Sometimes you can't see the wood for the trees. I've often heard this
comment but when you apply it to local history , folklore and even
legend , it is a very apt descriptor of any community or region. People
sometimes ask me what do I see in Togher. Being removed from the area
for 30 years brings its own rewards and insights. When I visit Togher ,
which isn't as often as I would like , I see the place bursting with
History. It's as if the ghosts of the past want to be discovered!
I see Houses harking back to the 1600s. I see ancient walkways under
our very feet trodden by our Ancestors. I see waterways which have
flowed for thousands of years. I see the fallout from the last Ice age. I
see the remains of deserts and warm shallow oceans. I see 18th and 19th
Century walls and buildings still very much intact. It is as if they
have been interwoven into the very fabric of our society. The very new
is mere feet from the very old! Take a look around and you too will
discover the past - your past!
Another favorite topic of mine is the subject of old roads. As a child I
was fascinated by short cuts - the dirt worn tracks through fields and
the like. I even experimented with a self made track through the grass
verge on the corner of Vicars Road and Togher Road while I was attending
Scoil Stiofain Naofa from 1979 to 1983. As you know , grass shoots if
compressed over a long period of time will stop growing and reveal the
topsoil underneath , in the process eventually creating a surface
hardened by foot traffic. So I daily trod a path through the grass until
soon enough a faint outline of a track became apparent. I was very easy
to please in those days LOL! However , it leads nicely into how all roads are initially made. People ,
like water , will inevitably follow the path of least resistance from
point A to point B. They will become aware of obstacles along the route
and learn to avoid them in the future , such as trees or rocky
formations. If the barrier to their destination happens to be a deep
ditch or gorge or even a stream or river , they will look for ways
around it or across it , building simple bridges for example. So the
route if feasible and worthy of attention takes on an almost organic
quality and is hard wired into peoples brains. As the years pass , the
route is upgraded , the surface is improved to make it easier and more
comfortable , bridges morph from timber into more permanent stone ,
people build dwellings along the route in the hope of attracting passing
trade , etc. And so it goes. And so too it was with the Togher Road ,
for many years until relatively recently , the main arterial road
through the heart of Togher. If you happened to be traveling this way
over 400 years ago , the chances are you would be shocked by the arduous
trek you would have to make. The road would be bumpy and uneven and
enclosed on all side by heavy tree cover , in the Summer it would be dry
and dusty , in the Winter it would be wet and mucky. As you left behind
the now Togher Flyover, you would have to negotiate your way down into a
gorge and splash your way across the stream , repeating the process
again as you neared the now Togher Cross , this time for a second
soaking. Of course the route was deemed important enough to construct
over time two bridges. All around you would have been dense forest , so
material for doing so would not have been in short supply.
Notwithstanding the tracts of bogland that peppered the region , you
would have cleared much of the woodlands for grazing and sowing crops.
Flash forward a few Centuries and here we are! Of course we skipped a
lot of things but there are no short cuts in Nature or Time. Only the
ones we foolishly try in vain to make and which always backfire on us -
such as altering our watercourses , building on bogland , denuding the
land , concreting former wetlands etc. and we wonder then when it all
goes horribly wrong. Nature won't mind you attempting to make a little
dirt track across a field ; as soon as you stop using it , it will
recover it. But if you act God - like and interfere with the natural
order of things, it will allow some time to pass ; before it shows you
who is really Boss!
It's
interesting to look quickly back at the Normans and their legacy in
Togher. The Normans originally came from Normandy and later successfully
invaded England. One of their lasting legacies was their astonishing
ability to integrate and assume the identity of the lands they
conquered. When they arrived in Ireland they essentially became " More
Irish than the Irish themselves "! This they accomplished
by adopting the local dress , culture and language. We know them now as
the Old English and it was they who viciously opposed the later
Elizabethan plantations. When Cromwell instigated the replant and
re-grant regime , famous Norman names came to the fore as depicted by
the Down Survey : Cogan , Sarsfield , Gould and Ronayne are names of
Norman families who settled in Ireland and who later had their lands
confiscated or rented back to them. But they are still here - maybe you
are one of them?
A series of posts from the Togher Historical Assoc.'s Facebook group page - I'm From Togher , Boy.
