Tag Archives: Kinawley

1942 – Lord Erne, Eamon Anderson.

FERMANAGH FOLKLORE. By EAMON ANDERSON. THE TERRIBLE FAMINE DAYS. In the hurry of writing last week there were a couple of sentences towards the end in which I did not choose my words carefully and they might give readers the false impression that the British Government of that day, being pressed by Parnell and his party, actually voted money to relieve the terrible distress and famine in Ireland in 1879 and later. No such thing did they do during any of the terrible famines of the last century, not one penny at that time did they give gratis. The money that came in ’79 and ’80 to supply what was known as “Parnell’s meal’ and ‘Parnell’s bread’ to the starving multitudes in Ireland was raised by subscriptions, principally from the Irish race in America. There is no doubt of course that many charitable people in England, especially of the Quaker persuasion, did subscribe money during famine years, but their Government gave us nothing, only coercion and plenty of it The landlords ignored the distress, they wanted their rents whether the land earned them or not. The Government ignored the distress and sent out their police and military to enable the landlords to collect their pound of flesh off the walking skeletons in the bogs and mountains to protect, the process-servers and the “bone-grippers” and the crow-bar brigade, and the grabbers and emergency men and the agents and bailiffs and all others of that unholy alliance. In ‘Black ’47’, when the people of Ireland were dying in the ditches in tens of thousands, —when the coffin ships were crossing the Atlantic crammed with starving human beings, dying of famine and fever and being thrown overboard to feed the sharks, the London “Times,” chief organ of the Tory party in England, gloated over the extermination of the Irish race in these words; “The Celts are going— with avengeance. Soon a Catholic Celt will be as rare in Ireland as a Red Indian on the shores of Manhattan.” But strange to say, this stiff-necked Irish race (survived it all—and the Catholic Celt is very much alive to-day—in Ireland, and all over the world.

A DUCAL “JOKE.”  And here is what the Duke of Cambridge said during Black ’46 — ‘Ireland is not in so bad a state as has been represented. I understand that rotten potatoes, and even grass properly mixed, afford a very wholesome and nutritious food. We all know that Irishmen can live upon anything, and there is plenty of grass in the fields, even if the potato crop should fail.” This was in the early stage of the famine, before the real horrors began. O’Connell’s answer, to this outburst is well worth recording:— “There” said O’Connell, ,“is the son of a king—the brother, of a king—the uncle of a monarch—there is his description of Ireland for you. Perhaps he has been reading Spencer—who wrote at a time when Ireland was not put down by the strong arm of force or defeated, in battle; but when the plan was laid down to starve the Irish Nation (in 1602).; For three years every portion of the crop was trampled down by mounted soldiers; for 3 years the crops were destroyed and human creatures were found lying dead behind ditches with their mouths green, by eating sorrel and grass. The Duke, I suppose, wishes we should have such scenes again in Ireland. And is it possible that in presence of some of the most illustrious nobility, of England that a royal personage should be found to utter horrors of this description.”

AN OLD LORD ERNE,

Perhaps some people may say that this is not the time—in the midst of a great world, calamity—to go raking up the sins of the past – maybe so. As a Christian people we can forgive, subject of course, to repentance and full restitution of our National rights on the part of the aggressor. As Christians we are bound to forgive. But there is no reason why we should ever forget! Having said this much to clear the misunderstanding which might arise from the slight mistake in last week’s article, I will now continue our Fermanagh folklore. The Derrylin Shanachies tell many tales of the generosity of old Lord Erne—the Lord Erne who flourished during ’69 and ’79 and those times. Of course everyone will agree that a man  with a rent-roll of £80,0000 a year, drawn largely off lands which his ancestors got for nothing, the confiscated property of the Fermanagh chiefs and clansmen, everyone, I say, will agree that a man like that could well afford to be generous when the whim seized him. His estates stretched like a principality on both sides of the lough as far as the eye could see, and in addition he had vast estates in Mayo and elsewhere. His estate on the west side of Lough Erne included practically the whole parish of Knockninny. Most of the Irish landlords of that day—if a tenant showed any little sign of taste or prosperity, if he whitewashed his house, or had middling deceit clothes, would raise the lent on him at once. But Lord Erne, according to the Derrylin Shanachies, was of an entirely different opinion. He liked taste, he liked his tenants to have, at least, neatly patched clothes and a snug well-kept house and place. Once on a journey through his estates he came to a tenant’s place of which he did not at all approve. The man was ragged in his clothing; his house was badly in need of thatch and black for want of limewash. “What is your name,” asked his Lordship. “My name is Darling,” said the man. “On,” said Lord Erne, “you are the devil’s darling.” On another occasion, with his agent, he was .travelling part of his estate in the Slieve Rushen mountain area when he came to a house and farm tenanted by a widow with a family of small children. The house and place were kept neat and clean, and the children’s clothes were neatly patched. He said to his agent “I will venture to say that the rent of this place is paid up to date.” “No, unfortunately, there are five years arrears against it” said the agent. “Well, there must be something serious wrong, so,”-said Lord Erne. Yes, said the woman there is, ‘I have lost my husband and it takes all the money I can make to rear my family.” “Give this woman a. clear receipt up to date and do not ask her to pay any rent until she is able to do so,” said Lord Erne to his agent. “You are a great woman” he continued “and I am proud to have you for a tenant. – In spite of all your difficulties you are keeping your house and place in good styled and keeping your children, neat and clean.” Another tenant also owed several yearns rent as his cattle had died but as he was keeping his place and himself neat and decent, his Lordship commanded the agent to give him a clear receipt. At his castle of Crom, every year the used to give prizes for. home industries, for neatly patched clothes, for sewing, knitting and spinning, etc.          .

 

DERRYLIN MAN’S APPEAL. On the 1st November, 1869, an immense Tenant Right meeting was held in Cavan town, which was attended by great numbers of Fermanagh farmers and people generally. Even Enniskillen town though 32 miles away, sent a large contingent by jaunting cars and horse-drawn waggonettes. At that time bicycles and motor cans were not even dreamt of. A score of years had still to pass before such things were invented and another score of years passed before any of them were seen in Fermanagh. At any rate the Chairman at that meeting was Fr. Pat O’Reilly, the parish priest of Drumlane, in which parish is situated Belturbet town, near the Fermanagh border. In the course of his address the Reverend Chairman said that if all the landlords of Ireland were as good as Lord Erne there would have been no need to hold a meeting like that. Lord Erne, like all his class probably never read any papers, only such as came from the Tory Press. Certainly he would not read the speeches of those whom he would call “disloyal agitators,” so he was unaware of the- compliment paid him by the Rev. Chairman at the meeting. Some time later he found out that a number of his tenants in Derrylin district, had attended the meeting so he gave orders to have them evicted from their holdings without delay. There was a man named Doogan—a Derrylin man, and he was one of the best judges of a horse in Ireland and Lord Erne had always employed him to buy horses, and he had great influence with his Lordship. So the poor men who were  threatened with eviction—which was almost as bad as sentence of death in those days, asked Doogan to do his utmost with his Lordship to have their sentences revoked. Doogan went to Crom Castle and met his Lordship out on the lawn walking with the Countess. He absolutely refused to reconsider his decision and said that, the offending tenants must go out. Doogan then asked him if he had read the speeches at the meeting and he said “No, I would not read the speeches of agitators.” Doogan then handed .him a paper and asked him to read the Rev. Chairman’s speech. At first he refused to read it, but the Countess prevailed on him to do as the man asked him, so he sat down and read the speech. Then said Doogan, “Will you evict your tenants now for attending that meeting?” “No,’’ said. Lord Erne “I will not. That man speaks very fair.’’

ORANGE SHOOTING.

In some future article I will say a lot about that Tenant Right meeting of 73 years ago. Old Francis Cleary, of Kinawley, who died two years ago, aged 91, told me all about it. He with 100 other young men from this district walked to the meeting 22 miles and back that 1st November, 1869. He could repeat every speech almost word for word. Unfortunately, however, that day ended in tragedy. While the Fermanagh and West Cavan contingents were returning and passing through the village of Drumaloor, near Belturbet,, they were fired on by a party of misguided young Orangemen and a young man named. Morton shot dead. Morton was the servant of the Rev. Chairman, the P.P. of Belturbet, and was driving the priest’s car, and the bullets only missed Father O’Reilly by inches. A number of men were tried for the murder at Cavan Assizes the March following but were acquitted by an Orange jury. Apparently the accused exercised the right of challenging each jury man in turn, till they got twelve men of their own choosing to try them. A friend of mine possesses a newspaper of March, 1870 which gives an account of the trial covering two pages. The young men who fired the shots were sons of tenant farmers themselves, who were amongst the first to reap the benefits of the land agitation. And do we not in our own day in the North of Ireland see the same narrow-minded party bitterness, a party standing against the onward march of the nation although it would be to their own benefit, as well as ours, to have a free and united Ireland. Just one more story of Crom Castle and a former Earl of Erne. In the old days a parish priest of Newtownbutler, was transported for performing the ceremony of marriage between a Protestant and a Catholic. Some time later a great regatta was held at Crom Castle, the Prince of Wales—-who was on a visit there at the time being in attendance. The greatest event of the day was a boat race on Lough Erne between a chosen party of boatmen of Lord Erne’s tenants and a party of boatmen of a gentleman named Saunderson who lived between Crom and Belturbet. Saunderson’s boatmen were a family named Latimer, while Lord Erne’s boatmen were a couple of brothers named Goodwin who lived in Derryvore—that peninsula of Knockninny parish which stretches over the lough almost to Crom and a man called big Ned Martin of Killybrack, also in Derrylin district. In the presence of the Prince of Wales, Lord Erne promised the Goodwins and Martin any favour they would ask for if they would only win the boat race in his honour. That boat race became historic in the Knockninny and Newtown butler districts. After tremendous exertions, the Goodwins and Martin won the race against their wiry opponents. Lord Erne was overjoyed at the honour done to his house with the royal guest present, and he called his boatmen up to name their reward. “Now,” he said, “anything you ask, you shall have it even, to the best farms on my estate.” But the Goodwins and Martin answered as one man: ‘Our only request is that you will procure the release of Father Clarke of Newtownbutler.’’ “Oh ask me anything only that” said Lord Erne. But they still persisted till the Prince, who was listening asked what it was all about. The circumstances were explained to him how Fr. Clarke had been transported for marrying a Protestant and a Catholic. The Prince was shocked. “I did not know” he said that there was such, a law as that upon the Statute Book of England. I must get it removed at once.

So Father Clarke was released and sent home to his parishioners and the iniquitous law was removed from the English Statute Book. As far as I can find out this incident happened long after Catholic Emancipation as there are many people still alive who remember big Ned Martin of Kilnabrack.

A correspondent has written me recently requesting that I write the folklore of the great townland of Aughyoule on the slopes of Slieve Rushen, near Derrylin.. As soon as possible I am visiting that townland—which is the second largest in Ireland—to have a few chats with its Shanachies and I will record everything about it. I find that the folklore of Knockninny parish is almost inexhaustible. Up till lately I thought Kinawley could beat all Fermanagh for folklore, but now I find that Derrylin is

 

KILTYCLOCHER AND DISTRICT NEWS. Deep regret has been occasioned in, the district by the death of Mr. Patrick Burns, Straduffy, which occurred on Thursday last following a prolonged illness. The late Mr. Burns was a. well- known sportsman. The funeral, which took place to Kilmakerrill on Saturday, was large and representative. Rev. J. P. Brady, C.C., Kiltyclogher, officiated at the graveside. The chief mourners were— Mrs. M. E. Tyrkell, Dublin, and Miss Lizzie Burns (daughters), Messrs. John Burns, Garrison; Tom Burns, Cashel, and P. Burns (sons); Messrs. Thomas and Michael Burns (brothers).

Garrison Fair held on the 26th. ult., was large and prices for all classes of cattle (especially springers) showed an upward tendency.

A farm of 35 acres at Tullyderrin, Rossinver, was purchased for £195 by Mr. Thomas Sweeney, Garrison. Killasnett School, which was closed down some time ago owing to declining attendance has been sold for £80.

A little boy aged three years had a narrow escape from drowning in the Kiltyclogher River during the week. Deep pools in close proximity to the village are unprotected, and are a constant danger to small children playing along the riverside.

The death occurred recently at an advanced age of Mr. George Acheson, Whealt. Deceased, who was one of the most extensive farmers in the Garrison district, was brother in law of Mr. Mr. T. Allingham, Kilcoo.

An official of the Department of Supplies visited Kiltyclogher last week in connection with the flour shortage, but nothing has been done since to relieve the situation, which is worsening. On Friday and Saturday Kiltyclogher was without flour or loaves. Oatmeal is also extremely scarce, and several families have to depend entirely on potatoes

 

LISNASKEA FATAL ACCIDENT. An R.A.F. corporal was the victim of a fatal accident near Lisnaskea on Friday evening. Corporal Harold Leonard Nieman, a native of Peckham, England, fell from a lorry, sustaining a fracture of the skull from which he died on his way to hospital. The accident took place at Ballindarragh, and, the police being notified, Constable T. McKernan was immediately on the scene.

At the inquest in Fermanagh County Hospital on Saturday, conducted by Mr. G. Warren. Coroner, Head Constable Thornton, Enniskillen, represented the police authorities.

Sergeant H. A. Saberton said the previous night, at 7-30 he was travelling in the rere of a three-ton truck with deceased and two others. As the truck pulled up and crossed the crown, of the road, deceased, who was standing, fell backward to the roadway on his head, and the rere wheel passed over his shoulder. The truck, which had been pulled up gradually, was stopped within three or four yards.

Witness found deceased unconscious and bleeding from mouth, nose and ears. They removed him to the grass verge, and within ten minutes he was placed in a passing car and brought to hospital, but died just approaching Enniskillen.

Dr. T. J.’ O’Hagan, house surgeon, Co. Hospital, said deceased was dead on admission. There was an abrasion on the right cheek and one on the left side of the chin. There was considerable haemorrhage from the nose and right ear. Some brain tissue was mixed with the blood. Death was due to shock and haemorrhage following fracture of the base of the skull and laceration of the brain. Sister Monaghan saw deceased on admission and he was then dead.

Deceased’s squadron leader said deceased was aged 38 and married. A verdict was returned in accordance with the medical evidence, and Head Constable Thornton and the Coroner expressed sympathy with the relatives of the deceased and to the driver of the truck, whom, the Coroner said was not in any way to blame.

 

APRIL 11, 1942.

DE-CONTAMINATION OFFICER’S INSTRUCTION. MR. BEATTY REFUSES TO CO

When Enniskillen R.D.C., on Tuesday, was requested to send its Decontamination of Food Officer to a course of instruction in Belfast, Mr. J. Brown, Clerk, said Mr. John Beatty, ,J.P., a member of the Council, had been appointed to this post and he supposed it was Mr. Beatty’s duty to attend.

Mr. Beatty—I am not going. I am telling you straight. (Laughter).

Mr. E. Callaghan said no member of the Council had more time at his disposal for attending than Mr. Beatty.

Mr. Beatty said he refused to go.

The Clerk said that in that case he thought the best thing would be for Mr. Beatty to resign. (Laughter).

