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~ on the shores of the River Shannon and Lough Derg

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The link of Portumna, Lough Derg, Bove Derg and Lir

14 Friday Aug 2015

Posted by portumnacc in Uncategorized

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Aed, Bodb Dearg, Bove Derg, children of Lir, Conn, De Dannan, Dedannan, Fiacra, finola, Four Swans, Inis Glora, Kemoc, Largnen, Lough Derg, Portumna

The link of Portumna, Lough Derg, Bove Derg and Lir

Bodhbh [Bove] Derg, son of the Dagda, was chosen king; and Manannan, their chief counsellor, they arranged the different places of abode for the nobles among the hills. Several of the sidhs mentioned in this narrative are known, and some of them are still celebrated as fairy haunts.
Sidh Buidhbh [Boov], with Bove Derg for its chief, was on the shore of Lough Derg, Portumna.

When you see swans on Lough Derg again you may see them differently!

Which brings us the great story of the Children of Lir or The Four White Swans

In the days of long ago there lived in the Green Isle of Erin a race of brave men and fair women—the race of the Dedannans. North, south, east, and west did this noble people dwell, doing homage to many chiefs.
But one blue morning after a great battle the Dedannans met on a wide plain to choose a King. “Let us,” they said, “have one King over all. Let us no longer have many rulers.”
Forth from among the Princes rose five well fitted to wield a sceptre and to wear a crown, yet most royal stood Bove Derg and Lir. And forth did the five chiefs wander, that the Dedannan folk might freely say to whom they would most gladly do homage as King.
Not far did they roam, for soon there arose a great cry, “Bove Derg is King. Bove Derg is King.” And all were glad, save Lir.
But Lir was angry, and he left the plain where the Dedannan people were, taking leave of none, and doing Bove Derg no reverence. For jealousy filled the heart of Lir.
Then were the Dedannans wroth, and a hundred swords were unsheathed and flashed in the sunlight on the plain. “We go to slay Lir who doeth not homage to our King and regardeth not the choice of the people.”
But wise and generous was Bove Derg, and he bade the warriors do no hurt to the offended Prince.
For long years did Lir live in discontent, yielding obedience to none. But at length a great sorrow fell upon him, for his wife, who was dear unto him, died, and she had been ill but three days. Loudly did he lament her death, and heavy was his heart with sorrow.

When tidings of Lir’s grief reached Bove Derg, he was surrounded by his mightiest chiefs. “Go forth,” he said, “in fifty chariots go forth. Tell Lir I am his friend as ever, and ask that he come with you hither. Three fair foster-children are mine, and one may he yet [44] have to wife, will he but bow to the will of the people, who have chosen me their King.”

When these words were told to Lir, his heart was glad. Speedily he called around him his train, and in fifty chariots set forth. Nor did they slacken speed until they reached the palace of Bove Derg by the Great Lake. And there at the still close of day, as the setting rays of the sun fell athwart the silver waters, did Lir do homage to Bove Derg. And Bove Derg kissed Lir and vowed to be his friend for ever.
And when it was known throughout the Dedannan host that peace reigned between these mighty chiefs, brave men and fair women and little children rejoiced, and nowhere were there happier hearts than in the Green Isle of Erin.

Time passed, and Lir still dwelt with Bove Derg in his palace by the Great Lake. One morning the King said, “Full well thou knowest my three fair foster-daughters, nor have I forgotten my promise that one thou shouldst have to wife. Choose her whom thou wilt.”
Then Lir answered, “All are indeed fair, and choice is hard. But give unto me the eldest, if it be that she be willing to wed.”
And Eve, the eldest of the fair maidens, was glad, and that day was she married to Lir, and after two weeks she left the palace by the Great Lake and drove with her husband to her new home.
Happily dwelt Lir’s household and merrily sped the months. Then were born unto Lir twin babes. The girl they called Finola, and her brother did they name Aed.
Yet another year passed and again twins were born, but before the infant boys knew their mother, she died. So sorely did Lir grieve for his beautiful wife that he would have died of sorrow, but for the great love he bore his motherless children.
When news of Eve’s death reached the palace of Bove Derg by the Great Lake all mourned aloud for love of Eve and sore pity for Lir and his four babes. And Bove Derg said to his mighty chiefs, “Great indeed is our grief, but in this dark hour shall Lir know our friendship. Ride forth, make known to him that Eva, my second fair foster-child, shall in time become his wedded wife and shall cherish his lone babes.”
So messengers rode forth to carry these tidings to Lir, and in time Lir came again to the palace of Bove Derg by the Great Lake, and he married the beautiful Eva and took her back with him to his little daughter, Finola, and to her three brothers, Aed and Fiacra and Conn.
Four lovely and gentle children they were, and with tenderness did Eva care for the little ones who were their father’s joy and the pride of the Dedannans.
As for Lir, so great was the love he bore them, that at early dawn he would rise, and, pulling aside the deerskin that separated his sleeping-room with theirs, would fondle and frolic with the children until morning broke.
And Bove Derg loved them well-nigh as did Lir himself. Ofttimes would he come to see them, and ofttimes were they brought to his palace by the Great Lake.
And through all the Green Isle, where dwelt the Dedannan people, there also was spread the fame of the beauty of the children of Lir.
Time crept on, and Finola was a maid of twelve summers. Then did a wicked jealousy find root in Eva’s heart, and so did it grow that it strangled the love which she had borne her sister’s children. In bitterness she cried, “Lir Gareth not for me; to Finola and her brothers hath he given all his love.”
And for weeks and months Eva lay in bed planning how she might do hurt to the children of Lir.
At length, one midsummer morn, she ordered forth her chariot, that with the four children she might come to the palace of Bove Derg.
When Finola heard it, her fair face grew pale, for in a dream had it been revealed unto her that Eva, her step-mother, should that day do a dark deed among those of her own household. Therefore was Finola sore afraid, but only her large eyes and pale cheeks spake her woe, as she and her brothers drove along with Eva and her train.
On they drove, the boys laughing merrily, heedless alike of the black shadow resting on their step-mother’s brow, and of the pale, trembling lips of their sister. As they reached a gloomy pass, Eva whispered to her attendants, “Kill, I pray you, these children of Lir, for their father careth not for me, because of his great love for them. Kill them, and great wealth shall be yours.”
But the attendants answered in horror, “We will not kill them. Fearful, O Eva, were the deed, and great is the evil that will befall thee, for having it in thine heart to do this thing.”
Then Eva, filled with rage, drew forth her sword to slay them with her own hand, but too weak for the monstrous deed, she sank back in the chariot.
Onward they drove, out of the gloomy pass into the bright sunlight of the white road. Daisies with wide-open eyes looked up into the blue sky overhead. Golden glistened the buttercups among the shamrock. From the ditches peeped forget-me-not. Honeysuckle scented the hedgerows. Around, above, and afar, carolled the linnet, the lark, and the thrush. All was colour and sunshine, scent [49] and song, as the children of Lir drove onward to their doom.

Children of Lir Portumna 1

. . .AS SHE TOUCHED AED, FIACRA, AND CONN, THE THREE BROTHERS WERE AS THE MAID.

