Togher Historical Association: April 2018

Thursday, April 26, 2018

Togher Learning Neighborhood - 25th April 2018

Program of participants

at Togher Learning Neighbourhood

On Wednesday 25th April 2018 , Keiran O'Connell of Togher Tidy Towns hosted a Togher Learning Neighbourhood program in the Assembly Hall of Togher National School. A special invitation was extended to the Togher Historical Association which was represented by Kathleen O'Keeffe. Also present were representatives from Ballyphehane 1916 Group , Togher Music Project , Tidy Towns and Cork City Partnership. All had fantastic stands on display , most notably the Ballyphehane 1916 and Togher Historical Association.

John Dennehy addressing the hall

Cork City Partnership stand

Ballyphehane 1916 Group stand

Togher Tidy Towns stand

Togher Music Project stand

Kathleen had an amazing array of extremely rare photographs of Toghers past with the emphasis being placed on the old National School and its students throughout the years. Also present were two books penned by the late Tom O'Keeffe - Togher , A Brief History and Togher Past And Present. Various classes from the Boys and Girls Schools arrived during the morning to view the stands and ask questions.

Kathleen O'Keeffe

Togher Historical Assoc. stand

Kathleen related one girls query on Lehenagh House and when told that Father Matthew regularly stayed there with his Brother in the 19th Century , stated wide eyed - " So , that's why it's called Matthew's Hill! " A very enjoyable day was had by all and a great opportunity to educate Togher's youth about their amazing past. The blog would like to thank Keiran O'Connell for the invitation and the chance to showcase local history.

Tuesday, April 24, 2018

News Bros.

News Bros. premises as seen in 2011

News Brothers Limited was a wholesale news agent and distributor which began life in Cork City on 20 Bowling Green Street circa 1900 before finally settling in their last premises on SiteCast Industrial Park in Togher in the 1970s and ultimately dissolving on 24/07/2013. Many local people from the Togher region were employed there up until its closure a few years ago. Situated quite literally over the dividing wall next to Greenwood Estate ( accessible from Pouladuff Road ) , it provided not only all the local corner shops , Post Offices and Newsagents with a daily delivery of comics and broadsheets , but most of the greater Cork district as well.

News Bros site as seen in October 2013

On October 13th 2013 . the Togher Historical Assoc. visited the site ( see photo above ) to photograph it for posterity acting on information that it was soon to be demolished. It should be noted that the premises also boasted its own petrol pumps and employed many local people from Togher. It is still fondly remembered to this day. * Staff photographs shown below courtesy of Noel Kelleher *

Staff in Canteen

Staff in dispatch Department

Staff in Dispatch Department

Staff in Dispatch Department

Eamonn Pearse : " My own late Mum worked there in the canteen for many years. I remember she would bring me to work with her when I was too sick to go to school. I was very young at the time and have a very hazy memory of the place. Only they had a telephone in the canteen and the staff used to ring me for a chat on it as I had never used a phone before. I remember them being very friendly there unlike a lot of the other places she worked in. "

Veronica Creamer : " My mam worked there in the 80s - Mary Creamer was her name. My cousin was also there , her name is Mary Creamer-Hallahan. "

Theresa Morey : " It was a fabulous place to work in , best place ever , lots and lots of memories , great group of people working there. I came from Earlwood Estate originally. "

New premises EPH on the site of News Bros.

Tuesday, April 17, 2018

Majorettes & Tamborettes

MAJORETTES

The Majorette movement came to Ireland in the early 1980s and soon groups representing every Parish and District of Cork City were springing up. Togher was no exception! Wearing bright uniforms of dark green, tall white fur hats and twirling batons , it endured for only a couple of years. Yet it is still fondly remembered by all and especially by those who were a part of it.

Togher Majorettes with Lord Mayor Toddy O'Sullivan 1981

Green Box located to right of Togher GNS

The Majorettes was very much a community affair with everybody getting involved in some shape or form. This ranged from local Army Soldiers John Cummins of Cherry Tree Road , Pat Jones of Argideen Lawn and Gus Sheehan drilling the members in marching formations to various Mothers designing and creating uniforms including Mrs. Pearse of Araglen Court. The Girls typically trained in the grounds of Togher Girls National School and the Green Hut located nearby which provided a centre for many sporting groups in the area. The Majorettes would enter competitions against other groups in Cork City and of course take part in the annual St. Patrick's Day parade.

TAMBORETTES

Running in tandem with the Majorettes were the Tamborettes , swapping batons for tambourines. Sporting blue skirts , waistcoats and hats with white fur trim , they more or less performed the same tasks as the Majorettes , including putting on displays outside Togher Church. Sadly like their counterparts , the Tamborettes gradually ceased their activities. However , even to this day , they are remembered with fondness and are assured their place in Togher history.

Tamborettes on display at Togher Church

Linda Lowther Quinn , Catriona Pearce

and Gillian Cotter

Unknown , Catriona Pearce and Susan Kent

Togher Girls National School

Togher Tamborettes at a competition

Saturday, April 7, 2018

Lehenaghmore House - Kathleen O'Keeffe ( Author )

Lehenaghmore House was built circa 1730 by the Newenham Family who had been granted most of the Townland during the Cromwellian Confiscations of the 1680s. It would appear that from the outset the Family intended to simply let the land to tenants and built two other houses - Lehenagh House ( famous for being the sometime home of Fr. Theobald Matthew ) and Marian House around the same time to entice wealthy patrons.

