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21 hours ago

Tomorrow (Sunday 9th May 2021) there is a commemoration ceremony at Moord Piltown – because a hundred years ago James Mary Quain, a volunteer from Youghal, was shot there. Eddie Paul Lynch (South Abbey, Youghal) came out of the bushes with his hands up – but James was further into the furze and was shot.

Account of the events below and thanks to historian and author Mike Hackett for the information.

James Mary Quain
The following short story is taken from an account of the West-Waterford Flying Column as given by Michael Shalloe of Dungarvan in 1955. It tells of the happenings at Moord Cross (of five roads) Piltown in May of 1921 that led to the shooting dead of a nineteen year old Volunteer from Youghal.

Michael says – “It was May 1921 – when I was in the Piltown (near Youghal) district. The Piltown Volunteers had been raiding the mails pretty frequently – and it so happened when I was there with the column – the British Marines in Ardmore started round-up operations. I was with another man of the column – at Monatrea near the Ferrypoint – across from Youghal – and about two miles from Piltown when news of the round-up reached us. We moved inland towards Piltown to try and contact some of our boys – and we were going down a road when a woman ran out of a house to warn us to turn back because the Marines had passed that way a short time previously.

We got into the fields on our way – and then quite close to us – firing broke out which was heavy enough to indicate that a large party of men was engaged in it. We took cover behind a fence and awaited developments. Gradually the firing seemed to move away from where we lay and after about an hour – it died out.
Shortly afterwards – we learned that a party of five or six of our lads had run into a force of British Marines – ten times more numerous than our six – and the engagement we had heard was the outcome. One of our lads named James Mary Quain was killed in that fight. I do not know what the British Marines casualties were.”

Written by Michael Shalloe of Garvan Tce. Dungarvan for the Bureau of Military History re Volunteer action during 1913 – 23.
It seems that James and his comrades were surprised by Marines that had landed by boat at the Ferrypoint and so approached from an unexpected direction – instead of from Ardmore. The Volunteers dumped their bikes and were crossing a field beside the road – through furze bushes when the call rang out “Come out with your hands up”. Eddie Paul Lynch came out of the bushes with his hands up – while James was hidden further in and was shot dead. His body was brought into Veale’s house at Moord before it was brought on a horse and dray to the ferryboat to go home to 12 South Main Street.

During the subsequent wake – a British sentry was stationed on the street outside the house. Feelings in the local population were running very high at the death of the nineteen-year-old – so much that a nearby butcher rushed out of his shop brandishing a cleaver and went to attack the Marine. But for the intervention of some neighbours in stopping and holding him – the butcher would have been shot. And to further anger the locals – the British army band then played on the street.

James was a draughtsman with Fords in Cork and had a promising life ahead of him. He had plans made to go to America and on the day of his funeral – the money arrived from the U.S.A. for his fare.

A brother of his was Brendan – who had a fish shop for many years below the Clock Gate at South Main Street – another brother Charlie had a fish exporting business in Cork City – while a sister Moll married Michael Roche who was a local carpenter and they lived across the road from the Youghal Golf Club.

Sunday May the 9th – is the centenary of the sad event and a tidy ceremony will take place at the memorial at Piltown at 6 pm.

Pictures: The Republican Plot at North Abbey, cemetery, Youghal, County Cork, where James Quain is buried along with other volunteers and the five cross roads near Piltown in County Waterford where James was killed and the memorial at Piltown to the volunteers killed. … See MoreSee Less

YoughalOnline.com

1 week ago

May Altar -The beautifully decorated May altar to honour the Blessed Virgin Mary on display in the front window of the Muintir Mhuire charity shop on North Main Street, Youghal.

During the month of May – the month of Mary – it is the tradition to honour the Virgin Mary as "The Queen of May"

The yearly tradition also welcomes the Summer. A special table is laid with a cloth, on which is arranged a statue of the Virgin Mary and several vases of wildflowers. The altar is put up on the first of May and it stays there till the end of the month.

Do you remember the annual decorating of the May Altar with flowers on the 1st May. Please leave your comments below.

Picture shows the May Altar and the Statue of Our Lady of Graces – Youghal. … See MoreSee Less

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1 week ago

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2 weeks ago

May Sunday Art Trail: May 1-9th in Glenbower Wood, Killeagh

Covid restrictions inspire a fresh approach to a traditional festival.

