Churchtown Beach

We only recently discovered that it is called Churchtown Beach.  Up to now we’ve been calling it the “secret beach”.  It is so quiet with beautiful views of Tuskar Rock Lighthouse.  There are huge rocky pools which children love to explore.  The beach is a couple of minutes walk from Crossfintan Cottage.   You just take a left from the Cottage and walk 2 minutes to Churchtown Church ruins, take a left down a quiet country lane which leads directly to the beach.

Beauty of Carne

Lonely planet recommends Carne as “pretty … with a fine beach”.  Major understatement. Carne is a gem on the southeast coast with alot to offer locals and visitors alike.

Wexford Opera Festival

The renowned Wexford Opera Festival is fast approaching.  This is the 59th year of the festival and it starts on the Saturday, 16th October, to Saturday 30th October, 2010.  Wexford was voted the third most popular destination for music and opera lovers in 2009 in the highly regarded Frommer’s Travel Guide.  The Programme listing provides for some interesting reading.  The Golden Ticket in particular interests me.

The Golden Ticket, based on Roald Dahl’s book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, is the second opera by Iowa-born composer and conductor, Peter Ash.Donald Sturrock, the librettist of The Golden Ticket, is an award-winning writer and documentary maker. He is involved in creating a library of orchestral and operatic work for children based on Dahl’s writings.

Charlie Bucket, the boy hero, lives in poverty with his aged and infirm grandparents and he dreams of winning one of five golden tickets that Willy Wonka, the confectionery wizard, has hidden in his chocolate bars. How Charlie succeeds in his quest to be one of the lucky winners, and how his life is changed more wonderfully than he could have imagined, is told in a melody-based opera full of humour, wit and virtuosity.

History of Wexford

For more on the history of Wexford – this is a great book for the local history enthusiast.

Carne to Rosslare – Slí Charman

I came across this Irish Independent newspaper Article by Christopher Sommerville about his walk from Carne to Rosslare Slí Charman (the Wexford Way) it is approximately 5 miles and takes 2/3 hours.  Sommerville sets out tips for the walk.  The walk is signposted along the coast and you can join the walk from Churchtown Beach which is a 5 minute walk (max) behind Crossfintan Cottage.

Holy Trinity Church, Churchtown – Reverend John Alexander

The Reverend John Alexander lived in Churchtown (literally 2 minutes walk from Crossfintan Cottage) in the mid 1800s.  He was the “Landlord” of the Holy Trinity Church, Churchtown during that time (according to the Griffiths Valuation records) and lived in one of the houses in Churchtown located on “Glebe lands” which lay further round the corner from the Church on the way to Churchtown beach.  By 1901, the Reverend had moved on from Churchtown, Carne to Churchtown, Bridgetown.  In the 1901 census of Ireland he is stated to be a Clergyman for Church of Ireland, Dean of Ferns.  At this time, he is 67 years of age and living with his wife, Caroline (55 years) and their family in a 1st class house with 5 windows to the front and 10 rooms. On the night of the census his 3 daughters and 1 son (ranging in age from 30 to 23 years) were in the Bridgetown house.  His son,  Robert Cliford John, 23 years old, was a Lieutenant in the Royal Artillery  and his son in law, Robert Murdoch, 29 years old, was a Captain in the Royal Irish Regiment.

Between the time of the 1901 census and the 1901 census, the Reverend Alexander had died and on the night of the 1911 census, his wife, Caroline Alexander, is found in Temple Road (Rathmines & Rathgar East, Dublin) staying with relatives John and Hilda Griffith. She is now a widow of 65 years and is stated to be “Domestic Housemaid”.  After the death of the Reverend, Caroline Alexander must have had to go back into the workforce despite her old age.  This is terribly sad particularly given that her son-in-law Robert Murdoch Esq, seemed to be extremely prosperous at this time.  He is a retired Major and living in Cloheenafishoge, Kilcoran, Tipperary with his wife Florence  (Caroline’s daughter) and their 4 children (3 of whom are listed on the census night).  The children had their own governess and the family had 5 servants.  The house, which Mr. Murdoch owned, is magnificent in its 1st class grading and 24 rooms and 16 windows.  Meanwhile, his mother in law is working as a maid at 65 years of age – I find that so sad.

Families in Carne area in mid – 1800s

Griffiths Valuation of Ireland – Carn, County Wexford provides interesting information on the inhabitants of the area in the mid 1800s.  The Griffith’s Valuation of Ireland was the first thorough valuation of property in Ireland.   It was overseen by Richard Griffith and published between 1847 and 1864.  In the absence of Irish nineteenth century census records, the information contained in the Griffith’s Valuation is invaluable.  The families living in Ballask in the mid-1880’s are listed as being owned by a landlord by the name of John Howlin.  Indeed, John Howlin is stated in Griffith’s Valuation as owing property in Ballask, Carna, and Clougheast.

