My mother took first turn, set up rhythms that, slugged and thumped for hours ‘Churning Day’ by Seamus Heaney
In 1919, a creamery was established in the village of Listry, Co Kerry which survived into the 1990s. One century on, Paul and Annette Garland, the owners, opened the building as a creamery museum in homage to its history and, by extension, that of all creameries in the county if not the country:
Listry Creamery has been recreated to replicate its original working model … A visit to The Kerry Creamery Experience will evoke memories for some and give others a snapshot of how the creameries all over Ireland earned their place as the pivotal point of rural life during the last century.[1]
The Garlands purchased Listry Creamery, which had operated as an auxiliary creamery, in 2002, and first utilised it as a garden centre before opening The Kerry Creamery Experience in 2018. They describe the visitor attraction as ‘Ireland’s first and only creamery museum’:
There’s something for all the family; the little ones will enjoy meeting the animals and exploring the farm-themed playground; the cosy tea-room will satisfy everyone with freshly grounded coffee and tea and home-made treats. Private tours, birthday parties and school tours can be arranged by appointment.[2]
The facility, crammed with dairy machinery, artefacts, information boards, documents, photographs and fascinating memorabilia, represents both an important source of local and national history.
The museum is also a modern social pastime, a far cry from the working history of the building that in 1919 got off to a bad start:
D & G Watson claimed £1500 compensation for a creamery with one 12 horse power oil engine, etc, broken and completely destroyed between the 4th and 6th December 1919 at Listry. It was shown that Messrs Watson had several creameries in the county. There was a co-operative creamery at Milltown, and the same company at Ballyhar. The applicants erected a creamery at Listry, midway between the two co-operative creameries. It was established in November, and it was standing for four weeks and four days. On the 4th December a gang of men broke into the creamery, and, apparently with a sledge hammer demolished every bit of the machinery in the concern.[3]
‘The age of domestic manufactures is past’ – Sir Lyon Playfair, April 1888[4]
In 1919, it was remarked that a number of creameries had become subject to malicious injury. It was a time of impending change in the manner of established dairying practices where the small rural creamery was and had been an integral part of the economy and community. Scientific and mechanical advances equated to tradition under threat.
In 1884, the Irish dairying system was regarded as antiquated and Kerry farmers were being urged to reform:
Kerry supplies a large quantity of butter to the Cork receivers, who in turn sell to the exporters, and as the latter ship them to the other side of the Channel in the different brands and qualities, so the subject of reformation should arrest the attention of Kerry farmers … the competition of foreign countries such as Denmark, Sweden, France and America are far beyond us … owing to the apathy of Irish farmers in not keeping up with modern innovations which are being adopted by our foreign competitors.[5]
‘When farmers keep up the old medieval style of making and packing into unsightly casks or firkins,’ continued the writer, ‘and exporters generally retaining butters till their quality has well-nigh gone in such a degree as to make their sale an arduous work, our foreign rivals have steadily crept into trade’:
Why cannot our farmers be brought to see that unless they change from the old style of butter making they may give up the game and retire from the field … farmers must either make fine butters or they must cooperate on the factory or American creamery system.
In 1885, ‘a fine creamery’ was established at Hospital, County Limerick by the Munster Dairy Company Limited of which Rev Canon Richard Wolfe Bagot was chairman. ‘The object of it was to assist numbers of small farmers in being able to contend with the foreign markets.’[6] Indeed, Rev Canon Bagot published his Hand-book on dairy factories, creameries and home dairying the following year.[7]
In the years that followed, commercial creameries were established throughout the county. They were generally located within a radius of about six miles of each other for the comfort of the donkey pulling the cart, and each creamery was assigned its own number. Listry Creamery welcomed 168 farmers per day.
The Kerry Creamery Experience has on display a comprehensive list of 132 creameries in Kerry researched by Dr Proinnsias Breathnach, Senior Lecturer Emeritus in the Department of Geography at Maynooth University.
