Brief Conna history

A Brief History of Conna

 

 

Conna Castle
Conna Castle was built in 1554 by Thomas Ruadh Fitzgerald, son of James, 14^th Earl of Desmond. The Fitzgeralds descended from Maurice Fitzgerald who landed in Wexford with the Welsh-Normans in 1169. Thomas Ruadh was declared illegitimate by Queen Elizabeth 1 and his half-brother Gerald became 15^th Earl and heir to the Desmond Estate.
Gearald’s efforts to twart the attempts of Elizabethan adventurers to take his lands forced him into rebellion and he was killed in Tralee, Co Kerry in 1583. Hugh O’Neill, Earl of Tyrone, came south and invested James as Earl of Desmond in 1589. The English referred to James as the Sugan Earl (Earl of Straw) because the Queen did not bestow the title.
James was captured in a cave near Clogheen, by the White Knight, in 1601. He was adjudged a traitor and sent to the tower of London where he died in 1608.
During his Irish campaign Cromwell and his forces attacked the Royalists in a bloody battle at Conna Castle in 1650.
In 1653 three girls Avis, Johanna and Jane Jermyn lost their lives in a fire in the castle.
In 1915 Rev A.G.K. L’Estrange bequeathed the castle to the state on his death.




Fr Peter O’Neill
Fr Peter O’Neill was born in Conna in1747. He was educated in Paris. He was appointed Parish Priest of Ballymacoda in East Cork in 1786. At this time the United Irishmen movement was very active in Ballymacoda parish. A local man was suspected of being a traitor and was executed. Though wholly innocent Fr. O’Neill was arrested and accused by the British of being implicated in the killing. He was arrested in 1798 and brought to Youghal. Here he was flogged and unsuccessful attempts were made to make him confess.He was promised his freedon if he revealed the names of the United Irishmen who had confessed to him.He rejected the offer.
Finally a statement was forced from him under torture. He was kept in prison for a time without trial and then transported to Botany Bay in Australia as a convict. He was pardoned in 1803, returned to Ireland and again took up duty as Parish Priest of Ballymacoda.He died on June 29th 1835 and is buried in Ballymacoda churchyard.
Permanent reminders of Fr Peter O’Neill are the large statue that stands at the entrance to Green Park in Youghal and the naming of a GAA club in his name, Fr O’Neills. He is also depicted in stained glass window in Shanagarry church, which he built in 1814.He built Ballymacoda church in 1797.
A monument to Fr. O’Neill was erected near the hall in Conna in 1998.It was a united venture by Cork Co. Council and Conna History Committee. This was the site of an old thatched church and it is believed Fr. O’Neill was baptised there.


The United Irishmen
Conna was very involved in the United Irishmen movement. Hundreds of ordinary local people were taking the oath and joining the United Irishmen. A public house opposite Kirby’s Hotel in Conna, owned by Mr O’Donovan, was a meeting place for the rebels.
A baker named O’Leary lived in a little house where the Courthouse was later built. He was suspected of being a croppy and taken to prison in Co Wexford. He was whipped and asked to name his associates but he refused. It looked as if he was going to die from the torture and was allowed a visit from his wife. He fooled the warder by disguising himself as his wife and escaping. In reprisal the soldiers went to his house in Conna and burnt it.
The authorities hanged many they suspected of being in the movement outside O’Donovan’s public house and the bodies left there as a deterrent for a few days.
A man called James O’Brien was charged with robbing William Newell of Tallow, a tithe collector, of tithe notes, money and a pistol in February 1798. He was hanged for these offences at Conna Cross on April 6^th 1799 and his body was ordered to remain suspended for some days afterwards.
In Curraglass there was a street called Weaver’s Row and many United Irishmen were hanged there from a large oak tree.
Three Curraglass men, Florence McCarthy, Nicholas Burke and John Dahill were tried and executed for attempting to seduce a yeoman private from his allegiance to the Crown. They were executed in Tallow in June 1798. A blacksmith from Curraglass, called Fitzgerald, was sentenced to 1,000 lashes for making pikes for the Revolution.


