIL. On hearing of the settlement there was a wild bust of cheering, everyone present being fully satisfied that a fair and just settlement had been arrived at. It was a crucial and dramatic victory for the branch.

The alleged land grabbing case at Caherduggan became a more intractable issue and dragged on throughout the year. The Lisgoold branch UIL, in receipt of a letter from Fr O’Leary Castlelyons, came to a unanimous decision not to re-open the case, but to use every means to restore the evicted tenant. The Constituency Committee of the UIL then transferred the case to the jurisdiction of the Bartlemy branch, to which the evicted tenant put his case in early June.

Bartlemy pledged full support until he and his family were restored to their old home, a decision that was to involve it in some unfortunate acrimony and agitation.

The Rathcormac branch, in contrast, enjoyed a tranquil existence. At a meeting in June, Chairman P O’Connor, Ballybrowney, said the presence of all members demonstrated that they were determined to carry out the principles of the League. It was their best chance of freeing themselves from the clutches of landlordism and remedying the evil of emigration. Resolutions were passed demanding Home Rule, compulsory land purchase, the abolition of landlordism, and the ending of land grabbing. Present: B Curtin, treasurer; J Maye, secretary; J Horgan, C Twomey, D Murphy, T Foley, J Magnier, RDC, B Higgins, RDC, B Dorgan, J Coffee, W Ryan, J Sweeney, G Cotter, T Dwyer, T Donovan, R Sweeney, M Spillane, secretary of the band.

FERMOY HORSE FAIR

Fermoy Quarterly Horse Fair was held on Tuesday, May 8. There was a lively sale for middle class horses for remounts for the troops in South Africa. Pending the purchase of a suitable field, the fair presently held on the streets, was proving unsuitable for the testing and jumping of hunters. Mr Barry, Bartlemy, sold a 6 year old huntress for £95. Mr Buckley, Castlelyons sold a 2 year old to a Belfast dealer for £25. Mr Kelleher, Rathcormac sold a 3 year old to an Armagh dealer for £38.

The services of his brown thoroughbred sire horse of 16 hands, Barnsdale, winner of several races in England, were advertised by Mr B Higgins, Ballinahina, Fermoy. The stallion would be let in season to 50 mares at £3 each, groom fees 2s-6d.

At Midleton Fair on Monday, May 14, Mr B Curtin, Rathcormac, army contractor, purchased a nice lot of fat cattle at £14 each. In the horse section the strong demand for troopers for Transvaal was again much in evidence, but the supply was not up to dealers’ requirements.

DEATH OF FR. BARRY, P.P. RATHCORMAC

Fr Barry, PP Rathcormac died on Wednesday, May 23. He was aged 63. Though ailing for some six months, his loss was keenly felt throughout the parish and further afield. Born in Midleton 1837, he was ordained at Maynooth in 1862. He served in Youghal (as chaplain), Aghada, Mitchelstown and again in Youghal (as curate). From Youghal he was promoted in 1885 to the pastorate Rathcormac in succession to Fr Kenefick. He was a noted Ogham scholar, historian and member of the CHAS, the RIA and the RSAI. An advocate of total abstinence, he shunned notoriety and popularity. He helped his parishioners to become owners of their holdings by availing of the Land Purchase Acts.

The funeral took place on Friday 25th. Following Requiem High Mass in Rathcormac, presided over by Bishop Browne, and attended by over fifty clergymen, his coffin was shouldered by his parishioners to the nave of Bartlemy church for burial. The chief mourners were: Dr Barry, Rathcormac (nephew); Mr Edward Barry, Kildinan (do); Mr Joseph Barry (do); Mr J Barry (do); Mr D Barry, Ballinwilling; Mr J Barry, Mellifontstown; Mr J Barry, Hightown.

>> Continued next week