Killeagh’s May Sunday Festival began nearly 200 years ago, but in 2021 it will be celebrated like never before. Despite the challenges imposed by a pandemic, the May Sunday Festival is determined to celebrate Killeagh’s creativity, history and ecology. Local non-profit Greywood Arts has returned the festival to its roots in Glenbower Wood this year, where they are orchestrating an art trail showcasing artists from Cork and works made by community groups. This outdoor celebration of place can be experienced at a safe social distance by visitors to the wood May 1-9th.

There will be opportunities for the community to get involved in the art-making through online workshops and tutorials. Villagers are invited to mine their recycling bins for materials to make chimes and garlands to contribute to artist Aoife Banville’s Folly Project. A willow lantern making workshop with Caoimhe Dunn will yield luminous creations that nod to the traditional torch light procession. Families can make their own make their own May Bushes in the virtual company of others, guided by artist Lisa Cliffe. And on Thursday April 28th, a workshop marking Poetry Day Ireland will lead to the creation of a “poem-tree” in the wood.

Themes emerging in the 10 installations range from playfully distorting the viewer’s perception, to raising awareness of waste generation, to the juxtaposition of domestic or man-made objects with the natural environment. While these main works will be installed for nine days, a pop-up exhibition of two-dimensional work by local artists will take place on May Sunday (May 2nd), along with a promenade performance (at a distance) by Tom Campbell and Noelle O’Reagan – a duo most notably seen on Britain’s Got Talent. On Sunday May 9th, the festival comes to a close with a litter-pick organised by Glenbower Wood and Lake.

The 6th class students at St. Fergal’s NS are working with Aoife Banville to create two follies from recycled materials – turning waste into beautiful works of art. The Monday Club active retired group have been invited to get in on the fun, and the tutorial is available on the festival website: MaySunday.ie for anyone who would like to take part.

The artists creating installations are: Aoife Banville (Shanagarry), Sarah Buckley (Mallow), Natasha Burke (Cork), Martha Cashman (Youghal/Cork), Jaki Coffey (Castlemartyr), Richard Forrest (Youghal), Rob Ireson (Whitegate), Danny McCarthy (Midleton), and Rob Monaghan (Cork).

Greywood Art’s artistic director Jessica Bonenfant says “We hope the art trail will offer a bright spot on the horizon after a difficult year. We’re eager to engage with art in physical spaces and feel a cultural event like this has an invaluable impact for our community.”

The first Sunday in May has been Killeagh’s festival day since the de Capell Brooke family opened their estate to the villagers for music and dancing in the 1830s. This date is very likely linked to traditional Bealtaine or May Day celebrations. Glenbower, the ancient native woodland that was private for centuries, is now partially owned by the community and managed by the voluntary Glenbower Wood & Lake committee.

The Art Trail is presented by Greywood Arts with support from Glenbower Wood & Lake Ltd. and Cork County Council.

MaySunday.ie Contact: Jessica Bonenfant 083 845 1750, create@greywoodarts.org

More Info:
greywoodarts.org/may-sunday/

crossingthedissour.ie/wp/

www.facebook.com/greywoodartsireland … See MoreSee Less

YoughalOnline.com

2 weeks ago

Find the Nook – Again. By Mike Hackett

The Nook Bar in Youghal was overflowing with custom in the 1960s and 70s – folks came from as far as Cork City to savour the atmosphere of ‘The Nook’ and of course the owner Joe Treacy and his wife Maureen thrived on it. Maureen was nee Barry from Castlemartyr and her family had a public house in that village – beside the bridge. It was the nearest one to the G.A.A. pitch and after matches – it would be packed.

Joe put a lot of thinking and planning into the progression of his business at The Nook. He went on to purchase a few next-door cottages on the laneway behind his premises and extended into those – and out the back as well. He then formed a band and started to have music – with getting the patrons to sing – and this led on to singing competitions. Another attraction that he ran was to name a hummed tune – and win a reward of a bottle of whiskey. Then if it was won in the first night or two – the winner got a noggin (small) bottle of whiskey – but when it went on without being recognised for a few weeks – then the winner got a big bottle.

A chap named Finbarr O’Sullivan – whose family also had a bar – the Anchor Bar near the quayside – attended The Nook and tried to name the particular tune for that week. He tried on a few occasions – but failed every time. Nobody could recognise it. That tune dragged on week after week without anybody naming it. However – Finbarr had an idea. He listened attentively the next time and immediately ran to the nearby public telephone kiosk – rang Mick Delahunty in Clonmel – and hummed the tune over the phone line. Mick knew it and Finbarr ran back to win and receive his bottle of whiskey.