Aghern Castle
Aghern Castle is reputed to have been built in 1389 by the 3rd Earl of Desmond Gerald Fitzmaurice Fitzgerald. It was constructed to guard the strategic ford where now stands an attractive three arched limestone bridge constructed in 1826. The name Aghern or Ath Chairn means the ford of the cairn or burial mound. Much of the castle is in ruins but there is evidence to suggest that the original castle was a strongly fortified structure.
Gerald Fitzgerald had been appointed Justiciar of Ireland in 1367 and was known as Gerald the Poet. He was imprisoned by Brian O'Brien of Thomond in 1370 and while in prison he wrote poetry in the Irish language, most famously the poem, "Speak not ill of womenkind".
In 1398 he disappeared, and is fabled to live beneath the waters of Lough Gur, Co limerick, on whose banks he appears once every seven years to ride across the waters of the lake with a retinue of enchanted followers.
The Fitzgeralds held Aghern Castle until the end of the Desmond Rebellion against Queen Elizabeth. The Sugan Earl of Conna did offer some hope with his spirited opposition but after his capture in 1601 Aghern Castle, like Conna Castle, was confiscated from the Fitzgeralds and granted to Sir Thomas Fullerton, who immediately sold it to Richard Boyle. Later the 1st Earl of Cork.




Mogeely Castle
Mogeely Castle, now in ruins, was once one of the principal fortresses of the Fitzgeralds. Until 1466 Mogeely Castle had been part of the estates of the Knights of Kerry but in that year the Knight William Fitzgerald exchanged the lands of Mogeely and Aghacross with the Earl of Desmond for those of Burnham and Clogher in Kerry. The following year, Thomas, Earl of Desmond (The Great Earl) was beheaded in Drogheda because of his enmity with Edward 4th. His sons went into rebellion and could only be pacified with the promise of further land. This was during the time of the War of the Roses in England and the King could not afford to have a dangerous enemy at his back.
The result of the Desmond Rebellion was the destruction of the Desmond dynasty, the confiscation of land by the Crown and the subsequent colonisation of this land with English and Scottish settlers.
In 1587 Walter Raleigh received a large tract of land as the spoils of war. Some of this included Mogeely and the eastern part of Conna parish. Raleigh built a sawmill in Mogeely and built a successful timber trade exporting wooden pipe staves. The result was that many of the native woods were depleted.
When in Ireland he divided his time between Killua Castle, Co. Westmeath, Mogeely Castle and Myrtle Grove, his residence in Youghal. He is credited with bringing tobacco and potatoes to Ireland. Raleigh was executed by Elizabeth’s successor King James 1^st on October 29th 1618.


St Catherine’s R.C. Church Conna
St Catherine’s church in Conna was built in the early 1930’s and was open for worship in 1833. The project was initiated by Fr. Maurice Sheehan P.P. who resided in Curraglass and completed by Fr. Daniel Horgan P.P. The latter is buried under the floor of the church and has a monument (cenotaph) to his memory in the churchyard.
The altar was erected to the memory of Dr John Hutch G.P by parishioners as a mark of their appreciation.
One of the most striking features of the church is the stained glass windows in the sanctuary. These were installed in 1850 by Watsons of Youghal to a continental design. The church has a beautiful ornate ceiling which was designed by Putin and the work carried out by Italian craftsmen.
The site for the church was donated by the Duke of Devonshire in 1831along with £50 towards the building of the church. This gesture illustrated the good relations that existed between the different religious denominations at the time.
The forerunner of the present church was an L-shaped thatched building on a site called the Paddock or Chapel Field. This plot was later donated by the Barry family to the newly formed Conna Guild of Muintir na Tire on which they built their community hall in 1945.