Not until they reached a still lake were the horses unyoked for rest. There Eva bade the children undress and go bathe in the waters. And when the children of Lir reached the water’s edge, Eva was there behind them, holding in her hand a fairy wand. And with the wand she touched the shoulder of each. And, lo! as she touched Finola, the maiden was changed into a snow-white swan, and behold! as she touched Aed, Fiacra, and Conn, the three brothers were as the maid. Four snow-white swans floated on the blue lake, and to them the wicked Eva chanted a song of doom.
As she finished, the swans turned towards her, and Finola spake:
“Evil is the deed thy magic wand hath wrought, O Eva, on us the children of Lir, but greater evil shall befall thee, because of the hardness and jealousy of thine heart.” And Finola’s white swan-breast heaved as she sang of their pitiless doom.

The song ended, again spake the swan-maiden. “Tell us, O Eva, when death shall set us free.”
And Eva made answer, “Three hundred years shall your home be on the smooth waters of this lone lake. Three hundred years shall ye pass on the stormy waters of the sea betwixt Erin and Alba, and three hundred years shall ye be tempest-tossed on the wild Western Sea. Until Decca be the Queen of Largnen, and the good Saint come to Erin, and ye hear the chime of the Christ-bell, neither your plaints nor prayers, neither the love of your father Lir, nor the might of your King, Bove Derg, shall have power to deliver you from your doom. But lone white swans though ye be, ye shall keep for ever your own sweet Gaelic speech, and ye shall sing, with plaintive voices, songs so haunting that your music will bring peace to the souls of those who hear. And still beneath your snowy plumage shall beat the hearts of Finola, Aed, Fiacra aid Conn, and still for ever shall ye be the children of Lir.”

Then did Eva order the horses to be yoked to the chariot, and away westward did she drive.
And swimming on the lone lake were four white swans.

When Eva reached the palace of Bove Derg alone, greatly was he troubled lest evil had befallen the children of Lir.
But the attendants, because of their great fear of Eva, dared not to tell the King of the magic spell she had wrought by the way. Therefore Bove Derg asked, “Wherefore, O Eva, come not Finola and her brothers to the palace this day?”
And Eva answered, “Because, O King, Lir no longer trusteth thee, therefore would he not let the children come hither.”
But Bove Derg believed not his foster-daughter, and that night he secretly sent messengers across the hills to the dwelling of Lir.
When the messengers came there, and told their errand, great was the grief of the father. And in the morning with a heavy heart he summoned a company of the Dedannans, and together they set out for the palace of Bove Derg. And it was not until sunset as they [52] reached the lone shore of Lake Darvra, that they slackened speed.
Lir alighted from his chariot and stood spell-bound. What was that plaintive sound? The Gaelic words, his dear daughter’s voice more enchanting even than of old, and yet, before and around, only the lone blue lake. The haunting music rang clearer, and as the last words died away, four snow-white swans glided from behind the sedges, and with a wild flap of wings flew toward the eastern shore. There, stricken with wonder, stood Lir.
“Know, O Lir,” said Finola, “that we are thy children, changed by the wicked magic of our step-mother into four white swans.” When Lir and the Dedannan people heard these words, they wept aloud.
Still spake the swan-maiden. “Three hundred years must we float on this lone lake, three hundred years shall we be storm-tossed on the waters between Erin and Alba, and three hundred years on the wild Western Sea. Not until Decca be the Queen of Largnen, not until the good Saint come to Erin and the chime of the Christ-bell be heard in the land, [53] not until then shall we be saved from our doom.”
Then great cries of sorrow went up from the Dedannans, and again Lir sobbed aloud. But at the last silence fell upon his grief, and Finola told how she and her brothers would keep for ever their own sweet Gaelic speech, how they would sing songs so haunting that their music would bring peace to the souls of all who heard. She told, too, how, beneath their snowy plumage, the human hearts of Finola, Aed, Fiacra, and Conn should still beat—the hearts of the children of Lir. “Stay with us to-night by the lone lake,” she ended, “and our music will steal to you across its moonlit waters and lull you into peaceful slumber. Stay, stay with us.”
And Lir and his people stayed on the shore that night and until the morning glimmered. Then, with the dim dawn, silence stole over the lake.
Speedily did Lir rise, and in haste did he bid farewell to his children, that he might seek Eva and see her tremble before him.

Swiftly did he drive and straight, until he [54] came to the palace of Bove Derg, and there by the waters of the Great Lake did Bove Derg meet him. “Oh, Lir, wherefore have thy children come not hither?” And Eva stood by the King.
Stern and sad rang the answer of Lir. “Alas I Eva, your foster-child, hath by her wicked magic changed them into four snow-white swans. On the blue waters of Lake Darvra dwell Finola, Aed, Fiacra, and Conn, and thence come I that I may avenge their doom.”
A silence as the silence of death fell upon the three, and all was still save that Eva trembled greatly. But ere long Bove Derg spake. Fierce and angry did he look, as, high above his foster-daughter, he held his magic wand. Awful was his voice as he pronounced her doom. “Wretched woman, henceforth shalt thou no longer darken this fair earth, but as a demon of the air shalt thou dwell in misery till the end of time.” And of a sudden from out her shoulders grew black, shadowy wings, and, with a piercing scream, she swirled upward, until the awe-stricken Dedannans saw nought [55] save a black speck vanish among the lowering clouds. And as a demon of the air do Eva’s black wings swirl her through space to this day.
But great and good was Bove Derg. He laid aside his magic wand and so spake: “Let us, my people, leave the Great Lake, and let us pitch our tents on the shores of Lake Darvra. Exceeding dear unto us are the children of Lir, and I, Bove Derg, and Lir, their father, have vowed henceforth to make our home for ever by the lone waters where they dwell.”
And when it was told throughout the Green Island of Erin of the fate of the children of Lir and of the vow that Bove Derg had vowed, from north, south, east, and west did the Dedannans flock to the lake, until a mighty host dwelt by its shores.
And by day Finola and her brothers knew not loneliness, for in the sweet Gaelic speech they told of their joys and fears; and by night the mighty Dedannans knew no sorrowful memories, for by haunting songs were they lulled to sleep, and the music brought peace to their souls.
Slowly did the years go by, and upon the shoulders of Bove Derg and Lir fell the long white hair. Fearful grew the four swans, for the time was not far off, when they must wing their flight north to the wild sea of Moyle.
And when at length the sad day dawned, Finola told her brothers how their three hundred happy years on Lake Darvra were at an end, and how they must now leave the peace of its lone waters for evermore.
Then, slowly and sadly, did the four swans glide to the margin of the lake. Never had the snowy whiteness of their plumage so dazzled the beholders, never had music so sweet and sorrowful floated to Lake Darvra’s sunlit shores. As the swans reached the water’s edge, silent were the three brothers, and alone Finola chanted a farewell song.
With bowed white heads did the Dedannan host listen to Finola’s chant, and when the music ceased and only sobs broke the stillness, the four swans spread their wings, and, soaring high, paused but for one short moment to gaze on the kneeling forms of Lir and Bove Derg. Then, stretching their graceful necks toward [57] the north, they winged their flight to the waters of the stormy sea that separates the blue Alba from the Green Island of Erin.
And when it was known throughout the Green Isle that the four white swans had flown, so great was the sorrow of the people that they made a law that no swan should be killed in Erin from that day forth.