Mr. J. J. Coalter, J. P., said that supposing gas was used and food was contaminated, he felt the responsibility for any serious consequences arising out of Mr. Beatty’s inability to deal with the situation would rest upon Mr. Beatty. (Laughter)

Mr. Beatty—Don’t think you will frighten me—I am not that green. (Laughter). If there was any £ s d for it I wouldn’t be asked to go. (Laughter).

Chairman (Hon. C. L. Corry, J.P.)— Will you appoint anybody?

Earl of Belmore, D.L.:—No.

Mr, Burns asked if Enniskillen Urban Council had appointed a representative.

The Clerk said it had; so also had Irvinestown and Lisnaskea Rural Council. Mr. Callaghan—Where are the lectures? Clerk—In Belfast. /

Lord Belmore—Oh! hell. (Laughter).

The Council decided to get one of the Sanitary Sub-Officers to attend.

 

LORRY AND P.O. VAN COLLIDE. SEQUEL AT LISBELLAW COURT

Details of the collision between an army, vehicle driven by Private North and a G.P.O. van driven, by Wm. Norman Kerr, Lisnarick, Irvinestown, which occurred at Gola Cross on 11th February, were given at Lisbellaw Petty Sessions on Friday, when both drivers were before the. Court charged on the usual counts with careless driving. The evidence was that the military van was coming across the road at Gola, proceeding from Lisbellaw down the Belleisle road when it struck the G. P.O. van travelling from Lisnaskea to Enniskillen.

Evidence for the prosecution was given by Bernard McCaughey, a passenger in the G..P.O. van, and Const. Wilkinson. Kerr said he was practically stopped when the impact took place. He had slowed down approaching, the cross.

North admitted in evidence that he did not obey the “halt” sign on his road at the approach to the cross. The summons against Kerr was dismissed and North, who had a previous conviction, was fined 40/- and 2/- costs.

 

LABOURERS TO RECEIVE 1/- PER HOUR. URBAN COUNCIL DECISION

Enniskillen Urban. Council have decided to pay their labouring men at the rate of 1/- per hour, instead of on the present basis of £2 5s and £2 2s 6d weekly.

Senator Whaley presided at the Council meeting on Tuesday evening, when the Finance Committee reported that they had under consideration the following applications from employees of  the Council for increases in wages and make the following recommendations thereon:—

From 13 labourers— their applications being for an increase of the present rates of £ 2 5s per week for men on the permanent staff and £2 2s 6d for men casually employed. It was stated in their applications that the rate of wages payable to general labourers in the district is at present 1/0½ per hour. It was recommended that an increase of 2/6 per week be granted to both the permanent and casual labourers.

The Committee also recommended that an increase of 2/6 per week be granted to Andrew Bell, lorry driver, on his present rate of £2 12s 6d per week, and that the wages of William Hynes, mason, be increased from £3 15s to £4 per week.

Mr. P. Kelly said the wages of labourers employed by the E.B.N.I. and builders in the district was 1/1 per hour. Why should Urban Council labourers be paid only £2 5s or £2 2s 6d weekly when all other labourers in. the district were paid £2 12s. Could the Council do nothing better for its labourers than that?

Mr. Donnelly said he wrote to the Ministry of Labour on the matter, and read the reply to the Finance Committee. The reply stated that only builders’ labourers were paid 1/1 per hour.

Mr. T. Algeo said the Council were paying the best wages in the Six Counties with the exception of two or three others.

1942 Edward Anderson’s Fermanagh Folklore.

Eddie Anderson  1897-1960. Christened Edward Andrew he was the eldest son of Kinawley schoolmaster Andrew Anderson and his wife Mary McHugh. He lived at Corragun, Kinawley and in the 1940s as Éamann Mac Aindréis he contributed a weekly column on the history and folklore of South Fermanagh the Anglo-Celt. The Fermanagh Herald also began to serialise his award-winning collection of folklore on 1 November 1941. Another series began FH 29 October 1949. His youngest brother John Peter, a clerical student died January 1927 and his other brother Francis and sister Mary Kate also died young of TB. Master Andrew Anderson who died on Good Friday 1928 lived at Drumlish and had Donegal author Seumas Mac Manus as a young teacher in his school. Mac Manus regularly sent him copies of his latest publications and mentions the Andersons in his autobiography The Rocky Road to Dublin.   Eddie Anderson married Bridget Gilleece from Gorgesh and they had six children. In the Shadow of Benaughlin, a selection of his writings was edited and published by his grand-daughter Iona McGoldrick in 2013. 82 pages, softback, printed by The Print Factory, Enniskillen. I wrote the introduction and helped to launch a collection of his writings a few years ago. The Fermanagh Herald ran a competition for collections of folklore; there were three winners, Anderson, Jim McVeigh and Paddy Tunney. Jim McVeigh’s collection was published in book form by Fr. Joe some years ago. Seamas

Fermanagh Herald 21-2-1942. Folk Tales of Fermanagh. By EAMON ANDERSON

In the closing paragraphs of last week’s article I hinted a little at the kind of times we had in most parts of Fermanagh not only during the whole of the last century, but even through the first decade of the present one. And mind you, Fermanagh was one of the better-off counties, things were far worse in many other parts of Ireland and especially in the western counties from Donegal to Cork. Some of the younger generation who have been reared in comparatively prosperous, times (although we farmers cannot by any means boast of our wealth, even yet)— may say “Oh the times could not have been as bad as all that, and if they were, what was wrong anyway ?” Well, there were several things wrong. There were bad wet seasons—off and on, such as we have got even so lately as 1924 and 1931, with consequent failure of crops and deaths of cattle. Let us hope and pray that the bad seasons will not come back while this war lasts, else we may have to face something like the horrors of another “Black “47” Then there was bad prices for farm produce in those days so that often everything that the farm produced, except a few wretched potatoes, had to be sold, to pay the rack-rent that was on it. An old farmer of Kinawley who died some ten years ago aged 96, told me that in his young days he sold 6 yearling calves for a five pound note. Not five pound apiece, mind you, but five pounds for the whole lot. And many people, still alive, remember all the bull calves of the country side being sold for veal at a half-crown each as it would not pay to rear them. Pork was sold at from 23 to 25 shillings per cut, and eggs at the noble price of 2d to 3d a dozen! There were very few pigs or hens kept in the old days, and no wonder. And eggs could not be sold at all in this part of the country—they had to be carried to Dublin or such places. A woman named Gilbride used to buy eggs here. When she would have a small creel full, she used to make arm ropes for the creel and get it on her back and carry it the whole way to Dublin to make a few shillings. If she got an odd lift, on a cart, for charity, well and good, but often most of the journey had to be done on foot. You may stare at this, but it’s true notwithstanding. And even more astounding things happened as you shall see. Fermanagh was always a great grass county, but often, when the larger farmers went down in stock and had not many cattle, they could not get their hay sold. So they often carted it the whole way to Dublin City. One of my old Shanachies, the late Mr. John Maguire, of Drumbinnis, told me that his grandfather often saw about 20 carts of hay from near Enniskillen going up the old coach road through Kinawley and Derrylin. Their route would be on through Belturbet and Cavan, on through Kells and Navan and on to the Capital, 100 miles in all, changing horses every 20 miles as the old stage coaches did. The wheels of the carts were blocks of wood, all in one piece, shod with iron, somewhat like the ‘‘trindle” of a turf barrow. Most of the gentry of Ireland lived in Dublin in those days and it was full of horses. The 20 carts or so of hay would be all in a row with the loads built in such a way that there was place for the next horse’s head left in the back of each head so that he could not see to left or right. I never could find out what price the hay used to go. It must have been as far back as 1810 or earlier.

But the main cause of the chronic poverty of the farmers was the curse of landlordism, the exactions of the rack-renting landlords, and of their satellites, the agents and bailiffs. For it was not enough to pay the landlord far more than the yearly value of the land, but another rent and often, two rents had to be spent in bribing and tipping the agents and bailiffs to keep them in good humour.

And the agents often kept back the receipt and closed on the rent so that the unfortunate tenant had to pay it again, or else be thrown out on the roadside. Any of us who remember the first decade of this century can recall the closing days of landlordism. Things were not as bad,

of course, as in earlier times, but they were bad enough. First the bailiff would go around from house to house warning for the rent. In a few weeks after the “pross-sarver” would be out, visiting and delivering, blue papers with the unfortunates who were not able to pay in time. And the said unfortunates often even made jokes about it. It is largely our Irish sense of humour, even under the worst circumstances that has kept us from despair, down the long centuries of oppression. One old fellow in our neighbourhood would “on his ceilidh” to a neighbour’s house, when the “pross-sarver” would be going his rounds. “Did yiz get the blue paper yet’’ he would say, “I got mine the day”. The lawyers, I believe, call them civil bills, but in troth. I would call them the most uncivil documents that ever came to a man’s house. Another old humourist had met with a few bad seasons—his crops failed, and his stock had to be sold one by one to buy a bit to eat ‘for herself an’ the childhre.” Then the “presses” began to come in, shop-keeper’s, bills, rent and everything. One day the “pross-sarver” handed him still another “pross.” on the “street,” so he opened the door and shouted in— “Here Nelly, lave that wan in on top of the rest of the prosses.”

Here is another story of the bad old days—-from Teemore—which is not without its humorous side. A small farmer by dint of tremendous labour had reclaimed a field of bogland. Owing to the wet, heavy nature of the uplands in this part of Fermanagh, a field of moss is highly valued, as it is the only chance for a crop in a wet, bad season. The bailiff, a man named Robinson, was an autocrat with unlimited power in the district, and he had his favourites among the tenants, his greatest favourites being those who gave him the biggest bribes. One of these favourites coveted the poor man’s field of moss and as a preliminary to grabbing it; brought the bailiff a present of a pig. He then made his request and the bailiff told him to go and work and crop the field of moss, that it was his from that day forward. When the other man saw his field being taken from him he went almost crazy and asked the advice of a “dacint neighbour man” called Banker Magee. (I will tell you later why he was called ‘‘Banker”). j “Have’nt you a heifer there,” says Banker. “I have,” said the man. “Well, drive your heifer up and make a present of her to the bailiff and request him to give your field back to you,” said Banker. He did so, and the bailiff was very thankful and told him to go home and order the other man off his field and take and work it himself. He did that too, and the other man went in an awful rage to the bailiff; “Didn’t you give me that field’ he said. “I did, but the other man gave me a heifer to get it back again” said the bailiff. Well give me back me pig.” How can I give you back your pig, when the other man’s heifer is after stickin it’ The man dare not press the thing so the bailiff had both pig and heifer.

Banker Magee above mentioned was so called because he was the only man I have ever heard of, except one, who succeeded in digging up one of the numerous crocks of gold that are buried here and there over the countryside. He dreamed for three nights running that the gold was hidden beneath a thorn tree. He dug out the thorn tree by the roots and found the full of a large basin of gold coins. He lent money, in his time, over the whole country, and so he was called ‘Banker’. There is no one belonging to him now—more’s the pity.

Another man—nearer my own place, was awakened one night in old times by a noise in his kitchen. He seized his gun and went down and found three men digging up his hearth-stone.  They fled for their lives and he concluded that they had dreamt of gold there, so he took the spade and dug away till he found it. He got so much gold that his family and descendants have been rich from that day to this. I have often wished I could dream of a crock of gold but no such luck for you or I! A tenant on the Kinawley estate lost an acre of moss in those days and never got it back. He had a crop of oats sown in it. A man living in the neighbourhood had procured a second farm and wanted a field of moss to it so he coveted the field and bribed the agent to give it to him. It was approaching the harvest and some of the owner’s hens were going into the field of corn as it was near the house. So the grabber went into the house and told the woman of the house to keep the fowl out of the corn. The woman—not knowing of the base transaction, said ‘‘Sure the hens are our own and if they eat a little of it  it’s no odds. They have to be fed anyway.” “O” said the man the corn and field both belong to me now. You may have sown it but it will be me cutting it.” So he had the field ever after. There were dozens of instances like that on the Kinawley estate, and of course on every other estate in the country. Even tenants, who did not want favours, had to be always bribing and tipping the agents and bailiff. A bailiff on an estate nearer Enniskillen expected a tip of £1 every time he visited a any tenants house. He was such a grand fellow of course that the tip could not be handed into his hand, but he used to leave his hat on the table and woe to the poor tenant if the bailiff did not find a pound note under the hat when leaving. It did not matter if the poor tenant’s family went to bed supperless that night and many a night after.

The landlord of the Kinawley estate lived in Dublin. He was a counsellor in the years around ‘Black 47’. He never came near the estate and left the management of it to the agent. In many cases the agent  used to refuse the rent from the tenants, as he wanted an excuse to put them out and give the land to favourites. In these cases the tenants had to walk the 100 miles to Dublin, where the landlord was always decent enough to take the rent from them and give them a receipt for it. Dozens of the tenants here had to walk to Dublin like this, including my two grandfathers, on both father and mothers’ side of the family. A woman named Maguire—a widow with a family of small children, had a small farm of 3 cow’s place. The agent refused the rent and the poor woman had to start and walk to Dublin in the depth of winter without either shoe or stocking, barefoot and barelegged.

She wore a homemade coarse linen skirt and on the journey the coarse cloth cut her legs in a hundred places. While waiting on the landlord’s doorstep in the city the blood flowed from her feet and legs till it lay in pools on the street. At last the landlord came to the door took the rent from her, gave her a receipt and gave her a shilling for charity sake and then she had to walk the 100 miles home again. On this same estate the men of four townlands had reclaimed a bog of about 20 acres and each had a field of it for crop ground. The agent decided to talk it all from them and gave it all to a group of favourites. The agent lived near Enniskillen and was to come out on a certain day to take the land from them. A young man who had a gun volunteered to shoot the agent in the bog when he would come out. He said to the men “Collect my passage money for America and leave a new suit of clothes for me in a certain spot over there on Clonturkle Rock so that I can escape when I do the job. But although he lay hid the whole day in the bog with his gun, the agent never came as he got the whisper that there was a bullet waiting for him. He never came near that place for years after and the people concerned have their moss plots there ever since. The place is known is Carrameen Moss.

The bad wet season of l879 is still remembered by many of the old people in this part of the country. All the low-lying lands of Fermanagh were lying under water the whole Summer and Autumn as the “back water” from Lough Erne came up in places two or three miles from the lough. At two places on the road from Enniskillen to Derrylin a large ferry boats had to be used the whole Summer and Autumn to take people and vehicles across the water which lay 6 ft. deep on the road. All crops in the country were a complete failure and the greater part of the hay rotted as it never was got cut so that the cattle died. Not a single clod of turf got dried for the fire that year. Only for Charles Stewart Parnell, leader of the Irish people at the time the plight of many of the country people would have been as bad as ‘Black 47.’ Somehow or other, he wrung relief from the British Government and meal was given out to destitute people and bread given to the children in schools. In Kinawley parish alone 300 300 families had to get relief. 1882 was very little better, rain and floods all the summer; blight and failure of crops. In most cases no rents could be paid in bad years and the arrears were added up by the landlords till they rose to gigantic figures, which the poor tenants could no more pay than they could pay the National Debt.  I know of one farm in my own part of the country where the arrears of rent amounted to £140 and of course the result was an eviction. And evictions were the order of the day during the 80’s. Those were the days of the Land League fight, and later I will devote an article or two to the Land League in Fermanagh and give ballads describing it.

It took the country people 30 years to recover from the effects of the two bad seasons I have mentioned in Fermanagh.

