Kerry Evening Post Saturday, October 21, 1843, p2.
Photo: EO’D
CONSECRATION Diocese of Killaloe and Confert, &c, On Thursday, the 12th inst., the Hon and Right Rev. the Lord Bishop of this diocese, consecrated the new church in Kinvarra, a small but rising town, situated on the eastern extremity of the bay of Galway. The weather was unfavourable, it having rained heavily during the morning, but notwithstanding there was a large and respectable congregation. Amongst those present were the Very Rev. William O’Grady, the clergy and respectable laity of the neighbourhood. On his arrival at the western door of the church, the clergy in their surplices, &c., met the Lord Bishop, and preceded by him, advanced up the aisle, repeating the 24th Psalm, when his lordship took his seat on the north side of the communion table. The deed for setting apart the church for holy purposes being read by the deputy register, the Very Rev. the Provost of Kilmacduagh, and the Rev. W.H. Nason, proceeded to read the morning service; the first lesson being read by the Rev. William Roe, Chaplain to the Earl of Clancarty, and the second by the Rev. Mr. Robinson, Curate of the Venerable the Archdeacon of Confert. The 100th Psalm was then sung with effect and devotion, by the Clergy and congregation, led by the Rev. W. Roe. The Bishop next read the Communion service, the Epistle being read by the Dean of Kilmacduagh, after which the 121st Psalm was sung. His Lordship preached the consecration sermon, taking for his text the 16th chap. of St. Matthew’s Gospel and the 18th verse, “Upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it.” In the course of which, in a strain of most exalted eloquence, he faithfully advocated the cause of our Reformed Church, contending that Protestantism had not its beginning, but its purification, at the time of the glorious Reformation – that that justification was by faith only in the atonement and imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ – that the Church of Rome, though the depositary, was not the faithful dispenser of the truth – that there never was a time when the motley bands of our Zion’s opponents were more leagued for her destruction, infidelity without and a spurious liberality scarcely less dangerous within, but that she was founded upon Jesus the Rock; and that faithful Christians, the true children of God, were called, elected and chosen from ages everlasting. His Lordship concluded with adverting in a most impressive and feeling manner to the memory of the Rev. John Burke, the late vicar of the parish, through whose exertions the church of Kinvarra had been built, eulogising his merits and character, and expressing his conviction (it being the intention of his friends to erect a monument to his memory) that it would be more in accordance with the wishes of the deceased, and equally fulfil this intended object of his friends, should a school-house be substituted for the monument. The effect of this discourse was here apparent from the tears of the congregation; and it is earnestly to be hoped that his lordship’s recommendation will speedily and vigorously be put into execution. It would be quite impossible to give an adequate idea of the Bishop’s sermon. We would respectfully suggest to his lordship that, by having it printed and published through the lenght and breadth of the land, he would confer a lasting boon upon the Church at large. The Sacrament of the Lord’s supper was then administered to about forth communicants, when all separated enlightened by, and gratified with, the services of the day. Cork Constitution.
THE IRISH TIMES Wednesday, February 9th, 1916 On Monday evening at 6 o’clock two of the vanmen of Mr. J.S. Young, J.P., Controller of Recruiting in Galway, were conveying loads of empty mineral cases from Kinvarra to Galway. Close to the villages of Clarenbridge and Oranmore a crowd of men, numbering between twenty and thirty, armed with heavy blackthorn sticks and revolvers, and disguised with handkerchiefs and masks tied over their faces, jumped over the walls and stopped the drivers, who were dragged from their seats. The horses were taken from the vans and hunted over the country. The mineral cases were scattered over the road and the drivers were dragged into a field, where their pockets were searched, but as the men had their money concealed, they lost none of it. The men were then told to go to Oranmore or something worse would happen to them. They were escorted by the masked men in a round-about direction, and when they were liberated a number of revolved shots were fired in the air. The two men reached Oranmore and caught the night train to Galway. At the time of writing an active search is being made for Mr. Young’s horses. Mr. Young sent his vans out today as usual. There is considerable excitement in Galway over the occurrence, and a large body of police are engaged in investigating the affair.
The Cork Examiner March 12, 1923 London Correspondence (Through our private wire). 180, Fleet Street, Sunday Night.
