The Castleisland Collection holds material pertaining to two nineteenth century elections in the county – the Kerry Election of 1835 and the Kerry ‘Home Rule’ By-Election of 1872.1 Michael O’Donohoe observed how in those years, ‘everybody had to go to Tralee to vote’. In 1835, Daniel O’Connell urged that: Deputations be…… Continue Reading
Animal Sports in Castleisland
Castleisland has a great tradition in animal sports. As far back as 1747, Castle-islanders got behind a five day horse-racing event for prizes of up to a ‘purse of 30 shillings’. Day two of the event was to be run by ‘real hunters’ who had been at the death of two brace of foxes…… Continue Reading
Houses of Castleisland
Michael O’Donohoe studied the historic houses of the Castleisland area. One source of reference was Historical Genealogical Architectural notes of some Houses of Kerry (1994), the work of the late Valerie Bary. Michael created, in essence, a Houses of Castleisland. Michael’s study caused him to take up correspondence with New Zealand born Valerie Bary…… Continue Reading
Castleisland House League
Gentlemen, what will I do when the bailiff will come and take my little pig? … Thade, we’ll dress her in green ribbons and carry her home to you upon our shoulders1 The suggestion of a House League was made during a meeting of the Land League in Dublin in 1880, presided by Michael…… Continue Reading
Ivy Leaf Theatre, Castleisland
The Castleisland collection includes a selection of newspapers, local and national, retained by Michael O’Donohoe for their relevance to the subjects of his research. A local publication, Castleisland News, relates to the town’s Ivy Leaf Theatre and Arts Centre.1 The theatre, which finds home in a refurbished Church of Ireland, has been host…… Continue Reading
Dromultan or Fagan Estate, Castleisland
There is an anti-Irish feeling so predominant among the English members [of parliament] as to render them totally unfit to legislate for Ireland – Daniel O’Connell to William Trant Fagan, 26 October 1833 Michael O’Donohoe’s innocuous note on Dromultan Estate opens up volumes in Irish history. The name associates with Thomas Browne,…… Continue Reading
Hotels in and about Castleisland
Michael O’Donohoe plotted the development of hotels in the town of Castleisland from the late eighteenth century. Among the earliest inns documented are Bailey’s Hotel and Meredith’s Hotel. Others named include Brandon Arms Hotel, Chute Arms Hotel, Castle View Hotel (or Scannell’s/Hartnett’s Hotel), Coffey’s Commercial Hotel, Brosnan’s Temperance Hotel, Fitzgerald’s Imperial Hotel, McCrehan’s Star…… Continue Reading
Castleisland and the Herbert family
Michael O’Donohoe created a useful reference to names and places of local interest found in the 1963 edition of Herbert Correspondence (edited by W J Smith).1 Smith’s introduction to the Correspondence explains its relevance to the Castleisland collection: The letters printed in this volume constitute all the sixteenth and the greater part of the seventeenth…… Continue Reading
Sir Richard Griffith in Castleisland
In the year 1822, the town of Castle Island, in the county of Kerry … bore the most unequivocal signs of poverty in its inhabitants … the street presented a mass of uneven rock, resembling a quarry rather than a road – Richard Griffith, Civil Engineer1 It is clear from material in the collection…… Continue Reading
GAA in Castleisland
Energetic efforts are now being made to reorganise the erstwhile famous Castleisland Desmond Football Club … some few years ago it was a household word in almost every district in Kerry – Kerry Weekly Reporter, 9 May 1903 An essay following the history of the GAA in the Castleisland district from 1878 to 1892…… Continue Reading