With hearts that burned with longing for their father and their friends, did Finola and her brothers reach the sea of Moyle. Cold and chill were its wintry waters, black and fearful were the steep rocks overhanging Alba’s far-stretching coasts. From hunger, too, the swans suffered. Dark indeed was all, and darker yet as the children of Lir remembered the still waters of Lake Darvra and the fond Dedannan host on its peaceful shores. Here the sighing of the wind among the reeds no longer soothed their sorrow, but the roar of the breaking surf struck fresh terror in their souls.
In misery and terror did their days pass, until one night the black, lowering clouds over-head told that a great tempest was nigh. Then did Finola call to her Aed, Fiacra, and Conn. “Beloved brothers, a great fear is at my heart, for, in the fury of the coming gale, we may be driven the one from the other. Therefore, let us say where we may hope to meet when the storm is spent.”
And Aed answered, “Wise art thou, dear, gentle sister. If we be driven apart, may it be to meet again on the rocky isle that has ofttimes been our haven, for well known is it to us all, and from far can it be seen!
Darker grew the night, louder raged the wind, as the four swans dived and rose again on the giant billows. Yet fiercer blew the gale, until at midnight loud bursts of thunder mingled with the roaring wind, but, in the glare of the blue lightning’s flashes, the children of Lir beheld each the snowy form of the other. The mad fury of the hurricane yet increased, and the force of it lifted one swan from its wild home on the billows, and swept it through the blackness of the night. Another blue lightning flash, and each swan saw its loneliness, and uttered a great cry of desolation. Tossed hither and thither, by wind and wave, the white [59] birds were well-nigh dead when dawn broke. And with the dawn fell calm.
Swift as her tired wings would bear her, Finola sailed to the rocky isle, where she hoped to find her brothers. But alas! no sign was there of one of them. Then to the highest summit of the rocks she flew. North, south, east, and west did she look, yet nought saw she save a watery wilderness. Now did her heart fail her, and she sang the saddest song she had yet sung.
As the last notes died Finola raised her eyes, and lo! Conn came slowly swimming towards her with drenched plumage and head that drooped. And as she looked, behold! Fiacra appeared, but it was as though his strength failed. Then did Finola swim toward her fainting brother and lend him her aid, and soon the twins were safe on the sunlit rock, nestling for warmth beneath their sister’s wings.
Yet Finola’s heart still beat with alarm as she sheltered her younger brothers, for Aed came not, and she feared lest he were lost for ever. But, at noon, sailing he came over the breast of the blue waters, with head erect and plumage sunlit. And under the feathers of her breast did Finola draw him, for Conn and Fiacra still cradled beneath her wings. “Rest here, while ye may, dear brothers,” she said.
And she sang to them a lullaby so surpassing sweet that the sea-birds hushed their cries and flocked to listen to the sad, slow music. And when Aed and Fiacra and Conn were lulled to sleep, Finola’s notes grew more and more faint and her head drooped, and soon she too slept peacefully in the warm sunlight.

But few were the sunny days on the sea of Moyle, and many were the tempests that ruffled its waters. Still keener grew the winter frosts, and the misery of the four white swans was greater than ever before. Even their most sorrowful Gaelic songs told not half their woe. From the fury of the storm they still sought shelter on that rocky isle where Finola had despaired of seeing her dear ones more.
Slowly passed the years of doom, until one mid-winter a frost more keen than any known before froze the sea into a floor of solid black ice. By night the swans crouched together on the rocky isle for warmth, but each morning [61] they were frozen to the ground and could free themselves only with sore pain, for they left clinging to the ice-bound rock the soft down of their breasts, the quills from their white wings, and the skin of their poor feet.
And when the. sun melted the ice-bound surface of the waters, and the swans swam once more in the sea of Moyle, the salt water entered their wounds, and they well-nigh died of pain. But in time the down on their breasts and the feathers on their wings grew, and they were healed of their wounds.
THEY WOULD SWIM FAR OUT INTO A DIM GREY WILDERNESS OF WATERS.
The years dragged on, and by day Finola and her brothers would fly toward the shores of the Green Island of Erin, or to the rocky blue headlands of Alba, or they would swim far out into a dim grey wilderness of waters. But ever as night fell it was their doom to return to the sea of Moyle.
One day, as they looked toward the Green Isle, they saw coming to the coast a troop of horsemen mounted on snow-white steeds, and their armour glittered in the sun.
A cry of great joy went up from the children of Lir, for they had seen no human form since [62] they spread their wings above Lake Darvra, and flew to the stormy sea of Moyle.
“Speak,” said Finola to her brothers, “speak, and say if these be not our own Dedannan folk.” And Aed and Fiacra and Conn strained their eyes, and Aed answered, “It seemeth, dear sister, to me, that it is indeed our own people.”
As the horsemen drew nearer and saw the four swans, each man shouted in the Gaelic tongue, “Behold the children of Lir!”
And when Finola and her brothers heard once more the sweet Gaelic speech, and saw the faces of their own people, their happiness was greater than can be told. For long they were silent, but at length Finola spake.
Of their life on the sea of Moyle she told, of the dreary rains and blustering winds, of the giant waves and the roaring thunder, of the black frost, and of their own poor battered and wounded bodies. Of their loneliness of soul, of that she could not speak. “But tell us,” she went on, “tell us of our father, Lir. Lives he still, and Bove Derg, and our dear Dedannan friends?”
Scarce could the Dedannans speak for the sorrow they had for Finola and her brothers, but they told how Lir and Bove Derg were alive and well, and were even now celebrating the Feast of Age at the house of Lir. “But for their longing for you, your father and friends would be happy indeed.”
Glad then and of great comfort were the hearts of Finola and her brothers. But they could not hear more, for they must hasten to fly from the pleasant shores of Erin to the sea-stream of Moyle, which was their doom. And as they flew, Finola sang, and faint floated her voice over the kneeling host.
As the sad song grew fainter and more faint, the Dedannans wept aloud. Then, as the snow-white birds faded from sight, the Sorrowful company turned the heads of their white steeds from the shore, and rode southward to the home of Lir.

Children of Lir Portumna 3

And when it was told there of the sufferings of Finola and her brothers, great was the sorrow of the Dedannans. Yet was Lir glad that his children were alive, and he thought of the day when the magic spell would be broken, and those so dear to him would be freed from their bitter woe.
Once more were ended three hundred years of doom, and glad were the four white swans to leave the cruel sea of Moyle. Yet might they fly only to the wild Western Sea, and tempest-tossed as before, here they in no way escaped the pitiless fury of wind and wave. Worse than aught they had before endured was a frost that drove the brothers to despair. Well-nigh frozen to a rock, they one night cried aloud to Finola that they longed for death. And she, too, would fain have died.
But that same night did a dream come to the swan-maiden, and, when she awoke, she cried to her brothers to take heart. “Believe, dear brothers, in the great God who hath created the earth with its fruits and the sea with its terrible wonders. Trust in Him, and He will yet save you.” And her brothers answered, “We will trust.”
And Finola also put her trust in God, and they all fell into a deep slumber.
When the children of Lir awoke, behold! the sun shone, and thereafter, until the three hundred years on the Western Sea were ended, neither wind nor wave nor rain nor frost did hurt to the four swans.
On a grassy isle they lived and sang their wondrous songs by day, and by night they nestled together on their soft couch, and awoke in the morning to sunshine and to peace. And there on the grassy island was their home, until the three hundred years were at an end. Then Finola called to her brothers, and tremblingly she told, and tremblingly they heard, that they might now fly eastward to seek their own old home.
Lightly did they rise on outstretched wings, and swiftly did they fly until they reached land. There they alighted and gazed each at the other, but too great for speech was their joy. Then again did they spread their wings and fly above the green grass on and on, until they reached the hills and trees that surrounded their old home. But, alas! only the ruins of Lir’s dwelling were left. Around was a wilderness overgrown with rank grass, nettles, and weeds.
Too downhearted to stir, the swans slept that night within the ruined walls of their old home, but, when day broke, each could no longer bear the loneliness, and again they flew westward. And it was not until they came to Inis Glora that they alighted. On a small lake in the heart of the island they made their home, and, by their enchanting music, they drew to its shores all the birds of the west, until the lake came to be called “The Lake of the Bird-flocks.”
Slowly passed the years, but a great longing filled the hearts of the children of Lir. When would the good Saint come to Erin? When would the chime of the Christ-bell peal over land and sea?
One rosy dawn the swans awoke among the rushes of the Lake of the Bird-flocks, and strange and faint was the sound that floated to them from afar. Trembling, they nestled close the one to the other, until the brothers stretched their wings and fluttered hither and thither in great fear. Yet trembling they flew back to their sister, who had remained silent among the sedges. Crouching by her side they asked, “What, dear sister, can be the strange, faint sound that steals across our island?”

