The Mountain

In Togher , in the townland of Deanrock , there lies a geological natural feature known as " The Mountain ". This article will look at it's story which spans millions of years and thousands of miles , including what was there before , how it was formed and how the surrounding landscape changed over time.

Billy O'Brien - The Mountain - 2014

Today , the rocky limestone outcrop which is situated off Clashduv Road and Hazel Road and known affectionately by locals as The Mountain is one of the areas natural wonders. Before the blog delves into the story of The Mountain , it is first necessary to to uncover what was there before it even existed! In other words , what does it actually rest on. For that ( see graph below ) , a journey back in time and thousands of miles south reveals the answer. During the Ordovician Period ( 450 Million Years Ago ) , the region was hundreds of miles below the Equator and submerged in a shallow sea.

Location of Ireland circa 450 MYA
Note : Submerged in shallow sea

Granite rocks from higher levels of dry land were worn down by the elements into fine grains of sand which were then deposited at the site. A process called lithification over millions of years turned the sand into hard rock. They were helped by natural minerals such as silica , iron oxide or calcium carbonate which acted like a glue to hold everything together. This then became the sea floor for what was to come next!

Sandstone plain exposed from shallow sea

The Mountain hides many secrets in plain sight! It was originally twice the size extending out onto the present day access road off Clashduv Road and exponentially higher! However this will be explored in more detail later in the article. How the natural feature came into existence will now be examined. Many could be forgiven for believing that it is just a simple mass of rock. But that couldn't be further from the truth! It is in fact the remains of sea animals which swam in the ocean over 359 Million years ago! This occurred during the Carboniferous Period ( see graph below ). 

Location of Ireland circa 100 MYA
Note : Submerged in warm tropical sea

As they died , their skeletal remains ( Chrinoids , Corals and Brachiopods - see below ) drifted to the bottom of the sea and over millions of years were joined by more remains. These eventually solidified under enormous pressure to form limestone circa 360 - 330 Million Years Ago! Thus The Mountain was born! It was and is quite literally an open tomb! In other words a mass grave exposed from an ancient seafloor! What is seen today is only a fraction of its overall mass. A typical limestone outcrop resting on a sandstone base can be anywhere from 10 to 50 Metres deep! However , as the Island of Ireland was pushed further north by plate tectonics it entered a period of extreme heat which turned the landscape ( see below ) into an arid desert!

Illustration of shallow sea prior to forming limestone

Brachiopod in its natural environment

Crinoids in their natural environment

The Mountain when it was surrounded by desert
 ( Ai reconstruction )

Over many millions of years Ireland went from a sub-tropical climate to a more temperate one ( as it quite literally crashed into another landmass thus forming the Island of Ireland ) and this transformation which arrived at the end of the Neogene Period ( 2.58 Million Years Ago ) saw a prolonged period of intensive weathering culminating in the last Ice Age which gouged the entire landscape beyond all recognition and heavily wore down any exposed rock formations , including The Mountain which may have been hundreds of feet high. This would have taken place between 27,000 and 20,000 Years Ago and was known as the Last Glacial Maximum. As it retreated , this 1 Kilometre thick ice sheet ( which covered over 99% of Ireland ) scoured and polished anything that lay in its path giving us the feature more or less that we have today.

View from The Mountain during Last Ice Age
Glaciers retreating leaving meltwater
( Ai reconstruction )

In tandem with this massive erosion event was the ever changing landscape which The Mountain oversaw. When the Ice Sheet retreated , it left behind a deep depression leaving a flat valley floor. Countless ancient short lived streams quickly flooded this plain as a result of the colossal meltwater produced by the shrinking glaciers before settling into their present flows which mirrored the fault lines in the bedrock ( North to East ). Today , Togher contains a mere 3 main watercourses , Glenmore , Liberty/Tramore and Glasheen , which date back to the end of the last Ice Age making them at least 10,000 years old!
 