Mr. Frank Fahy’s paper on “Ould Kinvarra” at the Irish Literary Society last night was one of the most delightful things the Society has had for many a long day. It was an authentic picture of Irish life in a little country town in the sixties and seventies. It was real because the memories were Mr. Fahy’s own memories, and yet as he truly said, other things being equal, it might have stood for a picture of life in any other little Irish town in the same period. Those of us who heard the paper saw the people of Kinvarra and heard their familiar talk in their homes and out of them, took part in their joys and sorrows, and were one with them in their passionate love of the scenes among which they moved, a love which years of exile from them and leagues of sea and land now lying between the exiles and them only seem to increase. The success of Mr. Fahy’s paper lay not only in the sympathetic chords it touched in the hearts of his audience but in the artistry with which he drew his picture, and the inimitable way in which he made every word tell. Every inflection in his voice was full of meaning. No one else could have written the paper, no one else could have read it so well. It was little wonder that in the subsequent discussion there were appeals to Mr. Fahy to have “Ould Kinvarra” printed – and along with it the other lecture which he gave not long ago before the Society in which he described the work of the Southwark Irish Literary Society in London in the eighties. The only drawback to the evening was that its attractiveness demonstrated severely how inadequate is the space in the Society’s room for such an occasion.
Mrs Skerrett, of Pembroke road, Dublin and Finavarra House, Kinvarra, Co. Clare, has let the latter place for the summer months to Mr. J. Harris Stone, B.L. of Oxford and Cambridge Mansions, London. The change to the solitude of the Burren district will be pleasing to the tired London man, and the air is deliciously fresh. There is a fine music room at Finavarra, and a series of theatrical performances was given there a couple of years ago by Mrs Skerrett and her sister, Mrs Sampson – both widows and full of quite unique talent in a musical and histrionic way.
THE IRISH TIMES, Friday, June 13, 1862 – Page 1 Pursuant to previous notice, the inhabitants of Kinvara met in the Courthouse on Sunday, 1st of June, for the purpose of taking into consideration the present destitute condition of the poor in that town and neighbourhood. On the motion of Mr. Martin Linnane; seconded by Mr. Martin Kerins, the Chair was taken by the Rev. Francis Arthur, P.P. The Chairman having addressed the meeting, and explained to them the object for which it was called. The following resolutions were unanimously agreed to:- Proposed by Mr. Thomas Fahy; seconded by Mr. Francis Kilkelly: Resolved – That Denis Joseph Hynes Esq., M.D. &c, be requested to act as treasurer, and the Rev. Christopher Carroll, R.C.C. as secretary. Dr. Hynes then proposed, and Mr. Henry O’Flanagan seconded the following resolution: Resolved – That as every resource for the support of the labouring poor of this Parish is now exhaused, and as unfortunately this Parish has suffered seriously from the injury done to the Potato Crop last season, we, this day, form a committee to devise some means whereby we may be able with God’s aid to preserve the lives of the poor, for the next two months, when, we trust, a merciful Providence will relieve their wants with a bountiful harvest. Proposed by Mr. Peter Linnane: seconded by Mr. Daniel O’Dea: Resolved – That a subscription list be entered into and that our Secretary be requested to solicit subscriptions from the gentry and others connected with the district by property and otherwise. Proposed by Mr. William Flatley, and seconded by Mr. John Harney: Resolved – That the above Resolutions be published in the Galway Vindicator, Evening Freeman and Irish Times Newspapers. FRANCIS ARTHUR, P.P. CHAIRMAN. CHRISTOPHER O’CARROLL, C.C. Sec.
The following subscriptions were then handed in:-
Issac B. Daly, Esq £ 10. 0. 0; Daniel O’Dea £1.0.0; Rev. Mr Moran, Rector, Kilcolgan £2.0.0; Peter Linnane £1.0.0; Rev. Francis Arthur, P.P. Kinvara £3.0.0; Thomas Fahy £1.0.0; John Joyce £1.0.0; Rev. C. O’Carroll R.C.C. £1.0.0; Michael Healy £1.0.0; John Harney £1.0.0; Denis Joseph Hynes Esq., M.D. £2.0.0; John Nolan £1.0.0; Joseph Salmon £1.0.0; Dr. McCormick £1.0.0; Mrs Johnston, Maryville £1.0.0; Martin Linnane £2.0.0; Henry O’Flanagan £1.0.0; Peter Kelly £1.0.0; Martin Kerins £1.0.0; Mrs Alexander £0.5.0; Francis Kilkelly £1.0.0.
