The following article outlines the occupants of the laneway extending from the corner of Togher Road back towards the modern day St. Finbarr's HF club. To protect the privacy of current occupants which has most probably changed since the 1960s where the article ends , no list is given of modern day occupants. It must be stated that the laneway has had many names , both official or unofficial down through the years including Manning's Lane , Dineen's Lane , Barrs Lane and Deanrock Cottages - it's current name as determined by Cork City Council.
Left side of lane from bottom left to top centre left
The map below shows the earliest records available from Griffith's Valuations carried out between 1847 and 1864 outlining the original Landlord/s and occupants. Following independence from the U.K. plots 19 and 24 fell into the ownership of the Manning family , whilst plot 23 was bought by Cork Corporation for the purpose of building the scheme of 6 cottages ( in addition one field in plot 24 was also purchased to complete the scheme. ) As shown below , the Mannings probably sold off their property and land towards the beginning of the 1960s , where Jack Egan was installed as the new owner of the Big House ( with glass conservatory ) and took on Mrs. O'Neill as a tenant. That tenure was short lived as Cork Corporation bought his plot in 1967 by compulsory purchase order to build Deanrock Estate housing scheme! As is well known , Mr. Conn Neenan through his contacts with John Jo Hegarty ( The Laurels on Pouladuff Road ) - who was a good friend of the Mannings - purchased much of Plot 24 from the Mannings for the purpose of relocating St. Finbarr's HF club from Bandon Road to their new home in Togher.
Dineen's Lane bisected all 3 Plots
Plot 23 - Landlord - Mary Breton
Tenant - Eugene Sullivan - sublet by William Bateman 1840s
*sold to Cork Corporation circa late 1920s
Plot 24 - Landlord - Elizabeth Barter
Tenant - William Bateman 1840s
Portion ( field adjoining Plot 23 ) bought by Cork Corporation late1920s
Remainder of Plot 24 - new ownership - Mannings 1920s
Plot 19 - Landlord - Elizabeth Barter
Tenant - Cornelius Sullivan 1840s
Owner 1920s to 1960 - Mannings
Owner 1960s - Egans - Big House & sub - tenant O'Neills
Owners 1967 - Cork Corporation - built Deanrock Estate
1920s - 1960s
1: Dineen
2: Reagan
3: Donovan / Dineen
4: O'Connor
5: O'Donovan
6: Murphy
7: Manning / Egan
8: O'Neill
( see Legend above )
*Note newly constructed Barrs club
1 : Dineen family
Knocked 1990s
Photo shows new build
shortly before demolition
4 new apartments
Willie Reagan lived in No.2 Deanrock Cottages and his famous threat to any children messing about near his house was " Once more now! " which earned hm the nickname of " Onesie ". This nickname was unfortunately transferred to his son Liam by local kids. Liam was great friends with Michael Daly from Daly's Cottage in The Cutting. However one day while the two were out in Michael's car , they were involved in a bad crash which resulted in Liam needing a wheelchair thereafter.
3 : Donovans
2 new red bricked bungalows
Neddie Donovan and Betty were brother and sister and lived in No.3 Deanrock Cottages. Neddie was a great friend of Tommy Marshall. Betty worrked as a housekeeper in Ballinlough. The siblings had no running water and would often call to the Murphys at No.6 with a bucket , seeing as the local pump had been removed by then. The two siblings were known to be very quite people. Sadly , they both passed away in the 1970s. In the 1990s , the 2 Dineen brothers , Robbie and Danny moved into the former site which now hosted 4 modern bungalows.
4 : O'Connor family
Peggy and Harry O'Connor lived in No.4 Deanrock Cottages with their only son Rory. Harry worked for Ogilvie & Moores jam company. Today , it is one of only 2 original builds still standing with a new build erected on their site to the right.
Parnell Place , Cork
6 : Murphy family
Sold in 2000
Jack Murphy lived at No.6 Deanrock Cottages. His son Gus bought milk from C.M.P. and would personally deliver it to houses in the locality. Mary Walsh recalls they'd have several bottles of milk outside their door each morning with 3 inches of cream on the top of them. Gus would go on to marry a neighbour , Margaret O'Donovan from No. 5 Deanrock Cottages in 1949. The young couple lived in a flat in Turners Cross until 1952 , when they emigrated to Montreal in Canada , before returning in 1955 , to take up residence in No. 5 Deanrock Cottages. Gus became a well known personality in the area through his milk deliveries . He also ran an impromptu Market Garden to supplement the Family income , growing all sorts of vegetables in their long back yard. Margaret herself had a love for flowers and kept a beautiful garden at the front of the house. The house went out of family hands in 2000 but thankfully is still standing. One of only two on the entire lane.
7 : Manning family
Cornelius & Mary Manning
children : John , Honora and Michael ( 1901 Census ) ;
Maggie , William , Mary and Elizabeth ( 1911 Census )
7 : Egan family
Jack Egan - Bought plot 19 ( see Griffith's Valuations above ) and properties from the Manning's circa 1950s and became landlord to the O'Neill family who rented a small house on his land. Jack lived in the old Manning house which came with a glass conservatory.
8 : O'Neill
Showing ticket taker and Patrons towards end of lane
Manning Land on right behind hedge
Still from old 9mm film footage © John Nolan
showing the newly constructed Argideen Lawn in 1971
flanking both sides of the rear of Argideen Lawn
During the course of constructing the South Ring Road in the early 1990s , Cork City Council bought by compulsory purchase order portions of the rear gardens from the occupants of Deanrock Cottages. In more recent times , St. Finbarrs HF club bought the vast majority of the remainder of the rear gardens for a new playing pitch leaving the current occupiers with a much reduced rear garden. Today , 4 of the original cottages have been sold off , demolished and new builds constructed , bringing the total number of houses to 12 carrying the address of Deanrock Cottages. Only the O'Connor house , No.4 and the Murphy house No.6 are the sole remaining original Deanrock Cottages still around in some shape or form.
**Togher Historical Association would like to thank most sincerely Mary Walsh and Elizabeth Murphy Sheehan for their invaluable assistance in compiling this article.**
2 comments:
Just a correction Billy:my parents Gus and Peg Murphy lived at no.5 not 6.
Will correct that now , cheers.
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