The Mountain surrounded by a swamp
( Ai reconstruction )

As time wore on , the meltwater slowed and the valley floor became stagnant which encouraged the appearance of water lilies , sedges and reeds in the shallow water. The Post Glacial Period ( c. 9,000 Years Ago ) saw the valley floor develop into a peaty fen as a result of the decomposition of these plants. This mass of nutrient rich ground ushered in the Wet Woodland Intrusion ( c. 6000 B.C. ) when it became solid enough to support Alder , Willow and Birch trees. The dense canopy took over the valley floor of Togher. The vantage point if seen from The Mountain would have been a huge swamp woodland as far as the eye could see! An event known as the Raised Peat Accumulation ( c. 3000 – 1000 B.C. ) saw the trees die off due to the acidity of the groundwater.
 

The Mountain surrounded by bog formation
( Ai reconstruction )

In its place grew Sphagnum moss which thrived in the acidic conditions. It quite literally soaked up all of the groundwater to form a dome-like structure or raised bog for miles around. By the time of the arrival of our ancestors towards the end of the Bronze Age ( c. 1200 B.C. ) they were forced to construct a causeway ( An Tóchar - Togher ) nearby to traverse the dangerous uneven ground to secure a footing onto the higher land , thereby giving the region its name! As the Millennia wore on  , the area succumbed to human intervention when much of the land was drained for agricultural use.

OS map 1830 showing track over The Mountain

The legacy of a bog near The Mountain persisted right up to the 1970s when it was back-filled to form the modern day park that exists today. Sadly The Mountain has been subject to modern human intervention over the last 2 Centuries. At one point , the owners of Clashduff house had a cattle track hammered through the centre of The Mountain to gain access to another field. This would have facilitated the movement of cattle and also farm hands with horse and cart delivering manure and feed ( see map above ). 

OS map 1880 - vertical lines indicating uneven terrain

Aerial photo 1951

Once the land was CPO'd in 1967 , a French explosives expert was hired by Cork Corporation to quite literally blow up The Mountain. However after several attempts , it was deemed too dangerous to continue given the close proximity to neighboring housing schemes. Nonetheless much of The Mountain was now permanently gone. In its place a shadow of its former self now stood like a silent sentinel over the growing Neighborhood. Once the planned complete demolition was cancelled , the builders tore down the stone wall exposing for the first time to the general public , The Mountain , which would not have been visible from the main road outside.

September 1968 - View of The Mountain
in background behind boy and trees

Aerial photo 1971 - * Note : Fencing along brow of outcrop

Aerial photo 1971 - Frontal view of The Mountain
from Clashduv Road

Aerial photo 1971 - Alternate view showing builders offices

The photos below from different timelines show the footprint of The Mountain over successive years as it quietly disappears from view as outlined in the closing paragraphs of this article.

Early 2000s - * Note worn track on right

Circa 2005 - Note encroachment by ground cover at rear

Circa 2010 - Note coverage of top soil and grass to rear

3d view of The Mountain showing its full length

* In more modern times , tons of topsoil were deposited to cover over the sharper more craggier parts of the base of The Mountain. This can be seen nowadays in the upward curve of the grassy base which has succeeded in hiding about half of the west face of the limestone outcrop , the whole of which was visible to children of the 1970s and 1980s. The exposed greatest length of The Mountain in modern times from north to south is 198ft while its greatest exposed width from west to east is 57ft. As demonstrated by the photos below soil coverage and introduction of bushes and trees have served to soften its appearance. In more modern times The Mountain is flanked to its north and east by Hazel Road , to its west by Elm Road and to its south by Clashduv Road.

 

 

1973 local protest concerning driving test centre
* Note : original height of The Mountain in background

North Face - * Note : rough grass covering outcrop

South Face - * Note : introduction of bushes & trees

West Face - Most iconic view from Elm Road

East Face - Car Park on Hazel Road
* Note : rough grass covering outcrop

 

Conclusions :

While it is commendable from a health and safety view that this natural feature has been softened so as not to endanger children , it is felt that another approach can be taken. This could take the form of re-exposing the limestone outcrop and erecting a gated fence around its perimeter. School tours could be undertaken by interested parties including tourists ( this is a golden opportunity ) and a storyboard stand put in place showcasing its fascinating geological history as detailed in this article. From a shallow tropical sea to a desert to glaciers to swamp and bog , The Mountain has witnessed it all!

