Waterford County Museum: November 2022

The Bad Times – Waterford Country Houses During the Revolutionary Period

A new expanded edition of this book is now available in hardback and paperback at the museum and direct from Amazon. It now contains an index, map, additional text and images and a new foreword by John Martin author of the Historic Atlas of Dungarvan.

One of the most valuable sources is the family archives of the owners of some of those houses, particularly the correspondence of Emily Ussher of Cappagh House and the diary of Mary de la Poer of Gurteen le Poer. This book is available to purchase at the following places: Waterford County Museum Dungarvan, David Walsh Office Supplies Dungarvan and the Book Centre, Waterford City and Mount Congreve shop and visitor centre, County Waterford. The paperback is €20 and the hardback is €25.

Date for your Diary- Christmas get together

The museum will be having a Christmas gathering, for its members (plus a friend). The details are as follows:

Date: Thursday 15^th December 2022

Time: 7pm, Refreshments will be served

Location: Waterford County Museum building, Friary Street Dungarvan

For further details

Phone: (058) 45 9 60 Email: info@waterfordmuseum.ie

Stories from Old Newspapers

Irish Times 18 November 1957

Mount Congreve Gardens by G. O. Sherrard

I paid a visit to a very interesting garden lately that of Mount Congreve near Waterford, the property of Mr. Ambrose Congreve. It is a large garden and has two main features - (1) A walled garden of about two acres with a wide herbaceous border running completely round it at the foot of the wall and a well-kept lawn in the centre; and (2) an informal garden of trees and shrubs, planted in clearings in a wood.

The herbaceous border is very fine and reminds me of that at Castle Forbes Co. Longford. There is a great selection of plants. And the width of the border allows them to be planted in groups with tall things, such as Lavatera Olbia at the back. The flowers of late autumn were making a display when I was there – Michaelmus Daisies, Rudbeckias, Eupatoriums, Heleniums, Sedum Spectabile and so forth. I noticed an improved form of the sedum, named Brightness, and a fine form of Rudbeckia Newmanni,called Goldsturm. Salvia Uliginosum was producing its vivid blue flowers and is quite hardy in this garden.

The house is at the top of a rather steep wooded slope and vistas have been cut through the trees so that the River Suir could be seen. Many of the trees are fine specimens and Mr Congreve has used them to shelter a choice collection of shrubs, in which Rhododendrons are prominent. Other shrubs which are well represented are the Magnolias, of which I saw large specimens of M. Campbelli and M. Mollicmats, the beautiful pink species. The large Mahonias, such as M. Bealei, M. Nepalense and M. Lomarifolia, made quite a handsome group in the woodland.

Stories from Old Newspapers

Loss of A Vessel in Dungarvan Bay

On Monday evening the brig Thyme, from Cork, laden with coals and iron, struck on a ledge of rocks called the Geanors, stretching across from Helvick Head towards Ballinacourty Point. It was three quarters ebb at the time, and blew a great gale from S.W.; the waves running frightfully high. The Coast Guard’s boat endeavored to go to her assistance, but failed. Six brave Ring-men then manned one of their yawls, and with that intrepidity, and humane and generous enterprise, which characterized their noble and daring exertions on many former occasions, braved the fury of the waves, and, at peril of their own lives, succeeded in rescuing the crew from the imminent and certain fate which momentarily awaited them. Such heroic and praiseworthy action, as saving from certain death the lives of six or eight human beings would be sure in any other country but this to meet with liberal and prompt reward, but in Ireland, at least in this locality. Seldom do we find any other stimulus or incentive to the achievement of such fine, manly and hazardous deeds, but the innate principles of virtue, and magnanimous spirit of fearless courage, and disinterested philanthropy which animate the Irish heart. The Thyme was about 150 tons burthen. She went to pieces, parts of her bulwark, etc, came ashore, under the Abbeyside Castle, on this evening.

Next Museum Talk - Next Wednesday 23rd November.

CATHAL BRUGHA, Soldier, Politician, Businessman, Family man - PATRIOT !

A talk by Tommy Mooney

Brugha captured on his mode of transport

Waterford County Museum are delighted to welcome back to the Museum, Ardmore’s Tommy Mooney for this our final talk for 2022.The title of Tommy’s talk clearly illustrates the profile of a man who was willing and indeed died for what he believed in. Brugha was willing to lay down his life for his principles. He was certainly a man that can be called a true hero. And, we sometimes forget his and his family’s connection with this area. Tommy Mooney, of course is no stranger to researching and writing about men like Brugha, we can be thankful to him for such books as ‘Cry of the Curlew’ and ‘The Déise Divided.’ Both which resurrected many local heroes who we also seem to have forgotten. Tommy’s talk takes place at the Museum on Friary Street at 7.30pm next Wednesday 23^rd November. As usual all are welcome. Admittance is just €5.