1942 Fermanagh Herald.

.JANUARY 14, 1942. LARCENY CHARGE AT CASTLEDERG. ‘BOUGHT CYCLE FROM FERMANAGH MAN” Before Mr. J. O. H. Long, R.M., at Castlederg Court, two youths, James Hegarty and William John Hegarty, Cormacoll, Drumquin, brothers, pleaded not guilty to the larceny of a cycle, value £4. They were not professionally represented. Thomas Lynch gave evidence that on Sunday, 7th Sept. he left his bicycle outside Castlederg Chapel and when he came out it was gone. On 28th Sept. he observed a cycle outside a house in Scraghey and on examination. identified it as his although the handle grips and oil bath had been removed. James Hegarty claimed the cycle and said he had bought it from his brother William John. Witness reported the matter to the police. Sergt. Blackstock said James Hegarty came to the barracks and said he bought the cycle from his brother for £2.15s.  William John said he bought the bicycle from a Fermanagh man for £3. He described the Fermanagh man but the police could not trace him. Mr. Long at this stage dismissed the case against James. William John Hegarty gave evidence that he met the Fermanagh man on the road and he offered to sell the cycle, but witness had no money at the time, and they arranged to meet at Castlederg later on. He did so and paid 30s and got possession of the cycle; he met him later by appointment and paid a further £2, getting 7s 6d as a lucks penny on condition that witness would give back the oil bath and witness agreed. The Fermanagh man appeared to have plenty of money. Cross-examined by the District-Inspector, witness said the Fermanagh man would turn his back to people who were passing them when they were negotiating the sale. He had not seen the man since he bought the cycle. Mr. Long said there was a doubt in the case and he would dismiss it, but he made an order that the cycle be returned to Thomas Lynch.

JANUARY 14, 1942. NEWTOWNBUTLER FIRE. BUSINESS PREMISES SERIOUSLY DAMAGED. Serious damage was caused by a fire which broke out during the blackout hours in the grocery and drapery premises of Mr. John J. O’Donnell, Main Street, Newtownbutler. The outbreak occurred on Saturday morning. The alarm was given by the proprietor, Mr. O’Donnell, who was awakened by the crackling of burning timber. He ran to his sister’s bedroom and carried her through the flames to the Main Street. R.U.C. and military assisted civilians to fight the outbreak but by the time they arrived the fire had a strong hold and the flames were extending to the adjoining shop. Water was carried by civilians from the two town pumps in buckets, tubs and creamery cans. When it was seen that it was impossible to try and confine it. Mr. Joseph McNamee and his four sons climbed to the roof of an adjoining shop and broke down the roof, portion of which fell on Mr. McNamee, who was rescued by his son, Marcus. The Enniskillen fire brigade was  summoned but when it arrived on the scene the local residents had the fire under control. Mr. O’Donnell’s premises included a private house as well as a large store, all of which were burned to the ground.

JANUARY 14, 1942. G.N.R. OFFICIAL DEAD. NATIVE OF MAGUIRESBRIDGE. The death has taken place at a Belfast nursing home of Mr. W. A. F. Graham, aged 46, deputy traffic manager of the Great Northern Railway Co. He was a native of Maguiresbridge, Co. Fermanagh, and was educated at Enniskillen Model School, and entered the railway service 29 years ago. He is survived by his wife and. one child.

January 7th 1942. A FERMANAGH DONKEY. AMUSING COURT EVIDENCE. An unusual claim in respect of alleged breach of warranty in the sale of a donkey came before Deputy Judge Ellison, K. C at Newtownbutler Quarter Sessions in Enniskillen. Plaintiff was John Cassidy, of Cullintagh, and he claimed £4 10s damages for the alleged breach from Morton. Greaves, of Knockdooris, Derrylin, who sold him the animal for £2 10s on the 16th September, 1941.Mr. Cooper, solicitor for plaintiff, said the case was an unusual one. The animal was warranted sound and able to pull a 15 cwts. load. The animal was big but not too well looking. On being brought home the animal’s condition became worse and it died. Plaintiff in evidence said defendant asked him to buy the ass in the fair of Ballyconnell, but he did not like to buy it as it was imported. However, the deal was made and the animal was left for him at Blake’s of Derrylin. Defendant said the animal could draw 15 cwts anywhere, and was the best ass in County Fermanagh. (Laughter). He also told plaintiff that when trotting along the road the feet of the ass made a noise like a pony (laughter), and that it had mowed with a pony. The beast was brought home by plaintiff  but it died on 15th October. On the way home it was dragging its feet. Mr. Cooper – It looked like a lady doing one of these new dances. (Laughter). Plaintiff added that the ass had lumps on its backbone, and was, “jinked.” It also walked sideways. (Laughter). Mr. Ferguson (for defendant) —What did you think you were buying, a horse or a donkey?—-A donkey. I am not that far gone yet that I would not know a donkey. (Laughter). Did you ever see a donkey ploughing? –No, but he told me this one ploughed. Don’t you deal in donkeys?—No, but when I get an order I buy one. Didn’t you inspect this donkey? —No, I did not. I was in a hurry for the bus. (Laughter) Didn’t you run it up and down the fair green in Ballyconnell?—No, I took his word for it. You would think it was a thousand-pound horse he was selling. I could not keep him from warranting it. (Laughter). He told me it was the best in the world and was worth £20. This was .a stallion donkey ?—Yes. Did you find it on its back in a drain? —No. Have you got a girl in your house?— She’s not a girl3 she’s a woman. (Laughter) I will not differ with you about the age, but you have a. girl?—I have a housekeeper, if you want to know my business. (Laughter). I don’t want to know your business any more than necessary, but did it take you, the girl and your nephew to pull it out of the drain? There is not a word about it. Fred Hart, M.R.C.V.S. said he examined the carcass of the animal on 15th October and found that it had suffered ailments of the liver, heart and spine. The animal was about 10 years of age and the ailment of the spine was of five or six months standing. To Mr., Ferguson witness said the spinal trouble would be apparent to any one buying the animal. Mr. Cooper–What did it die of?— Witness— it was dead when I saw it. Laughter.). Apparently it lay down as a result of this spinal trouble and ‘konked out.’ (Laughter). To the Judge witness said his opinion was that the animal could not have pulled a load of 15 cwts.

In the witness box, defendant said he had the donkey in his possession for nine months, and the bargain was made with plaintiff in Ballyconnell fair in September. Plaintiff ‘vetted’ the animal in the fair and defendant told him it could pull a good load. No warranty was given, and the bargain was made by a man called Fitch. The first complaint he got about the animal was in the form of a note given to him in Derrylin fair in October, the note demanding defendant to take it back. Cross-examined by Mr. Cooper, defendant said the animal brought a load of 14 or 15 cwts. For him at times. There was no talk of mowing. Mr. Cooper I notice this ass was smuggled twice as a matter of fact. (Laughter). Defendant. Yes. Mr. Cooper. Well we are not going to say anything about that. (Laughter). You bought another ass? Yes. What age was it? It was a wee foal. Mr. Cooper. To plaintiff – What age was it? Plaintiff. It was an oul ass. (Laughter). What did he pay for him? – 18 shillings. Mr. Cooper. What do you intend to sell him for? Defendant – I don’t intend to sell him. (To the Judge)—-I didn’t notice anything wrong in the way the ass walked to Ballyconnell fair. Foster Greaves, son of the defendant, said the ass in question was a strong one, and had always been kept in the house or tied when let out while in defendants possession.

Thomas Fitch gave evidence of the making of the bargain and said plaintiff had been inspecting the donkey all morning. Mr. McEntee of Clones, “the biggest horse-dealer in the world” (Laughter)—was giving £20 for him not so long ago. Witness did not see anything wrong with the donkey when it was running up and down. It was represented that it could draw a load of 15 cwt., but no warranty was given. Mr. Ferguson questioned witness as to whether the offer of £20 was of recent date or not. Witness—Not so long ago, it was wartime. Mr. Cooper — During this war? I think it was the last one. (Laughter). But we have been told it was ten years old? —bout ten or twelve years. How could it have lived in the last war? I suppose it was the last. (Laughter). .It must have been this war?—No. You said it was not so long ago?—Mr. McEntee could have been here if he had been summoned. If it was not so long ago  when was it. I could not tell; I have not a good memory. Was it a year ago? It was more than a year. Was it more than two years?—It may be four or five. The man who owned him said he did not want him any more for the children. Mr. McEntee wanted him as a sire. It was represented he could pull 15 cwts.?— He could run like mad. He could leap over me or Cassidy either. (Laughter). His Honour held there was a breach, of warranty and allowed a decree for £3 with 15/- costs and expenses.

BALLYGAWLEY—Country butter Is 3d to Is 6d per lb.; potatoes 8d – to l0d per stone; fowl; chickens; 5s to 6s, hens 3s to 3s 6d, ducks 3s 9d to 4s 3d—each; slip pigs 75s to-85s, suckers 50 to- 60s— .each.

February 14th 1942. PETTICO COURT CASES. At Pettigo District Court on Tuesday of last week, before Mr. Justice O’Hanrahan, Guard Gallivan summoned Gerald McMenamin, Minchifin for using an unlighted cycle. Fined 5s.

Supt. Noonan charged Michael McGee, Carntressy, with cutting and carrying away eighteen young trees from a cut away plantation at Carntressy on the lands of William Monaghan. Guard James Ryan proved tracing the trees to McGee’s residence. Mr. Monaghan, the owner, refused to prosecute and pleaded for leniency for defendant. A fine of 10s was imposed.

Guard, Gallivan summoned Adam Eves, Gortnessy, for using an unlighted cycle. Fined 6s.

Guard Treanor summoned J. Fitzpatrick, tractor driver, for driving without licence and no rear light. The Justice fined defendant 10s.

February 14th 1942. BROOKEBORO’ COURT CASES. At Brookeboro’ Petty Sessions, before Major Dickie, R.M., Thos. Clarke, Little Mount, was charged with slaughtering a pig without a licence on 2nd January. D.I. Smith prosecuted, and Mr. Stewart, the Ministry’s Inspector gave evidence of visiting Clark’s house, and Clarke admitted having slaughtered the pig, and at that time there were only l0 lbs. of pork left in the house. Clarke pleaded that he killed the animal in November last, as he had a large number of men working, and wanted the pork to feed them.

His Worship, remarking that it was the worst case he had known, fined defendant 40/-.

CYCLISTS’ DIFFICULTIES. His Worship, when dealing with, a number of cases where cyclists, charged with no rear lights, gave the excuse that they could not get batteries, and he would like to make it known that cyclists should have a clear patch of white paint as a background to a reflector when they could not get batteries.

 

February 14th 1942. FERMANAGH CLAIM FAILS. ACTION AGAINST BELCOO TEACHER. BOY WHO LOST EYE. A denial that he had dictated a story to the pupils as to what they should say when asked about an accident was made by the principal teacher, the defendant in an action for damages, the hearing of which was resumed in the Belfast King’s Bench Division on Wednesday of last week before the Lord Chief Justice. Mr. James Ferguson, P.E.T., of Belcoo, was alleged to have been negligent by not exercising proper supervision over the pupils on March, 25, 1959, when one of the boys, Patrick Anthony Leonard, aged 13 years, of Creenahoe, Belcoo, lost his right eve. The plaintiff’s case was that while playing on the road during the luncheon interval he was struck by a stone and he sought damages against the master for negligence. Mr: C. L. Sheil (instructed by Messrs. Cooper and Cooper) was for plaintiff, Mr. J. D. Chambers, K.C., and Mr. J. Agnew (instructed by Messrs. Maguire and Herbert) represented the defendant. The defendant said it was customary for the boys to play on the road on which they had played in his predecessor’s time. Answering his Lordship, the witness agreed that he had no personal knowledge of that. Mr. Ferguson added that he had instructed the boys not to play on the road on Blacklion or Belcoo fair days and the days, immediately following. He had warned the children not to go on the road on the day of the accident as the previous day was Blacklion fair day. He said he was quite unaware that there were pupils playing on the road. In order to get a clear story of what happened he had asked the boys to write a letter stating what had occurred, but there was nothing in the nature of dictation.

In reply to Mr. Sheil, the defendant agreed that the road was the best, playground they had, as there was an open sewer in the yard. There had been a dancing class in the school during the lunch hour. Mr; Sheil commented that a girl pupil who had not been on the road had written in her exercise, book— “No one knows whether it was a ball or a stone that hit him,”

“Did that child imagine that story,” asked Counsel, to which the defendant replied that the girl heard the inquiry going on, and could think for herself and form her own conclusions. It was a description of what the girl had heard from other children. That pupil was only writing an essay. The witness mentioned that he had never seen children in Belcoo School throwing stones.         He agreed with Mr. Sheil that the Ministry of Education were apprehensive about children playing on the road, and that in a circular he had produced it was shown that between January and December, 1939, some 569 accidents to children at school had happened in Northern Ireland, and of that number 575 were due to the presence of the children on roads. He reiterated that he had taken all the care possible. Mrs. Annie McCabe, the first assistant in the school, and a number of pupils also gave evidence. The lord Chief Justice held that the supervision exercised was not unreasonable, saying that the accident was caused by a fellow-pupil who was acting playfully. Having detailed his findings as to fact, his Lordship entered judgment for the defendant, with costs.

February 14th 1942. £15 FINE AFFIRMED. KESH FARMER’S FAILURE TO PLOUGH

John. Spence, Bannaghbeg, Clonelly, Kesh, appealed to Deputy Judge Ellison, K.C., at Enniskillen Quarter Sessions on Friday against a fine of £15 and costs imposed on him at Kesh Betty Sessions for having, as alleged, failed to obey a direction of the Ministry of Agriculture to plough five acres. Mr. Aiden Herbert, solicitor, represented the appellant and Mr. J. Cooper was for the Ministry.

Opening the case Mr. Cooper said it was a somewhat peculiar case. The farm in question was almost twenty-five acres in extent. Appellant was visited by a couple of inspectors from the Ministry to whom he spoke of the difficulty of getting tractors to do the ploughing. To another inspector he said the land was not fit for ploughing. That official took him over the lands and, using a spade, pointed out to him that the soil was suitable for cultivation. He should have ploughed five acres but only cultivated a plot for potatoes and at the Petty Sessions a fine of £15 was imposed. At that Court appellant denied ownership of the farm and told the R.M. it was the property of his sister who lived in Co. Donegal for whom he acted as manager. Under the regulations, an occupier meant a person rated or liable to be rated to the poor rate in respect of the holding or who would be so rated or liable to be rated for the provisions of the Local Government (Rating and Finance) Act (N.I.), 1929, that was the Derating Act and included in relation to any holding, the occupier of which was absent from Northern Ireland, any agent or other person entrusted with the management of the land on his behalf. On appellant’s own statement that he managed the farm for his sister and that he was the herd he was convicted. Since then he (Mr. Cooper] had made a search and found that appellant was the person actually rated for the land (certificate produced). Mr. Herbert intimated that the defence was that the land was not arable.

Samuel Jordan, Ministry’s Inspector, said fifteen acres of the farm were arable. When defendant said the land was not arable witness got a spade, and showed him in the field he said was most suitable that there were four or five inches of soil.

Cross-examined by Mr. Herbert, witness agreed that generally Clonelly was not an ideal district for tillage. He did not test the area he said was arable as there was no question raised by appellant at the time. Furrows in the fields showed that cultivation had been carried out previously.