Ai construction of gated fence

Acknowledgements :

 

media.hhmi.org

https://www.fossilera.com
https://www.manospondylus.com 
https://dalesrocks.org.uk

Det Garda Lahiffe - Togher Garda Station - In Memorium

This article looks back now at the career of Morgan Lahiffe , a Togher based Garda who in 2024 became the first person in Ireland to be awarded 2 Scott Medals for Bravery. He also served in 3 separate Garda Stations all in Togher!

 

Morgan Lahiffe , born in 1940 , joined An Garda Siochana in April 1961. Originally from Co. Clare ,  he spent the 1960s based at the Bridewell in Cork City where he became a Detective. At the start of the 1970s , he was posted to Togher Garda Station ( where he would remain for the rest of his career ) on Togher Road. His career in Togher would see him move into three separate Stations ; the old Garda Station which was originally located in front of the Ardmanning House which was demolished soon after circa 1971  , the bungalow across the road at the corner of Ardmanning Ave and the new Garda Station ( the former O'Sullivan House ) on Tramore Road when it opened in 1985.

 

Original Togher Garda Stn. 1971

Old Togher Garda Stn.
1971 - 1985

New Togher Garda Stn.
1985 - Present

Morgan outside of his career was known for his great sense of humour and his passion for set dancing. He and his wife Jean raised their family initially in Westside Estate in the 1970s before relocating to nearby Bishopstown in the 1980s but Togher was his centre of operations until his retirement in January 1993. Sadly , he passed away peacefully at his home on 6th December 2023. His career can be best marked out as centering on 5 important events which took place in 1971 , 1978 , 1985 , 2023 and ultimately 2024 respectively. 

1971

Five Star - 1971

On 20th August 1971 , Morgan along with his colleague Gerry O'Sullivan responded to a phone call saying 3 armed raiders had entered the Five Star supermarket. The gunmen forced the Manager and staff to hand over £772 ( just under €15,000 in today's market value ). When they arrived masked gunmen ordered them out which they initially refused to do until a gun was pointed at their heads. As the gunmen made off in a car , the two officers pursued them. Gerry was dropped at a phonebox on Clashduv Road where he requested back up while Morgan drove after the raiders where they were intercepted soon after on the College Road. The whole incident was then quietly forgotten about for over 50 years until 2024 ( see below )

1978

Gold Scott Medal - 1st Class

Jean Lahiffe in 2024 with photograph
of Morgan's Scott Medal in 1978
( * Echolive.ie )

Site of former C.M.P. Dairies , Tramore Road

In 1978 he successfully tackled armed gunmen during a raid on the old C.M.P. Dairies on Kinsale Road in Cork. He gave no thought to his own safety and because of this was awarded the Gold Scott Medal ( see above ) for Bravery. Tragically , the wages clerk , Maura Collins , whom the raiders had forced to hand over IR£10,000 , was shot in the back because she wasn't quick enough. Thankfully she survived.

1985 

Cork Airport 1985

Following the Air India Disaster on 23rd June 1985 ( in which a bomb exploded on board Flight 182 which had left Montreal , Canada for Dehli , India , causing it to crash in the Atlantic Ocean about 120 Miles south west of County Cork ) , Morgan headed up a special unit responsible for logistics and joint operations with Royal Canadian Mounted Police ( the majority of passengers were Canadian citizens ). Togher Garda Station's area of operations included Cork Airport , where they conducted crisis response , forensic recovery and logistical support , heavily aided by the Irish Naval Service , Irish Army and Emergency Medical Support from the Cork Regional Hospital ( now C.U.H. ). International media praised the Gardai for their exceptional support and empathy with the families of the victims. R.C.M.P. presented the Gardai with a special placue at Anglesea Street on the 20th Anniversary in 2005.

