#70 A SMALL IRISH VILLAGE WITH LOTS OF HISTORY
Clonegal, Ireland--the Whelan ancestral village
How much fun it was to take our two granddaughters, Sophia 12 and Ellie 10, on a ten day road trip around Ireland. An unplanned, but special, sidetrip was to Clonegal, County Carlow from where the Whelans emigrated. We spent a good couple of hours exploring the village.
Our branch of the Whelans left Ireland in 1847. The Whelans were tenant farmers from just outside Clonegal. Their local church was St. Brigid's. All the records of Whelan births and deaths are kept here- but the records only date back to about 1820 because Catholicism was heavily suppressed in Ireland before that time. Thomas Whelan and his family might have been "sponsored" by a local landlord named Fitzwilliam. Fitzwilliam contributed 2 000 pounds sterling to send 45 families from Clonegal to Canada. The families would have left Clonegal a few days before they sailed, since the 50 mile walk to New Ross would have taken 4 or 5 days. There is a bridge at the edge of town nick-named "The Bridge of Tears" since it was the last look any of the people would have of their home. Thomas, his wife, Mary Kinsella, and their nine children left Ireland together on the ship John Bell. They left Ireland because of the Potato Famine, which caused the deaths of over a million Irish in a 10 year period. To most of us today, a dangerous 6 week voyage to a new, mostly backward land would be daunting- to the Irish in 1847, it was salvation.
STILL THERE...Most structures in Clonegal today were there when our Whelans left the area!
Clonegal Bridge was mentioned in the annals of the 14th century. It has been rebuilt many times and its stonework shows the different building methods used over the years. The village was of strategic importance in former times, being the only pass from the midlands into Wexford and the sea. In the 19th century, the bridge was called the Bridge of Tears, as this was often the last view immigrants of the potato famine had of their family.
Churches: The 19th century in Clonegal was a time of chapel building and the houses near the church date from that time. St.Brigid’s Catholic Church (where members of our Whelan family were baptized) was built in 1824. St.Brigid’s is a fine church with a truncated granite spire, Corinthian columns in the sanctuary and a lovely plaster ceiling. (When they erected the new church, they built it over the old structure and then removed the original building through the church doors.)
Huntington Castle was built during the English settlement of the area in the early 17th century and was originally a “plantation” fortress used for defensive purposes; after 50 years of occupation, the soldiers moved out and the Esmonde family, who have been in Ireland since 1192, converted it into a family residence. (It is most unlikely that the Whelans would ever have been invited inside this castle!)
It's rumoured that Huntingdon castle is plagued by ghosts of druids in the fields and even in the castle; the druids (revered in Ireland as the spiritual leaders of great knowledge, including astronomy) could, at a stroke, create a mist and start fires at will. Also the ghost of the first wife of Lord Esmonde is said to be seen in the garden combing her hair and wailing in anguish. One story is that she is in despair and waiting for her son and husband who have gone off to war; another story is that after she ran off with her infant son, Lord Esmonde took another wife so she is in anguish about that.
Since 1976, the castle's basement has been the base of the Fellowship of Isis religion. The goal of the Fellowship of Isis is to promote the idea of the Divine Feminine, to spread the religion of all Goddesses throughout the world. “The Goddess is seen as a Diety, the Divine Mother of all beings, as well as the embodiment of Truth and Beauty”. While sometimes considered pagan, it is tolerant of all religions
Weavers Cottages: These were built in 1690 to the direction of the lord of Huntingdon Castle. They were lived in by weavers when that trade was at its height.
Hanging Arch: The 1798 Ireland Rebellion was a major uprising against British rule in Ireland. It was driven by a mix of nationalist and revolutionary sentiments, influenced by the ideals of the American and French Revolutions; the goal was to create an independent Irish republic and promote Catholic emancipation. The rebellion officially began in May 1798 and involved several key battles, with the most significant occurring in June near Dublin, in Wexford, and in other counties. While Clonegal, wasn’t one of the main focal points, it was affected by the broader conflict and the area saw skirmishes and violence as rebels clashed with government forces. Despite initial successes, by the end of the summer, the rebellion was effectively crushed and the rebels faced brutal repression from the British military and loyalist forces. The aftermath of the rebellion was severe, with thousands killed and many more imprisoned or executed. Several United Irishmen prisoners were reputedly hanged in Clonegal in a yard now known as the Hanging Arch.
In response to the unrest, the British government enacted the Act of Union in 1800, which came into effect in 1801 and merged the Irish Parliament with the Parliament of Great Britain, creating the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. The rebellion left a lasting bitter legacy in Irish history and nationalist movements.