In 1927, the Dairy Disposal Company was established to acquire private creamery companies and transfer them to co-operative societies (the co-operative movement had begun in Ireland in the late nineteenth century).[8] This centralising would lay the foundation for today’s Kerry Group and Golden Vale.[9] Remote districts without a creamery were served by the Dairy Disposal Company’s ‘travelling creamery’ where men like Patrick ‘Roundy’ Cronin, a driver in the Sliabh Luachra district in the 1940s and 1950s, were household names.[10]
Creamery stops were places of business but also meeting places where in days long before technology, neighbours shared news which helped to ease the isolation of both the bachelor farmer and the home based. Born for Hardship, the memoir of John Roche, Chairman of Castleisland District Heritage, records his experiences as a rural farm leader in twentieth century Ireland. Here he recalls the enjoyment of going to the creamery in the late 1940s:
I was eight years old when I first rode a horse to the blacksmith in town. I was eleven when I was sent to the creamery with twenty gallon milk churns which were tied together with ropes that had to be undone at the creamery, and again redone for the return journey with the skim milk. This creamery journey was regarded as one of the great community events in rural Ireland of the twentieth century. Unless one arrived very early or very late, it usually took about an hour to queue and get through the system. So farmers and workers and in many cases, farm girls and women, gathered in groups of four or five as the pony and carts, donkey and carts, lined the roadside. Here the disparate groups shared news, truths and many lies, some outrageous lies, swallowed as truths by the more gullible. All these ‘truths’ were then shared when the ‘creamery hack’ returned home. This was our Facebook![11]
The introduction of the bulk tank between the late 1960s and the mid-1980s signalled the inevitable demise of the creameries.
However, The Kerry Creamery Experience is a quaint, thought-provoking reminder of how far we have come, and in the throwaway culture of today, a sobering if not humbling lesson about the skills of our forebears in self-sufficiency.
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Butter Market Suppliers from Original Survey of February 1884
We are grateful to Mr and Mrs Proinnsias Breathnach for sharing the following link to Cork City and County Archives (https://publications.corkarchives.ie/view/695939335/) where a list of names and addresses of butter market suppliers from an 1884 survey is available. The suppliers, from Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Tipperary and Clare, are transcribed in alphabetical order. The Kerry suppliers, as far as can be seen, are extracted below. Cork City and County Archives will address transcription queries.
William Barrett, The Kerries, Tralee; Thomas J Beham (Behan?), Lixnaw; Jeremiah Bourke, Ballybrack, Farranfore; Denis Breen, Knocknagree; Denis Breen, Keelties, Farranfore; Daniel Bresnan (Brosnan?), Knockaderry; Patrick J Bresnan (Brosnan?), Ballybeg, Scartaglin; Thomas Brosnahan, Dermutton (Dromultan?), Scartaglin; Jeremiah M Brosnan, Inchabee, Farranfore; John Brosnan, Cloune Cardal (Cordal?), Castleisland; George Calihan, Tooranes (?), Brosna; Edmond Casey, Cunigar, Farranfore; Jeremiah P Cifford (Clifford?), Ballybane, Farranfore; Jeremiah Coffey, Sneem; John Collins, Aghadoe, Fossa; David Connor, Dromulton, Scartaglin; John Connor, Rattoo, Ballyduff; Patrick J Connor, Umeraboy (?), Rathmore; Patrick P Connor, Shinnagh, Rathmore; Timothy Counahan, Clounclieve, Farranfore; James Courtenay, Lackabawn, Killarney; John Courtney, Coolbane, Farranfore; Daniel Cronin, Maughnatourig, Gneeveguilla; John Cronin, Ards, Killarney; Mathew Cronin, Kellihane, Farranfore; Patrick Cronin, Nohoval, Rathmore; Patrick J Cronin, Knockavota, Milltown; Cornelius J Crowley, Mountfalvey, Scartaglin; Alexander Cruikshank, Gortnaskehy, Listowel; Michael Cullen (?), Lisheenaconna, Farranfore; Bartholomew Daly, Lyre, Farranfore; Charles Daly, Swinemount, Farranfore; Charles Daly, Kilfaniney, Currans; Charles