HISTORICAL BOOK HITS THE SHELVES
THE latest issue of the annual journal of the Wicklow Historical Society has just been published.
The cover image is ‘Wild Sea at Wicklow in the Late 19th Century’ by Edwin Hayes.
Inside, ‘Life in Wicklow a Century Ago - 1920’ by John Finlay provides an insight into the daily life and happenings in Wicklow Town and its environs, during a year in which the political landscape in the country was changing and the tempo in the military campaign of the War of Independence was increasing.
Events covered include deaths at sea, the increase in the Old Age Pension to 10s. a week, War of Independence incidents in the area, sporting and cultural activities, people who visited the town, and the opening of the Excelsior Cinema, to name a few.
‘Murder in Rathdrum and its Dire Consequences’ by Stan J. O’Reilly recalls the 1884 murder of Mrs. Moore at her cottage near Rathdrum by a tramp called Tobin who was subsequently arrested by the police, charged, tried, and convicted of her murder and hanged in Wexford Gaol on August 26 1884.
‘Robert Barton Remembers (1881-1975)’ based on an Ernie O’Malley interview with him in 1950, is provided by Ben Fagan, covering Cabinet Meetings, Austin Stack, McNamara the ‘G’ Man, and other aspects of the War of Independence, which he spoke about to O’Malley. At the time of his death in 1975, Robert Barton was the last of the 1921 Anglo-Irish Peace Treaty signatories to pass away.
‘Up in his Hat: James Joyce, John Francis Byrne and their contemporaries: the Wicklow connections’ by Ken Hannigan is based on the recollections of Mick Fogarty of Carrickmore, recorded by Ken Hannigan and the late Fr James Murphy, Parish Priest of Barndarrig, Brittas Bay in the 1990s, in which he spoke the history of the area and some of the people who lived in and visited it.
‘The Day “Hell” Came to Wicklow’ by John Finlay recalls the Tuesday, November 5, 1990 major fire in Abbey Street, Wicklow, which was engulfed in flames and smoke following a fire in an heating oil storage tank which released upwards of 8000 litres of burning oil into Abbey Street. This article includes several colour photographs of this incident taken by John Holly.
‘An unpopular decision by the railway company’ by Vincent O’Reilly recalls the 1874 decision by the Dublin Wicklow and Wexford Railway to build a new railway station in Wicklow Town in place of the existing one based at the Murrough which now a branch line off the main Dublin-Wexford line. The move was opposed by numerous people in the town as well as the Wicklow Township Commissioners but the company succeeded in obtaining parliamentary permission for the new station, the present day one, which opened in 1885. The Murrough station was closed to passenger traffic in 1885 until 1969 when it was re-opened to facilitate a number of daily passenger trains
Aerial map of the Lower Murrough showing Wicklow Gas Company near the beach and the newly constructed Gouldings Fertilizer Factory on North Quay near the Packet Pier.
until 1976 when it was closed again.
Wicklow has always had a long maritime tradition and is covered in this issue by Tom Byrne who provides ‘A short account of some of the seafarers from Wicklow Town who were lost at sea through inclement weather and war’ which looks at some of the ships and seafarers lost between 1899 and 1917 for these reasons.
‘2020...A Year of Anniversaries’ by John Finlay recalls some of the anniversaries occurring in Wicklow Town this year including the 150th anniversary of the opening of the Dominican Sisters School, the 70th anniversary opening of Holy Rosary National School, the 320th anniversary of the Church of Ireland
Parish, Church Hill, the 130th anniversary of the Assembly Hall, Bachelors Walk, the 120th anniversary of the unveiling of the ‘Billy Byrne’ monument, the 160th anniversary of the Metal Bridge, the 70th anniversary of the opening of the new Gouldings Fertilizers plant, and the 60th anniversary of the opening of a new sulphuric acid plant by Shamrock Fertilizers.
‘Inquest in Rathdrum in 1876’ by Stan J. O’Reilly recalls the inquest into the death of a Rathdrum Workhouse resident who died of bronchitis contracted in Wicklow Gaol prior being admitted to the workhouse.
Stan J. O’Reilly continues his look at Wicklow and District in Antiquity and Folklore with ‘Naoi and St. Ernene (Part 2)’ - Part 1 ‘Pre-Christian Wicklow and the coming of the Irish Saints’ was published in the 2019 journal.
The closing article ‘The Society of the Sacred Heart - 1875’ by John Finlay is based on the roll book of the Association discovered during the 2019 renovations of Delahunt’s by Noel Heatley, and contains an alphabetic listing of members with addresses.
Copies are €5 and available from a number of outlets around Wicklow Town. They can be ordered by calling 0404 67887 or 0404 67494.
The Wicklow Historical Society extends its thanks to its patrons who have made publication of this year’s journal possible.