  1. S. Flack, area officer, swore he visited the farm on 7th March and 26th May. Appellant complained of the difficulty of getting tractors to do work. There were about fifteen acres arable. He agreed that in general Fermanagh farmers were not very fond of ploughing. Appellant had taken out a crop of flax in 1940. In the witness box appellant swore that he was reared on this farm, owned by his sister, and never at any time had there been more than six or seven acres cultivated. In 1940 he got Samuel Mills to work the tractor plough on his land but owing to the rocky nature of the field he was unable to do the work. The soil was only two to four inches deep whereas one needed seven inches of soil to do successful work with the tractor. Appellant also got a man with horses and plough but his ploughman was no more successful than Mills. Mr. Cooper—I suggest you are what is known as a lazy farmer?

Appellant—I have had to work hard all my life.

Samuel Mills gave evidence of his unsuccessful effort to work the tractor plough on appellant’s land. On an adjoining farm he broke eight socks in the ploughing of three acres.

To Mr. Cooper—I believe with a different type of tractor yon could plough this land.

James Allen said he started to plough with a chill plough and gave it up as there was a danger of getting killed. He refused to do any more work on the farm. His Honour affirmed the lower court conviction and fine.

FEBRUARY 14, 1942. £120 REWARD FOR DOMESTIC SERVANT. SEVERE BURNS SUSTAINED. A domestic servant who received severe burns while working at eggs in the kitchen of her employer’s house; her clothing catching fire. and causing severe burns to face, right arm, shoulder and body, appeared before Deputy Judge Ellison, K.C., at Enniskillen Quarter Sessions last week in connection with the recording of an agreement whereby the applicant .had agreed to accept £50 compensation, together with the sum of £10 costs, and £3 11s 0d medical expenses.

The applicant was Margaret Muldoon, Drumcullion, Dernacrieve, Co. Cavan, and the respondent Patrick Rooney, Sessiagh East, Inishmore, Lisbellaw. The matter had been referred to his Honour to see if the compensation was adequate or not. Mr. J; P. Black (for applicant) told his Honour that applicant was employed by respondent as domestic servant, and on the 10th March, 1941, at her employer’s residence she received serious burns.

Mr. R. A. Herbert, LL.B. (for respondent)—Not arising out of her work, according, to my instructions.

Proceeding, Mr. Black said that applicant was detained in Fermanagh County Hospital for a period of about, 4 weeks, and subsequently the agreement was arrived at as set out in the opening paragraph. Applicant gave evidence in the witness box. She said that respondent was in comfortable circumstances. Applicant had been living with a married sister since the accident had occurred, and had no means in the world at all.

Mr. Herbert—I am afraid it is more than a question of means. The doctor, he added, said that the only limitation she had was limitation of her arm on account of skin grafting. Her beauty might be injured, but beauty was not the subject of the Workmen’s Compensation Act.

Mr. Horace T. Fleming, surgeon in Fermanagh County Hospital, described the extent of applicant’s burns when she was admitted to hospital. He had again examined her that day and she was totally incapacitated for work.

In reply to Mr. Herbert, witness said that he did not think applicant could do the ordinary work of a house servant.

Mr. Herbert made an offer of £75 in settlement.        . .

Mr. Black said that applicant had agreed to accept £100. He thought she was meeting respondent very fairly in accepting £100.

His Honour—I am not inclined to sanction a settlement of £75.

His Honour made an award of £120, with £10 costs and £3 3s 0d medical expenses.

 

February 14th 1942. EVIDENCE AT INQUEST. The tragic death of a Kinawley school boy was investigated by Mr. James Mulligan, coroner; and a jury, at an inquest on 6th inst., on William John Thompson (7), Derryvran, Thompson’s Bridge, Kinawley, who was killed instantaneously the previous day by a motor lorry.

Head-Constable Thornton represented the police authorities, and Mr. R. A. Herbert, LL.B. (Messrs. Maguire and Herbert) the driver of the lorry. James Molloy, a conductor on the bus, said the boy was travelling from Stragowna School to his home and got off at Thompson’s Bridge Post Office. Witness was helping other children off the bus; he heard the lorry go past and after a few momenta looked up to see that the accident had occurred. Bernard McGovern, Gortgesh, said he was standing on the roadside and saw the boy go forward from the bus and cross the load end collide with the lorry. He had seen the lorry pass the bus and it swerved as it met the boy, who, however, hit against the left front off side and fell, the wheel going over him. Dr. S. McQuaid, Derrylin, said the boy suffered from multiple injuries to the head and neck. Sergt. Devine gave evidence of measurements.

The lorry driver, Patrick Corrigan, Clonatrig, said he was driving from Derrylin—in the same direction as the bus was headed and the boy was walking— and saw the bus by the roadside at the Post Office. He was driving slowly and passed the bus. He saw no traffic on the road. When he had the engine of the lorry past the front of the bus he suddenly saw the boy a few feet in front of him, crossing the road. He applied his brakes and tried to avoid the boy, but after he got the front of the lorry past him he heard a noise and knew the boy was hit. He stopped and got out and found the rear wheel had passed over the boy’s head. There was four or five tons of sand on the lorry. A verdict was returned that death was caused by injuries received when the boy was knocked down and crushed by the lorry, loaded with sand, and that the accident was unavoidable. The funeral to the Protestant Cemetery, Derrylin, on Saturday, was very large and representative of all creeds and classes.

February 14th 1942. EDERNEY FARMER’S APPEAL CATTLE SEIZURE ECHO.

The seizure of seven cattle belonging to a young Ederney farmer and dealer, and the subsequent forfeiture of five of the animals, had a sequel at Enniskillen Quarter Sessions on Thursday, when David Jones, Crimlin, Ederney, from whom the animals were seized, appealed against their forfeiture of the five animals. Mr. G. Murnaghan appeared for the appellant and Mr. J. Cooper for the respondent authorities. Head Constable Conlin, Kesh, said the cattle were seized on 1st Sept. last on suspicion of being smuggled. Jones’ statement was that two black polly heifers were bought from John Kane, Kilgarry, and three from William Lunny, same place, on 35th June, 1940. Subsequently, Lunny and Kane stated the cattle were sold a year previously. Mr. Murnaghan said the whole thing was the result of a slip in regard to the date of the sale on the part of Lunny, who said 1939 instead of 1940. Kane, when questioned, said he could not remember the date but it was the same date as Lunny’s sale.

Five, witnesses having given evidence for the appellants, and Head-Constable Conlin (recalled) and Mr. J. McMenamy, veterinary surgeon, of the Ministry of Agriculture, for the respondents, Deputy Judge Ellison, G.C., dismissed the appeal.

FERMANAGH HERALD. SAT., NOV. 9, JOTTINGS

  1. FERMANAGH HERALD. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 9, JOTTINGS

THE FATHER O’FLANAGAN FUND. THE hosts of admirers of the Rev. Father Michael O’Flanagan, not only in North Roscommon but throughout the whole, of Ireland, are anxious to inaugurate a Fund to mark in some small degree the feelings they entertain for his fearless work in Ireland’s Cause. With this object in View they respectfully solicit subscriptions, which will be duly acknowledged in the columns of the Press from time to time. Subscriptions can be sent to the Treasurers of the Fund in Crossna, namely Mr. Edward Doyle, Chairman of Boyle No. 1 .Council, Crossna (Co. Roscommon) and Mr. Patrick Kerins, Knockvicar, Boyle.

SHAUN MCDERMOTT’S. F. C. STOP-WATCH COMPETITION, 2 minutes to 10. At Arney Gaelic Hall, Sunday Evening, 3rd THE WINNER: MISS BONNIE WARD, CO. MONAGHAN.

ENNISKILLEN TECHNICAL SCHOOL, (TOWN HALL). IRISH FOR NATIONAL TEACHERS. THIS Class will reopen on SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 16, at 1.15 p.m. JOHN W. MANSFIELD, Principal.

DEATH. KELLY- October 30, 1918, at St. Vincent’s Hospital, Dublin, Anna Teresa, third daughter of William and Susan Kelly, The Hotel, Belcoo. Age, 22 years. R. I. P. At a rehearsal of the Blacklion Dramatic Club a resolution was passed in silence on the motion of Miss M. Maguire, seconded by Miss A. Dolan tendering the sincere sympathy of the members to Mr. and Mrs Kelly, Belcoo on the loss sustained by them in the death of their beloved daughter Miss Anna Kelly, and as a mark of respect to the memory of the deceased all the rehearsals for the week were adjourned.

John Small, C. C. Belturbet, for cutting the tyres of bicycles belonging to P. Callaghan, Knockaraven, Co., Fermanagh, and Jas McDonald, Milltown on the night of the East Cavan election result was traduced for £3 and £8 in the respective cases at the Cavan Quarter Sessions. Defendant, who did not appear, was with the Sinn Fein crowd said the plaintiff Callaghan.

Manorhamilton Electric Light Co. has increased the charge for light from 6d to 9d per unit.

At the meeting of workers in Enniskillen on Saturday week a resolution was passed urging shop assistants to join the National Union.

The licensed vintners of Enniskillen are taking steps to have the hours of closing in the afternoon altered, especially on fair and market days.

Mr. W, J. Brown, J.P., presided at a meeting of the Enniskillen Rural Council on Tuesday. The business was purely routine.

At the meeting of Enniskillen Board of Guardians on Tuesday, Mr. W. J. Brown, J.P., said that vaccination was a humbug and fraud.

The medical officer of Lisnaskea Guardians reported that six cases of influenza, three of them exhibiting serious pulmonary complications, were admitted to hospital daring the last week. (The ‘Spanish Flu’ which killed about 50 million people around the world at this time including populations in the Pacific Islands including my grandmother at the age of 28.)

The Earl of Belmore, Mr, J. Crosier, J.P., and Mr. J. P. Gillin, Fermanagh County Council, have been surcharged in £50 expended in connection with Fox’s Ferry, Upper Lough Erne. An appeal has been lodged against the surcharge.

Several new members have joined the Derrygonnelly branch of the National Amalgamated Union of Labour, and it is stated that labour candidates will go forward at the next local government elections.

In the course of his quarterly Report to the Fermanagh County Council, Mr. J. P. Burkitt, county surveyor, paid a tribute to the work of Mr. Finnegan, assistant county surveyor, who, he said, carried out his duties in an admirable manner.

A special meeting of the Enniskillen Urban Council will be held on Friday night to co-opt a member and to consider an application from the National Amalgamated Union of Labour asking for an increase for the employees who were members of the Union.

The “flu” is fairly prevalent in Enniskillen and district, but there are signs that the epidemic is abating. Several schools have been closed including Portora Royal School, where a number of the students contracted the disease.

At Enniskillen Quarter, Sessions C.E.R.A. Irvine, solicitor, sued W. J. Browne, J.P., auctioneer, Kinawley, to recover £17 for-costs incurred on defendant’s behalf. Mr. Irvine appeared in person and Mr. Clarke (Messrs. Clarke and Gordon) for the defendant. The case was dismissed,

MR, ARCHDALE, M, P. AND LABOURERS’ UNION. At the quarterly meeting of the Fermanagh Co. Council on Thursday, Mr. John McHugh (Pettigo) presiding, a letter was read from Mr. M. Donnelly, Derry, National Amalgamated Union of Labour, applying for an increase of wages on behalf of the members of the Union who were in the Council’s employment as surfacemen, attendants to steamrollers and other works in connection with road maintenance.

Mr. Archdale, M.P. — I think the National Amalgamated Union of Labour is going to destroy the labourers of this country. It will upset them and put them out of work. It is of no help to the labourers. Lord Belmore — What are their present wages?

The Co, Surveyor said that the drivers were paid £2 or 35s: the attendants, 24s; surfacemen from £l to 25s. He believed that none of the men should be paid any less than 22s 6d per week. Mr. Archdale —  None of them are paid less than that fixed by the Wages Board?

Co. Surveyor — I don’t think so. We have very few men who are constantly employed. The application was referred to the Roads and Quarries Committee.

ENNISKILLEN MILLING SOCIETY. The Committee of the Enniskillen Milling Society had under consideration at their last meeting, the question of erecting a new patent kiln in their new mill. It appears that a Belfast firm have arranged to make kilns of the new pattern known as “air drying which dries the grain before milling at the rate of about one ton per hour without any labour whatsoever, thereby saving the very expensive operation of turning the dried grain as it had to be done on the old kiln heads. It was decided to have this new invention established in their new mill.

DECEMBER 21, 1918. ENNISKILLEN WORKHOUSE ‘BURIALS.

DIGGING THE GRAVES. Assistant Clerk’s Report.

At the meeting of the Enniskillen, Guardians on Tuesday, Mr. Edmund Corrigan, vice-chairman, presiding, Mr. Joseph Ross, assistant clerk reported:—“Owing to the illness of the Master and Matron and the inmates who usually assist at burials, being laid up with influenza, I asked Mr. James Harvey to allow a couple of his men to open the, graves for two inmates in the Workhouse Cemetery on Friday last, who died three days previously, but these men were stopped at the work by Felix Cleary (who is at present under suspension), who went up to them. Two others (who are in the employment of Mr. Rutherford) were, got to bury one of the bodies, and the remains of the other man were buried in the new cemetery by Mr. Millar, who kindly undertook to nave a grave ready after a few hours’ notice. In connection with the above I paid a sum of 10s for having the work carried out, which I would ask the Board to refund me under the circumstances.”

Mr. Carson said it was very kind, of Mr. Ross, and it was a most blackguardly and disgraceful act of Cleary. Mr. W. Elliott (Greentown) said the Board must be in a powerful fix if they would tolerate such work. Mr. Ben Maguire suggested that they should consult their solicitor with the object of having proceedings taken. Mr. Cathcart said he had never thought before that the country around Enniskillen had gone to such a pitch.

The Chairman said there was no member of the Board or no man outside the Board who believed more than he did in the principle of a man being paid a living wage, but when it came to this — to try and leave corpses unburied — it was going too far for him. Mr. B. Maguire proposed that their solicitor be consulted with the view of having proceedings taken against Cleary. Mr. Cathcart thought the matter should be reported to the police authorities. Mr. Ross said a police sergeant was sent round with the coffin to the burial ground lest the men would be interfered with. No further action was taken in the matter.

1950 May to August.

6-5-1950. Advertisement – For Springtime – Rabbit dishes. Delicately appetising for warmer days, rabbit is really nourishing too. Easy to get now, inexpensive, and one rabbit gives big helpings for four to six people. Here is an easy to do suggestion. Rabbit stew: With a little bacon, a touch of onion, seasoning to taste, and cooked, dried or canned peas added before serving.

6-5-1950. Advertisement. Have you got your new Ration Book? Some people haven’t got their new Ration Books yet! Are you one of these? If so don’t leave it any longer. Get your new book right away please – you will need it from 21st May.

6-5-1950. Devenish girl, Miss Bridget Agnes Feely of Glen West, Garrison, receives the holy habit at Franciscan Hope Castle, Castleblayney, County Monaghan. Her sister is a member of the Little Sisters of the Poor in France.

6-5-1950. Widespread sympathy has been evoked in Dromore, County Tyrone and Mulleek, County Fermanagh by the sudden demise due to a railway accident at an early age of Patrick O’Connor, Garvary, Leggs, County Fermanagh. He was secretary and playing member of Mulleek and a member of the Mulleek branch of the Anti-Partition League. His loss to the community is a great one but greatest of all to his sorrowing mother, brothers and sister.