The Bad Times- Waterford Country Houses During the Revolutionary Period

A vivid account of the people who lived through the revolutionary period, whether as occupants of the country houses (both large and small), their servants, members of the IRA or the Free State army, or ordinary people living in the countryside caught up in the tides of war. The research is meticulous and is based on an extraordinarily wide range of sources, both published and unpublished, including compensation claims in the National Archives, witness statements given to the Bureau of Military History, and contemporary Irish and UK newspapers.

One of the most valuable sources is the family archives of the owners of some of those houses, particularly the correspondence of Emily Ussher of Cappagh House and the diary of Mary de la Poer of Gurteen le Poer. This book is available to purchase at the following places: Waterford County Museum Dungarvan, David Walsh Office Supplies Dungarvan and the Book Centre, Waterford City and Mount Congreve shop and visitor centre, County Waterford. The paperback is €20 and the hardback is €25.

Stories from old Newspapers

Cork Examiner 1 October 1858

Cappoquin – New Organ

The opening of a magnificent organ, purchased from the firm of Messrs Hill & Sons, London, for the Catholic Church of this town, took place on last Sunday, the 26th inst.

It was a glorious day for Cappoquin and will long be remembered by the large and respectable congregation that filled every available part of the church…High Mass, which commenced at a quarter to twelve, was celebrated by the Rev. John Ryan, R.C.C., Waterford. After mass a most feeling and instructive discourse was delivered by the Rev. James O’Brien, All Hallow’s College.

Mr John Fleming, organist of St. Augustine’s Church, Cork, presided at the organ, and it is but justice to him to say, as a professional man, that he was ‘the right man in the right place’. The masterly manner in which he evoked the powers and resources of the noble instrument filled the vast congregation with feelings of admiration and delight. The music selected for the occasion was Mozart’s Mass No 12., which was indeed beautifully rendered in all its parts by a very efficient choir, brought down specially for the occasion by Mr Fleming, assisted by the very able and accomplished tenor, John Deenford, esq., Waterford, with whose sweet, powerful, and well-toned voice all were pleased and delighted.

The collection amounted to over £93, a large sum, no doubt, when taken into account that over £370 have been paid over the last two years towards repairs and improvements to the church. In the evening a large party of clergymen and laymen were entertained to dinner by the hospitable and zealous parish priest.

St. Marys R.C. Church , Cappoquin, circa 1910

Stories from Old Newspapers

Clonmel Chronicle 5 February 1881

The Threatening Notice Case at Ardmore

At the Ardmore petty Sessions on Tuesday, a respectable farmer’s son named John Crowley, was charged with writing a threatening letter and posting it on the gates of Ardmore chapel…Mr Thomas Slattery, Solr., Lismore, appeared for the defendant, and Sub-Inspector Milling prosecuted on behalf of the Crown. The Rev. Mr Shanahan P.P., Ardmore, deposed that on Sunday morning, the 21st of November, he found the threatening notice posted on the church gate; he tore down portion of it and threw it in the sacristy, where a policeman afterwards obtained possession of it; he had known the defendant for six years and he bore an excellent character.

Constable G. Pollock, Ardmore who found the notice said that it read as follows:

‘Notice, any farmer in the property of the O’Dell’s, Greaves, or Bagge’s that pay more than Griffith’s valuation must be guarded himself like the tirant Boycott, you must be unioted and loial to the cause like your fello countrymen. Our nation once again. Down with landlordism’.

Beneath the text was a drawing of a gun, and the signature ‘Captain Moonlite’. Sub-Constable Patrick Hegarty said he went to see Crowley at his home in Ballinamona on the pretext of gathering information on local farms. ‘I am in the habit of gathering agricultural statistics and I am aware that the defendant’s father is a tenant of Colonel Greaves, one of the landlords mentioned in the threatening notice’. Hegarty stated that the handwriting was the same as on the notice posted at the church. The case was sent for trial by jury and Crowley was moved to Dungarvan bridewell. ‘The prisoner was then admitted to bail, himself in £50 and two sureties of £25 each to attend the Waterford Assizes’.

Interior of Ardmore R.C. Church

Next Museum talk on 23rd November

The next museum talk / lecture will take place on Wednesday 23^rd of November 2022, at the Museum @ 7.30pm. The speaker is Ardmore author Tommy Mooney and he will be speaking about CATHAL BRUGHA, Soldier, Politician, Businessman, Family man - PATRIOT!

Admission is €5.