2023

Nora Sheehan R.I.P. from 1981

Even though he was by 2023 , fully retired at the grand old age of 82 , he was historically called back to give evidence in July of that year , in a cold case he had been involved in way back in 1981 - that of the murder of Nora Sheehan , ironically also from his home turf of Bishopstown. Her bruised and battered body had been found dumped in a woods near Innishannon , Co. Cork in June 1981. Using the meticulously preserved forensic evidence and the original files gathered by Detective Lahiffe and his colleagues all those years ago , the State was finally able to build a modern case using DNA technology which betrayed one Noel Long , 74 ( then 32 ) also from Bishopstown of the rape and murder of Nora Sheehan , 54. This was Morgan's final act of service and he passed away peacefully a few short months later at his home in Bishopstown on 6th December 2023 at the age of 83.

2024

Walter Scott house , Dublin

Bronze Scott Medal - 3rd Class

Just  months after his passing , Morgan was finally recognised for his actions in Togher way back in 1971. 53 years after the raid at the Five Star supermarket he was posthumously awarded the Bronze Scott Medal for Bravery , becoming the first person in Ireland to achieve a second Scott Medal!

Jean with daughter Avril
Scott Medal award 2024

Feirm Bawn - Chapter 2 - " Lady " Harris

The next and final owners of Feirm Bawn had a familial British military history which predated their arrival and even postdated it. Their connection even went all the way up to the Royal Family in more recent times. This blog article will showcase " Lady " Harris's life story in Togher up to her death in 1968 with a nod to her past and a look at the eventual demise of the farm.

Feirm Bawn 1960s

" LADY " HARRIS

 
 

" Lady " Harris's mother
 Constance Nesham
nee Bedford

 

 

To understand " Lady " Harris's story it is necessary to look at her own family history and its origins. Her mother Constance Eliza Nesham ( nee Bedford ) was born in 1846 in Oban , Scotland to a family of " independent means " implying wealth.  Her father had been a Captain in the Royal Navy. She married her first husband Isaac Colquhoun in December 1865 but sadly he died soon after in March 1866. She then reverted back to her maiden name of Bedford. She would later go on to marry Thomas Peere Williams Nesham on April 1877 in Paignton , Devon. They had 2 children , a boy Tom jnr. ( born May 2nd 1880 ) and a girl Beatrice ( see below ).

" Lady " Harris

Feirm Bawn 1940s 

Beatrice Caroline Nesham was born in Devon in 1882. She grew up in Portsmouth and was later a boarder at the Great Ayton Friend's School in Yorkshire. She had one brother Tom but would not have spent much time with him or her parents due to life as a boarder. The family lived at Belmont Lodge , Belmont Lane/Road , in the Portswood area of Portsmouth amongst other families of Royal Navy officers whilst Thomas snr. was deployed abroad. Today , the old house has been demolished and Ivydene Care Home now occupies the site.

 

 

Great Ayton girl's school , Yorkshire

 

 

Beatrice's former home ( site of Belmont Lodge )
now Ivydene Care Home , Belmont Lane

FATHER

Her father , Thomas , retired with the rank of Admiral in 1892. He died at the Royal Naval Hospital, Yarmouth on 1st May , 1900. Below are photographs of the ships he Captained during his service which saw him in action in the Arabian Peninsula , East Africa , Mediterranean and Australia.

 

 

H.M.S. Satellite a.k.a. H.M.S. Royalist
Captained by T.P.W. Nesham snr.
1887 - 1890

H.M.S. Arethusa
Captained by T.P.W. Nesham snr.
1890

 

H.M.S. Tauranga
Captained by T.P.W. Nesham snr.
1891 - 1892

 

BROTHER

 

Her brother , Thomas jnr. died at Tweesbosch in the Transvaal Republic ( later merged into the new Union of South Africa in 1910 ) on 7th March , 1902. He had only joined the Armed Forces in 1898. He was the leader of a group of heavy guns during a battle in the Boer War and being ordered to retreat steadfastly refused to leave , instead bravely continuing to man his guns against enemy forces and died as a result. He famously uttered " I'd rather die than surrender! " He was just 21 years of age. He was posthumously cited for the V.C. for his courage though this was never awarded. He is buried in Ottosdal Cemetery in South Africa. A brass memorial lectern commissioned by his mother Constance is dedicated to him at Highfield Church in Southampton not far from their old home , Belmont Lodge ( see above ). He was also listed on a Boer War memorial erected on The Mall , London circa 1910 ( see below ).