With quiet, deep joy Finola answered, “Dear brothers, it is the chime of the Christ-bell that ye hear, the Christ-bell of which we have dreamed through thrice three hundred years. Soon the spell will be broken, soon our sufferings will end.” Then did Finola glide from the shelter of the sedges across the rose-lit lake, and there by the shore of the Western Sea she chanted a song of hope.
Calm crept into the hearts of the brothers as Finola sang, and, as she ended, once more the chime stole across the isle. No longer did it strike terror into the hearts of the children of Lir, rather as a note of peace did it sink into their souls.
Then, when the last chime died, Finola said, “Let us sing to the great King of Heaven and Earth.”
Far stole the sweet strains of the white swans, far across Inis Glora, until they reached the good Saint Kemoc, for whose early prayers the Christ-bell had chimed.
And he, filled with wonder at the surpassing [68] sweetness of the music, stood mute, but when it was revealed unto him that the voices he heard were the voices of Finola and Aed and Fiacra and Conn, who thanked the High God for the chime of the Christ-bell, he knelt and also gave thanks, for it was to seek the children of Lir that the Saint had come to Inis Glora.
In the glory of noon, Kemoc reached the shore of the little lake, and saw four white swans gliding on its waters. And no need had the Saint to ask whether these indeed were the children of Lir. Rather did he give thanks to the High God who had brought him hither.

Children of Lir Portumna 2

IT WAS SAINT KEMOC.

Then gravely the good Kemoc said to the swans, “Come ye now to land, and put your trust in me, for it is in this place that ye shall be freed from your enchantment.”
These words the four white swans heard with great joy, and coming to the shore they placed themselves under the care of the Saint. And he led them to his cell, and there they dwelt with him. And Kemoc sent to Erin for a skilful workman, and ordered that two slender chains of shining silver be made.
Betwixt Finola and Aed did he clasp one silver chain, and with the other did he bind Fiacra and Conn.
Then did the children of Lir dwell with the holy Kemoc, and he taught them the wonderful story of Christ that he and Saint Patrick had brought to the Green Isle. And the story so gladdened their hearts that the misery of their past sufferings was well-nigh forgotten, and they lived in great happiness with the Saint. Dear to him were they, dear as though they had been his own children.
Thrice three hundred years had gone since Eva had chanted the fate of the children of Lir. “Until Decca be the Queen of Largnen, until the good Saint come to Erin, and ye hear the chime of the Christ-bell, shall ye not be delivered from your doom.”
The good Saint had indeed come, and the sweet chimes of the Christ-bell had been heard, and the fair Decca was now the Queen of King Largnen.
Soon were tidings brought to Decca of the swan-maiden and her three swan-brothers. Strange tales did she hear of their haunting songs. It was told her, too, of their cruel miseries. Then begged she her husband, the King, that he would go to Kemoc and bring to her these human birds.
But Largnen did not wish to ask Kemoc to part with the swans, and therefore he did not go.
Then was Decca angry, and swore she would live no longer with Largnen, until he brought the singing swans to the palace. And that same night she set out for her father’s kingdom in the south.
Nevertheless Largnen loved Decca, and great was his grief when he heard that she had fled. And he commanded messengers to go after her, saying he would send for the white swans if she would but come back. Therefore Decca returned to the palace, and Largnen sent to Kemoc to beg of him the four white swans. But the messenger returned without the birds.
Then was Largnen wroth, and set out himself for the cell of Kemoc. But he found the Saint in the little church, and before the altar were the four white swans.
“Is it truly told me that you refused these birds to Queen Decca?” asked the King. “It is truly told,” replied Kemoc.
Then Largnen was more wroth than before, and seizing the silver chain of Finola and Aed in the one hand, and the chain of Fiacra and Conn in the other, he dragged the birds from the altar and down the aisle, and it seemed as though he would leave the church. And in great fear did the Saint follow.
But to! as they reached the door, the snow-white feathers of the four swans fell to the ground, and the children of Lir were delivered from their doom. For was not Decca the bride of Largnen, and the good Saint had he not come, and the chime of the Christ-bell was it not heard in the land?
But aged and feeble were the children of Lir. Wrinkled were their once fair faces, and bent their little white bodies.
At the sight Largnen, affrighted, fled from the church, and the good Kemoc cried aloud, “Woe to thee, O King!”
Then did the children of Lir turn toward the Saint, and thus Finola spake: “Baptize us now, we pray thee, for death is nigh. Heavy with sorrow are our hearts that we must part from thee, thou holy one, and that in loneliness must thy days on earth be spent. But such is the will of the High God. Here let our graves be digged, and here bury our four bodies, Conn standing at my right side, Fiacra at my left, and Aed before my face, for thus did I shelter my dear brothers for thrice three hundred years “neath wing and breast.”
Then did the good Kemoc baptize the children of Lir, and thereafter the Saint looked up, and to! he saw a vision of four lovely children with silvery wings, and faces radiant as the sun; and as he gazed they floated ever upward, until they were lost in a mist of blue. Then was the good Kemoc glad, for he knew that they had gone to Heaven. But, when he looked downward, four worn bodies lay at the church door, and Kemoc wept sore.
And the Saint ordered a wide grave to be dug close by the little church, and there were the children of Lir buried, Conn standing at Finola’s right hand, and Fiacra at her left, and before her face her twin brother Aed.
And the grass grew green above them, and a white tombstone bore their names, and across the grave floated morning and evening the chime of the sweet Christ-bell.

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Old Customs (Part 1) from 1938

06 Tuesday Jan 2015

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Customs, L. Couser, May Day, Port Omna, Portumna, Shrove, St. Brigid, Storie, Thomas Couser

Emblems and Objects of Value 14/12/1938

Notes taken by Thomas Couser from Mrs. L. Couser

Emblems Objects of Value page 1

Original Essay Page

In the country the people have a great deal of old customs in honour of the different saints. On St. Brigid’s night the people get a piece of brown ribbon and make it into the shape of a cross. Then they leave it out on a line that night and they say that St. Brigid comes and touches it. One piece of this ribbon is kept in the kitchen while the other part is hung in the outhouses as St. Brigid is the patron saint of stock. This ribbon is often known to have cured diseases which were incurable.