Irish Rebel/Hero: Patrick O’Donoghue (1810-1854) was born in Clonegal; he was an Irish Nationalist revolutionary and journalist. In the aftermath of the failed Young Irelander Rebelllion in 1848, he was sentenced to death for treason but this was later communted to transporation for life to the penal colony in Van Dieman’s Land (Tasmania). In Hobart, he started publishing a newspaper of Irish ballads, poetry and history; the English governor was not pleased and had O’Donoghue arrested and sentenced to a year’s work on a chain gang—a time of hard labour, living in a convict station, mainly in the company of non-political prisoners such as rapists, muggers and thieves. In 1851, Patrick escaped, was smuggled to Australia and then on to the United States. He died in San Francisco, shortly before the arrival of his wife on a ship from Ireland. Did any of the Whelans know Patrick?
CLONEGAL IN HISTORY
1. In ancient times, the village was known as Moyacomb or “Plain of the Two Hounds.” The two hounds belonged to Fionn MacCumhall, a famous hunter warrior of Irish mythology. He was the leader of bands of roving hunter-warriors, a poet and seer; it was said he had a magic thumb that bestowed him with great wisdom. He is often depicted hunting with his two hounds. Many geographical features in Ireland are attributed to Fionn including the Giant's Causeway which he built as stepping stones to Scotland so as not to get his feet wet.
Fionn and his dogs were said to have rested in Mayacomb (now Clonegal) during his pursuit of Diarmuid and Grainne. The aging Fionn was to marry Grianne, the beautiful daughter of Cormac MacAirt, High King of Tara, but after meeting Diarmund, she refused to marry Fionn. Thereafter Fionn pursued Diarmuid and Grainne the length and breadth of Ireland for 16 years before Diarmuid was killed by a wild boar. The story of Diarmuid and Grainne is one of the great romantic Irish legends. (According to Irish legend, Fionn is not dead at all, but sleeps in a cave. One day he will awaken and defend Ireland in the hour of her greatest need.)
2. The Kavanaghs were an ancient Irish Gaelic clan who held considerable power in County Carlow. They were descendant of the high kings of Leinster and were known for their warrior prowess and leadership. The great forest, Fiodh Doracha, which once surrounded Clonegal village, was the site of a battle between the King of Leinster, Dermot MacMurrough Kananagh and the High King of Ireland, Rory O’Connor. It was after this battle that Kavanagh left Ireland for England in 1166 seeking the help of Henry II.
3. Oliver Cromwell was an English soldier, Puritan, and stateman; he organized armed forces in the English Civil wars (which led to the beheading of King Charles I) and twice served as Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England.
In 1649, to quell the chaos and rebellion, Cromwell and his English troops invaded Ireland. His troops killed thousands of innocent civilians, especially in south-east Ireland. "[Irish] died from artillery bombardment, from gunshots, from sword or dagger thrust, or by bludgeon... commander was beaten with his own wooden leg. Most were killed in hot blood. But others were killed in cold blood after they had surrendered or had been captured. Cromwell ordered none in military or religious orders to be spared."
Due to its strategic importance (its location between Dublin and Wexford), the village of Clonegal and Huntington Castle were captured by Oliver Cromwell in 1650. It was said that most of Clonegal village was burned and half of County Carlow's population died from famine. After the Irish surrendered in 1652, the practice of Catholicism was banned in Ireland and all Catholic-owned land was confiscated and given to Protestant Scottish and English settlers. Thus began a long period of suffering and poverty for the Irish people. The curse of Cromwell--the memory of his time in Ireland still hangs over Anglo-Irish relations.
4. In the 17th century, trade was booming with America, with much of the produce being exported in oak barrels. Clonegal’s great oak forests provided much of the raw material to build the oak barrels and the village prospered at the time. Many strangers came to the village at this time, hence the current meaning of Clonegal as “Meadow of the Stranger” or “Cluain nan Gall.”
In the 18th century, Clonegal became a big wheat and barley producing area. The River Derry powered the distillery (its ruins can still be seen from the bridge). There were once eleven malt houses in and around the village, along with a wool and corn store. Migrant workers came to service these crops.
5. The Great Famine (18845-1847) badly affected the county. By the end of 1846, the potato crop had completely failed. Tens of thousands died from fever, cholera and starvation. Famine victims often died unseen in mud huts or along the roadside only to be quickly buried in shallow unmarked or mass graves. Another result of the famine and bungling, uncaring politicians was to virtually eliminate any small landowners of five acres. (quite possibly the Whelans who may have been forced to sell off their small acreage to afford transportation to Canada.)
6. Ireland's population continued to decrease throughout the 19th and 20th century. Today Clonegal has a population of around 300. In 2014 and 2015, it won as "Ireland's tidiest village."
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