Christmas In Togher

Whatever the religion , Christmas is openly celebrated each December by people in Togher and has done so for many decades. This page will endeavour to showcase some photos from the past highlighting children and Adults down through the years. Please help by uploading old photos of the Festivities to the Facebook Group ( link on main page ) which can range from the famous Cash's Santa poses to more homely scenes. The older the better!

Kathleen O'Keeffe and siblings 1960s

Togher Churches 03 - The Teampalleen

 Example Illustration of the Little Temple

 The other Church of antiquity in Togher was originally located at the now present day entrance to Matthews Hill with its adjoining graveyard across the road being demolished in 1983 for the construction of 3 Bungalows ( Local rumour has it that strange goings on of a supernatural bent were reported by the new occupiers ). The Teampalleen - ( Little Temple? ) - as it was known was built in the 12th Century by the Normans being constructed of cut limestone blocks. Quite why this Church and its close relation in Killeenreendowney were allowed to decay is subject to conjecture. Certainly the re-conquest of Ireland in the 17th Century played a major part in their demise.

Old photo of heavily overgrown 
Teampalleen graveyard with headstones

It is recorded that a road was put through the Church and Graveyard possibly 16th Century , forever separating them. This would suggest a possible timeline for the emergence of the Woulfe Family as a major landowner in the region on whose lands the Teampalleen was then situated. The Church grew out of use but the Graveyard continued as a burial place right up until the 17th Century , eventually too falling out of official use , albeit up to the middle of the 20th Century becoming the last resting place of unbaptised babies and waifs and strays. Construction work in the late 1990s near the location of the ancient church found carved blocks but an excavation permit was refused.

 Modern day Location of Teampalleen : 

Graveyard was in situ on Left side of road ; 
Church was in situ on Right side of road

Togher Churches 02 - Killeenreendowney

The first ancient Church lay in the vicinity of Killeenreendowney and is thought to have pre-dated Patrician Missionaries , which in theory could suggest its origins as being circa 3rd to 4th Century - the Townlands name Cill Ri An Domnaich anglicised as " Little Church of the King of Sunday " - betraying its early Celtic lineage. The land it was situated on was probably gifted by the Uí Mhic Ceir tribe firstly to Druids for erection of sacred shrines and then to the fledgling Christian Religion. Unfortunately its whereabouts are unknown , due to the fact that the structure may have been composed of wood and therefor returned to nature owning to negligence. Other sources hint that the arrival of the Vikings in the future City of Cork circa the 9th Century may have seen this structure put to the sword and fire , the theory being that it contained priceless relics which would have been carried off as booty by the Invaders. Yet another train of thought indicates that the Ostmen of the 10th Century would have pilfered same and if constructed of stone , for same to be removed to aid in shoring up quay sides.

 Artists example illustration of what the 

Church may have looked like if composed of wood

Yet it is not disputed that the Church and its immediate surroundings was viewed as the hub of Christianity for the whole of Cork and its environs at the time. However it can be conjectured that the constant attacks saw the little Church fall into disrepair and out of use. Rather poignantly a Sraid or Town is mentioned in documents from the 1550s , which would be consistent with Church land attracting commerce and people. It is recorded that the ruins of a Church were discovered near Friars Walk in Killeenreendowney East in the 16th Century complete with relics and coins and religious paraphernalia ; it is thought however that this was a later Church and not related. In conclusion , the entire region was synonymous with organised religion stretching back over the course of 1,300 years!

Scenario showing Viking or Ostmen attack on Church
 if composed of stone which may be unlikely

A likely location for the Church if indeed sited in Killeenreendowney West would be between Boston Park and Ardmanning Avenue , which would place it at 29 Metres above sea level - the highest point in the region , which seems likely as it was the practice of Early Christian Missionaries to not only build on and/or convert former Pagan places of worship , but also to command high locations. This would make sense latitude wise as the structure could easily be viewed by travellers in its immediate surroundings which all dip below this height on both sides , North and South. The aerial photo below shows the likely spot. An old dirt track which connected Togher Road and Pouladuff Road known as The Passage and extant up to the 1950s could possibly have traversed the old location.