Lt. T.P.W. Nesham
" Lady " Harris's brother

Map from 1902 showing Transvaal Republic
where Tweesbosch was located

Lectern at Highfield church , Southampton

Highfield church , Southampton

Boer War memorial , The Mall , London

Lt. T.P.W. Nesham
Inscription on pillar placue

Lt. T.P.W. Nesham grave
Ottosdal cemetery , South Africa
 

HUSBAND

Her mother , Constance , would pass away herself in 1936 at the ripe old age of 90. Not much is known of Beatrice's life as a young woman but one fact was certain. She went on to marry one Major John James Fitzgerald Harris whose family were primarily based in Tralee , Kerry. His own father had been the Prison Governor in Tralee.

 

 

Major John James Fitzgerald Harris OBE

O.B.E Medal

Kimberley showgrounds circa 1915
British Army training facility

Kimberley showgrounds as seen today
Left of stadium

Map of Union of South Africa circa 1910
*Note : Kimberley where Major Harris' daughter
 Annabel was born in 1915

Modern aerial view of Kimberley
site of several diamond mines

Undoubtedly , he would have moved between bases in Ireland and England at the time. He spent a great deal of his military service abroad and served with the South African Infantry , 1st Regiment during the Boer War 1899 - 1903. It was whilst stationed in England that he would have been introduced to Beatrice and they were married on 22nd January 1912 in Bloemfontein, Orange Free State (OFS), South Africa at  St. Andrew & St. Michael Anglican church , where 20 years earlier a famous author had been baptised ( see below ). 

St. Andrew & St. Michael Anglican church
( Photo : Pascal Burger )

Interior of church
( Photo : Pascal Burger )

Famous author J.R.R Tolkien
baptised at same church!

( Photo : Pascal Burger )

He spent much of the First World War stationed in South Africa ( it was here that his first daughter Annabel was born - see below ) fighting in German South West Africa , Egypt and later on return to England at Ypres and Passchendale in France.

Major John James Fitzgerald Harris death cert

Major John James Fitzgerald Harris' grave
*Note Beatrice's tombstone on right

 

Overview of Annagh cemetery

Following his units dispatch to England and thence onto France , Beatrice gave birth to another daughter Rosaleen in England in 1916 ( see below ) as determined by his posting at the time. He survived the First World War ( and was duly awarded an O.B.E. ) Following his discharge from the Armed Forces circa 1919 , he passed away a short while later from an abdominable tumour as a result of his war service on 21st January 1920. He was buried in the family plot in Annagh graveyard in Tralee ,  Co. Kerry. Beatrice made the decision most likely to be near her husbands grave to move the family from Headley , Hants. to Ireland. Plans were put in motion and in mid 1920 they relocated to a small farm in Doughcloyne , Togher which was advertised for sale by the Phairs. 

Feirm Bawn in its heyday
( Photo : Katie Rowland )

" Lady " Harris circa 1960s

FEIRM BAWN

 

Beatrice , an Englishwoman by birth was now left a widow with 2 young daughters in an Ireland enveloped in the War of Independence ( 1919 -1921 ) and soon thereafter the Civil War ( 1922 - 23 ). She knew all too well about the casualties of war , having lost her father , brother and husband to it. Beatrice must have endeared herself to the local community as like the Sarsfields ( A nearby family also of English heritage ) ,  both of these houses were left untouched by the Republican Forces. Rosaleen would later confide in her children how she and her sister Annabel while walking in the fields would see the " Rebel boys " emerging from sleeping in the long grass. Anytime there was a knock on the door from the Authorities inquiring as to any rebel movements in the area , Beatrice would instruct them to face the wall so as to truthfully tell the visitor that they had seen no one!