Another custom is that the old people when they are thatching, wear a cross inside the a roof over the door in honour of St. Brigid. About six miles from Portumna there is a place called Killimore. The people here on St. Brigid’s night, get a doll and dress here in white the they go from door to door saying “This is St. Brigid dressed in white, give her something for the night, she is deaf, she is dumb, give her money if you have some” . Then with the money they get, they hold a big feast that night and put the doll in the middle of the table.

The people practice another old custom on the first of May. They call the day May Day. On this day the people cut a bush and stick it in the ground. Then they decorate it with rags, eggshells, old shoes and boots etc and then they leave the bush there for about a month. But long ago when May night would come, the boys out of the town would go round the country and would burn all the May bushes on the people.

On Christmas Eve, the people decorate their houses with holly and it would be taken down on Shrove Tuesday and it is used to to cook the pancakes.

Collected by Thomas Couser, Killimore Road, Portumna 14/12/1938 Collected from Mrs. L. Couser, Killimore Road, Portumna, Co. Galway aged 45

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Portumna Castles

05 Monday Jan 2015

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1800's, Castle, Clanricarde, Countess, Harewood, Lascelles, Portumna

Portumna Castle is a large semi-fortified Jacobean house, built by Richard Burke, 4th Earl of Clanricarde and his wife Frances Walsingham, the Countess of Essex some time before 1618. It has been described by Bence-Jones as ‘probably the finest and most sophisticated house of its period in Ireland’.

Richard Burke spent £10,000 on building Portumna Castle, and when it was completed it was unequalled in Ireland for elegance, style and grandeur, outshining other castles. The design is unique because it represents a transition between the fortified tower house and the country mansion, which was already popular in England. It was built as part of an extensive programme of works to consolidate the Earl’s claims to the Lordship of Connacht.

The castle is a symmetrical three-storey mansion built over a basement; two rooms deep linked by a central gallery with ornamental gables, carved doorcase and large windows. It was built for comfort and beauty with a wonderful view of Lough Derg, yet it has some defensive features including square corner towers and gun loops to protect the entrance.

The castle was accidentally destroyed by fire in 1826 when the entire contents were destroyed. The family moved to the courtyard buildings which were converted into a temporary residence. This is known as the ‘Dowager House’ and is situated near the Priory.

Dúchas – the Heritage Service has carried out conservation and restoration work on Portumna Castle and Gardens. The kitchen garden to the northeast has been recently restored. Portumna castle is a national monument and it is open to the public from March to October, 10am to 6pm daily. It is situated close to the Marina and Portumna Forest Park.

‘New Castle’, Portumna
A new Gothic mansion was built in 1862, at the opposite end of the Portumna Demesne. Designed by the architect, Sir Thomas Newenham Deane, it was two-storeys with a high pitched roof and an attic of steep gables and dormer-gables. There were small towers with pointed roofs and elaborate windows.

This ‘new castle’ was rarely lived in. The last Marquis of Clanricarde, who succeeded in 1874, was a notorious miser and eccentric who dressed like a tramp and spent his life in London. He died in 1916, leaving Portumna Castle and estate to his great-nephew Henry, Viscount Lascelles, afterwards 6th Earl of Harewood and husband of Princess Mary.

In 1917, Henry Lascelles had plans prepared for the restoration of the old castle at Portumna. These were never carried out however. The new castle was destroyed by fire in 1922.

Princess Mary, Princess Royal and Countess of Harewood (Victoria Alexandra Alice Mary; 25 April 1897 – 28 March 1965), she was the third child and only daughter of King George V and Queen Mary. She was the sixth holder of the title of Princess Royal. Mary held the title of princess with the style Highness from birth as the then great-granddaughter of the British sovereign, and later Her Royal Highness, as the granddaughter and finally daughter of the Sovereign, visited Portumna in 1928; the first time a member of the British Royal Family to come to Ireland after Independence. Later, Portumna demesne was sold, after Lord Harewood’s death in 1947. The Forestry Commission acquired the estate and it is now a Forest Park.

Nothing remains today of the New Castle only the view to the lake from its site (now the carpark in the Forest Park). Cut stone from the ruin was used to build the new Church at Portumna, which began in 1958 and was completed in 1961.

53.092781 -8.218541

The Convent of Mercy, Portumna

23 Tuesday Dec 2014

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Convent of Mercy, Girls school, Mary Joseph Pelly, Portumna, Rural Union, School

The Convent of Mercy, Portumna, a daughter house of Loughrea, was founded in 1882 and opened a residential Domestic Science School for girls in 1898. The founding manager was Sr. Mary Joseph Pelly. The convent may have run the school for some years prior to this as the third report of the County Committee mentions that the school was funded by the Board of Guardians (Portumna Union) and had been in operation for many years.

Under the 1891 Act Boards of Guardians were empowered to make grants available for agricultural education and training. The school was established to give “instruction in the science and practice of Cookery, Laundry Work, Dairy Management, Poultry Management, General Housework, Domestic Economy, and Needlework.

It had three principal objectives:
1) The training of farmers` daughters and other girls in improved modes of dairying and general household management.
2) The training of domestic servants.
3) The special instruction of girls about to become technical instruction teachers.

The admission requirements for prospective students were as follows:–
Pupils had to be sixteen years of age or older.
–
Applications for admission had to be signed by a “responsible person” who was well acquainted with the prospective pupil.
–
Pupils had to be able to read, write “with a fair hand”, spell with tolerable correctness, and have a knowledge of the basic rules of Arithmetic.
–
As pupils had to take part in all the work of the school and household they were required to supply serviceable dresses and aprons of plain washing material. In addition they were required to bring one good outdoor dress, hat and jacket, a pair of towels, house shoes, hair brush and comb, tooth brush, and clothes brush.

Whilst people might smile at the clothing requirements it should be remembered that it was always expensive to kit out children for boarding school.
–
Pupils from outside the Portumna Rural Union area had to be selected by either their Local Authority(Union) or Committee and submitted to the County Committee for Technical Instruction for final approval.
–
At the end of term (one year’s training) an examination was held under the auspices of The Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction for Ireland. Prizes were awarded for best exam results, neat-ness, and best notebook. A second terms training could be supplied if required.
–
Non resident pupils were admitted at a fee of ten shillings (€0.58) per quarter.
–
Pupils had to show an aptitude for the work of the school and if they failed to do so within two months they were to be sent home.
–
On completion of training pupils, who earned it, would receive a certificate of merit relating to their conduct and exam results.

The timetable makes it abundantly clear that there was little time for distractions. The day began with a 6.00am rise, with a half an hour for dressing and prayers. From 6.30 to 7.30 pupils were allocated various tasks such as milking cows, work in the laundry, dairy, poultry yard, or kitchen and household duties. At 7.30am they had
breakfast, following which they made up their beds, cleaned their dormitory and changed into their uniforms for the day.

From 9.00amto 1.00pm they were allocated duties in the workroom, kitchen, or laundry. Lunch and free time was from 1.00 to
2.00pm and from 2.00 to 4.00pm they were re allocated work in the workroom, kitchen or laundry. Lecture or examination time was from 4.00 to 5.00pm followed by tea until 5.30 after which they were allocated duties milking or work in the dairy, poultry yard or kitchen. Following this they all went to the workroom from 6.30 to 8.00pm. Supper and night prayers filled the last hour with bedtime at 9.00pm.

The subjects taught were Cooking and Domestic Economy, Needlework, Dairying, Laundry and General Housekeeping, as well as Reading, Writing, Arithmetic and Geography.