Possible site of the 

Little Church of the King of Sunday

Togher Churches 01 - Way Of The Cross

 Togher Church 2014

It's now been over 40 years since Togher Church or The Church Of The Way Of The Cross was built in 1972 as the 7th in a series of " Rosary " Churches by the late Bishop Lucey. This effectively made smaller parishes out of the existing older St Finbarr's and other Parishes which had originally been Civil Parishes before Emancipation in 1829. The land in Lehenaghmore which was owned by the S.M.A. was donated free of charge to the Developers Messrs O'Sheas Ltd whilst the Architect was Mr. J.R. Boyd Barrett. Work initially began in 1970 and was finalised in July 1972 at a cost of £147,000. It must be stated that the land was signed over as early as 1963 for just such a purpose. Great praise must also go to the people of Togher who contributed so much towards the project through door collections , raffles and various money raising schemes. Prior to the new Church , many locals used their native Church by the Lough or the Church Of Ease at Wilton via the footbridge over the Glasheen River depending on length of journey to be undertaken. But this was not Togher's first Church! see below

 Evening Echo 1971 Report 01

 Evening Echo 1971 Report 02

Evening Echo circa 1972

Building in progress

Local man Marshall C. Hutton

 Blessing of Cross inside partially completed 

building circa 1971

Official opening of Church in 1972

Crane tracks still in situ during blessing 1972

First ever Mass in the new Togher Church 1972!

Togher Choir outside Church in 1973

Eucharistic Procession 1973

Entrance into Togher Church circa 1972 near the

 Liberty Stream at Togher Cross before it was 

piped and arched over in 1986

Repairing the Church roof in 2013

While there is no historical evidence of a Mass Rock in the general Togher area , it can not be dismissed out of hand. Such gatherings at the time were often held in wooded regions for concealment purposes so may have been undertaken , the term " Mass Rock " being a catchall phrase to indicate any meetings of the kind. However , the Church of the Way of the Cross is not the first Church in Togher , the region having a long history of Churches to which it can lay claim. Sadly , they are now confined to the History books , being long obliterated by Man and Time. At least two are known to have existed ; one at Killeenreendowney and the other on Matthews Hill , Lehenaghmore. The blog will feature extensive articles on these older Churches in the near future. To conclude , Togher is also home to many other faiths , including Mormons , Jews and Muslims , many of whom have their own places of worship in Togher. This will also be expanded on in future posts. An interesting footnote is that the Protestant community of Togher have their own Parish of Frankfield ( established 1838 ) which includes Lehenagh Beg and Lehenagh More.

Fr. Laurence Carr SMA & 

Fr. Joseph Donnelly SMA 

handing over the Doughcloyne site 

in 1963

Togher originally lay in the parish of St. Finbarr’s South until 1890, when it formed part of the newly created parish of St. Finbarr’s West, better known as The Lough Parish. In 1963, Dean Murphy, P.P. of the Lough Parish , began looking for a site for a new church in the Togher area due to the ever expanding population and the prospect of future housing schemes. Fr. Craven, the Provincial of the SMA , offered the Dean a five acre site on the Togher road.  This site, forming part of the SMA site in the Doughcloyne area was transferred to the Parish, free of charge, for the future church in 1966.

 Denis O'Connor R.I.P.

Below is a full list of Parish Priests who served in Togher from its inception up to the present. However , special mention must be made of Fr. O'Connor , who lived at 112 Togher Square ( He recalled that there were 124 Children in the little square! ) for a while during the early 1970s , moving in on 20th January 1970 until 1973 whilst the Priests Houses were being built. Although he was never Parish Priest , he acted as its Caretaker during its formative years and had a special place in the hearts of children in the locality , not least because of his act of visiting households in the nearby area with a suitcase full of chocolate bars free gratis. He was appointed to Togher ( not then an independant Parish of the Lough ) in 1970 as Curate and began celebrating Mass in St. Finbarrs Hurling & Football Club whilst also setting up meetings in the Old National School ( now Community Centre ) to organise fund raising activities. People were also asked to donate part of their wages to help finance the project which was paid in full before opening in 1972. Fr. Denis O'Connor finally left Togher in 1977.