 

 

Rosaleen and Annabel - Feirm Bawn mid 1920s
*Ai enhanced image

It was because of her upper class English accent that locals took to referring to her as " Lady " Harris , though in truth she held no such title although she came from a wealthy background. Her two daughters , Rosaleen and Annabel were allowed to have a carefree childhood and they befriended many local children. Beatrice would hold parties for the local community in her house and she was legendary for her ice cream which amazed locals as they pondered on how she kept it frozen. Initially she and her 2 daughters occupied the 2 cottages ( see below ) which covered 6 rooms. 

Rosaleen & Annabel with dolls 1920s
*Note original separated cottages in background

1926 Census

1926 Census Returns

In the 1930s she had the 2 cottages on her land conjoined and later on had an upper story added. This higgledy piggledy appearance of the house only added to its charm. Local man James Roche assisted builder Jim Long in the extension of the house. It was during the Second World War , that Beatrice would see her 2 daughters leave for England and join the Armed Forces. After the War they settled down permanently ( see below ) in England. Beatrice would rent out one half of her house which had a separate entrance and live in the other half alone.

 

Beatrice's tombstone
Annagh cemetery , Tralee , Co. Kerry

Beatrice's calling card
* Given to people she met which 
was essentially an address to send mail

" Lady " Harris was a much loved character in Togher and local legend has it that when the Forge at Togher Cross was demolished in the early 1960s that she had the stone repurposed for her garden wall which survived up to the houses demolition in 2014. Her daughter Annabel who remained single all of her life would continue to visit her mother at Feirm Bawn for summer holidays over the course of the years and after her mother's passing on 16th November , 1968 would still visit to ensure the upkeep of the house. " Lady " Harris is buried with her husband at Annagh graveyard in Tralee , Co. Kerry.

 Annabel Fitzgerald Harris

Annabel Fitzgerald Harris

Bus outside Togher National school early 1930s
both Annabel and Rosaleen were pupils

Sacred Heart Convent , Brussels , Belgium

Annabel was born on 29th April , 1915 in Kimberley , South Africa where her father was stationed. It was the custom of the time that families traveled with the troops. Like her sister she would spend her childhood at Feirm Bawn from 1920 onward and attend Togher National School where she learnt to read Irish. She , like her younger sister Rosaleen , would have spent their secondary education as boarders at the Sacred Heart Convent in Brussels , Belgium where both learnt French fluently and were tutored on European history and social etiquette.

Elsa Schiaparelli

Lobster Dress 1937

Wallis Simpson - Lobster Dress

Skeleton Dress 1938

Surrealist Spanish artist Salvador Dali

She would go on to work for the House of Schiaparelli ( see all above ) , a Parisian based Italian High Fashion company founded in 1927 , whose most notable client was Salvador Dali famous for his lobster dress ( most famously worn by Wallis Simpson ) in 1937 and skeleton dress in 1938 which was designed in collaboration with Dali and Elsa and her staff ( * which would have included Annabel! ). However she would leave the fashion industry behind at the outbreak of World War II and leave for England , serving in the Women's Auxiliary Air Force ( W.A.A.F. ). 

Annabel during World War II

City of Cologne , Germany 1945
Annabel would have served nearby

Annabel 1950s

She also worked for the Foreign Office in London and in Embassies abroad including Vienna and Athens. She was based in Germany after the war in Wahn near Cologne. She also worked for the Anglo-Egyptian Oilfields Company (AEO) primarily undertaking intelligence work. This ceased when British control shifted back to Egypt when they nationalized the oil industry in 1964. She never married and would frequently come home to Feirm Bawn in the summer to visit her mother Beatrice. She passed away on 4th January 2003. 

Anglo-Egyptian Oilfields company share cert

Tahrir Square , Cairo , Egypt
Anglo Egyptian Oilfields HQ located here

Rosaleen Fitzgerald Harris 

Rosaleen Fitzgerald Harris

Rosaleen Elizabeth Fitzgerald Harris was born on 9th September 1916 in Southampton , England. At the young age of 4 and like her sister Annabel, she would have traveled with their mother Beatrice to Togher after they purchased Feirm Bawn in 1920. The sisters quickly befriended many local children even attending Togher National School where she learnt to read Irish. Like her sister Annabel she would undergo her Secondary Education at the Sacred Heart Convent in Brussels in Belgium in 1933. 

