The Barrys & The Lanes - Togher Cross

 

Around the Lough , around the Lough,
Until you come to Togher,
The sweetest Drop,
You ever drank,
Was Paddy Garvey's porter 

The preceding poem was written by an unknown author perhaps in the late 19th , early 20th Century. It referred to a public house located at Togher Cross on the banks of the Liberty stream. This focal point of the local community was originally a two storied affair with a thatched roof. However over time the upper story began to list , a la Tower of Pisa and the Sarsfields had it reduced to a single story workmen's cottage. The Paddy Garvey mentioned was most probably the bar tender as no such name is attributed to the immediate vicinity. The cottage still stands to this day!

Barry's cottage with Forge 1930

 

This small  ¼ acre enclave in Togher located at Togher Cross in Doughcloyne has seen many owners over the last 850 years. Historically the domain of the Ui Mc Ceir tribe from the 3rd Century C.E. who ruled peacefully for almost 700 years , they though marriage and gifting of lands to the Ostmen of Cork City between the 10th and 11th Centuries , eventually faded out of history. However the Normans would change everything. This article will look at the subsequent owners of this hamlet right up to the present day.

Close up view of Cottage and Forge

1177 - Milo De Cogan first came to Ireland in 1169 as part of the Norman Invasion. He was Strongbow's right hand man. He lead many successful campaigns against the native Irish and together with Robert FitzStephen was granted the Kingdom of Cork by Henry II in 1177.  Expelling the Ostmen from Cork City and taking lands for themselves further out , Milo De Cogan took possession of Doughcloyne. Milo himself was murdered by Irish natives near Waterford a mere 5 years later. However his family would retain possession of lands including Doughcloyne right up to the 16th Century. * Interestingly , the name of De Cogan has survived in the modern Irish surname of Goggin.

De Cogan coat of arms
 

1539 - Thomas Ronayne , the son of Philip Ronayne purchased the large Townland of " Doghlin " ( Doughcloyne )  from the De Cogan family who had been the owners since the Norman Invasion of 1177. 

Ronayne coat of arms

1727 - Dominick Sarsfield married a Ronayne which meant the townland was now in his name. This then remained Sarsfield land until 1947 when the land and big houses were purchased by the S.M.A.

Sarsfield coat of arms

1826 - Tithe Applotments ( see below ) - Thomas Barry - a quarter acre site valued at £3.

Tithe Applotments 1823 - 1837

1846 - Griffiths Valuations ( see below ) - Edward Barry is listed as the head occupier with 3 acres to his name valued at £5 & 10s , whilst his brother Thomas has a quarter acre valued at £2 & 10s.

Griffith's Valuations 1847 - 1864

1864 - Other occupiers of the site at the time were Michael Sheehan -  the blacksmith at the Forge ; John Desmond , William Garney and Abraham Harris.

Griffiths Valuations 1847 - 1864
Plot 4. Note : Corner enclave only under discussion
Remainder of Plot 4 given over to agricultural use by others

1901 Census - Bernard Barry , 36 , who was a woodcarver by trade found himself head of household in the Census that year ; on the land in various smaller holdings were his single brother Patrick 40 , a mason and his widowed brother Thomas 47 along with his two children Johannah 13 and Edmond 11. Also in residence were their sisters Hannah 49 , a single dressmaker and Ellen O'Callaghan 57 ( perhaps separated as no husband is listed ) , a married housekeeper and her children , Alice 28 , a dressmaker , Kathleen 23 ,  and Annie 21, a milliner ( somebody who made hats and other headwear ) . 

1911 Census - Entry for the Barry family is currently offline. As no post 1911 Censuses have yet been made available , further information on the Barrys is scant at best. However , as mentioned later in this article ( Lanes ) , a Bill Barry later married an Eina Lane in the 1930s. Perhaps the man on the bicycle is Bill Barry?!

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Togher Historical Association met with Anthony & Angela Lane at their family home on Tramore Road recently to discuss their Grandfathers home at Togher Cross and bring the story of the old cottage up to date with a familial connection between the Lanes , Barry's and Longs. 