Mogeely Church
The Pope Nicholas Taxation of 1291 indicates that a church had existed here before that year and consequently long before the coming of the Earls. Tradition says that the church was founded by the Augustinian Order, subsequently passing to the Knights Hospitallers. The church was disused since 1776 and was replaced by Curraglass Church. This church was closed in the 1950’s, was deconsecrated and then demolished.
The Lewis Topographical Dictionary of Ireland (1837) states that Mogeely church “was destroyed in the War of 1641”.
On the north wall of the nave there was a vestry. This later became the Croker family vault and was entered through a heavy iron gate. The Croker family resided in Lisnabrin House. The last of the Crokers was Dr. Edward Croker who died on August 9^th 1901. On the wall of the mausoleum is an inscription which reads; “Here also lyeth y body of Walter Croker of Lisnabrin in this parish who died in y 65 year of his age on y 23^rd br. A.D. 17OO”.
Jack Pyne, son of Henry Pyne, was buried in Mogeely churchyard. He was Walter Raleigh’s agent and partner in his timber business who got a lease of Mogeely Castle and lands from him.
Folklore tells us that a local man was buried in Mogeely churchyard directly beneath the footpath leading to the old church. Apparently he had committed some despicable crime and was so buried that people constantly walked over his grave.


Aghern Church
When the Rev. Ludlow Tonson was appointed as Vicar of Aghern Union in 1814 he found the existing thatched church in a ruinous condition. With generous donations he set about building a new church. This was opened in May 1817 and was dedicated to St James. It was capable of accommodating 150 people.
Rev. Tonson, who had resided in Lisnagar, Rathcormac built the vicerage in 1822. He left the parish in 1839 and became the Bishop of Killaloe. In 1848 he became Lord Riversdale. The Vicerage was purchased by Eaton William Waters in 1905 and he renamed the property Brideweir.
The names of the first rectors of the church are inscribed on the bell. Originally the church had box pews with family nameplates.
The picturesque little church was closed for service in the early 1990’s due to falling attendances. It was later restored and is now used for community events.

Places of interest in Conna

Carey’s Pub
This was a meeting place for United Irishmen. Men were hanged outside the pub. It played a big part in the old fairs held in Pairc an Aonaig. Tom English now has his shop there.
The Market House
This two-storey structure was built by Sir Thomas Boyle, First Earl of Cork. The Dispensary now stands on the site.
The Old Post Office
This building served as a post office and shop for many years and was owned by the Mills family. John and Mary Scanlan now live there.
The Courthouse
This was in use until the early 1920’s. Local J.P’s presided there on the first Tuesday of each month. A boy was once fined for carrying an “offensive weapon”, it was a hurley! Later the building was used for community events, plays, dances etc. In 1996 it was converted into a dwelling house. Eamonn Daly now owns it.
Kirby’s Hotel
This little hotel was built in 1802 and was frequented by gentry such as Lord Randoph Churchill (father of Winston Churchill), the Duke and Dutchess of Devonshire and Rev L’Estrange, owner of Conna Castle. After the Kirby’s, the Roche family ran the building as a pub for many years. The part of the building next to the Fisherman’s Rest was once a posting house and then a police barracks. There was a stable at the back where horses were changed for the mail coach on its way to Dublin. The building by the river was known as the “Sodiers’ Home”.


Conna Community Hall and Sports Complex
In 1943 a Guild of Munitir na Tire was set up in Conna. Muintir na Tire is a national voluntary organisation dedicated to promoting community development. It was founded in 1937 by Canon John Hayes. One of the first priorities of the new Guild was to build a hall where local people could meet for social, sporting and recreational activities.
A plot of ground, on which once stood a thatched church, was donated by Joseph Barry. The structure was built by direct labour with approximately 75% of it voluntary. It was officially opened by Canon Hayes on Saturday 8th December 1945.
So successful was the role played by the hall in the life of the local community that, eventually, in the late 70’s and early 80’s, the idea of expanding the capacity of the hall was discussed. Late in 1981, with this in mind, Conna Community Council purchased land from R.J. Kowenberg.
The Council embarked on a major fundraising drive in early March 1984. Members’ draws were started. Also, a government grant was obtained from the Department of Labour in 1985 for £75,000 on condition that the Council could raise £100,000 by September 1st of that year. With extraordinary generosity this money was got through donations and interest-free loans. The Sports Complex was built Council member Dave Feeney. It was opened on Sunday October 26th 1986.
A car park and tennis court was constructed in 1994 to complete the development.