M Daly, Gurrane, Farranfore; Cornelius C Daly, Dromage, Farranfore; James Daly, Nohoval, Rathmore; John C Daly, Knockaneacoulteen, Farranfore; Mathew Daly, Nohoval, Rathmore; William Daly, Parl (?), Killarney; William Daly, Keelaclohane, Milltown; William B Daly, Gurteenroe, Farranfore Post Office; William J Daly, Tralia?, Farranfore; John Daly?, Aughlamore, Killarney; Denis Denehy, Nohoval, Rathmore; John Dodd, Castleconway, Killorglin; Francis Donnelly, Gurtavullen, Farranfore; Daniel Donoghue, Keelclorane, Beaufort; Patrick J Donoghue, Gortdromakerry, Killarney; William Dowling, Ballydwyer, Ballymacelligott; Thomas Egan, [illeg], Ardfert; William Ferris, Rattoo, Ballyduff; Edmond Fitzgerald, Mount, Rathmore Station; Garrett Fitzgerald, Brewsterfield, Glenflesk; George Fitzmaurice, Bedford House, Listowel; David Gallwey, Gurtshannavah, Farranfore; John M Gallwey, Gurtshanaragh, Farranfore; Francis Giles, Tonreigh, Castlemaine; Alexander Giles, Upper Gransha, Castlemaine; John Griffin, Dromatour?, Ballyheigue; John Griffin, Craughmore, Farranfore; Patrick J Griffin, Ballymcdonnell, Curranes, Farranfore; John J Groves, Rusheen, Farranfore; Thomas Groves, Rusheen, Farranfore; James Guiney, Knockaclarig, Brosna; John Guiney, Knockaclarig, Brosna; Joseph Hamilton, The Cottage, Causeway; William Harold, Curroughelouna, Currens; Daniel Hartnett, Knocknagree, Rathmore; William Herlihy, Inchabeg, Rathmore; Patrick Hill, Killeen, Castlemaine; John P Hogan, Coolavanny, Castleisland; David Horan, Knockafrechane, Brosna; John Horan, Rath, Farranfore; John J Horgan, Knockatagilmore, Kilcummin; Sylvester Horgan, Sheepwalk?, Ballyduff; Michael A Kelleher, Coom, Rathmore; M? Keny?, Dromin Lodge, Ballybunion; Andrew M Larkin, Lahard, Beaufort; Eneas Leahy, Reacastle, Brosna; William Leahy, Caherlavoy, Brosna; Edmond Loughnane, Ballincumtuneg?, Castleisland; John Lucey, Ardagh, Killarney; Patrick Thomas Lyne, Lismongane, Killarney; Patrick D Lyons, Coolcleave, Farranfore; John McMahon, Bushmount, Farranfore; Alexander J McCarthy, Killarney; Michael McMahon, Manor, Tralee; Cornelius Meara, Knockenduff; Killarney; Andrew Mounihan, Rathbeg, Rathmore; Andrew H Moynihan, Behinaugh, Headford; John Moynihan, Banards, Gneeveguilla; John P Moynihan, Knockdurash, Headford; John Murphy, Nohoval, Rathmore; Michael Murphy, Brosna; David O’Brien, Ballinamanagh, Killarney; John O’Brien, Knocknamucklagh, Farranfore; Daniel [David] O’Connell, Derrynane Abbey, Waterville; John E O’Connell, Rathmorrell, Causeway; Edmond O’Connor, Tullamore, Listowel; Jeremiah O’Connor, Dunrine, Killarney; Mrs J J O’Connor, Dromulton, Scartaglin; Patrick O’Connor, Ballyhar, Farranfore; Thomas O’Connor, Camp, Ballyseedy, Tralee; Timothy O’Connor, Inchinglanna, Kenmare; Arthur O’Leary, Lowland, Rathmore; Denis O’Leary, Cluin, Castleisland; Denis O’Rourke, Coonaalleen?, Castleisland; Daniel O’Shea, Templenoe, Kenmare; Daniel O’Sullivan, Gurtshanavagh, Farranfore; Jeremiah D O’Sullivan, Inchinvinna, Farranfore; John O’Sullivna, Ballymalis, Beaufort; Marcus O’Sullilvan, Fieries, Farranfore; Mary O’Sullivan, Ballurfield (Bullockfield?), Farranfore; Michael O’Sullivan, Killeen, Killarney; Timothy O’Sullivna, Inches, Rathmore; Garrett Prendeville, Wood?, Castleisland; Ellen Quinlan, Currans, Farranfore; John Randles, Clontough, Kenmare; Patrick Randles, Letter Upper, Kenmare; Thomas Randles, Clontough, Kenmare; John Riordan, Roxborough, Farranfore; Michael Russell, Batterfield, Farranfore; John Scannell (Geannell?), Hollorum?, Killarney; James B Scott, Rusheen, Farranfore; Edmond Shanahan, Lisheenlaun, Castleisland; James Sheahan, Knockahagillbeg, Kilcummin; John Sheehan, Sneem; Patrick D Sheehan, Scrahane, Rathmore; Robert Smyth, Moyvane North, Newtownsandes; Michael Sullivan, Dromore, Farranfore; Cornelius Sullivan, Bushmount, Farranfore; Daniel Sullivan, Knockaneaculteen, Farranfore; Daniel J Sullivan, Rathmore; John Sullivan, Ballyfinnane, Farranfore; John Sullivan, Ballybroman, Abbeydorney; John Sullivna, Kilgranage?, Castleisland; John Sullivan, ?nagane?, Brosna; John D Sullivan, Kilfalliny, Currans; Thomas B Talbot, Culleenymore, Beaufort; James Tangney, Rath, Farranfore.