Liberty stream which flowed past 
Lane's Cottage for many centuries previous to culverting

For almost a Century , Togher Cross has been synonymous with Lane's Cottage , the Liberty stream ( a.k.a. Togher Stream ) and the Forge. The Forge is gone , the  stream is covered over but Lane's Cottage remains , thankfully listed. Its old neighbours , Coventry House and Lady Harris's Feirm Bawn ( including Blue Bag cottages ) sadly are no more , replaced with modern builds. 

1840s view of Lane's Cottage ( * Barry's )

Harry Lane ( b. 1884 ) , a native of Crosshaven had a Togher connection going back to at least 1911 when he married Elizabeth Long from Summerstown Lane ( The Heighties ). They initially lived with Elizabeth's brother John Long , a gardener in Myrtleville. They had five children : Christina ( Eina ) , born 22nd November 1911 when her parents were then living in Blarney ; Michael ( Maxie ) born circa 1914 , John ( Jackie ) born 1915 at Togher Cross , Harry jnr. born 1917 and Daniel ( Donal/Donie ) born 1921. Harry snr. later took part in the War of Independence 1919 - 1921 , when he was a member of H Company , a unit primarily made up of Togher locals.  It is thought that around 1914/15 that Harry and Elizabeth made Togher Cross their new home ,  living in one of the cottages on the site. 

Harry Lane & Elizabeth Long Marriage Cert
28th April 1910 at Crosshaven

Members of H Company
Jerh. Long & Harry Lane 
underlined in red

Gravestone of Harry Lane snr.
& His son Harry and wife Noreen

Harry Lane jnr. & Noreen Long

Harry Lane jnr. & Noreen Lane ( nee Long )
at Billy Long's ( her brother ) Wedding 1972

Harry Lane jnr. 1917 - 1986

* Jer Long ( b. 22nd April 1876 ) , the H Company QM was Elizabeth's brother. Jer Long's father Timothy Long was born in Togher on 10th October 1850. Timothy Long married Mary Scott from Barrackton and settled on Bandon Road. They would later move back to Summerstown Lane , Togher , possibly around 1850s. 

 

Togher Cross 2022

Harry Lane amazingly never applied for the old IRA pension. Sonny Barratt got him a job in the Sewage Treatment Plant in Dennehy's Cross and Harry felt that was good enough for him. Harry Snr. spoke very little of his involvement in the War of Independence and stayed clear of politics and later Labour was seen as a new party with no political legacy so many gravitated towards it. Harry was in fact Godfather to Dan Desmond ( a fellow Crosshaven native ) of the Labour Party. When Harry died in 1971 , it would be his former Commanding Officer of H Company , John Joe Hegarty of The Laurels who personally delivered the tricolor to his home at Togher Cross.

Donie Lane

Donal ( Donie ) , who would go on to live at Hangdog Road ( now Tramore Road ) circa 1954 and Harry Snr. were very close ; Donal was a clerical worker and looked after all administration affairs of the family. After marrying Anna O'Halloran from Friars Walk they would go on to live at Hangdog Road ( now Tramore Road ) circa 1954. Anna's father William O'Halloran was a market gardener and their land was later used to build Ballyphehane Church on. Donie and his father Harry Snr. were very close ; Donal was a clerical worker and looked after all administration affairs of the family. 

Anna Lane ( 4th from right )
Coffey's Field 1967

Angela Lane ( left ) 1960s

Anthony Lane's fishing vessel
Camden Mist

 

 

Tony with his boat Camden Mist in for repairs

Tony on board Camden Mist

Camden Mist excursion information
 

Donie's son Tony ( b.1963 ) still lives at the family home on Tramore Road with his sister Angela and is a fisherman , conducting fishing expeditions on his boat Camden Mist. He recalls the Black Horse Gate which was one of the 3 fields owned by Lady Harris of which a pillar still stands in the undergrowth off Spur Hill in Doughcloyne and another one up beyond the old Bandon railway bridge ( still extant ) known as the Baggy Gate ( hessian sacks used to be hung off the gate ). Tony pointed out that all of Harry Lanes children attended Togher National School as indeed did Tony and his sisters Angela and Helen.