The courses were designed to be practical.
During the year 1901/1902 there were eighteen resident pupils in the school. There was also a class for day pupils which dealt with Cookery and General Housekeeping. The boarders were in receipt of County Scholarships. During the first year of the scheme,(1901/1902) these were valued at £7 per annum. In the second year
of the scheme the scholarships were increased to £15 per annum

The teachers were: Margaret M. Riordan, Elizabeth M. Riordan, and Annabelle Gillespie.

In 1902 the Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction’s Inspector reported that the school was the best of its type to come under his notice, As a result of his report the Department requested a set of six full plate photographs showing the various sections of the school at work. The photographs were to form part of the Department’s exhibit at the upcoming Cork Industrial Exhibition. It would seem that Portumna was to be used to set the national
standard for excellence.

In 1905 the Department took over the financing of the school and augmented the courses offered. By this means the school was established as a model school similar to The Munster Institute in Cork.

Marie Nash

22 Monday Dec 2014

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Attygar, Avenge, Claggernagh, Clanrichard, Darcy Bob, Drumscar Thornfield, eviction, Famine, Marie Nash, Matthew Burke, Portumna, Workhouse

A sad poem relating to Portumna and the times of the Famine.

Marie Nash

1

In the gay years of my boyhood
One day I rambled down
Along the crumbling Old Street
of Portumna ancient town

2
A poor old woman met me,
She was withered lame and grey,
and as she struggled forward
she kept muttering away

3
I asked her for her history
and the favour of her name
if she was born here about
if not, from whence she came

4
A ray of light shot from her eyes
Like lightnings vivid flash
as she answered without pausing
Saying my name is Marie Nash

5 Since the gallant sons of Redmond
Burke spread desolation around
very ancestors were reared up here
on a small bit of ground

6
But as the clansmen of Clanrichard
took part in many a fray.
From the soul at Castlelat
back to Kinsale’s Red Bay.

7
Bound by the ties of friendship
ah: for a bit of land
They fought against cruel Saxon
At the chieftains dire command.

8
Poor slaves in a plantation
fierce war dogs on their lease
They killed and fought just as
They would, said poor old Marie Nash

9
But when the war years were over
Then Clanrichard claimed
that land bought by the blood and sweat
a tribute which he named

10
For England’s laws gave him that right
to make the tenants at his will
as they improved the stubborn soil
the rent was raised until
at length in my fathers life time
On a cold Novembers Day
the Sheriff stood before the door
and says come quit or pay

11
None of your whimpering blarney now
Come fork me out the cash
that day they tore out roof – tree down
says poor old Marie Nash

12
My father and my mother in the
Union workhouse died
They are resting in the new churchyard
their graves are side by side

13
To uphold the right of England
by Alma’s flashing wave
my noble brother died
I shall never see his grave

14
Twas not for love of England’s flag
that day of hateful strife
when high on basbians rugged cliff
he risked his limbs for life

15
Twas hungers pinch made him enlist
Oh God his ache was rash
Twas better for he starved at home
Says poor old Marie Nash

16
Now after years of work and want
A worn out beggar I
shall enter soon the workhouse
and a paupers death to die

17
But Darcy Bob and Matthew Burke
and the most noble Ulick John
to answer for their wickedness
before God’s throne are gone

18
and when the book was opened
they were asked I’m very sure
to explain their noble robberies
and oppressions of the foot

19
The verdict then recorded
which no earthly court can quash
for Clanrichard had no interest there
says poor old Marie Nash

20
So lonely now and homeless
are the broad fields of Gortrea
while Claggernagh and Thornfield are desolate as they
undisturbed the graziers bullocks sleep
Mid the ruined walls of Drumscar
altho’ a few homes still survive
midst the hills of Attygar

21
The older clan is going now
and ah; ’tis almost gone
the emigrant ship and workhouse
and that work too surely done
but on the fearful final day
mid fire and thunders crash
God shall avenge the ruined homes
say poor old Marie Nash

Another Marie Nash tale
When I grew, in our house it was always a test of your pronunciation

Marie Nash had seven asses drawing ashes out of Marie Nashes ash hole.

Say that fast!!!

1914 Disgraceful uproar

22 Monday Dec 2014

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District Council, Earn your money, Portumna, Roads

1914

Disgraceful uproar

The scene of uproar that marred the quarterly meeting of the Portumna District Council was, in all conscience, a degrading exhibition. But there is not a right-thinking man in Co. Galway who will not approve of, and back up, the attitude of Mr. Kennedy, the newly-appointed Co. Surveyor.

As the turmoil roared around him, he spoke with quiet emphasis. “Earn your money,” he told the howling contractors, “and you will get it. If you think you can frighten me, you are mistaken. You will not deter me from doing my duty. If you don’t conduct yourself, you will be cleared out.”

It is no credit to our county that a public official is this forced to speak in his own defence, but it is certainly a matter for congratulation that at least we have a public official whom no loud shouting or contemptible threats will dissuade from the straight and honest path of duty.

We earnestly hope that Mr. Kennedy will live up to the reputation he has earned. Our roads are admitted to be the worst in Ireland; and it is by no means certain that the contractors are altogether to blame.

In the past, they have scarcely been taught how to do right and justice by their contracts. The reputation of the county has suffered accordingly, and the work of transit and traffic over out public highways has been rendered a tortuous, and, in some instances, a dangerous proceeding. The matter has attained the dimensions of a great public scandal.

At Portumna District Council, Mr. Moran, Co. Surveyor reported: “Very little work has been done in your district during the quarter.

The gross quantity of material specified for all your roads is approximately 7,040 tons, and out of this amount, about 2,600 tons, or slightly less than 37%, has been laid down.

“With such a deficiency staring us in the face, and at a period of the year most favourable for work of the description, it is out of the question to expect much road improvement in your district, and this is principally the reason why we find bare and rough surfaced roads so plentiful in your district.

“The work of surface cleaning, so essential in bad weather, has been very much neglected in your district. It is astonishing how periodical cleansing helps to preserve a road, especially is such situations where drainage is naturally defective.

“A noticeable feature in the work of road maintenance in your district is the want of skill in doing surface work. For instance, in some cases, we find the high or ridgy portions of the road getting all the material, while the weak and depressed portions are neglected.”

Emigrants to Australia from Portumna 1828-66

22 Monday Dec 2014

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1800's, Australia, Immigation, New South Wales, Portumna, Queensland, Sydney

Portumna to Australia immigration 1800's. People of Portumna, co. Galway, Ireland

Portumna to Australia immigration 1800’s.

Botany Bay is just south of Sydney Harbour and acts as Sydney’s industrial port. Botany Bay was found unsuitable for settlement in 1788 so the First Fleet rowed north to Port Jackson (aka Sydney Harbour) and settled on a fresh water stream, which they named Sydney Cove. Governor Phillip called the site Sydney Cove in honour of Lord Sydney, the Secretary of State for the colonies. So began Sydney (Cove dropping from the name) with 568 male and 191 female convicts and 13 children; 206 marines with 26 wives and 13 children; and 20 officials. It now has a population of well over 4 million. From about 1800 onward, when the first Irish political prisoners landed, they were kept in either Paramatta, in West Sydney, or Botany Bay.

