Category: Plaque - Reading the Signs

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What Connects This Wall with Queen Victoria, Charlie Kerins and Michael Collins?

4/12/2023

Charlie Kerins remains the last I.R.A. member to be condemned to death by the state and executed. That was on 1st December, 1944. A plaque to commemorate Charlie Kerins was erected at Easter 1947 and removed in May 1947 and was subsequently replaced.

Memorials that have been damaged, removed or vandalised have been an interest of mine for some years. When doing the Local History course, I cited page 105 of Clodagh Tait’s book in more than two or three essays – ‘Tait suggests that the propaganda effect of some memorials and statues could not be overcome, except by their removal.’

Queen Victoria’s statue at the Aula Maxima in U.C.C. was removed and replaced with one of St. Finbarr. It was buried for over 60 years before going back on display. Streetsigns bearing the name Victoria were painted over in recent years. The statue of Victoria that stood at Dáil Éireann was removed and spent a long time in storage before being sent to Australia.

Victoria’s was not the only memorial to be removed from the lawn of Leinster House. A cenotaph was erected in 1923 and had two panels, one commemorating Arthur Griffith: the other commemorating Michael Collins. This temporary structure deteriorated for many years before being replaced at a different location at Leinster House.

My own list of memorials damaged or removed has reached 65 and the categories of those commemorated varies widely.

‘The commemorative function of monuments was paramount. However, the expression of loss and regret for the dead was inextricably entwined with and, to an extent, secondary to attempts to continue the memory of their owners’ personal and social identities……..
….the endlessly manipulable nature of funeral monuments could become invaluable. By choosing an identity from the most socially acceptable elements of one’s past, present and future, and rendering this in stone, a medium which by its very nature could convey added veracity, solidity and permanency, reality could be created and controlled by the patron. Moreover, once reality is constructed in this manner, monuments allow for no doubt or argument. Their owners may be denounced or discredited, but monuments will continue to proclaim their own brand of truth. This is why contemporaries occasionally found it necessary to destroy monuments. The propaganda element inherent in them could not be countered in any other way.’
Clodagh Tait, Death, Burial and Commemoration in Ireland, 1550-1650, p.105.

Back to the wall of St Iberius’s Church at Broadway in Co. Wexford. A plaque to Fiona Sinnott was removed the night before its planned unveiling in 2008. A replacement plaque was subsequently also removed. The adhesive/render is all that remains.

A plaque was erected at Kilmore Quay in 2018.

Remembering A Private Census – Cobblers

1/4/2020

In Goreybridge in Wexford, between 1862 and 1867, the landlord’s agent kept detailed records of the occupants of the dwellings, names, ages, relationship to tenant, occupation – all of which are recorded on the modern census.

I learned of this from Dr. Rachel Murphy in January when I attended the Irish Modern Urban History Group Symposium in Limerick, when she spoke on ‘The Goreybridge Censuses, 1862-7’. A significant proportion of the houses were occupied by one trade, Cobblers (if I remember correctly). There were only a small number of houses – 13-15 from memory – but shoemaking/cobblers was the trade of quite a number of houses, making the percentage significant.

I was in Belfast a few weeks later and spotted this plaque on a modern building on North St. This is definitely my type of plaque – small history, local information. A visit to census information is calling out to me as to whether the Belfast shoe-makes on North St were shops or whether they lived there too. A 2m distant conversation with my father is also calling to discuss whether others who worked with his father in the Lee Boot Co lived near him growing up – whether there was, decades later, a tradition of living near you work/trade colleagues.

If I only took better notes on the Goreybridge talk, I might be better placed to join some dots ……

Remembering Those Of This Community

30/3/2020

Last Summer, on a trip to The Maharees of the Dingle peninsula, I spotted a plaque the likes of which I had not seen before – a plaque listing and remembering those of the locality who left for farms elsewhere as part of the Irish Land Commission.

It might answer the question as to why the Shally family moved to Tulsk – an investigation for another day.