Remaining pillar of Black Horse Gate
( Courtesy of Phillip O'Callaghan )

Maxie Lane ( died 1982 ) bought the land off the SMA for £1,600 in the 1950s and he built a new bungalow behind the Forge. He was a car mechanic by trade and used the defunct forge ( closed in 1962 ) as a garage. The forge itself was demolished in 1968 and it is rumoured that Lady Harris of Feirm Bawn reused the stones to build her garden wall. It was then that the new larger garage was constructed with a semi circular corrugated roof which still stands to this day , sandwiched in between the old cottage and the new cottage. In fact , Maxie's address back then was " The Bungalow , Togher Cross ". Besides their garage , the Lanes also had petrol pumps on site which lasted up to the 1970s. Maxie's 2 sons , Raymond ( who lives in Riverstick ) and Kevin ( who still lives at Togher Cross ) continue to work at the garage at Togher Cross.

Lane's cottage , Garage and house
as seen from African Mission's Lane

The Barry family , mentioned earlier had a descendant , William "Bill " Barry ( b. 10th October 1910 at Togher Cross ) still living in the old cottage next to the Liberty Stream. Eina moved in there when she married Bill Barry on 10th October 1936. They would be the last people to live in the old Cottage. Sadly after they both died , Bill in 1992 and Eina on 10th May 2006 aged 94 , the cottage fell into disuse and is now in a state of dereliction though thankfully still standing and listed by the N.I.A.H. ( see details below ). Their cottage is an iconic part of Togher's history and one of the oldest buildings still standing!

Eina Barry ( nee Lane ) born Blarney 1911

Donie Lane ( 3rd from left at back )
Anna Lane ( 1st Right at back )
Ena Barry ( 4th from right centre row )

 

* In recent years , a major river culvert works was undertaken in Togher , with the result that the Liberty Stream which flowed past the Lane's cottage was covered to widen the road and the original wall and trees which flanked both sides were removed.

 

 

January 2023
Remnants of trees and river covered

 

Rear view from Lehenaghmore

showing garage , cottage & new wall
 

 

Lane's cottage modern times
* Note : Liberty stream covered over 
and new wall to side of cottage

From being the oldest pub in Togher to now being one of its oldest buildings , Lane's cottage as a listed building is thankfully still on display for all to see for many generations to come.

 

House listing on NBHS

 

Description of materials used to build house

 

Lane's cottage
Built circa 1820

Acknowledgements:

Alan Long
Anthony Lane 
Angela Lane
Military Archives

Togher National Schools - Part 01/03 - Ancient Times ~ 1820

The stretch of road between the Togher overpass bridge and Togher Cross has been the educational hub of Togher for well over 200 years! However education has existed in some form or other for thousands of years in the region. This first article in a series of 3 will look back on the history of education in Togher from ancient times up to 1820.

Introduction

 Fosterage & Bardic/Monastic Tradition

Father handing over child to couple
Circa 1575

* Togher in common with the rest of Ireland was historically ruled over by a minor Sept , in this case , the Ui Mc Ceir. From an educational point of view children had two options ; Fosterage where the boy would be fostered by another family and learn practical skills such as horsemanship , animal husbandry , weaponry and farming whereas the girl would learn sewing , looking after animals and cooking. This prevailed for over two Millennia. It is highly probable that all children including adults were illiterate. 

Bard playing harp at court of King

Only the elite ( centuries before and after the Norman Invasion of 1177 ) could afford formal education , which entailed either the Bardic Tradition of Irish language , Literature , History , Music and Brehon Law and produced Poets , Scholars and Historians who would entertain the noble Chieftains at their forts and later castles with storytelling and playing the harp ; or the later Monastic Tradition ( which for a time ran in tandem with the Bardic Tradition when Ireland was being Christianized from the 5th Century onward ) which instructed in Latin , Irish , Scripture , Metalworking , Bee Keeping and Agriculture , though a large part of their work entailed copying manuscripts onto vellum. Some monasteries would even educate the children of the Nobility.