Parish Priests

Michael Daly 1977 - 1980

Seán Mac Cárthaigh 1980 - 1981
Vincent Hodnett 1981 - 1982 ( Acting P.P. for 9 Months )

John Shorten 1982 - 1992

Michael Riordan 1992 - 2011

 Robert Brophy 2011 - to date

Local man T. Lucey by wall of Liberty Stream 

circa 1920s where Church would be built

8th Fieldwork Trip - 19th October 2014 - Lehenagh & The Outer Townlands - Part 02/02

Before setting off from Lehenagh Beg ( see Part 01 here ) for an exciting journey into the less visited Southern Townlands , the Team had a brief look at the late Christy Madden's Cottage just above the old Railway Bridge on the right. Abandoned and quite overgrown , it can easily be missed as it sits enmeshed in foliage and brambles with a rusty old gate the only betrayal of its existence. This is quite possibly a former Labourers Cottage or a private one off build from back in the 1950s , many of which pepper the road and are still occupied. It is thought that Christy played a major part in the organisation of the famous Togher Platform of the 1940s - literally dancing at the crossroads!

The late Christy Maddens cottage -

Lehenagh Beg ( just above the Railway Bridge )

However , the other Townlands beckoned. Soon , remote country lanes and wide open fields replaced the hustle and bustle of modern day Togher as the group took in Knockalisheen , Knocknamallavoge and Gortagoulane. These regions are often overlooked by the residents of Togher , with the common perception of sprawling farmland being the consensus , but the sheer beauty and history of these outer realms is quite breathtaking and decidedly distinct from the rest of the district.

 Site of Togher Castle - Knocknamallavoge

Knocknamallavoge boasts the foundations of Togher's only Castle and a visit is being worked on for the future to gain access to the privately held site. Possibly pre - dating the Cromwellian Confiscations of the 17th Century , little if anything is known about it , either by amateurs or professional Archaeologists!

 Remains of Ashgrove House and Stream -

Gortagoulane

Gortagoulane holds the remains of the tragic Ashgrove House - the " Boomerang In The Field " as the Blog has come to name it. The House has also given its name to a sub - division of the Townland in that the nearby surrounding area is known locally as " Ashgrove ". It is probable from studies of aerial photography that a diversion of the Liberty Stream originally formed its Northern Border. This Townland will also feature heavily in future investigations.

Knockalisheen House

But it was to Knockalisheen that the group decided to focus their efforts and limited time on for this particular research trip and to that end they went up hill and down dale. While it is fair to say that this Townland too is primarily farmland , it was here that many fantastic and notable sights greeted them. Many of the roads are privately owned but the existing public network still ensures a fantastic tour of the area.

Glasheen River flowing into Morrisons Ravine 

Knockalisheen

It is notable in that the Glasheen River rises not far from here up by the Airport in Lehenaghmore and flows under the road north of Knockalisheen House to continue its course through Morrison's Ravine which feeds it onwards to the right flank of the Waterfall Road to form a great portion of Toghers natural left hand boundary.

 Togher Holstein - Knockalisheen

A fork in the road still further south brought great delight to one and all and justified the Blog's claims as to Toghers far reaching borders. A beautifully crafted metallic sign denoted " Togher Holstein " in all its glory and gladdened the hearts of all present.

 Togher's End - Cottage at Knockalisheen

Still further on and the tour came to a poignant end quite literally with a stone Cottage marking the most southerly accessible boundary termination of Togher , both Catholic Parish and District. This was the end of the line and was actually a moving occasion for some present. The Cottage is derelict and again little is known of its owners , though a private road leads away from it to yet more farmland.

 

 Liberty Bridge - Kilmurriheen , Togher

Beyond this point lies the Townland of Kilmurriheen in the Catholic Parish of Ballinhassig. It should be noted that the Townland is part of Togher. An oddity exists just inside this neighbouring Townland in that a Stream carrying the name of Liberty flows under a bridge with the same moniker. Though no relation to Toghers other famous waterway , it is striking that it bears this title so close to home! Perhaps this stream once marked the ancient boundary of Togher?