Fahamore, Maharees, Co. Kerry

Williamstown, Co. Galway

Three Cathedrals, A Funeral and A Painting

17/3/2018

Sketch for the Funeral of Terence MacSwiney, Lord Mayor of Cork 1920 by Sir John Lavery

Above is a painting by Sir John Lavery held in Crawford Art Gallery.

Below are photographs of the interiors of three Cathedrals.

Take your pick.

Cathedral of St. Mary & St Anne, Cork

Southwark Cathedral

Cathedral of St George, Southwark

This blog post has been rambling around my brain for over two years – hopefully it will not be as long when you get to the end.

Seán Ó Ríordáin b. 1916.12.03

3/12/2017

Today’s listing from Stair na hÉireann advised that on this day in 1916, Séan Ó Ríordáin was born.

This prompted a reminder to self to finish the grouping of the very many photographs and start uploading here. I have spent a while this afternoon putting together the different aspects relating to Seán Ó Ríordáin that I have encountered in the past few years – as well as a bit of a distraction on YouTube.

SEE ALL HERE

It has also provided a reminder to get back to the exercise of using the poems of Ó Ríordáin to increase my vocabulary.

Headless in the Glen of The Wedge

11/11/2017

I was sorting through some photographs taken during the Summer and spotted that today was the anniversary of the Earl of Desmond.

As good a reason as any to try to get back to more regular blogging.

Logainm assists with the meaning of Glenageenty – Gleann na Ginnte

Another word added to my Irish vocabulary – dícheann – to behead

Look what they started 130 years ago

24/7/2017

Two week ago, I had an early start for a number of meetings in Waterford. I afforded myself the luxury of a slow-ish spin home and some stops for discovering and learning – there are always new plaques and signs to be read.

The leisurely speed presented the opportunity to spot a plaque in the grounds of a GAA Club through the fields. I went exploring and learnt.

I had known that in the early years of inter-county G.A.A. matches, the county was represented by a Club – effectively similar to the All-Ireland Club Championship as is now. This had been filed away in my knowledge bank with Kildare’s white jerseys being first worn by Clane who represented Kildare in their first inter-county match.

I did not know that the first round of inter-county matches was held in 1887, 130 years ago, on this day. Ballyduff Lower represented Waterford and this plaque was erected to record the event.

I was somewhat surprised at the listing of 33 names but assumed that it related to all players who played in the county championship as well as the inter-county.

The entrance gate to the club was being painted at the time when I visited. I have no doubt that the painter was a volunteer club member. It was he who educated that teams had 21 players a side in 1887. He also said that in 1987, there was 21-a-side match between Ballyduff and Young Irelands to commemorate and record the first inter-county match.

Interesting asides from the 1887 football championship include that Kilkenny beat Cork; and, that Commercials of Limerick were the inaugural winners.

I now have another prompt not to forget my wedding anniversary.

Cadet Cleve Soady

22/3/2017

A while back, I heard at a talk that Cecil Guthrie was the only Auxiliary buried in Ireland.

Today, after hanging around the courthouse for most of the day, I took some chill-out time, and walked through the cemetery at the former Church of Ireland church over the bridge on the way upto Macroom square.

There I read of Cleve Soady who died of wounds suffered at the Coolavokig Ambush, near Baile Mhuirne, on 25th/26th February, 1921 – one of a few (or three) Auxiliaries buried in Ireland.

I wonder how long it will be before I spot another Auxiliary’s headstone…..

Coolavokig Ambush Memorial

Irish National Foresters

6/9/2016

More than once, I have commented that I have learnt from various plaques and signs that I have spotted – today’s blog is another lesson learnt.

I assumed that the Irish National Foresters was a trade association for those working in woodlands and forestry. It made me immediately think of Monty Python and their lumberjack song.

Today, a tweet of a ghostsign in Edinburgh for the Ancient Order of Foresters reminded me of the visit to Tullamore last month and this sign over Fergie’s Bar on Market Place. It prompted some education from the web.