Monastic school in ancient Ireland

Hedge Schools - 1695 - 1890s

Typical hedge school early 18th Century

Following the Cromwellian Invasion of Ireland in 1649 - 1653 , a system of Penal Laws were enacted , amongst them , the Education Act 1659 , which de facto prevented Irish children of the Catholic faith from receiving an education as no Catholic teachers were allowed to teach within Ireland. It was hoped that this would aid in the conversion of the population to the Anglican faith. However , in spite of this , a new form of teaching emerged in " Hedge " schools which initially were held in secrecy in forests and shady glens ( with each of the children taking turns on sentry duty ) away from the prying eyes of the new Protestant Ascendancy Class and their agents or in barns or quite literally under hedgerows , which gave them its name. Children were taught English , Irish , Arithmetic and the classics such as Greek and Latin. Typically , the teacher would receive some remuneration from the parents of the children. In practice though , many " hedge " schools were taught in the privacy of Patrons homes. Even when the Penal Laws were relaxed by the turn of the 19th Century with the introduction of the Catholic Emancipation Act of 1829 and the eventual introduction of the National Education Board of 1831 which allowed for the setting up of multi-denominational primary schools , many children still attended " Hedge " schools up to the 1890s. It is thought one such " Hedge " school was situated on the Pouladuff Road , which building still existed up to window sill level up to recent times. Its exact location cannot be determined. Another " fee paying " school , prior to 1831 , existed in Ashgrove , a sub-townland of Gortagoulane. The teacher , an Edmond Connor , had 50 pupils , 3 of them Protestant. The school was a dark , ill equipped thatched cottage. His salary per annum was the grand sum of £15 possibly paid for by local farmers. Again , this structure has not lasted the tests of time.

 1820

Old School 1820s
Togher Cross

The Sarsfield family must be credited with the first school , such as it was ( see map above ) , when in 1820 ,  they had a school house erected ( which was still in use at least up to the late 1840s and possibly the 1860s - see Griffith's Valuations at end of article ), located about six feet in off the main road at Togher Cross to the left of the old lodge. It was very forward thinking in that it accepted pupils of all faiths. However , it was also a fee paying school which precluded most of the labouring classes who could not afford to send their children there. A point of interest back in 1820 was that the school was adjacent to the old Lodge and the old Forge with the Pub just across the road which made this enclave the beating heart of Togher for many years. Another important fact is that a school for all faiths was made available almost a decade before Catholic Emancipation! As mentioned , the school was not successful in attracting Catholics and it would take another 30 years before they were finally catered for by the Authorities. During that passage of time , the Sarsfields had completely redesigned the frontage of their estate and demolished the old school , lodge and forge and erected a new Lodge which still stands to this day in its modern incarnation as a Dental Clinic.

 

 

Overlay showing location of 1820 school

The tree marks the spot!
Location of old school house in 1820

 

Griffith's Valuations 1847 - 1864
Old school house underlined in red

To Be Continued....
 

The Forge - Togher Cross

A blacksmith's forge has existed at Togher Cross for probably four Centuries. However the forge has also been in two different locations! This article will go into detail about its tenure at Togher Cross and its eventual demise.

Only known photo from 1930 of the " New " Togher Forge

 

The date of construction of the Forge is problematic , as Ordnance Survey maps only came to the fore in the 19th Century , though it is highly likely the Ronayne  Family had it erected at the entrance to their property next to the Liberty Stream ( a natural resource for water needed by blacksmiths for cooling the iron after crafting whatever farming implements were needed on the anvil and as a means of having their horses shod and other works carried out on their behalf ). Local folklore sets it in the early 17th century , circa 1601 , when supposedly , O'Neill , whilst on his way to the Battle of Kinsale , had his horse shod here. While this claim may be dubious , it is worth clarifying that the main roads to Kinsale passed through Togher , so there may be some validity in the story. So the possible genesis of the building may extend to the late 1500s.