Botany Bay, Ireland and the penal colonies are forever linked together in myth, legend and song. The aboriginal people were the earliest inhabitants of the Botany Bay area. They set up camps along the banks of the Cooks River and on the shores of Botany Bay, hunting, fishing and gathering food. Trees and plants provided the raw material for food, medicine, implements and weapons. It was discovered by Captain James Cook on April 29th, 1770 – the first European to land on the east coast of Australia. He named it Stingray Harbour. Two of his companions, Daniel Solander and Joseph Banks, were botanists, and they were entranced by the number of flowers blooming in the area. Banks persuaded Cook to change its name to Botany Bay. Their vivid impressions were responsible for the projected location there of the convict establishment under Captain Arthur Phillip of the Royal Navy in 1788.

Botany Bay is now a modern municipal city, with a population of 300,000. Its population would have been only about 3,000 in the early 1800’s, mostly political prisoners and a few platoons of Redcoats. Sydney Airport’s third runway juts onto the bay. A monument on the south shore marks the site of Cook’s landing.

Immigration from Portumna to Australia, New South Wales & Queensland from 1828 to 1866

Surname/First————Rschr—Year–Age——Native Place—-Parents-names & locations—-Relations in the colony—–Ship info—Other

BROOKS Honor 1841 25 Portumna Patrick / Mary NOLAN Mother is dead.Bap certified. Friends=Mary Govan & Mary Ann McAvonea. John Renwick

CADDIN Hugh 1838 18 Portumna Caro & Ann CADDIN Enniskillen. Sis = Jane C. & Helen Scales on — Ship = Coromandel 4 Jun 20

CADDIN Jane 1838 20 Portumna Caro & Ann CADDIN Enniskillen. Bro = Hugh & Sis=Helen Scales on Ship = Coromandel

CAHILL Edward 1862 21 Portumna xx xx xx Ship = Ocean Empress

CALLANAN Anne 1845 16 Kiltormer Michael / Mary xx – both dead. Known in Laurencetown, Employed at Portumna. Ship = Herald

CAMERON alias* Catherine 1856 19 Portumna John / Kate xx M other dead ; Father at Portumna. xx *alias CAMPBELL Ship = Kate

CAMPBELL Catherine 1841 21 Portumna John / Mary xx – both dead. Baptism certified. Known to Connor Pelly. Ship John Renwick

CARROLL Ann 1853 27 Ballinakill John / Kate xx – Father dead; Mother lives at Portumna. Sister = Judith on board.
Ship = Australia

CARROLL Judith 1853 25 Ballinakill John / Kate xx – Father dead; Mother lives at Portumna. Sister = Ann on board. Ship
= Australia

CLARK John 1842 7 xx Portumna ? William / Winifred HIGISON On board this ship. xx Ship = Agnes Ewing

CLARK Sarah 1842 8 xx Portumna ? William / Winifred HIGISON On board this ship. xx Ship = Agnes Ewing

CLARK William 1842 35 Portumna John / Catherine xx – father a farmer Baptism certified ,Protestant. Wife = Winifred,27 & 2 chn on board. Ship = Agnes Ewing

CLARK Winifred 1842 27 Portumna John HIGISON / Ann xx Father is a farmer. Husb = William,35 & 2 chn on bd. A Mary Ann,2 was also named in cert. Agnes Ewing R/C.

CLARKE Anne 1842 26 Portumna John / Catherine xx Father is a farmer. Protestant. Ship = Agnes Ewing

CLARKE Maria 1841 16 Portumna John / Eliza xx xx Bap cert – protestant. Dressmaker,Known-Richard Clarke. Ship
Earl Grey

DIAMOND Mary 1855 25 Portumna Hugh / Mary xx Both dead. xx Paid 1 pound. Ship = Nepaul

DONELAN John 1852 49 Portumna John / Mary xx – both dead. Wife=Ellen,44 & 5 chn on bd. Long notes re land ownership. Ship Agincourt

DOWD Elizabeth 1849 27 Portumna William DOWD / Bridget xx Both dead. Sister = Celia TULLY on board. Ship = John Bright

DOWD Sarah 1849 24 Portumna William / Bridget xx Both dead. Has 2 sisters = Elizabeth Dowd & Celia TULLY,per ‘Emigrant’. Ship = Scotia

ENNIS Anne 1854 24 Portumna? owna? Thomas / Anne xx – Father dead; Mother at Newbridge,Wicklow xx Ship = Patrician

HALLORAN Anne 1860 22 Portumna Patrick / Bridget xx Father at Birkenhead,England xx Paid 10/- Ship = Tudor

HANRAHAN Peter 1842 24 Portumna Roger / Margaret xx father a farmer. Baptism certified. Known in Guirane. Ship Agnes Ewing

HOLAHAN Mary 1850 21 Portumna Edward GEOGHEGAN / Cath. xx Both dead. Husband = William,30 on board. Ship = Maria

HOWARD Sarah 1841 20 Portumna Thomas / Catherine xx Father dead,was a carpenter. xx Ship = Pearl

MADDEN Bridget 1842 22 Portumna (not given) From Patrooney ? xx xx Ship = Agnes Ewing

MAHER Maria 1850 14 Portumna James / Margaret xx Both dead. xx Ship = Thomas Arbuthnot

MANION Mary 1866 19 Portumna Thomas/ Mary – both dead. xx Cous= Bridget M.,Sussex St, Sydney Ship = Racehorse

McDONNELL Alexander 1841 21 Portumna Martin / Ann KELLY Father is a farmer. Protestant ,known to Rev John Armstrong.
Says born 16 Apr. Ship = Susan

MORAN Bridget 1842 20 Portumna (not given) From Patrooney ? xx Baptism certified. Ship = Agnes Ewing

PAGE Anthony 1840 29 Galway Daniel (a farmer) / Judy xx Known in Portumna. Bap cert by Revd Armstrong. Ship = Alfred xx

QUINN Margaret 1841 14 Portumna (not given) xx Bapt – 13 Jan 1826 Known to John McEvoy. Ship = Fairlie

SCALES Helen 1838 24 Portumna Caro & Ann CADDIN Enniskillen. {& husband = Henry ,27 of Clare + NO chn} Ship = Coromandel 25 Sep 14

SWEENEY Ellen 1841 16 Portumna (not given) xx Known to Samuel Davis. Ship = Fairlie

TRACEY Mary 1842 17 Portumna (not given) xx Baptism certified at Eyrecourt. Ship = Agnes Ewing

TULLY Celia 1849 28 Portumna William DOWD / Bridget xx Both dead. Husband =Jeremiah,38 & 2chn on bd. Ship = John Bright Sis=Elizabeth Dowd on bd.

TULLY Francis 1849 5 Portumna Jeremiah / Celia DOWD On board this ship. xx Ship = John Bright

TULLY Mary 1849 3 Portumna Jeremiah / Celia DOWD On board this ship. xx Ship = John Bright

BRODERICK Margaret 1855 18 Portumna Patrick / Margaret xx Father dead; Mother at Portumna. Bro-in- law=James Quinn,a messenger for * Ship = Golden Era *branch Bank of NSW at Moreton Bay.

Population Decimation

21 Sunday Dec 2014

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census, Eyrecourt, Famine, Killimor, Meelick, population, Portumna, Tiernascragh, Tynagh, Woodford

Population Changes in Portumna 1841-2002

Map

Screen Shot of the Irish Population Change Atlas

The Famine of 1846-50 determined the course of Irish history even to this day, and reduced the population dramatically through starvation, disease and emigration. In terms of death by famine alone, the biggest losses were in Galway and Clare. The National Centre for Geocomputation’s (NCG) Online Atlas Portal is an absolute goldmine of information on 160 years of population data mapping changes across the decades. The data used in the Atlas is from 16 censuses, taken in both the Republic and the North of Ireland between 1841 and 2002.