13-5-1950.  Cashel and Ederney draw. Ederney travelled to Cashel on Sunday last to fulfil their Junior League fixture. This was Ederney’s first appearance in Fermanagh fixtures from 1947. Considering that this is practically a new look team Ederney gave a grand display to hold Cashel to a draw. The final score was Cashel 3-3, Ederney 2-6. The scorers for Cashel were Tracey, Leonard, Gallagher and Mc Laughlin and for Ederney, Monaghan, Mc Hugh, Murphy, Maguire and Lunny.

13-5-1950. Fermanagh Woman’s tragic fate at Bundoran. Inquest verdict of accidental death. The body of Mrs Ellen Hennessy sister of Charles Reilly of Drumbinnis, Kinawley was found on the rocks of Rogey, Bundoran.

13-5-1950. Harnessing the Erne for Hydro-Electrification. Dublin and Belfast agree on joint plan to drain Lough Erne Area. The total cost of both schemes will be £1,090,000 of which the government of the Republic will pay £750,000 and the Six Counties £350,000. The river will be deepened from Roscor to Belleek where a new bridge will be built. The new river channel will have a capacity of 660,000 cubic feet per minute. The prospect of hydro-electrification of Donegal are now very bright. This may mean that not a single area in the scattered county will be omitted from the benefits of rural electrification.

20-5-1950. The change over from hand passing to boxing the ball has caused some players a lot of difficulty. At one match on the first Sunday in May, it was amusing to watch the despairing gestures of one player who realised that little bit too late that flicked passes were banned. He was not so resourceful as his colleague who erred against the new rule, but carried on as if everything were normal and scored a goal. He was lucky the referee (who shall be nameless) had forgotten also.

20-5-1950. Until recently only one Fermanagh referee has been entrusted with a whistle outside the county, Jimmy Kelly, Farnamullan, Lisbellaw. Lately Ederney’s popular Johnny Monaghan’s worth has been recognised and his name is down several times in this year’s inter-county fixture list.

27-5-1950. Green is definitely first choice with Fermanagh teams when choosing jerseys. All four teams in Division A of the Junior League favoured the National colour, Cashel’s jersey having a white stripe added, while Derrygonnelly, Ederney and Devenish sported green and orange. The similarity of the jerseys caused great confusion in all the matches in this division. Derrygonnelly have now secured a new outfit which, as far as it can be ascertained will clash with no other club’s colours.

10-6-1950. Fatal Ballyshannon Shooting Accident. Seamus Gordon, a 25 year old fitter’s helper of the Abbey, Ballyshannon was the victim of a tragic shooting affair when the rifle he was carrying on a fox hunting expedition went off, apparently as he was crossing a stone ditch and the bullet entered his head.

1-7-1950. Early on Sunday morning the Russian sponsored North Korean Government invaded South Korea following a declaration of war. On Tuesday President Truman ordered US air and naval forces into action into Korea and instructed the Seventh Fleet to prevent any attack on Formosa.

8-7-1950. Belleek Young Emmetts per Mr. T. Campbell have subscribed £35 to the County Minor Training. Contingents of players arrived in Irvinestown on Monday and Tuesday to begin training under the famous Cavan footballer, Tony Tighe. On Monday night the boys were provided with a cinema entertainment in Irvinestown.

1-7-1950. Fermanagh Minors for the next round of the Championship defeating Tyrone by 1-1 to 3 points. Throne had appealed the match on the grounds that Billy Charlton of Fermanagh had taken a penalty which struck the crossbar and he had collected the rebound and scored a goal. Tyrone appealed to the Ulster Council and quoted the rule that another player had to touch the ball before the taker could play it again. The appeal was turned down. This was the only part of the meeting conducted in English the rest being in Irish.

15-7-1950. Cashel Annual Sports held were attended by almost 1,000 people. In the match between Cashelnadrea and Kiltyclogher the ball was thrown in by the newly ordained Fr. Sean McKeaney, OMI.

15-7-1950. Fermanagh Minors train for Ulster Minor Championship v Armagh. Under Tony Tighe, trainer and Malachy Mahon assistant the boys are going through a thorough training programme which fills their days and which is having many obviously good effects. Accommodated on 22 beds in St. Molaise Hall they have a portable wireless set and a gramophone and at their disposal two billiard tables. Rising daily at 7.30 am the boys have a cup of tea and a couple of miles walk before breakfast at 9.00. They have physical exercises, ball practice and tactics before having a light lunch at 1.30. Between then and 4.30 when they have a cup of tea they have more ball practice, tactics, and a football match between fifteen of the players and the remainder strengthened by local St. Molaise players. Finally they have after tea, physical training, long distance running and sprinting, followed by a mile walk and then before 10 o’clock to bed.

15-7-1950. Newly ordained Garrison priest at Oblate College, Piltown, County Kilkenny, Rev John J McKeaney. Son of Michael McKeaney, Scribbagh, Garrison and the late Mrs McKeaney. He has two sisters nuns.

22-7-1950. Death of Mrs Mary Quinn, Teebunion, Cashel on June 30th, 1950.

22-7-1950. Fermanagh heavily defeated by Armagh 5-5 to 4 points in the Ulster Minor Championship. Sean Gonnigle of Belleek on the team, John Maguire of Ederney and Pat Casey of Garrison.

22-7-1950. Kesh Bank cashier gets four years. Samuel H. Henderson of the Belfast Banking Company, Kesh, aged 47 married with one child pleaded guilty to stealing c £9000. He had been a faultless employee for 30 years and will lose a pension of £500 p.a. He had been asked to reduce his overdraft by the bank and turned to moneylenders to do this and then to gambling money from accounts in sums of £40 and £50 on football pools. His local stature was such that when he was bailed his bailsmen were people from whose accounts he had taken money.

29-7-1950. Armagh wins first Ulster Senior GAA title for 47 years to record their third victory. They beat Cavan.

12-8-1950. Belleek Man Sells a Rat – Mr. Bill Thornton, Belleek, who lives alone in a house with about 30 rats, sold one a few days ago to an Omagh publican for 8/6. So enamoured was the customer with his bargain that he paid a second visit to Mr. Thornton to make a second purchase, but Mr. Thornton refused to part with another of his pets. Mr. Thornton feeds the rats and looks after them as people do of more normal pets. They swarm around him at feeding time and he can fondle them and handle them without the slightest danger of being bitten.

12-8-1950. The new teams of 1950, Ederney, Cashel and Kinawley are engaged in a special competition for new teams. The trophy for this competition will be the old Championship cup which is being replaced as Senior Championship trophy for the county by the beautiful Gold Cup presented to the Fermanagh GAA by the Fermanagh Men’s Association in New York.

12-8-1950. Tommy Gallagher, Belleek, who emigrated last week, was one of the best men of the New York team that conquered Cavan recently at Croke Park and won the National League. At centre full he had the measure of O’Donoghue and Mick Higgins and completely subdued both. This played a big part in the victory.

12-8-1950. Trout fishing on Lough Melvin. Trout fishing has vastly improved on Lough Melvin as a result of the recent heavy rains and consequent flooding of rivers. Professor Marshall of Derry caught 21 trout in a few hours fishing during the weekend and had catches of 16 and 17 trout last week. Other anglers had catches of a dozen each.

 

June 1915.

Fermanagh Times June 3rd, 1915.  AN OPPORTUNITY FOR WOMEN.  There is one sphere which is particularly women’s province, and where their talents should find official recognition and employment.  Prodigious sums of money are being spent on food at the military camps throughout the kingdom, and it is said that the amount of food thrown away at these places every day exceeds even the limits of British thriftlessness.  We should like to see a committee of women formed under the auspices of the War Office, in the neighbourhood of every camp, and charged with the duty of ordering and preparing all the food eaten in it.  They would do it too far more economically and carefully than it is done at present, and the health and digestion of the troops will be all the better for it.  Daily Mail.

 

Fermanagh Times June 3rd, 1915.  LISNASKEA GUARDIANS.  FEVER HOSPITAL CROWDED.  THE CHAIRMAN AND RECRUITING.  Dr. Knox wrote and stating that the Fever Hospital was crowded with different forms of infectious diseases, so much so that the old kitchen had to be utilised for a diphtheria case.  How he asked in future will any emergency be met if the apartments for nurses were cut off the Boards?

The Chairman said his attention had been drawn that morning to a comment made by Mr. Trimble on what he said after the Board on that day fortnight.  He did not think Mr. Trimble had any right to make such a comment or to throw mud at him.  The mud, however, would not stick, but would only give him a gloss and show that he was a true Irishmen at heart.  He ( the Chairman) had said nothing to interfere with recruiting, but only that they wanted more men in Fermanagh to raise and mature their crops so that when the wings of Famine spread over the country as they surely would do, the it would be seen that the men who had laboured on the land and had gathered in the crop would be more honoured and more appreciated than those who had gone to bleed in Flanders.  They would be more appreciated by the Government and by the people, and by Mr. Trimble too, although everything Mr. Trimble did was against the Irish people.

 

Fermanagh Times June 3rd, 1915.  SUMMER TRIPS ON THE LAKE.  Notwithstanding the grim outlook of the war and the pathos of the general suffering it entails the Directors have thought it well to keep up this season also the running of the Lady of the Lake.  We must not, as a people, give way to gloom and depression.  That would ill-fit us for the desperate struggle in which we are involved.  To keep up the health is to sustain our physical vigour and a sound tone of thinking, and there is no pleasanter way of obtaining these much prized ends than by spending as many sunny days as possible in the open air sailing in and out amongst the lovely islands of Lough Erne.

The Lady of the Lake will, therefore, commence the service to Castle Caldwell, on Monday the 14th Inst…  We regret that the response of the public to the appeal made to them by the company was not too encouraging.  But probably now, when the Directors display so enterprising a spirit many of those who were disposed to hold back will change their views and send in a request for season tickets.  They are marvellously cheap.

 

Fermanagh Times June 3rd, 1915.  THE REAL CULPRITS.  The Daily Mail has been attributing a good deal of our lack of high explosives to Lord Kitchener.  Now we have a great deal of traditional admiration for that gentleman.  He is a great soldier.  As an organiser he is supposed to be unsurpassed.  We do not know whether he has taken upon himself more than he can fulfil or on what other shoulders blame should be located.  The plain, bald fact is that our men have suffered terribly and our position has been much weakened for want of a proper kind of shell for which Sir John French has been writing time and again.  Now the  Mail is a shrewd paper with ample resources of information, and if it is honestly satisfied that this dire and most calamitous shortage is the fault of Lord Kitchener it was its duty to speak out plainly and boldly.  This is no time for mealy-mouthedness.  Men and their reputations must not be considered for a moment, when the country is in danger.  We have been greatly impressed by the logic of the Mail, by the irresistible logic of all the circumstances of the situation.  In attacking Lord Kitchener the Mail knew it was assailing a popular hero, and that in these sentimental times a great deal of venom against itself would be evoked.  We do not see that it had anything to gain by adopting the course it did.  The motive and action would seem to us to be patriotic.

 

Fermanagh Times June 3rd, 1915.  DEATHS.  ELLIOTT – May 27th, at the residence of his son-in-law, Moses Maguire, Cashel, James Elliott, aged 77 years.

TYDD.  On the 24th of May, at the Rectory, Inver, Co., Donegal, Louisa Leslie Tydd, wife of the Rev. A. P. L. Tydd and eldest daughter of the Rev. W. Steel, D. D. late Headmaster of Portora Royal School.

 

Fermanagh Times June 3rd, 1915.  WANTED.  Henry Lyons & Company Ltd.  Sligo, require immediately several first class COAT MAKERS.  Society wages.  Healthy and well ventilated work rooms.  Good prospects for suitable men.

RAILWAYMEN – Steady Men wanted as Porters at Buchanan Street Goods Station, Glasgow.  Wages to start, including war bonus, 25 shillings per week.  Apply Mr. Cooper, Goods Superintendent.

WANTED an Apprentice (Protestant) to the Hardware and Grocery.  Good opening for smart youth.  Apply 3157, this office.

 

Fermanagh Times June 3rd, 1915.  LOCAL MILITARY NEWS.  The recruiting party of the 11th ( Service) Battalion Inniskilling Fusiliers under Lt.  William Knight, which has been in this district for the past fortnight concluded their tour on Saturday.  Altogether about 100 men were attested by Lt. Knight and so pleased were the authorities with the admirable work done by him and his men that they granted them five days’ leave.

Pettigo was the most responsive town visited for here Lieutenant Knight secure 24 men.  Lisbellaw came next with 15 men.  It may be mentioned that we understand that other recruiting parties visited Pettigo without success.

On Friday the party in visited the Ballyconnell.  They were most heartily entertained by a number of ladies to an excellent repast in the Courthouse.  Afterwards a meeting was conducted on the steps of the Courthouse and addresses were given by General Tennyson, Colonel Rowe, and Rev. Mr. Rogers.  Later a smoking concert was held in the Markethouse where music was supplied by the band and the local ladies.  Lieutenant Knight spoke here, but it must be regretted that a certain section of the audience was of anti-recruitment sentiments and kept up a continual interruption.  “Where are Carson’s men?”  shouted one individual.  The attitude of the interrupters was such that it is only a pity they could not be individually identified and punished.  Next morning the band played selections through the streets and the Bank Manager distributed cigarettes among the men.

Official intelligence has been received by the parents of Private James Maguire, son of Francis Maguire, Roslea Road, Clones, and Private John McCormack, son of Thomas McCormack, Analore Street, Clones, that they have been killed in action at the front.  News has also reached Clones, but as yet no official confirmation is to hand of the death in action of Private John McElroy, Clones.

Mrs. Lynch, Dame Street, Enniskillen, has been notified by the War Office that her son Private James Lynch, 4th Battalion Royal Irish Regiment was killed in action on the 11th of May.

Lieutenant Edward Crawford, 3rd Battalion Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers attached to the Royal Irish Regiment, died on the 27th of May from gas poisoning received in recent fighting in Belgium.  Lieutenant Crawford was a son of the late Mr. Robert Crawford, D. L., of Stonewold, Ballyshannon, and was educated at Portora Royal School and Cheltenham College.  He had been invalided home with frostbite before Christmas and had only recently returned to the front.

We observe the names of two members of the same Fermanagh family, the sons of Mr. Hugh Crooke, Glenwinny, Cosbystown.  One of them Sergeant William H. Crook, 1st Battalion Inniskilling Fusiliers was killed, while his brother Private Montgomery Crooke, was wounded both on the same day, the 8th of May, at the Dardanelles.  It appears that Sergeant Crooke was sent out on a “listening patrol” with a few of his section, and one of his men got hit; he went over to bandage him and in doing so got hit himself, both of them dying in a short time.  About two hours before this Private Crook had got shot through the shoulder while another bullet passed through his coat, but without touching his skin.  He is now in hospital and progressing favourably.  Sergeant Crooke had served through the South African War, while both brothers had been in India for about eight years.  The sad news of the death of one and the wounding of the other has caused deep regret throughout the Cosbystown district where their family is well known and much respected and sincere sympathy is being extended to them in their loss.