THE IRISH TIMES, Friday, June 13th, 1862 p.3 Pursuant to previous notice from the Rev. Mr. Arthur, P.P., a meeting was held in the Court house, Kinvara, on the 8th inst., for the purposes of devising some means whereby the labouring poor of the town and its suburbs could be supported for the next month or two, until Providence gave them by a bountiful harvest the means of warding off the present distressing destitute condition of the poor people. At three o’clock, on the motion of Mr. Martin Linnane, seconded by Mr. Kering,
The Rev. F. Arthur, P.P. was called to the chair. It was then resolved on the motion of Mr. Thomas Fahy, seconded by Mr. Frank Kilkelly, that Dr. Hynes, whose exertions were ever found available in the cause of the poor, should be requested to act as treasurer to our relief fund, and that the Rev. C. O’Carroll, be requested to act as secretary.
The rev. Chairman having observed in the first instance that having passed through the ordeal consequent on the famines of 1947, ’48 and ’49 in this parish, he had hoped that such things as then occurred would never occur again, the rev. gentleman in continuation said – But when I saw on looking around me, even in this potato growing district, that my poor parishioners were many of them on the verge of starvation – and when I remembered how great was their repugnance to seek that relief they so much required at the hands of the Poor Law Guardians – feeling also, that owing to the badness of the times how very ill able the shopkeepers and traders of Kinvara, generous though I know them to be, would be to support the destitution around them, I applied in the first instance to a member of the Mansion House Committee, explaining to him the peculiar circumstances of our cast; and although the committee very kindly then sent us some relief, I was given to understand that unless we established a committee no further funds could be had from that source. Feeling, then, as I thing every man in Ireland ought to feel, that, when every other resource failed, the Government were bound to come to the rescue, and to save the lives of the poor, I addressed a letter to Sir Robert Peel detailing, as well as I could, for it required neither eloquence nor oratorical power to do so, the destitute condition of the labouring poor of my district, and telling him, at the same time, that we wanted no charity – nothing but a loan, as I may say, to get us over the present crisis – a loan which, I felt satisfied, the ratepayers of the district would willingly repay if required to do so, as I wanted no advance except for works which would be beneficial to the barony and the public at large, and I particularly instances the parapet wall along the shore opposite Dr. Hynes’s lawn, as the most useful that could be effected, under the circumstances. You all know, gentlemen, that a man’s life is not safe driving along that road, without almost any protection on the sea side, having a parapet in many places not a foot high, and over which, if a stranger fell, he would precipitated into the deep ever so many feet. Well, to this I drew the Chief Secretary’s attention; and what does he do? He sends an inspector to inquire into the truth of my allegations. That gentleman accordingly came here, but how did he institute his inquiry? Within folded doors, allowing no more than one at a time to appear before him. Even Dr. Hynes, whom he wished to see, and who gave up a pressing engagement in the hope of being enabled to assist me in the inquiry, he told (when he called on him) that he would not want him until evening; but in the evening Dr. Hynes could not attend, and Mr. Bourke (the inspector) returned from the inquiry at Kinvara fully impressed, I am sure, with the applicability in his case to the old proverb of – “veni, vidi, vici” – I came, I saw, I conquered. What you may or have to expect from hiss visit among you, you will hear from Dr. Hynes and as it is noting to give us hope, I have ventured to call you together today in order that you may among yourselves devise some means whereby the poor of our district may be saved for the next two months.