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The Road Which Gave Its Name
11th November 2015
Just a few thoughts on the Togher Road
or Bóthar an Tóchair. Many people wonder just how did the lands that
border this ancient thoroughfare become associated with the name. It is a
considered fact that the Townlands which became incorporated into the
name became so simply because of a common identifier for travelers -
i.e. Togher Road or just simply Togher. Think of it as an ancient postal code. This Road name started at the Lough and ran to Togher Cross where it divided off
into two branches ( the other one going up the Lehenaghmore Hill
direction ) right up to Spur Cross or Lios Cross where it again branched
off to parade further south towards the stream. Of course over time ,
the Glasheen River to the West and North served as a natural boundary
for the Townlands which ran adjacent to the Togher Road
and cemented the relationship with the name as a blanket address. Over
the Centuries many other divisions of land have been imposed , some
indigenous and some imported. From Tax Divisions to Religious Regions to
countless others. In the 17th Century , Togher has two Townlands
Knockalisheen and Knocknamallavoge in Inishkenny Parish whilst the rest (
12 in number ) reside in St. Finbar's Parish. In 1977 the Bishop of
Cork carved up this older Religious System when he created the Parish of
Togher. Clashduff and Killeenreendowney were divided as were Lehenagh
Beg and More. The outer Townlands of Knockalisheen and Knocknamallavoge
were disregarded as was the Northern Townland of Ardmanning More near
the Lough. However this does not detract from the common heritage and
historical connection that all 14 Townlands share - simply a name -
Togher. And it all began with a road.
When we talk about history we sometimes neglect the most important facet
of the entire subject - natural history. That is to say the flora and
fauna that surrounds us. The trees , the rivers , the vegetation , the
rock formations , etc. One aspect of this fascinating but often
overlooked topic is the question of bogs. Togher up to relatively
recently was a vast wetland where many bogs , both raised and blanket
co-existed. The vast majority have now been drained and infilled while
an immense portion of Lehenaghmore was completely eradicated to
construct the Airport. Bogs can tell us so much about our ancient
ancestors and their living habits and the environment they dwelled in.
Clashduv Park up to the 1970s was a raised bog - in that it was formally
a shallow lake , created roughly 10,000 years ago. Lehenaghmore was a
blanket bog , where ancient overfarming lead to the depletion of
minerals in the soil. It also confirms that our ancestors lived on high
ground up above the wooded wetlands below. A small portion still exists
near Corcorans Bridge. Also of interest is the Lehenagh Ridge to the
back of the Airport off the road. Look around you and natural history comes alive , albeit a shadow of its former self.
If you've ever wondered about the changing face of Togher , it is a
sobering thought to think that it is a constant ongoing process. Roads
come and go. Bridges disappear. Buildings are demolished to be replaced
by other buildings which in turn are knocked down. Rivers are diverted
and then diverted again. Whole hillsides are cut away. Low inclines are
filled in. Everything is interfered with. Without mans hand in the grand
scheme of things , Togher would look radically different.
The rivers would follow strange courses ( at least to our eyes ) ;
there would be hills and hummocks where none were before ; dense forest
would be all around. But the present Generation of Powers that be are
not solely responsible - countless scores of past Generations have left
their mark and not always for the better. The same could be said of the
present. But one thing is for certain. Togher is poised for many more
changes and some of them are just around the corner! So while you can ,
photograph your region for keepsakes and historical archives , because
you never know just how long it will be around. One major stumbling
block with the Togher Historical Assoc. is that a lot of the photographs
from our recent past exist only in our minds. Social media didn't exist
in the 1960s , 70s and 80s. If it did , what a treasure trove of
memories we'd have today! Happy New Year and remember - the photograph
you didn't take yesterday can never again be taken.
On Good Friday 25th March 2016 at 11.00 a.m. a special commemorative event was celebrated at the Togher Community Centre to honour all those who had taken part in the 1916 Rising in Dublin and other parts of Ireland. Alas , through sheer confusion at the time , Cork was to pay no part in the Historic event which marked the birth of a Nation ; although popular mythology has it that an unknown Corkman actually walked to Dublin upon hearing of the news!
Close up shot of 1916 Memorial Placue
1916 Memorial Placue located in Community
Garden just inside right of main gate
The event was organised and planned by the Togher Community Association with members of the public and some high profile Politicians being invited along - including Fianna Fáil Leader - Michael Martin and Sinn Fein T.D. Donnchadh O'Laoraigh - a Togher native and resident.