Hugh O'Neill who supposedly visited 

the Forge in Togher in 1601

The original location of the Forge ( as shown below ) was north west of the present day Lane's Cottage , which would have placed it at the entrance to the modern day Centra shop. However , following major works carried out by the Sarsfield  family in the late 19th Century , the Forge after 250 years of service was deconstructed and moved across the road near the present day Lane's Cottage. It should be noted here that the original school ( built approximately 1820 ) was demolished including the old Lodge which was built anew and fronted onto the main road and thankfully still stands to this day.

1841 OS map showing original Forge
Note : Horseshoe symbol indicating location

Modern day location of original Lodge
Footpath entrance to shop

Following on from the widening of the entrance to the Sarsfield estate and the relocation of the Forge , Michael Sheahan ( see below ) takes up tenancy of the new Forge. He is listed in Griffiths Valuations for 1847 as the occupier and also leased out a small cottage behind the Forge both of which combined had an estimated value of £2.10s! Fifty years later and both John " Sean " Riordan and his brother Michael are the blacksmiths. Their younger brother is a carpenter. They live with their mother Hannah a Widow. The siblings father and grandfather before them were blacksmiths and worked elsewhere. The 1911 Census sees the younger Blacksmith gone , possibly married and their mother deceased. Many years later John would sublet it to Jack Keating - the last blacksmith to work the Forge. During the 1950s , the bus would use Togher Cross as its terminus and the driver and his conductor were known to visit the Forge and try their luck on the anvil. It was also a place for locals to catch up on gossip while the blacksmith repaired various farming implements. The building itself only had one entrance and a small window to let in light. The fire used to heat the steel was located two feet off the ground as you went in on your left with various tools hung from nails on the wall. The anvil was located in the centre next to a barrel full of water for cooling newly beaten horseshoes , slash-hooks and whatever else his customers required. The fires flue went directly up though a wooden roof which had to be repaired almost annually. However due to ill health and modern machinery , Jack Keating gave up the Forge in 1962 where it was used as a storage shed by the owner of the entire site , Maxi Lane ( who purchased it from the Sarsfields in the 1940s ).

Griffiths Valuations 1847
Michael Sheehan - Blacksmith ( underlined in red )

" New " location of Forge near Lane's Cottage

Blacksmiths at Togher Cross 1901 Census

Blacksmiths at Togher Cross 1911 Census

The Forge was finally demolished in 1968 by the owner Maxie Lane. The stones were recycled into a low garden wall in Feirm Bawn by Mrs. " Lady " Harris , a short distance from its original location. However even that repurposed wall was demolished along with the rest of Feirm Bawn in 2016. The last ties to the Forge were now gone forever!

Late 19th Century OS map
New Lodge located to front of road
" Smithy " located on Barry land

Former site of the Forge

Wall built from stones of old Forge circa 2015

In May 2014 , Pat O'Callaghan erected a stone plinth for a replica of a blacksmiths anvil at the entrance to Centra which was the location of the original Forge. John Dennehy : " The anvil involved is ex Irish Steel, where 5 blacksmiths had been employed. The number had decreased to 3 by about 1980. I was the foreman then , at what was known as the Construction Shop , covering 4 trades. I was allowed purchase the anvil , for my own metal work , which I did as a hobby at the time. The Togher Community Association had the idea of erecting the platform and an anvil , to identify the existence of the nearby Forge. An online advert seeking one for sale was showing huge prices , so Phil and myself decided to pass on that one. ( We both served as officers of  T.C.A. so we were delighted to help out ) ".

Pat O'Callaghan May 2014

Replica anvil on stone foundation erected 

  near site of original Forge

Acknowledgements : 

Tom O'Keeffe
Anthony Lane
John Dennehy
Damian Murphy N.I.A.H.