Knockmourne Church
These ruins are supposed to be an ancient settlement established by the Knights Hospitallers of St John. These were the remains of an ancient church which was entirely burnt down by the White Knight in the Desmond Rebellion c. 1570. It was later restored but in 1694 it is recorded that “The church of Knockmourne was burnt by the Irish in the late war” (i.e. 1641). By 1774 it was in repair and had a west gable inserted and also a chancel (presbytery) built at the east end. Church of Ireland services were held in the building up to the end of the 18^th century. Later a little schoolhouse near the graveyard gate was used until a new church was built in Curraheen (St Lukes).
Three sisters, Avis, Johanna and Jane Jermyn, who died in a fire in Conna Castle in 1653 are buried in the churchyard. Rev L’Estrange says that in 1850 Rev Thomas Spread Campion, Vicar of Knockmourne , found an old tombstone sacred to the memory of the three ladies. The inscription says that “they went up to heaven, like Elijah, in a chariot of fire”. In the ground beneath he discovered a silver urn, containing calcined bones.


Fairs in Conna
Lewis (1837) tells us Conna had four Fairs, May 12th, June 20th, October 3rd and November 21st. L’Estrange describes these Fairs in their hey-day as being crowded and as boisterous. They were originally held in a field still called Pairc an Aonighn, which is located up Conna Hill. Faction fighting was very common. After the fighting had subsided, it was not unusual for the adversaries to retire to the neighbouring public houses and “spend the evening together in harmony”.
Stalls were set up the length of the village, with drinks being served at one end and music and dancing at the other. Conna was noted for its dancers in the early part of the 19th century. There were sometimes up to 60 tents and stalls at the fair and some extended from the old post office towards the castle. There were large cauldrons set up to boil quantities of mutton and pigs’ feet. Each customer was given some cutlery and a wooden plate and some ate the food on horseback. Tough Irish cheese was sold by women with weighing scales. Mutton pies were sold and customers were given plates so they could pour gravy over the pie.
Like many gatherings it was a great opportunity for tricksters and petty thieves. It is reputed that at one fair a thief stole a purse from a farmer, and as he was pursued, dropped the purse into a cauldron of pigs’ feet. The vendor, it was noted, took great care in ladling the fare, so as not to give his unexpected windfall away.


The Famine
The Famine did not affect Conna parish as badly as other areas of the country. However, many people died from the fever which came with the famine. In 1847, Conna Catholic Curate, Fr. Michael O’Hea, asked what was going to become of the people of Mogeely. The stark reply he got was “You must purchase more coffins for them, I see no other remedy”.
The Duke of Devonshire was viewed as a benevolent landlord. Through his agent, Francis Currey, he tried to balance the needs of the landlord with those of the tenants. Evictions were only as a last resort. In some cases he gave money to people in dire need so that they could emigrate.
On Friday October 1st 1847 the Cork Examiner newspaper reported the following harrowing account of a case in Curraglass; “While Joe Bennett, his wife and seven children were lying in fever in Curraglass hospital, five or six acres of luxuriant corn stood unprotected in his fields, as one lame child was left at home in their desolate cottage. The agent of Mrs. Bowles of Youghal, his landlady, had the crop cut down, carted and sold for a price not half its value. Meanwhile Joe Bennett recovered and visited his farm to find not a potato nor a grain of corn to feed his family should they recover. Mr Bennett then had a relapse and now lives in hospital with his children with little hope of recovery. Five years ago when he took the farm he was worth three or four hundred pounds and would have been able to pay his rent had he been allowed to sell his crop himself”.