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[1] From information leaflet held in IE CDH 171: ‘A visit to The Kerry Creamery Experience in Listry, Co Kerry will evoke memories for some and give others a snapshot of how the creameries all over Ireland earned their place as the pivotal point of rural life during the last century. Listry Creamery has been recreated to replicate its original working model by the Garland family. At the Kerry Creamery Experience you will relive these memories and see Jenny the donkey pulling the cart with milk tanks and bring it to the delivery platform in Listry Creamery. You will also have the opportunity to watch and listen to the memories of local people going to the Creamery in the media room and see how milking techniques have advanced in Ireland today. To complete your experience you can enjoy a taste of creamery products alongside a range of home baking and hot beverages in the Tea Rooms. Our younger visitors can enjoy meeting the animals and explore our farm themed playground.’ [2] Irish Examiner, 13 February 2020. In the past, butter making was a very unpredictable process before scientific advances and piseogs and superstitions abounded. Paul and Annette Garland have retained a small fairy garden ‘as an ode to its brief life as a garden centre' and ‘an add-on to the whole idea of piseogs and traditions of the sidhe that once dominated Irish farming practices and traditional beliefs.’ [3] Killarney Echo and South Kerry Chronicle, 24 January 1920. ‘They got some new machinery, but there were several parts that they were unable to procure. Philip Watson gave evidence of having found everything smashed in the creamery on the 5th December except a cheese press and a boiler. He gave a list of the machinery destroyed and estimated the cost at £882 5s 0d … this machinery was brought from Farmers’ Bridge which was running for 15 years and was not paying … the manager at Farmers’ Bridge was dismissed because the creamery did not pay. Another man was appointed; he was threatened, and they closed the Farmers’ Bridge creamery.’ Further reference to the Watson family in Bales and Butter: Early Creameries in Castleisland at this link https://www.odonohoearchive.com/bales-and-butter-early-creameries-in-castleisland/ (or https://castleislanddistrictheritage.com/bales-and-butter-early-creameries-in-castleisland/) [4] An Address on Free Trade, ‘Industrial Competition and Commercial Freedom’ was delivered at the National Liberal Club, London on 24 April 1888 (Stockton Herald, 28 April 1888). [5] Kerry Weekly Reporter, 9 February 1884. [6] Kerry Sentinel, 20 February 1885. Rev Canon Bagot (1829-1894), Fontstown Glebe, Co Kildare, was Hon Secretary of the Kildare Agricultural Society and of the Athy Farmers’ Club. Rev Bagot married, at Prestwich Church, Manchester on 24 February 1857, to Jane Bayley (1825-1912), second daughter of Rev John Piccope, incumbent of Farndon, Cheshire and had a large family. Rev Bagot died at Fontstown Rectory on 27 August 1894: ‘He took a special interest in the improvement of butter-making in Ireland and was instrumental in obtaining the help of the government and of the Royal Dublin Society in securing practical training for persons engaged in dairy-farming’ (obituary, Manchester Courier, 30 August 1894). The death notice of Rev Bagot's daughter, Elizabeth Rachel Bagot (1859-1943) revealed that she was of a family of nineteen: ‘We regret to announce the death of Miss Elizabeth Rachel Bagot, which occurred at her residence, Shamrock Lodge, Athy, on Thursday of last week. Aged 85 years, she was a daughter of the late Canon Bagot, Fontstown, and was one of a family of nineteen. For over fifty years she and her sister, Miss Olivia Bagot, resided at Shamrock Lodge. She took a keen interest in the affairs of the parish and for many years acted as Hon Sec of the local branch of the Mothers’ Union. She was a cultured lady of great personal charm and all who knew her held her in high esteem. The funeral to the family burial ground at Fontstown on Saturday was large and representative’ (Leinster Leader, 6 March 1943). [7] ‘With regard to the encouragement of the butter industry, no man has done better work for Ireland than Canon Bagot. In his "Hand-book on Dairy Factories, Creameries, and Home Dairying," he points out that if practical information were disseminated among dairy farmers we should eventually keep at home the greater part of the £14,000,000 at present paid annually to foreign countries for butter. He strongly recommends co-operative dairying, as it can best be carried out by the factory system. He has erected a model dairy at the Irish Exhibition in London, which everyone interested in this subject should see. He has also established several factories in Ireland. If butter making is to succeed, it must be by the extension of the factory system, and the employment of the best machinery for creaming, churning, and mixing the butter. Besides, the manager of these factories must gain more