Dr. Hynes then rose to propose the first resolution (which will be found in our advertising columns), and in doing so said – Before I enter on the purport of the resolution entrusted to me, I feel pleasure in being enabled to inform you that I received a very kind and courteous note from our worthy rector, the Rev. James, F. Moran, of Kilcolgan, in which he feelingly speaks of and sympathizes with our present destitute condition in Kinvara. He adds, that he would most willingly have taken a part in our proceedings here today if circumstances, over which he had no control, did not prevent him doing so; but as the sinews of war prove the mainsprings in matters of this kind, he send me what I consider a very handsome subscription from him, on whom there falls so many demands of this nature. I say, therefore, that we should all feel obliged to the Rev. Mr Moran. (Hear, hear.) And now, adverting again to the resolution entrusted to me by our worthy chairman, I do not know whether his recollection of the years 1847, ’48, and ’49, and the part I then took in alleviating the distress of my poorer fellow-townsmen of not which made my respected parish priest so anxious that I should be the mover of this resolution. But, my friends, whatever be his motives, I have felt it my duty to respond to his call. (Hear.) It is melancholy that, in a year like this, when plenty of food can be found in almost every market in the country, our poor should nevertheless be on the point of starvation. What is the cause? Chiefly want of employment. Henceforth, well, then, be it out business – be it our duty to provide employment for the next two months for all such as may require it. (Hear, hear.) I am very sorry that I had not the opportunity of meeting Mr. Bourke here on Friday last, and as I had not, I wrote to him my views of the present destitution, and the means whereby it might be relieved. To that letter, I received a kind and courteous reply, but there was one sentence in it which blasts all our hopes of Governmental aid. He says – “I do not anticipate that any steps whatever will be taken by the Government in consequence of my report”. What, then, are we to do? Let us adopt the good old motto – “Those that help themselves God will help,” and let us this day, and in this Courthouse, enter into a subscription that will enable our poorer townsmen to tide over the present crisis. It may be said that there are too many to be relieved, and that our resources are limited. Granted. But let us divide the responsibility with the poor law authorities. The poor law, even as it stands, empowers the guardians to give outdoor relief to widows, orphans, &c, &c, but denies that relief to the able-bodied labourer, &c. Let it therefore be our province to provide for the latter class, and let the Poor Law Guardians look to the class of persons I have specified. But in order to avoid abuse, we ill give no relief to any person will not give us some work in return for what we give him; in other words, we will provide works of public utility in and about the town, for such as are in the habit of supporting their families by daily labour; to such persons we will give 1s per day, but we will not undertake to maintain those that are entitled to out-door relief from the guardians, and who could not, of course, work for us. I hope the guardians will take care of them – we will take care of the other class, and now, having explained the principle on which we propose to act, I beg leave to propose the following resolution which, being seconded by Mr. Henry Flanagan, passed reni cor. Mr Peter Linnane then proposed, and Mr. Daniel O’Dea seconded, that a subscription list be opened, and that the secretary be requested to solicit subscriptions from the humane and charitable throughout the country, and a vote of thanks having been passed to the Rev. Mr. Arthur, the meeting separated.
We find the following under the year 1360, in the ‘Annals of the Four Masters’: Brien O’Brien of Thomond gave a very great overthrow to the English of Munster, and took Gerald, Earl of Desmond, and many of the English nobles, prisoners. This battle(?) was so decisive that the clans of Thomond burned Limerick, and Sioda Cam McNamara was appointed governor of it.
The voice of the war-trump rings loud on the gale, The clansmen are rushing from mountain and glen, And proud beats each heart, ‘neath its buckler and amil, At the slogan that summons to conflict again.
From the sheelings of Thomond (1) the kern come fast, From Cahir of banquets (2) – Kinvarra of storms, They’re strong as the red-deer (3), more fleet than the blast, Youth’s fire in their veins, and youth’s grace in their forms.
Beware, valiant Desmond! – Your Normans look pale, Tho’ boasting their carriage, tho’ haughty their mein, Like the light’nings red flash is the shock of the Gael, Their axes are heavy – their sabres are keen.
They have met, they have fought – and yon red battle field Tells the Norman invader was humbled that day, ‘Neath the spears of Dalcassia (4), the gauntlet, and shield Of their country in many a foray and fray. DALCASSIAN
(1) Thomond, or North Munster, at one time included Clare, Limerick and Tipperary, but latterly it came to designate Clare, especially, in which sense it is used here. (2) Cahir is a fine old ruin on the banks of the Shannon, near Killaloe. It belonged to the McNamaras – one of whose castles I have seen iin an old poem called ‘Of the Rich Banquets.’ (3) The Irish red deer, now extinct, were famous for their strength and fleetness. (4) Dalcassia, now Clare, was also called Swordland, having been a border territory in Munster, and retained at the point of the sword from the Kings of Connaught.
Irish Times, Saturday March 2nd, 1907 Amongst the last awards made by the Royal Humane Society are the names of Constable Michael Carbery, Kinvara, Co. Galway, for the bronze medal of the Society, for plunging into 15 feet of water in Kinvara Harbour at the risk of his own life, and saving that of a man named Keane, who was 76 years of age and who had fallen from the pier.
