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.

SALE OF BLUEBELL WOOLLEN MILLS

In June, Mr JM Barry and Sons, Auctioneers, Fermoy on instructions of John F Quinlan, advertised the sale of Ballinterry House and Bluebell Woollen Mills, near Rathcormac, in 2 lots.

Lot 1 - Charming residence with out-offices and 56 acres held under yearly tenancy at rent of £28. Three workmen’s cottages on lands.

Lot 2 - Bluebell Woollen Mills, in perfect working order, with carding machines, billies, scribblars, tucking mills, wool stores and a never-failing water supply giving an estimated 30hp. Would suit a creamery, canning factory, flour or woollen concern. Held under long lease at £10-10s per annum.

FERMOY HANDBALL TOURNAMENT

The Fermoy Handball Tournament for the double-handed championship of Munster opened in the Fermoy Handball Court on Sunday, July 8. Great credit was accorded to Mr Thomas O’Mahony, Barrack Hill, who very kindly gave all the material for the gallery free of expense. The tournament was organised by the Fermoy Handball Club, under the direction of chairman, Mr William Spillane and secretary, Mr John Sheehan.

In the opening match, the brothers Tim and Mick Twohill of Kanturk, took on the Cork City pairing of William O’Herlihy and Oliver Drew. This proved to be an intriguing contest, a special excursion train from Cork being laid on to facilitate fans. Tim Twohill was All-Ireland singles champion, while O’Herlihy was ex-champion. The Twohills were regarded as possibly the best pair in the South of Ireland, while Drew was marked out as a rising star. In a rattling contest, O’Herlihy and Drew won by five games to one.

First round results: W O’Herlihy and O Drew (Cork) defeated T Twohill and M Twohill (Kanturk); M O’Brien and P Spillane (Fermoy) defeated TF Burke and WB Burke (Dungarvan); M Leahy and J O’Callaghan (Fermoy) defeated PJ O’Donnell and T Keane (Mitchelstown) 21-19, 7-21, 12-21, 21-12, 21-15, 21-12, 21-19 (August 5); D Roche and J Joyce (Fermoy) defeated T Neary and P Neary (Waterford); D Murphy (Fermoy) and D Hurley (Kildinan) defeated J O’Donnell and M Keane (Mitchelstown); Morgan Spillane and William Spillane (Fermoy) defeated M Dineen (Cork) and Red Tobin (Fermoy); J O’Brien and C Spillane a bye.

The semi-finals were held on Sunday, September 16. In the first O’Herlihy and Drew defeated Roche and Joyce, while the Spillane brothers defeated Murphy and Hurley. The final eventually got underway on Sunday, October 7.

It featured the fancied Cork partnership of O’Herlihy and Drew against the Fermoy duo, W and M Spillane. The Cork players and their supporters travelled from the city in cars and waggonettes. Heavy rain in the morning left the flagged floor of the court in bad condition, and threatened for a while to postpone the fixture, but the application of saw-dust improved the situation, though the start was delayed for over an hour. Referee was RJ McSweeney, Fermoy and at admission charges of 1/- and 6d., both galleries were well filled.

The service of the Cork duo was very fast and extremely difficult to return, and they also had the better of the open exchanges. Drew served no less than 32 in aces in one hand, and O’Herlihy 23 in another. The city men never gave an opening to the Fermoy pair and easily won 21-9, 21-3, 21-20, 21-1, 21-4. Mr Geoffrey O’Herlihy, Cork thanked the Fermoy club for the manner in which they had run the tournament. Mr Jeremiah (John?) Sheehan, secretary of the Fermoy Club responded.

CAHIRMEE FAIR

Legally, the Great Cahirmee Horse Fair commenced on Thursday, July 12. In practice it had been going on since Monday in and around the streets of Buttevant. These early, illegal sales were numerous, and accounted for the disposal of many of the very valuable horses. Some two or three years ago, Mr Carroll, whose family owned the patent rights of the fair for generations obtained an injunction to prevent these arbitrary sales, and as a result people were prosecuted for buying and selling on the streets of Buttevant. For a time, this put a stop to the illegal dealing, but this year, however, it was worse than ever.

Mr Carroll, determined to spare no expense to protect his rights, hired a photographer from Cork, and photographs taken on Tuesday and Wednesday showed that the police did not enforce the injunction. Regarded as the greatest horse fair in the United Kingdom, any attempt to remove Cahirmee

from its ancient and legal site, or to spread it over several days, would, it was feared, be attended with disastrous results.

Though the supply of horses was very large, the demand and prices were very good. Quality was well represented in the younger animals, but firstclass horses, five year old and upwards, were scarce. The day was very hot, and the dust along roads to and from the field rose in clouds.

Dealers from Cork, Waterford, Limerick, Carlow, Dublin, Armagh, Belfast, Antrim, England, France and Italy attended, as well as local buyers, Messrs Lawton of Carrigtwohill. Messrs Widger, Waterford, bought 82 hunters and troopers, the hunters averaging from £100 to £250, and the troopers from £20 to £30. Dr McDonald refused £400 for the thoroughbred sire, Duhallow.

The second day, Friday, was spoiled by heavy and incessant rain; only a few owners put in an appearance, and all the foreign and English buyers had departed. Still, there was plenty of young horses left, and the principal Irish buyers for troopers and draft animals were able to fulfil their orders.