 

Fermanagh Times June 3rd, 1915.  MR. W.  R.  WHYTES’S BROTHER KILLED.  Much sympathy will be felt in Enniskillen and district with Mr. W. R. Whyte, J.P., manager of the local branch of the Scottish Co-Operative Wholesale Society, in the loss he has sustained by the death of his brother, who was killed in France on Sunday the 23rd of May. Quarter Master Sergeant Whyte was in the Argyle and Sutherland Highlanders, Infantry Brigade, 51st Division, and was transferred to France about a fortnight before he met his death.  The Germans it appears, shelled the billets behind the trenches and it was while in one of these that Quartermaster Sergeant Whyte was struck.  He died the same day.  He was only 32 years of age and unmarried.

 

Fermanagh Times June 3rd, 1915.  SERGEANT MICHAEL O’LEARY, V.  C.  READS AN ACCOUNT OF HIS OWN DEATH.  A report having been widely circulated that O’Leary, V. C. was killed, the Sergeant himself removed any doubt as to his condition.  In a letter, dated May 29th, he writes “I have seen by today’s paper is that I have been killed in action.  No, I am still in the firing line, doing my bit for my King and country.  I trust God is not going to call me so soon until I have done a bit more for my country.  I came out of the last battle with only a few scratches, thank God.”

 

Fermanagh Times June 3rd, 1915.  THE THINGS PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW.  Are the only really active branches of the Catch–My–Pal Society in Fermanagh those in Kesh, Newtownbutler and Brookeborough?  Will the Enniskillen branch ever be revived?  What practical work is being done by the Churches in this country in the cause of temperance?

What response has there been by the public to the appeal made by the Enniskillen YMCA for funds to provide a reading and recreation rooms for our soldiers?

Is it true that soldiers in Enniskillen are to be provided with a dummy hand which will be kept constantly at the salute, owing to the fact that they have to perform that ceremony every 10 yards they walk through our streets in the afternoons?

 

Fermanagh Times June 3rd, 1915.  FELL OUT OF THE TRAIN AN ACCIDENT ON THE G.N.R.  A woman named Boylan, the wife of a solicitor, who was on her way from Ballyshannon to Londonderry on Tuesday night, accidentally fell out of the Great Northern Railway train between Fintona and Omagh with a child in her arms, the accident being caused through the carriage door having been opened.  The communication cord was pulled by another passenger, and the train brought to a standstill.  The woman, who was found sitting on the railway bank, escaped without injury, but the child was slightly injured.

 

Fermanagh Times June 3rd, 1915.  BELTURBET CASUALTIES.  Already a number of soldiers from the Belturbet District have laid down their lives in the great cause, and almost every day adds to the alleged list of casualties.  Mr. Ebenezer Fraser, coach builder, Belturbet, has been notified of the death of his son, Private E.  Fraser, of the Royal Irish Fusiliers and Mrs. Shellin, Bridge Street, Belturbet, has received a letter from her son, Private J.  Shellin, 1st Lancashire Fusiliers, stating that he is been wounded during the operations in the Dardanelles.  He is cheerful despite his wounds, and hopes to have another crack at “the Lusitania murderers soon.”  Private Fraser, who was a fine strapping lad of 19, was only about a month in France when he met his death.

 

Fermanagh Times June 3rd, 1915.  THERE ARE EIGHT MILLION MEN OF MILITARY AGE.  The appeal issued by the War Office for 300,000 men includes an analysis of the census figures of men between the ages of 18 and 39.  There are altogether 6,513,938 in England and Wales.  Scotland has 803,434 men, and Ireland 735,707 making a total of 8,053,079 men of fighting age in the United Kingdom.  Two million men of all ages are stated to be engaged in the manufacture of war munitions.

Fermanagh Herald June 5th. 1915.  THE DUBLIN FUSILIERS AND THE GAS ATTACK. Mr. G.  A Valentine Williams, the Special Correspondent of the Daily Mail says: – Private Frank O’Brien of the Dublin Fusiliers, one of the men gassed, whom I found convalescent in the “gas ward” of this casualty clearing station this afternoon gave me a dramatic account of his experience.  “I had my respirator on,” he said “but the gas came full at me the way I could not see or breathe. I went all weak.  We couldn’t hold the trench at all.  We had to fall back.  I was staggering down the road just strangling.”

“There was one of our police there.  He stopped me.  “Get back to your trench, he says, or I’ll shoot you.”  I was that weak by this that I went down there in the dust at his feet.  When he saw I was bad he leant down to me and though fair strangling as I was I just begged him to shoot me.  But he says I see how it is with you.  You’re a brave lad and we’ll get you to the ambulance.

Private O’Brien was not the only man that had prayed that day that his life might be ended.  For 4½ hours the Germans poured out dense fumes of their deadly gas, which, fanned by a brisk north-easterly breeze spread over an area of 6 miles beyond Ypres.  “It would have brought the tears to your eyes,” the doctors say, “to see these splendid men, great brawny fellows – many of them tearing at their throats, rending their tunics, screaming to us in hoarse, rattling voices to put them out of their misery.”

 

Impartial Reporter.  June 3 1915.  GAS-POISON WAR.  A 40 FEET WALL OF VAPOUR.  A correspondent near Ypres says: – Within 20 yards of me a score of gas patients are lying struggling for breath in a ward, the last batch of the several hundreds of victims sent down on Monday as the result of the great German gas attack.  Of these 17 are dead; the rest have been sent to the base.  It was in the half light of dawn on Monday morning that the Germans delivered their attack.  The men on the watch at the parapet saw what they first took to be smoke of fires rising at frequent intervals all along the German lines.  Almost before the men could warn their comrades, many of whom were asleep, the fumes were upon them in an immense wall of vapour 40 feet high.

 

Fermanagh Herald June 5th. 1915.  CLIFF FATALITY AT THE CAUSEWAY.  AN ENGLISH VISITOR FALLS 250 FEET.  The victim was Mr Fred Blackshew, aged about 34 years belonging to George Street Coventry.  Accompanied by three companions, the deceased drove from Portrush to see the Causeway arriving there about 3.00.  Two of the men went in by the toll-gate but Blackshew and Bush, the fourth, decided to walk along the cliff head.  Shortly afterwards a local resident named James Martin, and his wife were returning home from gathering seaweed, and they were horrified to find Mr. Blackshew lying on the footpath at the bottom of the amphitheatre cliff, from the top of which he had fallen, a distance of about 250 feet.  The injured man was carried to Mr. Frank Kane’s hotel, but notwithstanding all that medical skill could do he never regained consciousness and passed away about 1.00 yesterday morning.

 

Fermanagh Herald June 5th. 1915.  FERMANAGH BRAVERY RECOGNIZED.  The Trustees of the Carnegie Hero Fund have awarded certificates and the sum of £5.00 to Mr. and Mrs. Cullen, Kesh, in recognition of their prompt and plucky action in saving from drowning last December William Snow and Thomas McCabe.  These two men were crossing to Bow Island in a boat with William Gibson.  The boat overturned and hearing cries for help Mr. and Mrs. Cullen, who are herds on Bow Island went in tempestuous weather to their assistance, Gibson being drowned.  The Cullens are in poor circumstances and have 12 children.

Fermanagh Herald June 5th. 1915.  WAR CASUALTIES. We regret to announce the death in action of Private Berty Emmet, Strand Street, Enniskillen.  Deceased was attached to the 2nd Battalion Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers and was stationed at Dover with his regiment when the war broke out.  Two of his brothers, Sergeant Emmet and Private  Emmett are at present serving in the Dardanelles.

Official intelligence has been received by the parents of Private James Maguire, son of Francis Maguire, Roslea Road, Clones, and Private John McCormack, son of Thomas McCormack, Analore Street, Clones, that they have been killed in action at the front.  News has also reached Clones, and as yet no official communication is to hand, of the death in action of Private John McElroy, Clones.

Fermanagh Herald June 5th. 1915.  WOUNDED ENNISKILLEN MEN.  Private Frank Fitzpatrick, Inniskilling Fusiliers, writing from St. Bartholomew’s Hospital, London, to his sister in Enniskillen, says “as for myself I could not be doing better, though I thought I would never see you again.  I will never forget it during my life.”  He then describes an engagement in which he took part, and says he was hit, in both feet and on the left hand, and got a slight wound on the side.  He lay on the ground the whole night, the bullets cutting his trousers and his pack “I had,” he adds, “my mind made up for death.  I tried to crawl but it was no good.  There was a poor fellow moaning beside me, and the bullets hit a box of matches in his pocket, and he went on fire, and I could do nothing for him.  It nearly broke my heart I thought I would have bled to death, but thank God and his Blessed Mother for it.  The priest gave me absolution that evening.  He started to cry, but he told us to fight for all we were worth, and so we did.  We get everything one could ask for in this hospital.”

 

Fermanagh Herald June 5th. 1915.  THE PASSING OF A GREAT GOVERNMENT.  After 9 ½ years of glorious crowded life, the great Liberal Government which came into office in December 1905, has ceased to be.  The end has not come the way Liberals we have wished.  It came stealthily, silently, ingloriously.  A blast of war’s mephitic breath killed in a night a government that had emerged scathless for many a furious storm.  But they can take pride in the reflection that the government which is just passed away has to its credit a noble record of accomplished work, and that it has left a deep and an enduring mark on the history of our time.

 

Fermanagh Times June 10th, 1915.  DESTROYING ZEPPELINS.  A DARING FEAT.  AIRMAN AWARDED THE V. C.  News was received this morning of two daring attacks by British naval aviators on enemy airships, which resulted in the destruction of a Zeppelin  and the setting on fire of an airship hangar.  For daring and skill the destruction of the Zeppelin which was accomplished by one naval airman alone and unassisted, can rarely, if ever, have been excelled in the annals of British flying.  When over the German lines between Bruges and Ghent early this morning the airman encountered a German Zeppelin.  Rising above it he reached a certain height, and then swooping down upon the aircraft launched a bomb which fell true to its aim, and pierced the envelope of the dirigible.  A loud explosion followed, and the Zeppelin fell crippled to the ground, a mass of smoke and flame.  The force of the explosion, however, with the consequent disturbance of the atmosphere, caught the aeroplane as it was passing (its mission accomplished) over the wrecked dirigible.  The machine was travelling at a very rapid pace, and as the result of the upward blast of air was forced to loop the loop.  During this manoeuvre petrol escape from the rear tank of the aeroplane, and it was compelled to come down within the German lines.  With extraordinary daring and quickness, however, he managed to refill the empty tank from reserve tins he had with him, and then resuming his seat in the craft he soared up again and returned safely and unhurt to the British lines.

(Ed. Reginald Alexander John WARNEFORD. “The KING has been graciously pleased to approve of the grant of the Victoria Cross to Flight Sub-Lieutenant Reginald Alexander John Warneford, Royal Naval Air Service, for the conspicuous act of bravery specified below: —

For most conspicuous bravery on the 7th June, 1915, when he attacked and, single-handed, completely destroyed a Zeppelin in mid-air. This brilliant achievement was accomplished after chasing the’ Zeppelin from the coast of Flanders to Ghent, where he succeeded in dropping his bombs on to it from a height of only one or two hundred feet. One of these bombs caused a terrific explosion which set the Zeppelin on fire from end to end, but at the there for the same time overturned his Aeroplane and stopped the engine. In spite of this he succeeded in landing safely in hostile country, and after 15 minutes started his engine and returned to his base without damage.” (London Gazette – 10 June 1915).

 

Fermanagh Times June 10th, 1915.  FROM THE FRONT TO CLONELLY.  SILENT SUE.  Mr. Harry Hart is a stepson of Mr. Folliott Barton, J. P., Clonelly.  A medical student in Australia he was a member of the University Scouts and came to this country in September last.  In April he went to London and joined King Edward’s Horse one of the first in Pettigo District to join the colours.  Within six days of joining he was sent to the front.  He has since been in France and seen a great deal of active service.  He writes frequently to his mother, Mrs. Barton, and judging by the tone of his letters he is full of the splendid Colonial spirit we have all learned nowadays to greatly value.  He is certainly not downhearted and the grit he exhibits is a grander and more patent element in the British trenches than the cement and steel with which the Germans fortify theirs.  Here is one of his latest communications from the front.

  1. E. H., A. S., About 3rd of June. My Dear Mother, we shifted again last night, but not into the trenches only to new billets on a new part of the line, where they say the trenches are much more comfortable. I have just been reading an account of the trenches by some academic bespectacled correspondent.  My advice to him, whoever he may be, is to come and have a look at one, then I guess he won’t feel like waxing poetic over the beauty of the night and the brilliance of the star shells.  The new billets are a trifle exciting, the German guns drop a few shells round here now and again, don’t know why they do it, we’re not doing anything to them.  Now, all we want is sleep and they try and stop us from getting it by kicking up as much row as they can.  I think I forgot to tell you of a friend we made while in the trenches; we called her “Silent Sue”, she is one of our big guns.  She has a tremendous range, but it was only when the wind was with her that we could hear her report though we could see the shell passing over our heads and burst in the German lines with a terrific bang.  It was awfully soothing to hear her quiet purr just after a Germans shell had burst close to you, and to know that she had a straight eye behind her.  Thank God she wasn’t shooting the opposite direction.  I am sending you home the five franc note I got as my first pay on active service, it will do as a curiosity to stick in the collection of notes.  It is a week’s pay worth 4s 2d, so you see the British Tommy depending on his pay out here is well paid.  I might scrape of a few other things for the museum for instance my valise is well marked with shrapnel holes.  Love to all, Harry.

 

Impartial Reporter.  June 10 1915.  A BREEZY LETTER. SIDELIGHTS ON THE CAMPAIGN.  The following breezy letter from the Dardanelles has been received by a gentleman in Dublin whose brother is a naval officer.  The Army is safely landed and are steadily battering its way to Constantinople.  By Jove if you had seen those Australians shining up the hills, (cliffs in places) with the bayonet alone, and ripping up the Turks, (those who stayed), it would have done your heart good. The enemy are most stubborn and are well led.  We have a few prisoners on board, and the officers among them are well dressed and hard looking.  The men are mostly scaly-wags and very badly fitted out.  Their foot gear is poor being, either rope-soled boots or Turkish slippers.  Their rifles are of the very latest German pattern, except in the case of Greeks and Arabs pressed in to fight and they have only old Lee Enfields taking German ammunition.  Von Sanders is in command of their whole army on the peninsula and he is a good hand and very ruthless.  He has issued an order that no prisoners are to be taken.  The worst enemy we have got to fight against are the snipers, whose name is legion, and his bravery is magnificent.  Many of them have been found dug in holes with ammunition and provisions for six weeks!  One man had painted himself green all over, and had branches of trees round him and it took a long time to catch him.  His end was swift.

 

Impartial Reporter.  June 10 1915.  ROLL OF HONOUR.  CROOKE.  Killed in action, May 5, 1915, at Gallipoli Peninsula, Dardanelles, Sergeant W.  H.  Crooke, 1st Battalion Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, and dearly loved son of H. Crooke, Glenwhinney, Derrygonnelly.