When we were kids walking down the long main street – a mile to school – we passed The Nook – which was a combined grocery and pub in that era. As we resumed our schooling after the summer holidays – Joe would have a billboard on the pavement that said ‘Only sixteen more weeks to Christmas – join our Christmas Club’. Every subsequent week – the number of course reduced – until we got our holidays with only one week left.

If you wanted to sing a cowboy song with the band in The Nook – then you were given a cowboy hat – or for an Irish song – a tweed cap. If your song had been made famous by a female like Helen Shapero or Bridie Gallagher – you could be given a head scarf to wear. Just imagine the mockery and laugher of your friends as you acted the part.

Joe at one time had a big sign on the road near the lighthouse that said ‘Find the Nook’. This was when thousands of people from Cork City came to Youghal in ten trains every Sunday – and the curious ones came into town to ‘Find the Nook’.


The drift-net fishermen were good supporters of The Nook and this was how Joe encouraged them. He had a row boat to bring his young family out on the river and across to Monatrea in West Waterford. His gimmick this time was to bring empty (glass) stout bottles with him in the boat – with a note in each one that invited the finder to get a free drink in the Nook. The corked bottles would be thrown into the river casually and drift away with the tide. The fishermen on the river would find them and go later to get their free drink. But the word got broadcast and the fishermen would watch Joe as he rowed on the river and their anticipation and knowledge of the currents meant prizes of free drinks for many of them. However – Joe was no soft touch and there was method in his generosity. Having had the free drink – mostly a drop of rum – the fishermen would go on to pay for a few more and stay on awhile. It didn’t take long for the times between fishing the tides to become sessions of tall tales by fishermen, sailors and old tars in the ‘Nook’. Well done Joe!

Local photographer Bob Rock (recently R.I.P.) and his wife Teresa told me a very funny story about how they were having a drink in the Nook one night during the tourist season. Bob had a hearing problem and this – together with the noise from the band – made it difficult for him to hear what his wife Teresa was saying. He moved closer to her until their faces were only six inches apart. After awhile an American woman came over to them and complimented them on being so much in love – looking into each other’s eyes so much all night. Teresa had to explain – that apart from love – Bob had a hearing problem and that he came closer to be able to lip-read what she was saying.

Richard Leo’s father Dick had a welding business at the corner of the Market Quay in 1950 – where the film ‘Moby Dick’ was later made. Very sadly – he developed the dreaded T.B. at thirty-four years of age and had to stop working. He then went to hospital where the medics tried hard to save him. His wife Nellie went to visit him in that Cork Hospital a few times every week. Then when she would return home – Richard and I would be expecting her from the bus – and she was very thoughtful and generous. The famous Woolworths toy shop in Patrick Street was our Mecca – whenever we got a chance of going to the city. Woolworths sold toy soldiers, Dinky cars and cowboy guns. The toy soldiers would be lined in hundreds under the glass counter cases and likewise the Dinky cars. It was paradise to a child. Nellie called there every time to get something to bring home to us. I remember not going home for my tea while waiting for her to arrive off the bus. But then Dick passed away at thirty-six years – leaving his wife Nellie (nee Swayne) and one child – Richard – behind.

On the day that Dick’s funeral was taking place – my mother was detailed to mind Richard with me at Cork Hill – where we lived then. Suddenly that day – for some unexplained reason – Richard went out the front door of our house and ran down the North Main Street as his father’s funeral was approaching. My mother quickly caught up with him and pulled him into Treacy’s grocery shop and bar (The Nook Bar). Mrs. Julia Treacy (Joe’s mother) was just closing the front doors in respect (as was done that time) as the hearse was passing. Richard had not been told about the funeral and was not aware of why the crowd of people were passing outside the glass front doors. My mother explained to Julia who Richard was – and Mrs. Treacy gave him a present of a long bar of Cadbury’s chocolate – which the child ate while the funeral of his father was passing by.

Aris – Buiochas do Richard Leo agus Barry Treacy cun sceal seo a dheanabh.

Thanks to Richard and Barry.

-Mike Hackett

Various pictures attached:
Photo 1 – The Nook Front – carpentry by Andy Kelly
2 – Joe Treacy
3 – The Band – Siddy Daly – Henry Clohessy and John Forrest
4 – Bob Rock with his wife Teresa
5 – Kathleen Koch (poet) with Mike Hackett and Richard Leo at Caliso Bay. … See MoreSee Less