Taylor's Hill , Galway

U.C.C. Rosaleen - Past Pupil

 ( It is thought she also spent some time at Taylor's Hill School for Girls in Galway - *T.B.C. ) Upon finishing her secondary school education at Sacred Heart Convent , Brussels , she returned to take up a degree in U.C.C. , Cork City. She never finished her degree as of 1939 she returned to England to join the Armed Forces at the outbreak of World War 2.

WRNS recruit video 1941

London Gazette showing Rosaleen's promotion

Acting 3rd Officer WRNS
World War II

Throughout WW2 she was a member of the Women's Royal Naval Service or WRNS ( a.k.a. Wrens ) and was promoted to Acting 3rd Officer on 20th December 1943. She was involved in the Intelligence Corps and was initially stationed at Rosyth Naval Dockyard in Scotland , where Royal Navy warships were constructed. She then moved to The Clyde , again in Scotland where the Royal Navy had just completed a major shore base which patrolled the North Channel.

Wren Officer passing secret document
to dispatch rider at The Clyde

Wren telegraphist sending Morse code at The Clyde

Secret signals being decoded by Wren Officers at The Clyde

She had also served at Simon's Town in South Africa ( ironically the country where her Father , Uncle , Mother and Sister had once been ) which was a major Royal Navy vessel repair hub. It was from here that Rosaleen and her fellow colleagues of the WRNS who worked as cyphers and decoders were instrumental in the sinking of the famous German warship the Graf Spee. 

Simon's Town Naval base WW2

Graf Spee 17th December 1939

This ship was a thorn in the sides of Allied Naval troops in the Atlantic. By intercepting the German naval codes , they were able to track her location. After suffering heavily at the Battle of the River Plate where her fuel systems were essentially crippled by intercepting British warships who themselves had to retreat due to heavy damage she docked at Montevideo , Uruguay for urgent repairs. However , WRNS cyphers had already sent coded messages out knowing the Germans would intercept them including most crucially the Captain of the Graf Spee , Hans Langsdorff who was fooled into thinking a large armada was awaiting them offshore. Not wanting his ship to fall into enemy hands he ordered the scuttling of the Graf Spee. He himself committed suicide 2 days later. After the war , Rosaleen was transferred to the Mediterranean where she worked with displaced persons. 

King David Hotel , Jerusalem
aftermath of bomb

She was finally moved to the King David Hotel in Jerusalem in 1946 which housed the British Military Intelligence headquarters. This was the central hub for command of Palestine at the time. However , a Jewish terrorist cell , known as the IRGUN , planted a bomb which almost destroyed the entire building. Many WRNS personnel were badly injured or killed in the ensuing blast which ripped though the hotel. As a result , the British Authorities handed over control of Palestine to the United Nations. Rosaleen then retired from active service and returned to England. She would have visited her mother Beatrice in Togher on a number of occasions. Like most retired WRNS Officers , she used her organizational and logistical skills to transition into the booming " Rag Trade " which took off when the acquisition of fabrics was no longer a problem. This would stand her in good stead many years later in the creation of a famous dress ( see below ).

 

 

Rosaleen circa 1950s

 

In April 1954 , at the age of 38 she married one Francis Benjamin Oliver Slocock ( known as Frank ) in Richmond , Surrey and lived in Hale , Cheshire initially and then the nearby village of Altrincham until 1970, when they moved with Gerald and Caroline to Silverwood , Manor Park , Burley-in-Wharfedale , West Yorkshire. Frank had also served in WW2 having been commissioned into the Armed Forces as a 2nd Lt. on 29th August 1939 and was in the Royal Engineers ( Sapper ). They had a son Gerald born on July 1955 and daughter Caroline born on January 1957.  Frank passed away on 1st January 1992. Rosaleen herself passed away in 1993.