Heading back home from Togher's End

At this juncture , it was time to head back home and digest all that had been seen with much food for thought over the coming winter months until operations could begin anew in the Spring of 2015. The Historical Association would like to take this opportunity to thank all Blog visitors and promise much more in the coming months and beyond.

Hallowe'en Night - 24th October 2014 - Togher Historical Association

 Hallowe'en Night - Read all about it!

Aside from previous Boundary Debates , the Togher Historical Association undertook its very first Themed Night on 24th October 2014 to discuss the eerie subject of Hallowe'en as it pertained to Togher , albeit a week earlier. Despite a much reduced turnout due to unforeseen circumstances , it was decided to forge ahead in the full spirit of the event. It must be stated that the Daughter of Kathleen O'Keeffe - Alex - was the undoubted star of the show - looking decidedly spooky with her face paint! Of course one other prop made a special guest appearance. The photo below was taken at her home in Westside Estate.

Alex creating a hallowe'en atmosphere 

with face paint and carved pumpkin

The Historical Association met at the Togher Community Centre at 7.30 p.m. for a short but detailed look back at the history of Hallowe'en and its traditions in Togher down through the ages. However , a brief recall of its origins was in order to set the mood for the short meeting which lasted for an hour and a half.

Samhain as practiced by the ancient Irish in Togher

Hallowe'en is closely associated with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain even though much has been added and copper fastened onto it in the intervening Centuries. In  Pre - Christian times , locals would have built up a huge pile of animal carcasses replete with meaty bones and set it alight whilst dancing around the pyre in animal skins. The " bone - fire " would in time be simply shortened to " bon - fire ".

Alex posing with another prop

During this time of year , it was firmly believed that the door to the Otherworld opened and souls could freely traverse into the land of the living. It carried one fatal caveat however. The Ancients also believed that evil demons could cross over as well and carry poor unsuspecting innocents back with them. To prevent this , they disguised themselves as animals in an effort to fool the demonic beings.

So it can be seen , that many of the ancient customs have survived down to the present age , albeit in radically altered formats. The wearing of animal hides has been replaced by costumes and masks. The Bonfire for the most part has been moved to an earlier date in the calendar ; to instead usher in the longest day of the year.

As time progressed , many other tales and practices became part of the former Samhain , now Christianised as Hallowe'en or All Hallows Eve. In the early part of the 19th Century , the practice of children visiting houses in exchange for " soul cakes " - little buns with currants - became commonplace and metamorphosed into the " Trick Or Treat " as it is known today.

19th Century Irish Carved Turnip

One other very famous connotation with Hallowe'en began life as an urban tale in the countryside of Ireland - that of Jack O' Lantern. Legend says that the man was so evil that both Heaven and Hell rejected him , though for different reasons. It is said that he managed to trick the Devil by having him climb a tree and then trap him there by carving a cross on the trunk. Satan agreed to his demands for the gift of everlasting life if he would let him down. As his life progressed , Jack became increasingly bad and upon his natural life ending , Heaven refused him access , but the Devil threw a piece of fire from Hell at him so he could see his way in the eternal night he was now cursed to wander. Jack placed it in a turnip which he carved out and used it as a lantern to light his way in perpetual darkness for ever. Local children in the late 19th Century would carve a turnip to light their way along the narrow country lanes as they collected the aforementioned soul cakes. The Irish Immigrants to America in the 19th Century brought this tale with them ; however because of the scarcity of Turnips or Rutabagas as they were called in the new land , they instead adopted the local pumpkin , which was also easier to carve.

Jack O' Lantern with carved lighted turnip

The members next discussed local ( if not National ) traditions associated with Hallowe'en such as Barm Bracks ( a tea cake filled with various superstitious baubles  ) , bobbing for apples ( in which children would dip their mouths into dishes of water to bite an apple containing various coins of increasing worth ) and the eating of shelled nuts. Kathleen O'Keeffe mentioned that as a child in Togher in the 1960s , the whole scene was very different. Children didn't partake in Trick or Treating ( most probably due to the distances between houses and the dangerous dark roads ). Ghost stories and trying to bite an apple suspended from a piece of string were de rigueur.


