(
Gorvagh District )![]() by Thomas Melia |
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The
half Parish of Gorvagh covers 6,000 acres divided into 48 town lands.
The existence of Crannogs at Selton, Funshinagh, a ring fort at Finiskill,
and small forts in other town lands indicates that people have lived
in the Gorvagh area for centuries. The late Canon Masterson was convinced
that St Patrick passed through Gorvagh. In Dromoughty More Tobar Patrick
and Tobar Muire were important sites of pilgrimage., As far back as
the eight century the monks from Fenagh Abbey maintained a vigil at
the wells during the pilgrimage season of 17th. To 25th. March and 15th
August to 8th September. During penal times large crowds came to pray
at both the holy wells. Sadly both wells are now neglected and over
grown. By 1600 Gorvagh was still sparsely populated with large areas
of Forest remaining. The plantation of Ulster in 1607, Cromwell's campaign
of 1648 and the aftermath of the battle of the Black Diamond in 1795
saw a large number of refugees settle in Leitrim. The plantation of
Leitrim in 1621 and the Cromwellian campaign of 1648 also brought a
number of settlers and refugees into the area. The failure of the 1641
rebellion brought the introduction of the penal laws, during the, ext
150 years Catholics suffered great persecution because of loyalty to
their faith. A lone bush on Sean Reynolds land in Drumhanny marks the
spot where a priest was killed while saying Mass. Fr Phelim Conlon P.P.
Mohill 1708 - 1735 used to say Mass beside the house of John Logan R.I.P.
Annaghderg. An old crab tree marked the exact spot. Fr Conlon had a
hiding place less than 100 yards away in a limestone cave, which was
later dug away to form a lime kiln.
In
the 1880s William Murphy bought Mrs Mc Partlin's shop, Liam, Sean and
Meehaul built up a thriving business employing up to 30 people during
turkey season. Molly Canning and Mick Murray gave many years of service
at Murphy's. Gorvagh was well served by tradesmen down the generations.
John Mulligan and his son Patrick were coopers in Drumoughty Beg as
were John and James Donnelly in Laura and Glostermin. Jack "curley"
Reynolds, Adoon, was the last cooper in the area. Thomas Reynolds had
a forge at Satrissaun and his son Frank set up beside the dispensary
where Heterington's forge was many years earlier. In latter years Frank
worked in the forge near his house at Corrabeagh. Tom Rourke's forge
was at Funshinsagh crossroads. Paddy Kennedy and his son's did building
work nation wide. Jack Heeran assisted by Jimmy Moran and Pat Gannon
built many houses locally and further afield. Jack and Richard Ellis
were bootmakers in Drumkillean. Frank "Ogie" Reynolds from
Drumoughty was a carpenter. Pee Woods Laura was a builder and amateur
actor. Michael Reynolds, Drumbeera founded a building firm and his sons
have developed it into a thriving hardware and construction business.
Willie Bohan and Fintan Moran are also successful builders. Stephen
Egan has a furniture factory at Glassdrumman and Paddy Flynn Seltan,
specialises in making hardwood windows and doors.
Before
1940 nearly all marriages were arranged by matchmakers and with large
families the dowry had many stops on the way. The payment of the dowry
along with rent, rates and drainage demand caused more hardship to many
families than some landlords caused in the 19th Century. The housewives
of that generation were the driving force of the country, while most
men refused to do any house work, the women were expected to help with
all the work on the farm while rearing large families. They also had
to share their kitchen with pet pigs, suck calves, clocking hens, and
crickets at various times during the year. Very often it was their income
from hens that saw their family survive. Paddy Kennedy rebuilt the hall
in 1926, many plays, concerts and ceili's were held there. The local
band under the direction of Paddy Donnelly practised in it and the Gorvagh
branch of Macra Na Feirme which was founded in 1949 also held meetings
there. After the opening of Fenaghville in 1947 by Patsy Conboy the
hall went into decline. In recent years Ceili's have been held there.
The closure of Gorvagh Post Office in January 2000 marked the end of
more than 90 years of service to the community by the Wrynne family.
Mary Wrynne continues the fine family business tradition, producing
household soft furnishings and in the process giving very valuable employment
in the area. Among the postmen who served in the area were Pat Joe Fox,
Tom Pierce, Johnny Duignan, Michael Shortt, Johnny, Tom, Joe and John
Wrynne.
For
farmers the changes have been dramatic too, Jack Bohan's and Michael
Flynn's threshers put an end to the torment buffing and winnowing the
oats. The Ferguson 20 and 35, the PZ and the rotary mower took the slavery
out of farming. Baled silage ended the heartache of haymaking, so aptly
described in lines from John McGahern "each cloud that drifted
into the blue above as we watched as apprehensively across the sky as
it were an enemy ship". Events outside their control conspired
against local farmers, the disastrous summers of 1924, 50, and 85 and
E.E.C. regulations signalled the decline of the small farmer. The latter
half of the Twentieth Century |
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