Recalling Sligo’s role in the rabbit industry

Books to many are a great present, and a good friend who knows my interests and tastes recently gave me a Christmas present of a book entitle “The Rabbit Industry in Ireland” – 20th Century Snapshots.

This is a very well researched and presented account of how important the Rabbit Industry was to rural Ireland during the first half of the 20th Century. Written by a Tulsk, Co Roscommon native called Michael J. Conry who graduated from UCD with an Agricultural Science Degree in 1958, he came an authority in soil science, and over the course of the last 50 years has written many papers and books on soils and various aspects of Irelands Cultural Heritage.

The book does exactly what it says in the title and gives a brief history of the rabbit and explains how important it was to the Irish rural community up until the late 1950’ s. It will be especially interesting to those people born in the 1930’ s, 40’ s, 40’ s and 60’ s who would remember distinctly the many people involved with the rabbit business. The rabbit was an important source of mean for thousands of Irish families in poverty and stricken Ireland throughout the 19th and the first half of the 20th century.

Catching rabbits supplement the meagre incomes of urban workers, farm labourers and small farmers alike. It provided a livelihood for the unemployed and thousands of professional trappers, snarers and ferreting men. At the same time the rabbit was an unmitigated pest of the farming community, decimating grassland, arable crops and forestry plantations.

Millions of rabbits were exported t Britain, especially during World Wars 1 and 2, when Britain was on the verge of starvation and needed all the un- rationed mean and food Ireland could supply.

The book under review “The Rabbit Industry in Ireland” was obviously researched over many decades, but probably especially in the 1980’ s, 90’ s and early 21st century with many of the characters involved were still alive to tell the tale. It gives comments and reports from all 32 counties in Ireland- game dealers, exporters, middle men and especially the men and women on the ground who did the catching.

When writing about the Rabbit business n Coney Island, he got a lot of his information from the late Sligo Solicitor Frank Carter ( 1918- 2012) and others quoted and referred to on Coney Island included Michael Leyden, Michael James Ward ( 1998- 1979) and John Healy, fowl buyer in Gratten Street. Other parts of Co Sligo were also ‘ waving’ with wild rabbits, especially around Tubbercurry areas like Achonry, Chaffpool, Powellsboro, Moylough and various parts of Curry. Two local men who only passed to their eternal reward in recent years and who gave great information to the researcher were Jim Goulden and Aneas Lundy. Both men were marvellous shooting and hunting men who combined their farming commitments with Rabbit catching throughout the 1930’ s and 40’ s. Jim Goulden was quoted as saying that after digging the potatoes in autumn, he trapped and ferreted over the winter, saying it was ‘ awful hard work’ carrying all the equipment ( ferret box, nets and spade) with nothing but a bicycle and a trusting Terrier.

After the Rabbit business dies out in the mid 1950’ s, due to the decimation of the Rabbit population due to Myximatosis, Jim moved to the Charleville Estate, Tullamore, Co. Offaly. He returned back to Tubbercurry in the late 70’ s and when a slight comeback was made on the Rabbit industry supplying the French market in the late 1980’ s, Jim was at hand to lend his expertise to a few local entrepreneurs. Aneas Lundy from rhue, Tubbercurry explained to the researcher how he sent the rabbits in the 1940’ s on the bus from Charlestown to Carton Bros Game Dealers in Dublin. He rifle shot a lot of rabbits and also worked along with a professional trapper Peter Powell. The interest of Aneas in wildlife lasted throughout his life and in 2004 Aneas reported to the researcher that something else was killing rabbits besides the virus as VHD.

In the Ballymote/ Keash areas, people involved in the rabbit catching included John and Batty Hannon, Jim Hannon, Jim Taheny, Michael Gaffney and Pat Mahonly. Batty Healy and his daughter Kathleen were all rabbit buyers in the area. West Sligo People involved included, Stephen Tempary, Henry Johnston, Peter Flatley, Jimmy McDonnell, Willie Tom McKingley, Huge Freeman, Michael Melville and Tom Sweeney. Brian Rafter, publican and grocer in Enniscrone purchased rabbits in the area and Brian was a great character who only died within the last 10 years. Sean MCKeown, Shelia Casey, Brian Harkins, Michael Healy and Dick Coleman were others involved as teenagers/ young adults.

Every business has many components, each being equally important. Dealers and buyers were very important and in the West of Ireland, The Notley Brothers from Annaduff, Co. Leitrim were big time into game buying and fowl, hens, ducks , geese etc. George Notley moved to Tubbercurry in the 1940’ s and set up his own business on ‘ Masshill Road’. George Notley was to say the least a character. Up until the mid- 1960’ s, the Monday Market in Tubbercurry was well known throughout the West for selling/ buying poultry and rabbits.

As a youngster growing up in Tubbercurry in the 1960’ s, I heard first hand from my father all about the rabbit catching of he 1930’ s and 40’ s, and I and my friends quikly learned from the older generation many of the tricks of the trade.

Myximatosis was introduced in 1954 to Ireland and decimated the rabbit population much to the joy of farmers who were losing large parts of their crops and grass to the rabbit. However, it put an end to a way of life for thousands of others.

Today there is a healthy manageable population of wild rabbits in many rural parts of rural Ireland, but the odd enthusiastic vegetable grower will be heard to curse the rabbit.

If you get a chance to purchase this book or borrow from your local library it is well worth the read for a trip down memory lane or to get an insight into a way of life now lost in rural Ireland.

BY Roger Mc Carrick - The Rabbit Industry in Ireland- A county Sligo Perspective Linking employers with those seeking work is the aim of a new initiative launched at North Connaught College in Tubbercurry in conjunction with employers and the NW Skills Forum.

Students, staff, Board of Management and employers gathered to launch a new section on the college website that is geared towards the needs of employers and which will streamline the process of connecting the 150 adults studying on one year courses with their dream of moving to successful employment in their local community.

Margaret Scollan, Principal, described the event as being about “connections” – connecting the energy of the local business community with the adult learners.

Louise Kilbane, President of the Tubbercurry Chamber of Commerce gave examples of the linkages between the college and the town which benefit the local economy.

She gave examples from her own business where her staff receive training at the college as well as students carrying out work placement with her, several of whom she has gone on to employ in her business.

Councillor Margaret Gormley, who chairs the college Board of Management, pointed out the benefit to the wider South Sligo area in having a college where training for employment can take place and looked forward to a thriving co- operation with the local business community.

Employers are also invited to use the new employers link on the website if they wish to source a placement or to advertise a job.