Conna Creamery
The first farmer-owned Co-operative Creameries were established in the late 1800s and early 1900’s. Basically the Creamery separated the cream from the milk. The cream was then processed into butter and the skimmed milk given back to the farmers to be fed to calves etc.
After a lot of meetings, planning and canvassing, Conna Co-operative Creamery, a branch of Castlelyons Co-op, was officially opened on June 1^st 1933. In 1934 a large store was built to sell fertilizers and feedstuffs.
Conna was a good dairy district and local farmers traditionally made butter at home. However, having seen the returns from this type of butter making compared to the creamery prices in Castlelyons, farmers were determined to have a creamery branch of their own.
In 1968 bulk tank lorries began collecting milk and delivered it directly to Castlelyons Co-operative Creamery. This started a gradual phasing out of churns and mobile bulk tank trailers.
Conna Creamery fulfilled two functions for the farmers of the locality. It paid them for their milk but it also met a social need. Before the 1930’s farming tended to be a lonely existence for a farmer. He worked all day, sometimes in a remote area, and rarely had an opportunity to socialise. When the Creamery was opened he took his milk there on a daily basis and conversed with the Creamery staff and other farmers. Often he would also call to a shop or Post Office buying groceries and the daily newspaper.


Rural electrification
In January 1947, Oldtown, Co Dublin became the first village in Ireland to be electrified. In August 1948, Ballyduff was switched-on and it was reported that it attracted people from all parts of the district.
The Conna Guild of Muintir na Tire put in long hours and hard work to bring electrification to the area. They carried out preliminary assessments of demand for electricity. If the response was good an official canvas was then carried out by an Area Organiser who measured the premises and determined the fixed charges. Then the householders would sign official application forms.
The Guild experienced a lot of frustration and disappointment because at first there was not sufficient interest amongst the householders and there were many defaulters. However, eventually when the benefits of electricity were explained people who had formerly been dubious changed their minds and Conna’s name was put on the waiting list for wiring up.
Finally, on a wet evening on Wednesday April 29^th 1953 Rev. Richard Thornhill P.P. depressed the switch which sent the current to 160 houses in the 22 square mile area. An enjoyable social function, which included speeches, dancing and refreshments, was held in the hall afterwards. In early May demonstrations were held in the hall explaining the usefulness of appliances such as cookers, Burko Boilers, washing machines, refrigerators, kettles, irons, pressure pumps and radios. Sales were reported as being very good.
The children of the locality had their own special reason for rejoicing at the switch-on; ice cream became available in the shops for the first time!




The War of Independence
Eaton Waters, doctor and writer, lived in Brideweir, during the War of Independence (1919-1921). He gives a comprehensive account of the attacks on the RIC barracks in Aghern and also the blowing up of Aghern Bridge.
Conna Bridge had its middle section damaged in the War of Independence. But for the intervention of Canon John Murphy P.P. the remainder of the bridge would have been destroyed as well.
Mogeely Bridge was also blown up during the conflict. One of the O’Gradys from Carrigeen Hall had a novel way of getting safely to Spillane’s pub in Curraglass and back. He galloped his horse down to the bridge and jumped over the gap to the other side.
Two local patriots who lost their lives during the war were Arthur Mulcahy and Liam Heffernan. On the night of March 22^nd 1921 a lorry load of British military forces and Black and Tans from Fermoy barracks called to the Mulcahy homestead in Currabeha. They singled out 22 year old Arthur and left. A short while later he was shot dead on the Clashagannive road. A monument to his memory now stands at the spot.
Liam Heffernan was born in Knockmourne, Conna in 1898. On the evening of November 27^th 1920 he was in a car in Castlemartyr. A member of the RIC recognised him and in the gun battle Heffernan was fatally wounded. There is a monument to his memory in Knockmourne Cemetery and also one in Castlemartyr close to where he was shot.

Tom Finn       

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