Formation of the Inchigeela Volunteers
Those who were masters of Inchigeela in the 18th Century developed a class
of patriotism of their own and the Inchigeela Volunteers were formed on
June 1st 1779. Their uniform was a blue jacket edged with buff, waistcoat
and breeches. Jasper Masters, of Carrignacurra Castle was their commandant,
Boyle of Boylesgrove and Barry of Carrignageela or Kilbarry were subordinate
officers. Their purpose was to maintain law and order and incidentally to
maintain themselves in possession of their estates. When the Volunteer
system ceased they became Yeomanry officers and kept the local people in
terror of their lives through those periods of insurrectionary movements in
1798 and 1803.
A description of the three castles written early in the last Century
describes Carricknacurra as built on an elevated rock on the south side of
the Lee, a mile east of Inchigeela. Carrignageela was destroyed in 1822 and
its materials used in the erection of a new residence. It stood on the
north slope of Kilbarry and looked down on the valley of the Toon River. The
third castle was eastward and looked down on the Lee where it makes a bend
to the north for two or three miles at right angles to its ordinary course.
1822
Events in Muskerry
I need not here describe the conflicts which took place in this parish
during the Whiteboy Insurrection of 1822. They have been well described by
Maire Bui Ni Laoghaire. The gentlemen of the district, aided by troops from
Cork and Bantry, rounded up all likely suspects and they were tried by a
special Commission of Judges who sat at Cork in the Spring of 1822.
Fourteen men were charged with having fired at Robert Hedges,Syre of Macroom
Castle and Richard Ashe. Evidence went to show that on January 24th the mail
coach was stopped at Tuatha na Dromann Pike,(near Kilnamartyra) about five
miles west of Macroom by Whiteboys who smashed the coach to atoms.
Robert Hedges Syre and the Rifle brigade from Macroom rounded up the
district and brought in two dead Whiteboys and 21 prisoners. Ten were found
guilty. Another conflict took place at Deshure. One man was
killed and 29 prisoners brought to Cork. All but three were found guilty.
Some sentences were reduced to transportation for life.
On February
28th 1822, Daniel Murphy, Patrick Lehane, Thomas Goggin and Cors. Murphy
were hanged. The gallows were set up on the side of a steep hill at
Carriganimmy. At Deshure, on March 1st Daniel Cronin, Denis Murphy, Timothy
Hallahane, Richard Drummy and Edward Ring were executed. The latter had
taken part in the Battle of Keimaneigh. (He is mistakenly called Edward
Brien on the plaque at Deshure) The gallows were set up at Deshure Cross.
Drummy spoke from the platform before his execution. Fr. McSweeney of Bandon
spoke in Irish to the people. Father Thomas R. England in English. After
all the executions the bodies were conveyed back to the Cork County Gaol and
interred in a huge pit inside the gate, called the Croppy Hole, where they
molder forgotten.
Some
Landowners in 1852
We'll pass on another thirty years, and find
out from Griffith's Poor Law Valuation List in 1852 who held Inchigeela. At
Cappanaclar Rev. Jeremiah Holland, PP held 180 acres from Jasper Pyne,
and at Carrignacurra 18 acres. At Dooneens (Robert Emmet's farm) John and
Cornelius Lucey held 757
acres from Robert Adams who was their landlord. At Garrnapeaka Patrick
Healy, James Moynihan and Jerh Mahoney were tenants to James Browne. At
Coornarahilly Williarn Sannell, John Kelleher, Tim Kearney ~ and Edmund Ring
held their lands from John Orpen. At Garryantornora, Patrick OLeary held
248 acre from Jasper Pyne. At Tureenduff, James Walsh held 437 acres from
James Minhear. At Terranassig, Sylvester Cotter and Robert Wiseman held
from Louis Gollock. At Tureenalour,
John Cronin from Jasper Pyne. At Agheris, Denis Lucey and C. Cronin from
Wmn. S Hoare. The Rev. Jeremiah Holland held from Thomas Barters the
chapleyard and national school. Carrignaneelagh was held by Nicholas Barry.
The head landlords were Henry Hatchell and Thomas Leader. Derryvane
was held by James O Leary from Thomas Barters. At Glasheen, Richard O'Leary
held lands in fee and had a tenant, Michael Goggin. Rev. James White was
Protestant Rector and held church, graveyard and demesne lands in free.
Dromcarra was in the Court of Chancery. Devonshire Hawkes resided in the
mansion house which replaced the old castle. Con, John and Denis Cronin
held Gurteenakilla with Richard Townsend as landlord. At Terrgay, where
old Keadach O'Leary lived (he who had fought in the KingJames wars) now
lived Edward Woods and the land-lord was Thomas Clarke. These are only few
samples from the original Poor Law Valuation Lists. The later history of
the district is similar to the
rest of Ireland. Agitation against the land lord system forced Mr.
Gladstone and the Liberal Party in the British Parliament to take away the
power of fixing rent from the landlord of tenure so 1ong
as the tenant paid his rent. The Wyndham Act of 1903 gave the tenant his
land on payment of a terminal annuity. Thus ownership of the land passed
back to the decendants of those who had stayed at home in 1690 instead of
going to France and Spain.
Extracted from an article by John T Collins from
SOUTHERN STAR, SATURDAY , SEPTEMBER 2, 1961