The Ancient Order of Foresters was founded in 1834. The Irish National Foresters broke away in 1877 and became the largest friendly society in Ireland, supporting Irish nationalism and ‘government for Ireland by the Irish people in accordance with Irish ideas and Irish aspirations’. A procession in Dublin in 1923 was attended by 25,000.

There are some branches remaining, particularly in Ulster but also in Navan where those in the Irish National Foresters Brass Band are still blowing.

It is a bad day when one does not learn something new.

General Tom Barry - a Kerryman

5/7/2016

I have spotted many plaques to General Tom Barry – where he lived, where he fought, and where he is buried.

One common denominator is that they are all in County Cork.

Last weekend, the daily updates from Stair na hÉireann listed the anniversary of the death of Tom Barry (2nd July,1980 ) and also his birth (1st July, 1897). What I hadn’t realised was that the birth was in Co. Kerry.

The 1901 census confirms that Thomas B. Barry, then 3 years old, was resident at house 35 in Langford in Killorglin, Co. Kerry. His mother is listed as head of house. His father is not mentioned on that form so I assumed that he may be at the R.I.C. barracks, where he then worked – retiring a few while later and returning with family to West Cork.

But the only other Thomas listed for Killorglin that night was not his father –so maybe he did manage to opt out for a while. Or maybe I need to search further.

Reverting to Google streetview, it appears that, unlike so many places in Co Kerry,

Killorglin has not erected a plaque to record the residency of the young Tom Barry.I hope to visit in the coming weeks and visit to confirm.

That is not to say that Kerry is short of republican memorial plaques

All Round Gaelic Champion of Ireland - 1895 & 1896

20/6/2016

ALL ROUND GAELIC CHAMPION OF IRELAND 1895

Not for the first time, a trip to the cemetery has led to learning and connecting of historical dots of information.

The cemetery in question is at St Bartholomew’s Church in Kinneigh, Co Cork – the location of the only round tower with an hexagonal base, as well as headstone commemorating O’Mahony Mór.

E.M.B. - April 1816

19/6/2016

There is a bridge at Faha.

As there are at least 9 places called Faha in the country, there is likely to be more than one bridge in Faha. I can confidently say ‘at least’ as the three listed on Logainm in Co. Kerry exclude Faha on the R563 from Killarney to Milltown (or on to Dingle) -the one that has been in and out of my thoughts for over a year.

I stopped to photograph the postbox and noted this plaque on the bridge with three letters and a date – E.M.B. April 1816.

I admit failure. Since April, 2015 I have been unable to even find one suggestion for E.M.B..

I am hoping that the expression ‘a problem shared is a problem halved’ may extend to riddles and puzzles…..

Experimental Dairy

9/6/2016

I spotted this plaque close to Knockraha outside Cork a while back.

It prompted me to think on why ‘experimantal’ appears to have be replaced with ‘research’ .

Teagasc is the provider of ‘integrated research, advisory and training services to the agriculture and food industry and rural communities’. Enterprise Ireland is involved in ‘research and innovation supports for businesses and researchers in Higher Education Institutes’

My memory of school is that experiments were a practical assistance to learning. I would not have any negative association with the word ‘experiment’.

Is there a perceived unwelcome association with ‘experiment’? Or did it just fall out of use?

Sophie Peirce d. 9th May, 1937

9/5/2016

There is only one house in Dromcolliher

3/5/2016

Last Wednesday, the daily update from Stair na hÉireann advised that on 27 April, 1911 the ‘first ever Irish musical comedy, The Irish Girl, written by Percy French and Dr. W. Houston Collisson, is staged at the Queen’s Theatre, Dublin’.

It reminded me of this plaque in Dromcollogher, Co. Limerick that I had only seen days previously.

I hadn’t heard of either ‘The Irish Girl’or ‘have yez been to Dromcolliher’ previously – still learning from the signs

‘Says I, have yez been to Dromcolliher?
Ye haven’t? Well now I declare.
You must wait till you’ve been to Dromcolliher
And seen the fine house we have there.
There’s only one house in Dromcolliher:
For hardware, bacon and tea:
If your master would come we would treat him in Drum,
Oh! Drum is the place for me’
Percy French, 1894