 

Impartial Reporter.  June 10 1915.  WORK FOR PRISONERS.  The War Office’s decision to make use of prisoners of war for working on the land has been welcomed with general approval throughout the country. Farmers are already suffering badly from lack of labour, and have been seriously wondering how their various crops are to be harvested at all if the rural exodus to the trenches continues. The German military authorities have from the first pursued the wise policy of getting all the work they can out of their prisoners and it is stated on good authority that the vast majority of the prisoners themselves infinitely prefer the healthy life of a labourer in the land to lounging about in the concentration camps.  He also fully appreciates the advantages of being enabled to earn a little money to purchase the small luxuries which their canteen offers.  Doubtless our German prisoners will view the matter in the same light.  Whatever his many vices, the Teuton is not constitutionally a loafer and he outvies the proverbial Scott in his appreciation of the bawbees.  There will no doubt be many efforts to escape made by the prisoners in the early stages of the experiment.  There should however be little anxiety as to the ultimate result of such attempts.  It is difficult enough for loyal British citizens to leave the country at the present time, and for an alien enemy the task is practically an impossibility.

 

Impartial Reporter.  June 10 1915.  THE GERMANS RAN BEFORE INNISKILLING BAYONETS.  A CHURCHILL MAN’S AWFUL EXPERIENCE.  FOUR DAYS WOUNDED ON THE BATTLEFIELD.  Sergeant James Hassard, one of two sons of Mr. Hugh Hassard, Whiterock, Churchhill, County Fermanagh, serving in France in a letter home to his parents gives an account of a night encounter with the Huns and how after he was wounded lay helpless on the battlefield for over four days till found by Indian stretcher bearers.  Sergeant Hassard is in of the 2nd Inniskillings, and says that on Saturday, May 15, the Battalion got the order to take the first line of German trenches at all costs.  The attack was made by night and they moved off at 10.30 p.m.  We moved out in the open in front of our own trenches and took up the position in three lines.  I was in the front line and at 10.30 p.m. we got the order: ‘fixed bayonets.’  ‘Advance’ an order which every man seemed eager for.  We had about 350 yards to go till we reached the Huns’ trenches. No doubt, they did let us have it with machine gun and rifle and also shell fire.  All of a sudden as we were about 20 yards from the trench it stopped then we rushed, but all the Germans were gone.  So we got the position quite easily.  Then the Germans started and shelled us for all they were worth.  It must have been a about 11.45 p.m. that I got hit.  I was struck by the nose of a shell and I thought it was the Kaiser that hit me with a sledgehammer.  On that spot I fell and there I lay till early on Thursday morning when four Indians carried me to the dressing station, and O, what a relief it was!  It had rained nearly all the time but I was in no way  downhearted as I knew God would send somebody to take me to safety.

 

Fermanagh Herald June 12th. 1915.  COMING VICTORY IN THE DARDANELLES SAYS MR. CHURCHILL.  Addressing a non-party meeting of his constituents at Dundee, Mr. Winston Churchill spoke in a very optimistic vein.  In a reference to the Dardanelles he said we were separated only a few miles from a victory such as this war had not yet seen.  Reviewing the work of the late Liberal Government, Mr. Churchill paid a great tribute to Lord Haldane, than whom, he said, no more sincere patriot had ever served the Crown.  He added that he was sure that conscription was not necessary, and referring to the new national government he said that what the nation required of it was action.

 

Fermanagh Times June 17th, 1915.  MOTOR ACCIDENT AT CLONES.  On Sunday a Gaelic football match was held at Clones, and a large number of people came to the town by motors and bicycles.  A number of cyclists were riding abreast of from the direction of Newtownbutler, and a motor was approaching from behind.  One of the cyclists named John Murphy aged 27 of Knocknacreeve, Kinawley, Co., Fermanagh, in attempting to get out of the way of the motor, was knocked down and before the car could be stopped it caught him and dragged him along for some distance.  He sustained rather serious injuries to the head, ribs, and legs, and was at once conveyed in the car to Clones Infirmary, and medically attended to.

 

Fermanagh Times June 17th, 1915.  THE CAT AND MOUSE ACT.  Mr. Sheehy Skeffington who was sentenced to six months imprisonment on Wednesday last under the Defence of the Realm Act for an anti-recruiting speech at Beresford Place, was released from Mountjoy Prison on Tuesday evening.  Mr. Skeffington had gone on hunger strike from the date of his committal.

 

Fermanagh Times June 17th, 1915.  FIRE AT BUNDORAN JUNCTION.  Bernard McManus, signalman at the station, discovered that the fire had broken out in two small houses immediately behind the main building about midnight on Thursday last.  One of these contained the plants for generating the Acetylene Gas used on the premises, and the other was a tool and lumber room.  All possible efforts were made by Mr. George Bell, stationmaster, and other willing workers to extinguish the flames, but owing to the inflammable nature of the articles in the houses – coal, paints, oils, etc.  all they could do was to confine the fire to the place of the outbreak.  The damage is estimated at over 100 pounds.  The Trillick Constabulary investigated the occurrences, but could find no clue as to the origin of the fire.

 

Fermanagh Times June 17th, 1915.  OUTRAGE AT AUGHER.  A dastardly act was perpetrated by some evilly-disposed individuals at Augher on the occasion of the Methodist Excursion last week.  A large number of cyclists accompanied the party from Fivemiletown and Brookeborough and store their bicycles in Mr. Johnson’s yard.  And on going for them in the evening it was discovered that the tyres on 35 of them had been hacked and cut up by some sharp instrument in an atrocious manner, patches being actually cut out of tyres and tubes in some instances, leaving the machines quite unfit for use.  The matter was officially reported to the police and it is likely more will be heard of it.

 

Fermanagh Times June 17th, 1915.  CLONES MAN GASSED.  Private Francis Cooke, Royal Irish Fusiliers, a native of Clones, is in hospital in France in a very serious condition from the effects of having inhaled the poisonous gas fumes of the Germans in a recent engagement.

 

Fermanagh Times June 17th, 1915.  WAR NEWS.  Mrs. John Boyle, Maguiresbridge, has received for their information from the War Office to the effect that her son, Lance-Corporal E.  Boyle, 1st Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, previously reported wounded, has died from the effect of his wounds, received in action in the Dardanelles on 14th of May.  Lance-Corporal Boyle was 24 years of age and had eight years of service in the Inniskillings.

Mrs. Sarah Camping, Queen Street, Enniskillen, has, we are informed, received word that her brother-in-law, Private Arnold Campling, Royal Enniskillen Fusiliers has been killed in action in the Dardanelles.  Deceased was well known in Enniskillen before joining the army.  When his body was picked up a postcard addressed to Mrs. Campling was found in one of his pockets.  The Captain under whom he served has written, paying a high tribute to the deceased fine soldierly qualities.

Mrs. Shaw, New Road, Enniskillen, has received a letter from the front informing her of the circumstances of her husband’s death in action. The letter which was written by Sergeant F.  Hodd, “C” Company Royal Irish Fusiliers, contains the following: – “I was the next man to him at the time he was killed.  It was on the 25th of April, where we were attacking the Germans, and we were under a very heavy fire, when he was hit. The bullet passed through his forehead death being instantaneous.  I can vouch for this, for as soon as he was hit I went to render any assistance I could, but he was dead.  I have known your husband since he came out here, and I can say that he was a man of whom his country should be very proud as he was absolutely fearless, and every man in “C” company with myself, join in sending our sympathy to you.

With the departure of the 12th battalion Enniskillen Barracks is now empty.  They have gone to Finner Camp, Bundoran on Wednesday last.  The Battalion, which is now 800 strong has been stationed in Enniskillen since its inauguration some months ago.  They left in two detachments, one by special train at 10.20 o’clock and the other by a special at 11.00 and on their march through the town from the Main Barrack to the Railway Station, each detachment was headed by the Battalion’s fife and drum band.  Although hastily formed they nevertheless were a surprisingly competent body of musicians.

Will the resolution passed by the Fermanagh Recruiting Committee in regard to opening the Ulster Division to all denominations help or retard enlistment for that military body?

What did Mr. W.  J.  Brown really mean when at the annual meeting of the Enniskillen Board of Guardians he declared that the war had been caused by the idolatry of the nations professing Christianity?

 

Fermanagh Times June 17th, 1915.  The things people wish to know.  Will grocers throughout Fermanagh reduce the price of flour now that there has been such a substantial fall in the price of wheat?  And if not why not?

How can butchers in Lisnaskea and other towns sell beef from 20 to 25 per cent cheaper than the butchers in Enniskillen and still make a respectable prophet?

Why he is Fivemiletown so far behind other places in not having a weekly half holiday, a privilege which is now enjoyed by most towns and villages in Ulster?

 

Fermanagh Times June 17th, 1915.  LISNASKEA GUARDIANS.  DEATH OF A CHILD.  EXPLANATION BY NURSE.  The Master, Mister P. Lunny, reported that an inmate named Rose Lowry give birth to a child on the 6th inst. The child died about 5 ½ hours after birth without having been baptised.  The coroner was not communicated with.  The Chairman said it was a horrible state of affairs to let a child die without having been baptised.  Mister T. Molloy said this child may have received a private baptism which has the same spiritual effect when the circumstances of the case render it necessary.  Mr. Burns said it was a very serious matter.  The chairman stated that it was a terrible state of affairs in the 20th century.  Miss McCusker, temporary nurse, was brought before the Board, and when the Master’s report had been read for her, she stated that both the mother and the child were healthy and not very ill.  The child was not a delicate child.  The maid and herself were up with the mother and child about 4.45 o’clock, and at that time they were all right.  She was back again about 5.00, and the mother in the meantime had fallen asleep, and the child might have been too near the mother’s breast and got smothered.  It was not quite dead at the time, and she with the assistance of Nurse Bogue gave it a private baptism and the child died.  The chairman thanked Nurse McCusker and said her explanation was very satisfactory.

 

Fermanagh Times June 17th, 1915.  THE AUSTRIAN EMPEROR IN DOTAGE.  A correspondent of a Paris journal, who has recently passed through Austria, says the aged Emperor is now completely in his dotage.  His present state is the result of shock.  During his last visit to a hospital, he was speaking a few kind words to the wounded soldiers, when he saw in one of the beds a major who used to be a member of his household.  He was a terrible sight.  Both legs and both arms had been amputated.  Francis Joseph was horrified.  Was there anything he could do, he asked, and promised to grant any request the poor fellow liked to make.  The major said he had one request to make, and hoped it would be granted.  Asked to name it, he replied – “Have me shot.”  The Emperor, it is said, cried like a child and fainted.  He has never been the same man since.

 

Fermanagh Times June 17th, 1915.  THERE HAS BEEN AN 8 SHILLINGS DROP IN THE PRICE OF WHEAT.  The world abundance is the cause of reduced prices one of the largest dealers in London informed the Daily Mail representative that the drop was the natural result of a fall in the prices in the United States, which he said, govern the world prices.

 

Fermanagh Times June 17th, 1915.  KILLING OUR MEN BY COTTON.  Before this war most people imagined the cotton was used principally for the manufacturers’ of calico and cotton fabrics in Lancashire or the bandaging of wounds in hospitals.  They are gradually coming to understand that cotton is the chief ingredient in modern gunpowder and that the substance with which men are killed in the war of today, the explosive which propels the bullet from the rifle and a high explosive shell from the field gun, is not, as in Napoleon’s time made of charcoal, saltpetre, and sulphur.  It is made chiefly of cotton.  To convert cotton into an explosive it is dipped in nitric acid, washed and dried.  The resultant is gun–cotton.  Unless extreme care is taken in its manufacture, and unless the cotton is pure and clean, there is an early end of the explosives factory and all employed in it.  When properly made, however, it is stable and trustworthy.  The British powder, cordite, his 2/3 composed of gun – cotton and the other third of various ingredients.  The German and Austrian powders are much the same.  Without gun-cotton the German guns and rifles would be silenced.

 

Impartial Reporter.  June 17 1915.  ODDS AND ENDS.  Eighty-three per cent of the Presbyterian ministers in Ireland are total abstainers.  The aged and infirm ministers of the Irish Presbyterian Church can now receive at least £100 a year

The acreage under wheat in Canada is nearly 15 per cent greater than in 1914 owing to the patriotic effort to produce a war crop.

The price of bread has been reduced in Enniskillen by one farthing for the 2lb loaf.

Lady postmen are now going the rounds at Epsom to relieve the men

Lunacy has increased in Westmeath owing to the war to the extent of 10 over the corresponding period of last year.  Some former and older patients say they are afraid of conscription.

School holidays are being granted much before the usual time in Wrexham to allow the children to gather the strawberry crops as the men are in the army.

The Archbishop of Malta has ordered a cessation of bell ringing in the Churches of the Valetta District so as not to disturb the wounded from the Dardanelles.  The Governor has thanked his Grace.  Those who know of Malta’s many church bells will appreciate the Archbishop’s thoughtfulness.

Three hundred butchers in Glasgow have been obliged to close their shops owing to unprofitable trading and the remainder close during dinner hour.  Beef brought £5 14 shillings per hundredweight liveweight last week, or nine shillings more than the famine rates of 40 years ago.

 

Impartial Reporter.  June 17 1915.  INNISKILLINGS REFUSE QUARTER.  GERMANS AND THE BAYONET.  Private John Milligan, Strabane who belongs to the 2nd Battalion Royal Inniskillings writing to a friend from a hospital in Wales confirms the truth of the report that the Germans do not appreciate bayonet charges.  In the engagement in which he was wounded the Inniskillings took some trenches at the point of the bayonet, and so terrific was the slaughter the Germans on their knees appealed for mercy, and begged to be taken prisoner, but the gallant Inniskillings, shouting “Revenge for the Lusitania,” refused to give any quarter, and drove home their charge with decisive effect.  Private Milligan had a narrow escape, and his clothes and straps were torn into ribbons.  He has been at the front since November last and has seen a great deal of fighting.

 

Impartial Reporter.  June 17 1915.  THE 12TH INNISKILLINGS LEAVE FOR FINNER CAMP.  MILITARY AND THE DRINK TRAFFIC. SHEBEENING CARRIED ON.  Yesterday Wednesday morning the 12th Inniskillings under the command of Colonel Leslie,  left Enniskillen.  There were about 800 men on parade, and they went to the station in two parties about 10.00 a.m. to journey to Ballyshannon by two special trains and from there march to Finner Camp.  The battalion has now a corps of drums and the fifes playing the “The girl I left behind me,” “Red, White, and Blue” and other patriotic airs headed the battalion as it marched through the streets.  The drums have been lent by the Enniskillen Unionist flute band and this kind action has been much appreciated by the battalion.

 

Though there have been restrictions as to the sale of liquor to the troops quartered in Enniskillen, certain individuals have evaded by order and in isolated cases men during the day have been set drunk.  This state of affairs has given considerable trouble to the military authorities and caused the departure of the old battalion for it had been intended to keep permanently in Enniskillen or one or perhaps two companies.  Shebeening has been prevalent, and it is notorious that women in some of the houses in Queen Street and this neighbourhood reaped a rich harvest from the sale of beer and cheap whisky which had the effect of converting quiet and peaceful men into troublesome characters. Complaint was made to the police authorities but this had no deterrent effect on the evil traffic.  To show the extent to which some people would go, drink was sold openly in the public street at 3.00 p.m. on a Sunday afternoon!

Regret at the departure of the battalion is general – and it is due to the practice mentioned above that has caused the removal of every man and will delay the return – if the battalion do return under the circumstances that have prevailed in Enniskillen.

 

Impartial Reporter.  June 17 1915.  DEATHS IN ACTION.  Mrs John Boyle, Maguiresbridge has received further information from the War Office to the effect that her son Lance Cpl. E.  Boyle, 1st Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers previously reported wounded, has died from the effects of his wounds received in action in the Dardanelles on the 14th of May.  Lance Corporal Boyle was 24 years of age, and had eight years’ service in the Inniskillings.