Lady Diana's Wedding Dress

Caroline & Gerald

 

 

Lady Diana's wedding dress 1981

 

 Caroline

Perhaps one of the most surprising revelations is the fact that Beatrice's daughter Rosaleen and her grandchildren , Gerald and Caroline were involved to a great degree in the making of Lady Diana's Wedding Dress! Caroline , Rosaleen's daughter , having graduated from St. Martin's School of Art , was involved in the fashion industry and was personal assistant to the House of Emanuel. The company was picked to design and create the Royal Wedding Dress for Lady Diana in 1981. Due to the security pressures around the event , family members who could be trusted not to speak to the press were drafted in , including Caroline's mother Rosaleen. 

Caroline Slocock
" Lady " Harris's granddaughter 

To avoid media leaks the dress was transported in a van and personally delivered to Clarence House, the home of The Queen Mother , the day before the wedding by Caroline's brother Gerald. Caroline was invited to the Wedding thereafter. Gerald personally drove her to St. Paul's cathedral himself. She would go on to deal with other high profile clients including Faye Dunaway and Sigourney Weaver. Caroline most recently has turned her hand to writing and lyricism , including a musical about Ruth Ellis , the last woman to be hanged in Britain.

Ruth Ellis trailer


* UPDATE :  As of July 2026 , a conditional pardon was granted by King Charles III commuting the death penalty to life imprisonment due to the scale of abuse she suffered at the hands of her partner David Blakely. 

Gerald

Gerald is involved in the finance sector. He previously had attended Stonyhurst College , a boarding and day pupil school in Lancashire. It was there that he was taught the Classics by none other than the son of J.R.R. Tolkien , Michael. The Tolkien connection which stretched back to his Grandmother Beatrice being married in the same church in which the famous author had been baptised had now come full circle with her Grandson , Gerald actually being taught by J.R.R's son!

Michael with father J.R.R. Tolkien
1940s

Stonyhurst College , Lancashire

Gerald recalls visiting Feirm Bawn as a young child back in the early 1960s with his mother Rosaleen. He remembers the local road bowling clubs outside the gates of his grandmothers farm. And of going down to the local shop at the cross and of hearing the trains off in the distance. He has a lifelong affiliation with the London Irish rugby team and one of its members was his best friend John Moylan whose eulogy in 2020 can be listened to below. Modesty forbids Gerald from mentioning that two characters in the movie Notting Hill are based in whole or in part on his friend John Moylan and his own good self!

 Gerald Slocock
" Lady " Harris's grandson

John Moylan - London Irish rugby and Actor

Famous scene from Notting Hill 1999
Rhys Ifan character based on John Moylan

John Moylan eulogy delivered in 2020 by Gerald

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In 1995 , Annabel sold a parcel of land to Bradley Bros. who built Fernwood estate. Gerald and Caroline inherited the house and remaining land of Feirm Bawn in 2007 when Annabel passed away. They decided to sell the land and property to Bradley Bros. builders as it was deemed too expensive to refurbish. Thus ended nearly 90 years of the Harris legacy in Togher. Following years of neglect and vandalism , the titular Feirm Bawn house was demolished circa 2015 and in its place arose a 5 house enclave named appropriately enough - Feirm Bawn. The name thankfully is preserved as a nod and a wink to its former glory.

 

 

Fernwood & Feirm Bawn housing schemes

Fernwood - built on former Feirm Bawn

Feirm Bawn house pre - demolition 2013

 

 

Feirm Bawn site today

 

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:

W.A. Hill ( Genealogist research )
Gerald Slocock
Caroline Slocock
https://www.nam.ac.uk
https://www.cwgc.org
https://www.visitwintertuin.be
https://omniatlas.com/maps/sub-saharan-africa

https://www.kerrylibrary.ie

https://www.findagrave.com
https://marinerguesthouse.co.za/simons-town-during-world-war-ii/
https://www.commsmuseum.co.uk
https://schiaparelli.com/

“This work includes content from records of the 1926 Census of Ireland, made available by the National Archives of Ireland under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence.