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Kinvara Carnival – 1961

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Connacht Tribune 24th June, 1961 p6

Kinvara G.A.A.
Kinvara G.A.A.

Kinvara’s Big Day
Sunday marks the opening of Kinvara Carnival which runs for three weeks and ends with the opening of the £3,500 Gaelic pitch which, with previous carnivals, it helps to pay for.
Begun three years ago this new pitch, the only enclosed playing pitch in the South Board area, requires only a successful carnival “run” to clear it of debt.
The Carnival opens on Sunday at Kinvara Pier at 5 p.m. when the Kinvara Dramatic Society arrives by boat and performs a pageant based on an adaptation of Lady Gregory’s “Rising of the Moon” by Mrs Thomas Donnellan, N.T. At the conclusion of the performance the Queen of the Pageant will be crowned and a fancy dress parade will take place through the streets of the town.
The dancing marquee is the main attraction of the Carnival and a Fancy Dress Ball will be held on Tuesday night, July 4th.
The new G.A.A. pitch will be formally opened on Sunday, July 16th when two games will be played, one between Fohenagh, 1960 County Champions, and Liam Mellowes.
The St. Patrick’s Brass Band, Galway, will be in attendance for the occasion.

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Cruinniú na mBád

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Connacht Tribune 14th August, 1987 p.22

Photo: Connacht Tribune
Photo: Connacht Tribune

(abridged)
For the curious there is a fascinating connection between Connemara badoirí and Kinvara Pier – pointed out by that brilliant Cruinniú organiser and founder, Tony Moylan.
Along the pier wall is a capping of concrete applied in the 19th century. Here and there in the concrete are footprints. The legend is that while the concrete was drying some boats of turf arrived from Connemara and the badoirí in clambering ashore sank their footwear in it.

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No turf in Kinvara – 1919

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Connacht Tribune 23rd August, 1919 p.4

Photo: Irish Independent 2nd October, 1919.
Photo: Irish Independent 2nd October, 1919.

Kinvara is presently suffering from a turf famine, which is attributed to a notice put up under the heading of “Kinvara Sinn Fein Club”, fixing the price, owing to the exorbitant prices hitherto paid for seven cart loads at £6. Turf sellers have decided not to bring any further supplies to the village until the price – hitherto £7 10s per six cart load – be fixed.

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Greene’s Hotel, Kinvara

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Connacht Tribune 6th June 1975 p.29 (abridged)FREEN
After speaking at “The Crane”, Kinvara Maud Gonne McBride and Mary McSwiney came to the Greene’s hotel for refreshments. Apart from Dun Guaire, it is said to be both the oldest house and the oldest hostelry in Kinvara. Sean McBride stayed there for two weeks when trying to found the Clann na Poblachta Party. Michael Davitt addressed his Kinvara supporters from an upstairs window in the hotal.

Another caller was Patsy Conry (Padraic O Conaire) whose Asal Beag Dubh had Kinvara associations.  In 1848 John Dillon escaped capture via the Quay, Kinvara, steered by John Holland from Kinvara.

Nearby is a large warehouse which was once owned by Persse’s of Galway for storing their whiskey. John Greene remembers Baron de Basterot’s young son in Duras House. The locals persuaded the young lad to try standing “on his head” and while some praised him for his efforts, others made off with the coins that fell from his pockets. Across from Greene’s hotel is an old parish church and graves, one with a curious inscription:
James O’Farrell lies under this stone,
Pray for him ye Christians
To sin he was prone.

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Kinvara Fancy Dress – 1953

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Connacht Tribune 25th April, 1953 p.21

The Book Nook, Sextons Kinvara Photo: EO'D
The Book Nook, Sextons
Kinvara
Photo: EO’D

The south Galway genius for colourful characterisation has seldom been better displayed than at the Tostal Dance in Kinvara.
First prize went to Mr Sean Keane of Caherawoneen as “Ould Stock of Gort.” A humourous fantasy, “She’s too fat for me,” by Mr Toddy Byrne and Miss Carmel Sexton, both of Kinvara, took the second award, while Mr and Mrs Tom Doyle of Kinvara took third prize as “The National Pastimes,” with Mrs Doyle as a camogie player and Mr Doyle as a hurler.
Other costumes noted were “The Long Black Hand,” by Miss Martha Leech; “Sheriff O’Sullivan,” by Mr Kieran Moylan; “Sean-Padraig,” by Miss Mary McMahon; “Mr and Mrs O’Sullivan come to An Tostal,” by Mr Alfred Byrne and Mr Michael Connolly; and “The Ould Plaid Shawl,” by Miss Ann Flatley. Miss Dora Quinn was a fetching “Hula-Hula Girl.”