Children in Togher in the 1970s would take up the mantle of calling on houses for little gifts , this now commonplace event being made all the safer because of the volume and close proximity of the new housing Estates which by then peppered the landscape. Cheap plastic masks and bin liners were the protocol for youngsters during this time of expanding population. The old ways of ghost stories and bobbing for apples still held sway. But it would seem that modern technology as of today has all but wiped out the older games being replaced by newer forms such as scary movies and monster parties. Indeed , Hallowe'en is second only to Christmas in terms of revenue for Toy manufacturers and Confectionery companies.

Bobbing for Apples scene

Of course , nowadays , the tradition of this worldwide celebration has become extremely Americanised and Disneyfied! Electronic lighted pumpkins , splendid quality costumes , high end confectionery and Themed Parties have supplanted the perhaps simple ways of yesteryear. The price of progress can sometimes be a little too high , yet the Blog felt that like most facets of life , it was perhaps significant that despite the evolutionary aspect of the tradition , it was because of this very process , that the ancient festival of Samhain would continue to live on in perpetuity.


Hallowe'en wouldn't be the same without a Haunted House and Togher can boast of one in Garrane Darragh. Little if anything is known of its former owners who sold off land for housing development in the early 2000s. This now dilapidated structure stands forlornly atop a hill overlooking a bog and oak trees , this scene itself reminiscent of an older age , back when our ancestors bedecked themselves in fur and terrified of demonic spirits ran around a fire of bones!

 

Togher's very own Haunted House - 

Garrane Darragh near Eagle Valley Estate

The meeting ended at 8.50 p.m.  approximately and the small group made their way to Kathleen O'Keeffe's house. This was to facilitate the collection by Billy O'Brien of the Togher National Schools archive of film reels and slides kindly loaned by Pat the Caretaker. This project is currently underway and promises to throw up many surprises in the coming months. A rare opportunity to photograph personal memorabilia was also eagerly taken in the form of Jimmy Roche ex-LSF in Togher during the Emergency of 1939 - 1945. This can be seen by clicking on  Kathleen's Local Interview. A fantastic end to on the ground operations for the Togher Historical Association for 2014.

8th Fieldwork Trip - 19th October 2014 - Lehenagh & The Outer Townlands - Part 01/02

To wrap things up nicely for 2014 , the Togher Historical Association decided to pay a cursory visit to the Outer Townlands of the region , taking in Lehenagh More , Lehenagh Beg , Knocknamallavoge and Knockalisheen. To that end , Kathleen O'Keeffe , Eamonn Pearse and Billy O'Brien met up in the car park of Whyte's Centra near Togher Cross at 2.20 p.m. on the 19th October before setting off for Matthew Hill and a jaunt around Togher's newest Estates.

Billy O'Brien & Eamonn Pearse

Entrance to Matthew Gate

They began their sojourn around this densely populated region at 2.40 p.m. traveling up Lehenagh More Hill before turning at the Green Patch and back down Matthew Hill before disembarking at the entrance to Matthew Gate Estate , marveling at the beautiful layout and construction of the barely Decade old locality which was built by Ruden Homes on land formally owned and occupied by the Woulfes and Barretts , two prominent farming families in the area for many years. The laneway through the entrance partially preserves the original Hill Lane which would have lead up to the former Lehenagh House! Kathleen's Father , Jimmy Roche worked as a Farm Labourer for the Woulfes in the early 1960s and subsequently went on to gain employment with the Kelleher's of Marian House.

The former Woulfe Residence in Lehenagh Beg

 Rear view of Woulfe House and garden wall

 Original entrance to Woulfe House

Of course a visit to the still remaining Woulfe homestead was inevitable and much anticipated.  It must be stated here that simply turning south and out of the Estates and onto the old road was akin to stepping through a time portal , such was the difference experienced in such a short distance! The juxtaposition of old and new was startling! The brand new modern housing schemes literally sat side by side with the ancient past of Togher.