Private Francis Harren and Ernest Campling, 1st Battalion Royal Inniskillings are reported killed at the Dardanelles.  Both belong to Enniskillen.

News has been received in Belturbet that Private John McPartland, Inniskilling Fusiliers, only son of Mr. P.  McPartland, Deanery Street, Belturbet has been killed in action.

 

Fermanagh Times June 24th, 1915.  LISBELLAW PETTY SESSIONS.  Terence Conlon, Toneyglass, was summoned by Sergeant Hughes for having been drunk in the Roman Catholic Church, Tempo on the evening of the 27th of May.  The Sergeant said that defendant kept speaking and muttering during prayers, and did not seem to know our realise where he was.  Witness went and sat beside him, but he started to mutter again and witness had to take him out by linking him to the door, where defendant fell and was taken to the barrack.  A fine of 10 shillings and 1s 6d costs or in default a week in prison was ordered.

 

Fermanagh Times June 24th, 1915.  RECRUITING IN DONEGAL.  THE COUNTIES UNPLEASANT PRE-EMINENCE.  His Honour Judge Cooke, K.  C. at the opening of Lifford Crown Sessions on Friday said “You must know that nothing stands between you and your property but the British Fleet to prevent the Germans taken possession of Donegal.  The only reason I mention this is the Donegal has the unpleasant pre-eminence of being the county in Ireland which up to the present from all sections has returned the fewest number of recruits. Of 21,000 men of recruitable age in the county less than 500 have joined the colours since the commencement of the war.  The proportion of recruits to the population is only about a quarter to the proportion in Ireland as a whole. The fact is said that there are 8,500 Nationalist Volunteers and 3,000 Ulster Volunteers in the county of Donegal and of those of military age there have been only 500 recruits. It is up to you to make an effort to induce your sons and labourers of military age to join the colours in defence of their country.

 

Fermanagh Times June 24th, 1915.  FERMANAGH COUNTY COUNCIL.  Mr. R. L. White reported that with reference to the motor licence duty in county Fermanagh the amount at present collected for the year was £261 12 shillings as compared with the sum of £343 4s 6d for 1914 which meant a deficit of at £81 12 shillings.  The number of motorists who paid duty in 1914 was 127. The number paid for the year was 89, showing that at least 38 motor owners in the county have not yet paid duty for the year 1915 Mr. E. M. Archdale said the more of this money that was collected the more that comes back to the county to be utilised for the good of the county. It was a great shame that a lot of motor owners in the county had not yet paid their duty.  There were 89 motor owners short this year, notwithstanding the fact that there were a lot more motors in the county.  He supposed are there would be 50 more in the county instead of 89 short.  He proposed that Mr. White be directed to be to take legal proceedings against motor owners in this county who have failed to pay their motor licence for the year 1915.

 

Fermanagh Times June 24th, 1915.  ENNISKILLEN WORKHOUSE.  The ratepayers of the union will be very much interested indeed in the fact that Enniskillen Workhouse has just now the smallest number of inmates recorded on its books since at any rate 1887.  It is probable that never before have the staff had to administer relief to so few paupers as 97 – the full figure on the books on Tuesday last.  We are not prepared to analyse the cause of this decrease, but we fully welcome it.  The poor we will have always with us, but paupers helpless and homeless would not be the burden they are on the working and self-reliant public were it not for the encouragement they receive in these big demoralising institutions.

 

Fermanagh Times June 24th, 1915.  ANOTHER WAR LOAN.  The Chancellor of the Exchequer said that in spite of the late war loan with other methods of borrowing the time had come when it was necessary for a further loan to be asked for. They proposed that the war loan should be issued at par and should carry interest at 4 ½ per cent.  They proposed also that the lender should be entitled to have his money back by 1945.  It must be borne in mind that the State required not a few millions but many hundreds of millions.

 

Fermanagh Times June 24th, 1915.  THE FESTUBERT BATTLE AND THE CHARGE BY THE INNISKILLINGS.  A graphic description of the charge of the 2nd Battalion Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers at Festubert on the 16th ult. is given by Private R.  Thornton.  Thornton escaped with a bullet wound in his thigh, and in the course of his letter he says:- “I thank God  that I got off so well, as many a gallant Inniskilling fell in that charge never to rise.  I shall never forget that day or rather night.  We were in the frontline trenches under heavy shell and rifle fire.  During the week before and on Saturday afternoon we had a lecture from a company officer as to the coming advance.  After that some of the boys had a sleep.  Then we had tea about 5.00. All the conversation was about the charge, and the boys were as jolly and light-hearted as if it was play, saying what they would give the Germans.  At 8.30 p.m. we went to our trenches, and an hour later we were ordered over the parapet and lay in front of the trench on till 11.30, when we got the order to advance.  We started very slowly so as not to let the Germans know, but had only gone 100 yards when the enemy sent off rockets, but I think they were so much surprised they could hardly think it was us.  They then sent up hundreds, and made the night as clear as day.  They could see us quite plainly, and opened a terrific shell, rifle and machine gun fire.  We began to rush amid this shower of hail and shrapnel, the men falling in dozens.  The King’s Royal Rifles were luckier than we were, meeting with very little opposition.  They gained their first line and started for the second.  The Worcesters, who were beside us, could not advance at all.  Our fellows, shouting and yelling rushed on, but were pushed back.  They came a second time, and by this time we were all mad and angry at our losses, and thinking of nothing rushed the first line of the enemy with bomb and bayonet.  As soon as we gained the first line we rushed off to the second, and had a good deal of fighting to get them out of the second trench.  At one time half the trench was full of Germans and us but we soon cleared it.  After that we started to prepare for a counterattack, but none came during our stay in the trench, and on Sunday night we were relieved.  When we were coming down out of the trenches along the supporting trench it was thick with dead and wounded.  Our stretcher bearers when carrying the wounded back were killed, and the wounded buried alive with the trenches being blown in on top of them.

 

Fermanagh Times June 24th, 1915.  RECRUITING IN FERMANAGH.  A LADIES COMMITTEE IS APPOINTED.  That a meeting of the Joint Fermanagh Recruiting Committee the following ladies were appointed to act on a ladies Committee representing the different districts of the County: – Mrs. E M. Archdale, Riversdale; Mrs. A Collum, Bellevue; Mrs. Archdale, Castle Archdale; Miss Reade, Castletown; Mrs. D’Arcy Irvine, Castle Irvine; Mrs. Irvine, Killadeas; Mrs. Wray, Enniskillen; Mrs. Patten, Ederney; Mrs. Donnelly, Enniskillen; Miss Morris, do; Miss R.  Barton, Waterfoot; Mrs. Stack, Tubrid; Mrs. Naylor,  Belleek Rectory; Mrs. Packenham, Carrickreagh House; Mrs. Mulhern, Enniskillen; Miss Coll; Mrs. Betty, do; Mrs. W.  P.  Maguire, do; Lady Teresa Corry, Castlecoole, Mrs. W.  H.  West, Mullaghmeen, Mrs. W.  Maguire, Ederney; Miss Lee, Irvinestown; Mrs. Cleary, Belleek; Miss Cleary, do; Mrs. Porter–Porter, Belleisle; Miss Porter, do; Mrs. Falls, do; Mrs. Maguire, Munville; Miss Gavin, Lisnaskea; Miss O’Donnell, Brookeborough; Mrs. Taylor, do; Lady Brooke, Colebrooke; Mrs. Richardson, Lisbellaw; Mrs. James Eadie, Lisbellaw;  Miss Ida Henderson, do; Mrs. Crozier, Blacklion; Mrs. Smith, Derrygonnelly; Miss Johnston, Belleek; Miss Arnold, Lisnaskea and Miss King, Enniskillen.

 

Fermanagh Times June 24th, 1915.  THE NATIONAL EGG COLLECTION. CONTRIBUTIONS FROM MAGHERACULMONEY PARISH (KESH).  The parish of Magheraculmoney has so far had done splendidly in connection with the National Egg Collection having already sent the truly gratifying number of 191 dozen (2,292) eggs for the use of our wounded soldiers and sailors.  The first week 42½ dozen were sent, the second week 44½ dozen, and last week the magnificent contribution of 104 dozen was made by the parishioners who also give a sum of £1-13 shillings for the same purpose.

 

Fermanagh Times June 24th, 1915. A PRIEST’S EXTRAORDINARY PROTEST.  THE BURIAL OF LUSITANIA VICTIMS.  Several bodies have been picked up off the Aran Islands, County Galway which is supposed to be those of victims of the Lusitania outrage.  One was that of a lady clothed in expensive garments, and with a wristlet watch.  At the Galway Board of Guardians meeting on Wednesday, Mr. O’Flaherty, R. O., wrote stating that he had the bodies interned in Killeany Graveyard, as far from the other burial ground as space would permit.  The R.O. in his report, added: -Father, Farragher, P. P., says I had no right to bury the bodies in consecrated ground, that he would have to write to the Bishop, and that probably the bodies would have to be exhumed.  I wrote to Father Farragher that I did not know to what denomination they belonged, that I had no other place to bury them in, and an I saw Protestants buried in Inishene Graveyard, and at the new cemetery in Galway.  Mr. Cooke said these unfortunate victims of the Lusitania were human beings, and why should they not be interned as such?  (Hear, hear.)  The Board expressed concurrence with the action of the R. O.

 

Impartial Reporter.  June 24 1915.  EMIGRATION AND CONSCRIPTION.  FARMER’S SONS RUN AWAY.  The rumour that certain to influences are at work to induce young Irishman to emigrate has caused considerable discussion, and correspondents in different parts of the South and West of Ireland give evidence of how general has been the rush of emigration within the past few weeks.  It is said that these young men, mostly farmers’ sons, are running away to avoid military service, and they are described by those who have travelled across the Atlantic with them as being well supplied with money.  These young men belonged to the type associated with Mr. Redmond’s volunteers.  They cry for “Home Rule and ask to be armed, but they rush away from the country because of the prospect of being forced to fight against Prussian militarism.

 

Impartial Reporter.  June 24 1915.  IRISH COWARDS AND THEIR TREATMENT BY SAILORS.  The arrival at New York on board the American liner St. Paul of 300 young men from, Connaught has served to direct attention to the apparently organised efforts being made to induce Irishman to avoid enlistment by transporting them.  During the voyage the sailors forced many of the biggest of the emigrants to march about the decks carrying broom sticks over their shoulders and wearing tin saucepans on their head.  An officer of the ship observed that what puzzled him was where the lads got the money for the passage. They all carried gold. (Ed. A bit of an unlikely story with 300 Irishmen on board.)

 

Impartial Reporter.  June 24 1915.  SOLDIERS FOR THE HAY HARVEST.  The Board of Agriculture announces that it has been informed by the Army Council that in view of the possible shortage of agricultural labour for the harvest furlough will be given at the discretion of the military authorities to a limited number of soldiers of the New Armies and of the Territorial Force for weeks in the hay harvest as circumstances may permit. The furlough granted to each soldier will last only for such number of days, not exceeding 14, as he is actually required for hay making.  The employment of soldiers in the hay harvest will be subject to the following conditions: – 1. That suitable labour cannot be obtained in the locality.  2. That the farmer will undertake to pay each soldier sent at his request (a) 4 shillings a day if the soldier provides his own board and lodgings or (b) half a crown if board and lodgings is provided by the farmer. 3. That the farmer would provide conveyance to and from the nearest railway station.  No charge would be made to the farmer for railway travelling expenses.  Every endeavour will be made to ensure that the men released have been accustomed to farm work, but no guarantee to this effect can be given.  These arrangements do not apply to the corn harvest.  The farmers’ applications for soldiers for the harvest are to be made to the Labour Exchanges.

 

Impartial Reporter.  June 24 1915. DONEGAL RECRUITING.  AN UNENVIABLE REPUTATION.  In his address to the Grand Jury at the opening of Lifford Crown Sessions on Friday afternoon, Judge Cooke, K. C., said: Donegal has the unpleasant pre-eminence of being the county in Ireland in which up to the present, from all sections, has returned the fewest number of recruits.  That is something for you to consider.  A few moments before I came into court here a return, which led me to make these observations, was put into my hand showing the recruiting in Donegal up to the 1st of April last out of 21,000 men of recruitable age in the county less than 500 have joined the colours since the commencement of the war. The proportion of recruits to the population is only about ¼ of the proportion in Ireland as a whole.

 

Impartial Reporter.  June 24 1915.  BITS AND PIECES.  Skibbereen is shaming other places in the south west of Ireland.  It sent off 120 recruits of last week.

Six girl postmen are acting in New Ross, and one in Tipperary, where there is already a lady bank clerk.

Mr. Schumacher, chairman of the Rand mines, speaking at Johannesburg, said that Germany must be made to pay the cost of the war to the utmost farthing.

Over 85 per cent of the horses treated in hospitals at the front have been returned fit for duty.  This is a great tribute to the hospitals.

The Pope has three nephews serving in the Italian army, the youngest of them only 18 years, and when his mother seemed in doubt as to the wisdom of this course the lad’s uncle, the Pope, said, “Quite right your place is with your friends at the Military Academy in Turin.

 

Impartial Reporter.  June 24 1915.  THE CENTENARY OF WATERLOO.  HOW THE INNISKILLINGS FOUGHT.  Friday was the 100th anniversary of the battle of Waterloo.  It is a curious coincidence that the 6th Inniskilling Dragoons and the 27th Inniskilling Foot – now the 1st Battalion Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers – were the only Irish regiments at Waterloo.  The 27th had marched in very bad weather all the way from Ghent, making a short halt for refreshment in the market place of Brussels, and then on they trudged through the rain and mud for Waterloo.  The 1st battalion of the 27th regiment was then composed of veterans inured to war (says the Sprig of Shillelagh).  They had made the acquaintance of the Mussoos under their choicest generals in Spain.  They had the honour and pleasure of crossing bayonets with them.  It was rough on the Mussoos. Wellington knew the stuff the Inniskillings were made of, and they were assigned what might well be called the post of honour in the centre of the British line, with the other two regiment of Lambert’s Brigade, the 4th and 40th, covering the road which Napoleon’s Army would have to pass in order to reach Brussels.  The 27th took up position early on that Sunday morning, and a hot spot it was.  During the day they were pounded by artillery, then dense columns of steel clad cuirassiers charged them, the earth shaking under their ponderous weight, then another dose of shot and shell from the French batteries, and so on succession they had to stand artillery and cavalry through that long day.  Then Napoleon in person led his Imperial Guards, numbering 12 battalions, and a corps that up to this had never been beaten, and were supposed to be invincible up to within a short distance of the La Haye Sainte.  They were then led on by Ney the bravest of the brave

 

“But on the British hearts were lost

The terrors of the charging host:

For not an eye the storm that viewed

Changed its proud glance of fortitude. “

 

At the close of the day the 27th Regiment lay dead in square; their loss was much heavier than that of any other British regiment engaged.  They nobly held the position they were order to maintain, and not a man flinched.  Their loss after La Haye Sainte had fallen was awful.  A British officer who was an eyewitness of the gallant conduct of the 27th said – “If ever the Sovereign gives them another motto, it should be muzzled to muzzle, for so they fought at Waterloo.”  The strength of the 27th in the morning was 693 – only 218 were able to march of the field.  Total of all ranks killed and wounded was 480.