Only photograph of Lehenaghmore House

In 1857 the House and 57 Acres were sold to John Gibbings under the Encumbered Estates Act who passed the house onto William Gibbings who died in 1912. As before the house was let out to various tenants including the Brownes and Cotters. In 1919 Lunham Bros. and Henry Denny & Sons leased some of the land for disposal of slaughterhouse waste which resulted in an influx of rats. In May 1924 the House and 16 Acres were sold to John Collins , an Accountant who lived on Togher Road. In June 1932 he sold the House and some land around the House to Cecil Guy Marlow.

Nora ( Ciss ) Ryan 1970

In November 1941 , Patrick Ryan who had come home from America after winning the Irish Hospital Sweepstakes , bought Lehenaghmore House and 14 Acres plus another 63 Acres from A.H. Good which included a milk round known as Lehenaghmore Dairies. They employed a lot of local people on the farm and in the House , including their cousin Jimmy Roche , Father of local Kathleen O'Keeffe of Westside Estate ( Jimmy's Aunt " Ciss " was married to Paddy ) .

Original wooden milk crate found in House

( Photo courtesy of Derek Good )

During the Emergency ( a.k.a. World War II ) the entrance pillars leading into the house had the titular " Lehenaghmore House " removed for fear of invading British or Germans so as not to inform them of their location , as did all other Big Houses in Togher. It should be noted that Jimmy Roche helped plant the row of palm trees with Patrick Ryan in the early 1940s which like the pillars are still there. It should also be noted that the Pillars are one of only two structures in Togher legally protected and listed! In the early 1960s Patrick Ryan sold some of his land to Bradley Bros. who built Greenwood Estate. In May 1973 , the house and lands were finally sold off and ultimately in 1979 , Palmbury Orchard was under construction. During this interim , the house fell into disrepair and was subject to vandalism and inevitably was demolished by O'Brien & Flynn builders.

Noreen Ryan 1960s inside

walls of Lehenaghmore House

Paddy Ryan died in 1973 while his wife " Ciss " passed away in the 1980s.
Paddy's son Jimmy still lives in Doughcloyne and his two Daughters Noreen and Margaret now live in Bishopstown. All are in their 70s now. One other sibling - Patrick jnr - lives in Kilcully. Two siblings Jerry and Thomas passed away some years ago.

Jimmy Roche with Patrick Ryan jnr.

Kathleen O'Keeffe: " ....I remember my Father coming home with a bucket full of rosy apples that my Grand Aunt had given him....was so honest he wouldn't take them himself....I loved going up there as a child....It was like being in a different era...I was always fascinated by that house , the very size of it alone . I can still see my Grand Aunt Ciss and Paddy sitting at each side of the fireplace. "

Gates to former

Lehenaghmore House

All that remains of the once great house are the Pillars and several remnants of the Orchard walls and partial segments of the roadside wall which can still be seen today in Palmbury Orchard Estate and at intervals along Lehenaghmore Hill. At present the Tidy Towns committee are undertaking a long overdue restoration of the Pillars and Gate.

Entrance lined with original
Palm trees from 1940s

Remains of Orchard Wall

Remains of Roadside wall across from former

Southern Fruit premises

19th Century OSi Map of Lehenaghmore House

1951 Aerial Photo of Lehenaghmore House

Sunday, April 1, 2018

The Big Snow - March 2018

Between late February and early March 2018 , two major weather systems - the Beast From The East and Storm Emma , which traveled up from the Bay of Biscay off the coast of France , collided and produced unprecedented snowfall on Togher which lasted over 3 days. During this period , the community submitted videos and photos to the Togher Historical Association facebook page , a selection of which are reproduced on this Blog post for posterity. Where possible names of contributors ( generally in brackets under photos ) and those in photographs have been included with locations in bold. The selections include Drone images , Videos and Photographs.

DRONES

Togher Flyover - ( Richard Coleman )

© Aperture Photography

Richard Coleman of Aperture Photography has kindly submitted two drone still images. The image above shows Togher Overpass bridge and locale. The image below shows that section of Togher Road from Deanrock Public House looking back towards Togher Cross.

Deanrock Public House vista - Richard Coleman

© Aperture Photography

VIDEOS

The following 3 videos give a brief example of the snow conditions in Togher. The first video shows the Morey family outing up the hills of Lehenaghmore to take advantage of the weather for some snowboarding fun. Edward Walsh Road was captured by Anna Marie O'Shea from her home. Togher Cross was paid a visit by Eamonn Pearse of the Togher Historical Association

Lehenaghmore ( Michael Ring )

Lehenaghmore ( Christine Morey )

Edward Walsh Road ( Anna Marie O'Shea )

Togher Cross ( Eamonn Pearse )

PHOTOGRAPHS

The following selection of photographs were submitted by residents from many parts of Togher and where possible all persons included in photographs have been named with contributors acknowledged in brackets. Each photograph is captioned with its location which follows a North South axis as the crow flies from Elm Road to Spur Hill.

Elm Road :
Kyle O'Connor Fiona Gibson Reece Daly
Sabz Rawley Karen Ellard Nathalie O'Sullivan
Sarah Gibson with Mrs. Noreen Rawley
standing by doorway of house ( Stella Rawley )