Woulfe workman's stone cottage 2009

The price of progress - all but eradicated

However , what greeted them brought to light , the stark reality of modern progress and the realisation that the Blog's mandate was still very much in vogue and not something in the far off future: To act with urgency to capture imagery of the still extant older buildings and the general topography of the land before it was irretrievably lost forever. The Woulfe house was found to be boarded up and partially vandalised whilst their much older roadside workman's Cottage was all but obliterated with their former orchard already laid out for construction of 4 Detached residences as evidenced by concrete foundations and underground sewage pipes in situ. Kathleen O'Keeffe discovered a planning notice which gave details of the impending structures on a cordon fence which paid homage to the former owners in the shape of Wolf Avenue , a nod to the original occupiers of the land.

 Kathleen O'Keeffe pointing out Planning Notice

Close up of Planning Notice for Wolf Avenue

Foundations in front of Woulfe House

After the initial venture through the misty corridors of time , the team traveled a short distance up the road to check out the remains of the stables and workmens cottages ( see video below ) of the now extinct Lehenagh House - the buildings and lands having been sold off to the Barretts in 1958 and now in turn sold to Ruden Homes Ltd. for private development. These old bastions of yesteryear front onto the road , which consisted of workmens living quarters and stables for horses . A quick climb over a roadside ditch and a clamber through overgrowth revealed the structures to be denuded on their field facing side. Old butter brick chimney breasts could clearly be seen and the mass of lichen on its stonework concluded that they had been exposed for a long time.

Pulling into the Lehenagh House Stables - Video

 Roadside view of Lehenagh House outbuildings

 Field side view of outbuildings

Alternate view of  Workman's cottage

 Reclaimed by nature and the passing of time

 Upstairs window betraying its human use

 Perhaps once sporting a thatched roof

 The result of sad neglect can be seen here

 Butter brick chimney breast

Stable outlined against a blue sky

The last but not least old stone cottage on the list - possibly a former labourers cottage - was reached by traveling on for a few hundred yards around a dangerous bend and onward towards the Airport. This structure now in a very ruinous state was found to be cordoned off by a timber latted fence with a commanding view of the City. It possibly dates from the late 1880s when many cottages were constructed by the Land League using then state of the art materials under the Labourers Act. This gave landless labourers a decent home of their own and a small plot ; which prior to they subsisted on nothing but a small cabin. This now pile of stones is but a shadow of its former self and a ghostly spectre of Togher harking back to a harsher time. The Historical Association hopes to visit and record as many of these Cottages as are still remaining , all built as part of 8 schemes between 1880 and 1910 in the Togher region.

Commanding view of Cork City

  Land League Cottage cordoned off by fence

The old ruin still enjoys beautiful scenery

After fully exhausting the potential of the sojourn through time , the team next decided to bring things bang up to date and paid a round trip of the new Estates in Lehenagh More and Lehenagh Beg ( see photos below ). Estate names such as Ardcahon , Ardross , Matthews Gate and Coolkellure in Lehenagh More and the Manor roads in Lehenagh Beg are sure to enter into the mainstream consciousness of Togher in the years to come. All built in the 2000s and still under construction in piecemeal fashion by Ruden Homes Ltd , as of 2014 , an online campaign and public meetings have sought to force the Authorities to complete the infrastructure by way of better public street lighting , footpaths and bus service.

Thumbs up by Lehenagh Railway Bridge

Aerial view of new Estates in Lehenagh

Entrance to Coolkellure Estate , Lehenaghmore

Ardross Estate engraved plaque , Lehenaghmore

Google Map of Entrance to Manor Farm Estates
 in Lehenagh Beg circa 2009

As was the Blog's want , an old farm which has been in the locality since the 19th Century was also on the must see list and this was reachable via Ardcahon Drive in Lehenagh More. Unfortunately , signage indicating a private road made any further investigation without invitation non viable at that moment. However the end of the road afforded a spectacular view of the Glenmore Valley. Alas , it is not known if this is still a working farm and the occupiers if any remain unknown.

Private Entrance to Farm & Glenmore Valley

Seasonal Hallowe'en spirit en vogue at 

Ardcahon Drive , Lehenagh More

Article continued in Part 2 ...