Michael Martin T.D.
one time resident of Togher circa 1975
Donnchadh O'Laoraigh T.D. with Pat O'Rourke
The itinerary consisted of a flag raising ceremony conducted by former Lord Mayor - John Dennehy of Westside Estate , Togher ; a reading of the Proclamation by Community Assoc. member Kieran O'Connell and the unveiling of the specially commissioned placue by Community Assoc. Secretary Cllr. Fergal Dennehy. Community Assoc. Chairman Niall McCarthy and Assoc. Member Noreen also gave speeches and laid the wreath. Musical accompaniment was provided by Charlie Horgan ( man with hat ) , Shaun Forde and Donal Heffernan (drums and trumpet). Fr. Brophy P.P. was at hand to officially bless the occasion.
Niall McCarthy T.C.A. Chairman
with Fr. Brophy P.P. giving official blessing
John Dennehy former Lord Mayor
from Westside Est. raising the Flag
Shaun Forde ( Drum ) , Donal Heffernan (Trumpet)
Charlie Horgan ( Drum )
Keiran O'Connell Community Assoc.
reading the Proclamation
Community Assoc. Secretary Cllr. Fergal Dennehy
performing the unveiling of the 1916 Memorial Placue
Noreen & Niall McCarthy Community Assoc. Chairman
at podium giving speeches
Noreen Community Assoc. laying the wreath
1916 Placue with Wreath
The Togher Historical Assoc. was present to record the days activities with Pat O'Rourke acting as interviewer with his daughter Alana taking up camerawoman duties while Eamonn Pearse snapped copious amounts of photos for posterity. Below is a gallery of snapshots of the entire proceedings.
Pat O'Rourke with Noreen Community Assoc.
Kathleen O'Keeffe T.H.A. & Pat O'Rourke
Local Resident with Donnchadh O'Laoraigh
Donnchadh O'Laoraigh , Pat O'Rourke
( with Daughter Alana ) & Kathleen O'Keeffe T.H.A.
Meet & Greet - Michael Martin T.D. ,
Donnchadh O'Laoraigh T.D. ,
Pat O'Rourke T.H.S.
and Cllr Fergal Dennehy
Group photo of T.H.A. with Elected Politicians
Noreen Community Assoc.
performing Wreath laying ceremony
Local Residents in attendance for historic occasion
Paparazzi with cameras in action in Togher
Alternate view of 1916 Memorial
in Community Garden
Togher Residents and Representatives - Past & Present
National & Local Representatives - Past & Present
Kathleen O'Keeffe T.H.A. & Pat O'Rourke
with Political Representatives
Pat O'Rourke with Fr. Brophy P.P
Group chat with T.H.A. and Representatives
T.H.A. with Keiran O'Connell Community Assoc.
Pat O'Rourke with Noreen at 1916 Memorial
Alana O'Rourke -
Camerawoman of the 1916 Event in Togher
As mentioned previously , the Togher Historical Assoc. took the opportunity of such an important historic occasion to interview several notable Citizens beginning with local man Donnchadh O'Laoraigh who was recently elected as a T.D. The Blog would like to apologise for the poor audio quality due to excessive wind on the day. In this first video interview , Pat O'Rourke asks Donnchadh about his early days in Togher and what if any changes he has personally noticed over the last few years. Donnchadh also talks of his time with the Rainbow Club.
Donnchadh O'Laoraigh T.D. Interview
Pat O'Rourke next chatted with Michael Martin and introduced the Togher Historical Assoc. & Blog. Amazingly , Michael informed Pat that he had once been a resident of Togher back in 1975. Michael pointed out that this information had been published in a “ Guess who this is? ” article in the Evening Echo some years ago. Unfortunately the strong background wind and noise picked up by the mic makes most of the interview inaudible.
Michael Martin T.D. with Pat O'Rourke
Lastly , the Togher Historical Assoc. descended upon Noreen of the Community Assoc. where she regaled them with tales and information pertaining to the Placue and the flag. All in all , a truly memorable day for those who attended and a lasting tangible reminder of the day in the shape of the newest addition to the Community Garden - the 1916 Memorial Placue. The Blog would like to thank most sincerely Alana O'Rourke who performed Video Camera duties on the day.