I suspect that this John Howlin is an ancestor of the Howlins of Carna in Lady’s Island who under the 1901 census are stated as living in a 1st class house comprising 15 windows to the front and 13 rooms.  Abraham John Howlin is listed as a landowner and owned all nine houses in the Carra area.  It is likely (but not yet substantiated) that his grandfather was John Howlin (Abraham John Howlin was 61 in 1901) and owned a lot of property in the region.    The Howlins of the townland of Carna, Barony of Forth, Parish of Carn, were members of the Church of Ireland and had 12 children, 9 of whom were living. They had 2 daughters living with them at the time of the 1901 census; Amy CL  (26 years) and Florence R (24 years).  The daughters were born in Dublin and England respectively indicating that the Howlins had travelled to some degree during their early married days. By 1911, Abraham John Howlin had deceased and his widow, Mary, now 73 years old still lived in the “big” house with her spinster daughter Amy (now 35 years old) and 4 servants.

Holy Trinity Church, Churchtown, Carne

The Holy Trinity Church located in Churchtown which is literally 2 minutes walk down the road from Crossfintan Cottage is well worth a visit.  The is now in ruins.  It no longer has its roof and the remaining structure of the Church is overgrown with ivy.  However, the graveyard is periodically cleared of overgrowth and is currently in a condition such that it is easily accessible to the public.  It is nestled between a charming new build 2 story cottage and the renovated stone work tractor sheds.  The Bishop’s House is very close nearby which in itself is a magnificent thatched mansion or “long house” which has been restored by its current owners. Reverend John Alexander is listed in the Griffiths Valuation records,  as “Landlord” of the Church in the mid-1800’s and lived in one of the houses in Churchtown located on “Glebe lands”.

Ballask in 1911

Things certainly moved on in Ballask in the 10 years from the last census.  In 1911 there were only 5 houses listed as being in the Ballask area (as distinct from 6 in 1901).  The number of people in the area on the night of the census had reduced from 18 to 14 and most of the earlier inhabitants are no longer residing in the houses.  Indeed, the Fortunes were the only residents still in occupation.

1. Robert Fortune (77 years) and his sister Annie (71 years) still lived in the first house. Given their advancing years, they now have a farm servant William Kinsella (32 years) living with them. The house is now graded as 2nd class with 7 rooms and 10 outbuildings.  The number of windows has been omitted.
2. The next house is listed as being uninhabited having Mr. James Smithwick as the landlord.  I suspect that this is the house that William Charlton and his family lived in during 1901.  In the 1911 census, Joyce Charlton now 70 years of age and widowed, is listed as living in Limerick in a small 2nd rated house with 2 rooms with her spinster daughter Jessie L Wilhelmina (33 years) and Joyce’s spinster sister Wilhelmina Wilkinson (68 years).
3. Patrick J. Lambert (30 years) and his wife Letta (34 years) lived in the next house with their family (3 sons and 1 daughter all under 10 years old) and servant (Annie Maguire – 23 years old).  They are all Wexford born and Roman Catholic in faith with the exception of Letta (who is a member of the Church of Ireland). Interestingly, Patrick is listed as having “treasure from dividends” in terms of his profession.  The house is 2nd grade having 7 rooms and 3 windows to the front. The house was most likely thatched and had 6 outbuildings.  I suspect that this is the house listed in the 1901 census as the “third house” which was owned by Bartholomew Furlong and occupied by 47 year old Kate Clear as a caretaker.  In 1901 the house was also rated as 2nd class, being most likely thatched and had 7 rooms and 3 windows in the front of the building.  In 1911, Kate Clear is listed as living in Courtnacuddy (Castleboro’, Wexford) and working as a domestic servant, day work.  She is also listed as being 53 (taking some 4 years off her age – as is a woman’s perogative).
4. Ellen Rossiter, (a spinster of 56 years of age) inhabited the next house with her 52 year old widowed sister Catherine Murphy who was a seamstress by trade.  It is a 2nd grade house having 7 rooms and 3 windows to the front.  The house was most likely thatched and had 4 outbuildings. This is most likely the house listed in the 1901 census as “the fourth house” which was owned by James Roche and is listed as being unoccupied. In 1911, James Roche is still listed as the landlord.
5. Mary Mitty (a spinster of 47 years of age) occupied and owned the final house in the area.  She was a farmer by trade and lived in the house with her bachelor uncle James Mitty who was a retired farmer of 62 years of age). It was a 2nd grade house having 6 rooms and 3 windows.  The house was most likely thatched and had 5 outbuildings. This, I expect, is the house listed in the 1901 census as the 6th house which was owned by Bartholomew Furlong and occupied by Margaret Keating (68 years in 1901) and her sister Bridget (64 years old in 1901) and their farm servant, John Whelan.  In 1901 the house was also listed as 2nd class house and was most likely thatched house having 6 rooms and 3 windows to the front.