It is incredible to learn that almost 6,000 people lived in Portumna in 1841! Between 1841 and 1851, Portumna suffered a massive 30.6% loss of population, and in the years after the Famine, another 29%. The population has never recovered and steadily declined ever since except for the period after 1971 when it has risen slightly. The surrounding parishes of Meelick, Tieranascragh and Tynagh suffered even greater declines of over 40%. The parishes of Killimor and Meelick are today 10% of their 1841 populations!

Total Population 
Names 1841 1851 1861 1871 1881 1891 1901 1911 1926 1936 1951 1961 1971 1981 1991 2002
EYRECOURT 2521 1670 1520 1120 1018 738 670 625 518 546 590 586 580 565 552 532
KILLIMOR 2779 2096 1459 660 623 604 812 829 847 850 759 687 745 754 379 321
MEELICK 2096 1172 894 833 745 570 484 441 434 410 391 336 311 273 258 231
PORTUMNA 5887 4083 2892 2626 2660 2270 2082 1998 1841 1851 1721 1618 1669 1889 1883 1920
TIERNASCRAGH 968 577 444 338 321 251 228 242 354 296 297 262 255 210 181 164
TYNAGH 2308 1329 833 801 750 685 550 512 546 568 510 425 452 476 409 369
WOODFORD 2046 1452 1266 1207 1147 1068 870 749 670 620 499 9 411 452 441 479
 All maps produced in this Irish Famine Population Change Atlas are produced under the National Centre for Geocomputation (NCG) mapping license: Ordnance Survey Ireland Licence Number EN. 0072711 © Ordnance Survey Ireland / Government of Ireland

Portumna Lawn Tennis Club

19 Friday Dec 2014

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Fr. Solan, Portumna, tennis, Town Development, Westpark hotel

History of Portumna Lawn Tennis Club

155475
Portumna Lawn Tennis Club can be dated back as far as 1880, and in this year six grass courts were established in Portumna. The Tennis club facility also included a wall-ball and a clubhouse where senior citizens would go regularly to socialise and play cards – bridge mainly. The wall-ball was made of timber with no sides and this facility allowed patrons to practise their shots while waiting for a game. In 1913 a British vessel was commissioned to carry out a hydrological survey on Lough Derg; the vessel was known as the “Chanqsha” vessel. The crew was skippered by a man called Tommy Suggat. Tommy Suggat was captain of that vessel and spent much of his spare time, as did the crew, playing the game at the club in Portumna. The crew was ordered back to Britain in 1914, when World War 1 broke out. They donated a cup to the club called the Chanqsha Cup which was made out of sterling silver. There was also a cup donated for the ladies but there was no name given to this cup. Unfortunately both cups were never returned after the last tournaments prior to1960 and the location of these cups is unknown.

Dresscode

PictureAll members of the club wore full length all white outfits. This dress code was strictly adhered to for all practicing members of the club.In the 1920’s the club was again beginning to falter. Many locals of Portumna did not want to see the tennis club faltering so the chairman of the club in 1923 was Mr. Moran who embarked on a campaign to entice more members to join and maintain membership of Portumna Lawn Tennis Club. The O’Kelly family was instrumental in getting catholic families to join the club and membership of the club increased and an offshoot of table tennis came from this. The members used to have table tennis competitions in an upstairs room at Portumna Workhouse during the winter.  It is interesting to note that an outdoor court also existed in the grounds of the Workhouse.

The courts were kept in good condition and were taken care of by a man named Joe Coniry. Joe had made a bargain with the club that he would take care of the courts if his donkey was allowed to graze on the courts during the winter months. When there were enough members in the club, a committee was formed. When new members wanted to join the club, the committee would vote by placing white beads if they were in favour and black beads if they weren’t in favour into a jar. This was a practice used by the free masons also and the term “black balled” was used when someone was excluded using this process of voting. The black beads and the white beads were counted and if the black beads outnumbered the white beads, then the prospective member could be excluded from joining the club. The Club organised competitive tennis matches against clubs in Nenagh, Birr, Athenry and BallinasIoe.

High Teas

It was common at the time that the ladies of the town baked delicious strawberry cakes that were consumed in the pavilion and these events became very important socially for quite a number of years. These events added another dimension to the social life of the club.Members of Portumna Lawn Tennis Club were also instrumental in starting Portumna Players. In the mid- forties a meeting was held to raise funds for a Table Tennis Club, it was proposed to stage a play to raise funds.The last Chanqsha Tennis Tournament took place in St. Mary’s (1960) and the competition was won by Sean O’ Dwyer but the cup was never presented because at some stage it had not been returned to the club. There is no known account of the equivalent cup for the ladies.

More Recent Years

Tennis Club Map

Click to enlarge

In 1967 a number of entrepreneurial minded business men embarked on a very ambitious project. This was the provision of a hotel, ‘The Westpark Hotel’, to provide for the needs of the thriving local tourist industry. A site was secured but there was a problem with the lack of car park facilities adjacent to the hotel itself. Rev. Fr. Solan, who was curate at the time in the parish of Portumna, negotiated with the Tennis Club to give up their facility on the west side of the hotel and they would get three hard courts further out St. Joseph’s Road. The Tennis Club agreed to this and they gave up six grass courts and their pavilion and agreed a hundred year lease with Town Development and the Hotel at that particular time. The Hotel provided the three courts and the Pavilion was built by the club itself. The indenture was made on the 26th of November, 1969, between Portumna Hotels Limited and the Portumna District and Development Company.  The Hotel would have access to one court for its patrons when not in use by the club.

The future is continuous with the past and a major effort is being made to restore the facility at St. Joseph’s Road and provide tennis in Portumna yet again. This is an extremely worthwhile enterprise which offers to the youth of Portumna an added facility which will enhance not just sporting skills but also promote healthy activities in an era more and more concerned with healthy lifestyles.  The committee has undertaken this initiative with the Portumna and District Development Company so that exercise, teamwork, skills development and social activity can be the hallmark of the club going forward just as it was in the past.

(Source: Portumna Tennis Club website)

The Romance of the Fisherman’s Daughter

03 Wednesday Dec 2014

Posted by beautifulirish in Uncategorized

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Coen, Folklore Commission, genealogy, graveyard, Miller, Portumna

Millers Vault  MillersVault

The Miller vault in St. Brigid’s Graveyard Portumna, Co. Galway is one of the many interesting architectural features to be seen on a walk around the town. With its vermiculated decoration it is quite unique in the town according to Christy Cunniffe, Galway County Council Field Monument Advisor. Today we ask ourselves who were the Millers who are commemorated here and where did they live — because there are no longer any Millers in the town? Well, look no more: the recently digitally-released Folklore Commission stories for the Portumna area tell the origin of the Miller family in the town. A beautiful romantic story… or legend!

AnDuchasMiller

Extract from original school essay (click to enlarge)

Around 1880, Portumna was the scene of a marriage between a Mary Coen of humble means and an English millionaire named Miller. This is the story of the Miller Vault in the old St. Brigid’s Graveyard as related by John Mulcahy, ex RIC man and aged 56 as part of the 1937-39 Folklore Commission Collection.

 

 

 

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