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The Stone Window – Kinvara – 1972

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Connacht Tribune 8th September, 1972 p.17

Kinvara Quay Photo: EO'D
Kinvara Quay
Photo: EO’D

Until such time as a professional archaeologist pronounces on the fine stone window and doorway discovered last week at The Quay, Kinvara, there is nothing to dispel the rumours and opinions circulating concerning their origin.
Their discovery was made by workmen demolishing the first of the old buildings at The Quay, the beginning of the £250,000 housing scheme planned for the town by a private company.
The three-foot window is obviously a church window and it stands fifteen feet from the ground, directly above a stone doorway which is nine feet high. On top of the window are inscribed the figures 1782.
The question is; Where did this window come from? Did it come from St Coman’s Church in the centre of the town at the rear of the main cluster of houses? Were the window and doorway part of a clergyman’s residence in the 18th Century? If this residence was once a Protestant clergyman’s home – and there is a local opinion that a Protestant Bishop lived there – were the ornate stone window and doorway incorporated into the original building? Or were they added to the building having been taken from a nearby church?
The intention of the demolition men at present is to leave these monuments in situ. The discovery of the monuments opens up a vista into a forgotten portion of Kinvara heritage. There is a most interesting history attached to The Quay over which has been passed by Galway County Council for the erection of houses.
It would be a great pity if the once hallowed precincts were to disappear without proper recording under the new structures.

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Lunch at St. Anthony’s, Kinvara – 1926

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Connacht Tribune 28th August 1926 p7

St. Anthony's Hotel Kinvara
St. Anthony’s Hotel Kinvara

President Cosgrave and Senator Dr Gogarty were in the Kiltartan country on last Friday and subsequently motored to Kinvara, where they lunched at St Anthony’s Hotel. Afterwards they returned to Dublin

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A sensational incident – 1911

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Connacht Tribune 15th July, 1911 p.4 (abridged)

Photo: EO'D
Photo: EO’D

On Friday morning of last week, about 4.30 a.m., the mail car from Kinvara to Ballyvaughan was held up at Curranroo, Co. Clare, by an armed man, who sprang from behind a wall and, pointing a revolver at the driver, shouted, “Hands up,” and took possession of the horse and car.
The first intimation the driver got that anything was wrong was when he espied a wall built across the road a few hundred yards from Curranroo in the Newquay direction on top of a hill near the house of James McNerney. He was in the act of dismounting in order to remove the obstruction when a man, wearing a mask, with a slouch hat on one side of his head and a “speck” cap on the other, who had, evidently concealed himself in a sandpit for some time previously where he had an uninterrupted view of the Kinvara road and of the mail car approaching, sprang out on the road and presented a revolver heavily mounted, and obviously of an American type, and commanded the driver to walk towards Kinvara until the junction at Corker Hill – the boundary of Clare and Galway – was reached.  He drove off with the car and horse and made by the new line in the direction of Corofin.

The driver retraced his steps when he saw he was out of danger and reported the matter to the police at Newquay. The police immediately set out on bicycles and some of the letters were found scattered a few miles away at Funshin, and the other three bags were found near Cappamore, Kinvara.

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Kinvara Platoon – 1951

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Connacht Tribune 20th January, 1951 p.13

Johnstons c.1920
Johnstons c.1920

Kinvara Platoon breaks the ice for Gort Battalion by holding a dance at Johnston’s Hall on Sunday, 21st inst. This is the first dance held by any unit of the Battalion since 1915 and the platoon is endeavouring by careful preparation to ensure that it will set a headline for all units. With an excellent floor, a fine band, and the co-operation of all concerned, an excellent night seems assured.

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Pass required – 1821

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Freeman’s Journal 11th November, 1821

View from County Clare Photo: Norma Scheibe
View from County Clare
Photo: Norma Scheibe

In order to prevent disorderly persons from crossing the River Shannon from Limerick County into the County of Clare there are boats stationed on the river with peace officers on boat, who are directed to search all boats crossing the river, and to apprehend suspected persons in order that they may be examined by the Magistrates, and such persons as wish to come across the river on lawful purposes are directed to have a pass from some Magistrate to save them trouble or interruption.