I suspect that the house listed as the 5th house in the 1901 census was in 1911 no longer inhabitable and therefore not listed in the 1911 census. It was the house which was owned by James Roche and occupied by 47 year old seamstress Anastasia Barry with her daughter Mary Ryan and son-in-law, Patrick Ryan (a fisherman) and their three young children. It was a 3rd class house, most likely thatched with 2 rooms and 1 window to the front.  By 1911, the Ryan’s had moved down the road to Churchtown and Patrick (now 40 years) was an Agricultural Labourer and Mary (33 years) was post-mistress.  They were married 15 years at this stage and had 8 children born alive of which 6 were still living; 3 boys and 3 girls, the oldest being 14 years and the youngest, Thomas, under 3 months at the time.  Mary’s mother Anastasia Barry, now 57 years, continued to live with them.  The family had a boarder, George Fredrick Pigott staying with them at the time.  This boarder was single, a member of the Church of Ireland  and 34 years of age and is stated to be “living of interest derived from his money”.  Patrick as head of the family signed the census form which was witnessed by the census collector given that Patrick was stated not being able to read. The house in Churchtown was a third class thatched house with 6 rooms (shared by the 10 people) with 1 window to the front and was owned by a Mr. James Smithwick (who also owned the 2nd house in the vicinity).

Ballask in 1901

The 1901 census of Ireland is on-line and gives a great insight into the Ballask area in those years.  In 1901, there were only six houses in the townland of Ballask.

1. In the first house a 64 year old bachelor Robert Fortune, a farmer, lived with his sister Annie (60).  The Fortunes lived in what was described as a 1st class category of house having some 6 windows in the front and 10 rooms with 10 outhouse buildings.
2. The second house in the area in 1901 is recorded as being in the ownership of a retired farmer, Mr. William Charlton from Northern Ireland.  A family of four including his two daughters (one of whom, Jessie, was a governess), they were Protestant Episcopalian in faith.   His wife, Joyce, and daughters originated from Tipperary. The house is rated as 2nd class meaning that it comprised 6 rooms with 3 windows to the front.
3. The third house was owned by Bartholomew Furlong and occupied by 47 year old Kate Clear who is listed as a caretaker.  The house is rated as 2nd class and comprised 7 rooms and 3 windows in the front of the building. It was most likely a thatched house.
4. The fourth house is owned by James Roche and is listed as being unoccupied.
5. The next house is also owned by James Roche and occupied by 47 year old Anastasia Barry.  Mrs Barry, a seamstress by trade, was a widow and lived in the house with her 22 year old daughter, Mary Ryan and son-in-law, Patrick Ryan (a fisherman) and their three young children; John (3); Joseph (2); and Mary Ellen (1). The house is rated as 3rd class occupied by a family of 6 in 2 rooms.  It was most likely a thatched house with 1 window to the front.
6. Finally, Margaret Keating (68) and her sister Bridget (64) occupied the sixth house together with their farm servant, John Whelan (42).  The home was a 2nd class house which was owned by Bartholomew Furlong.  Again, it was most likely a thatched house with 6 rooms and 3 windows to the front.

On the night of the 1901 census, there were a mere 18 people living in Ballask.  Of the 6 houses, 2 were owned by Bartholomew Furlong and 2 by James Roche.  With the exception of the Charltons, all residents of the area were Roman Catholic in faith.

Bartholomew Furlong (61 years) was a bachelor farmer living with his spinster sister, Mary (59 years) in Ballygarra, Lady’s Island in a house which was just shy of being classed 1st class having 5 windows and 11 rooms and 16 outbuildings.    On the night of the census, their niece Alice (25 years) and nephew John (23 years) were in the house, both being stated as  having New Zealand as their birth place.  Batholomew also had 2 women servants and 1 male farm servant in the house on the night of the census in 1901.  By 1911, Bartholomew’s nephew, John (34 years), inherited the house which is stated to be 2nd class with 4 windows and 10 rooms and he lived there with his wife Mary (27 years old and a native of Wexford) and son, William, (2 years old) and a 14 year old domestic servant.