experience by giving his undivided attention to it, than each separate farmer can by giving only part of his attention. The farmer will thus be able to give undivided attention to his farm. In the butter factory the milk is at once creamed by De Laval's or Petersen's centrifugal separators, and is immediately converted into butter, which is fresher, will keep longer, is purer, and ought to cost less, than that made on the old system of waiting 24 to 48 hours for the cream to rise. From 15 to 20 per cent, more cream can be got by the use of the separator, which means that a farm of 30 cows, producing 30lbs of butter per day by hand skimming, will yield 34lbs. to 6lbs.by using the separator. More than a hundred of these machines are now in use in Ireland. A description of the De Laval separator was given to this Institution in 1882 (Proceedings page 519). Sir Lyon Playfair confirms Canon Bagot's opinion, for in an address delivered on 24th April last upon "Industrial Competition and Commercial Freedom'' he says, — " the age of domestic manufactures is past. The conditions under which agricultural products can be manufactured by combination and machinery have been established. Creameries, butter factories, and cheese factories abroad succeed because they are conducted under manufacturing organisation, and not by isolated domestic producers" (Proceedings Institution of Mechanical Engineers (Great Britain), Volume 1888). [8] Further reading, Recollections of the Co-Op Years A Personal Account (2007) by Maurice Colbert. [9] In his memoir, Born for Hardship A Life through Changing Times (2018), John Roche shares his experience of the DDB: ‘One example of the criminal neglect of creameries was our own DDB (Dairy Disposal Board). They were exporting butter to England in one hundredweight blocks. Sometimes the quality was so poor that it was returned again. We learned that the returned butter was mixed with fresh butter here in Kerry and supplied to the local market, basically their own loyal suppliers. I still remember the coloured streaks through the pound of butter! Contrast that with Kerrygold, the number one quality butter in the world. It’s milk from the same farms’ (p153). Further reference, Irish Agriculture Nationalised – the Dairy Disposal Company and the making of the modern Irish dairy industry (2014) by Dr Micheál Ó Fathartaigh. Kerry Co-op Creameries (Kerry Group) took over the DDB in 1976. See The Kerry Way: The History of Kerry Group, 1972-2000 (2001) by James J Kennelly. [10] See article, ‘Roundy Remembers the Travelling Creamery,’ Journal of Cumann Luachra (1989) pp39-41, which includes a pictorial postcard image of farmers meeting at the travelling creamery lorry in Waterville by English photographer John Wilfrid Hinde (1916-1997), a scene recreated in 2007 (see ‘Dara gets Hinde postcard scenes picture perfect,’ Kerryman, 8 August 2007). Notes on Hinde: John Wilfrid Hinde (1916-1997), author of HindeSight (1993), pioneer of scenic photography and of the printing process which enabled him to produce postcards for the Irish tourism sector from the 1950s until he sold his Dublin-based company in the 1970s. ‘The Ireland he had recorded was becoming history … the shawls, the cottages, the ass and creels, the turf saving was over … John HInde, creator of a mystical Ireland knew it was time to move on’ (Mayo News, 14 January 1998). Hinde, who married Antonia Falnoga and had five children, subsequently went to live in France where he died on St Stephen’s Day 1997. John Wilfrid Hinde was born in Street, Somerset on 17 May 1916. His father recalled that ‘six months after his son’s birth, he was arrested as a conscientious objector and went to prison for two and a half years. One of his son’s earliest recollections would have been visiting him in Exeter Prison. For ten years his son had hip disease, and had to lie on his back. They heard of Christian Science, and obtained treatment from a practitioner for him. Within a year of two he was able to lay aside his crutches and splint. As a result they became members of the Christian Science Church (ref: Taunton Courier and Western Advertiser, 27 April 1940). It was during this early period of inactivity that John Wilfrid Hinde developed an interest in photography. Parents of John Wilfrid Hinde: Wilfrid George Hinde (1886-1973) and Dublin-born Rhoda Constance Clothier (1881 or 1891-1965, daughter of Eustace Henry Clothier and Rhoda Esther Cavill) who married on 12 August 1915 in Street, Somerset. Grandparents of John Wilfrid Hinde: Geologist Dr George Jennings Hinde (1839-1918) and Edith Octavia Clark (1852-1943, one of the 14 children of Clark shoes founder James Clark and his wife Eleanor Stephens). Wilfrid George Hinde’s older brother was Karl Alfred Hinde (1882-1954); see Papers of Joyce Green and Karl Hinde 1915-1992 at Alfred Gillett Trust GB2075 https://alfredgilletttrust.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/jg.pdf [11] Born for Hardship A Life through Changing Times (2018), pp56-57.
