Anna Marie with her Green Shield Stamps
E.S.B. bill ( possibly 1975 ) belonging to John O'Shea
Grandfather of Anna Marie O'Shea
Anna Marie - Communion 1973 - with her Father
Anna Marie with 1960s Corporation Rent Book
Next port of call was a return visit to Garrane Darragh house which was accessed from the car park at Bishops Court Shopping Centre. It was just over 3 years since the Historical Assoc. had last paid a visit and this was evident by the complete boarding up of the old abode. It was remarked by those present that the house bore an uncanny resemblance to the now sadly demolished Phillipine House over in Doughcloyne in that it is a double pitched construction. The grounds were once more investigated with a visit to the gate which would have originally lead into another field which was of old bisected by the railway track of the Cork Bandon line , which lives on in a reincarnated state as its former wooden sleeper beams are in situ as a fence.
Rear view of the boarded up Garrane Darragh house
Alternate view showing dilapidated outhouse
Gateway to former line of Cork Bandon Railway
An elevated view of the Grove of Oaks
Phillipine House once more came calling and the group returned to the site of the former Fellowship House to view the progress. Thankfully 2 sides of the Orchard wall remain intact with foundations already in place for construction of various dwellings. A quick walkabout ensued in the ground directly beneath the site which resembled a field of gold ( see video below ). Eamonn Twomey was on hand with metal detector but sadly no buried treasure resulted from the search.
The group next set off for Chetwynd House , the former seat of the Meagher's in Togher. In fact the laneway off Maher's Lane is named after them. Time however was given to a brief stopover to photograph the Welcome To Togher signpost next to St. James Cemetery. From there it was homeward bound for what is now Togher's oldest house. The visit was videoed as shown below. Eamonn Twomey remarked about the positioing of an old gaslight about the doorway. Much speculation ensued as to the archway to the left of the door , now blocked up , which may have served as a possible coal bunker door. It was also noted that construction of private residences continues unabated , which now virtually surround the structure.
View of sign next to St. James Cemetery , Chetwynd
The team next moved swiftly onto Fernwood where the opportunity presented itself for 2 short video shoots of the Liberty Stream , which is piped under the access road there. Of note was the massive concrete pipe and two rounded slab stones which posed more questions than answers. The stream and foliage and birdsong were positively dreamlike at the location as evidenced by the videos shown below.
Last port of call was an unintended date with destiny. Working on the premise of a childhood memory , Billy O'Brien donned wellington boots and stepped into the Liberty Stream by Coffey's Field and trod through the waters right up to the overhang by the new Turkish Barbers. What greeted the explorer was heart-stopping and reassuring all at the same time. The old stone arch bridge which up to the late 1970s could be viewed from the entrance to Greenwood Estate was in plain view , albeit hidden from modern day eyes , by virtue of an extended overhang constructed late 1990s to meet with the new precast concrete gully walls which replaced the former banks and riverbed. The approach to the overhang is an eerie experience , where the unwary needs to tred carefully in light of the muddy deposition. A series of circular cement buffers flank the overflow runnel and newly expanded concrete floor. The right side of the old stone bridge has been rendered with cement and the entire painted white. The additional overhang slab can be viewed from beneath and is clearly visible , being placed on top of the old shorter slab , which in days gone by acted as a foundation for a pump house.This now confirms that the stretch of road from the Community Centre to Togher Cross is home to 3 Bridges all under the road! This concluded the Fieldwork Trip which proved to be both educational and enlightening for all concerned. The Blog would like to thank Eamonn Twomey for accompanying the group for the day and for his sheer enthusiasm for local history.
Video showing Liberty Stream near Fernwood
View of Liberty Stream as it passes former
Southern Fruit premises
Last port of call was an unintended date with destiny. Working on the premise of a childhood memory , Billy O'Brien donned wellington boots and stepped into the Liberty Stream by Coffey's Field and trod through the waters right up to the overhang by the new Turkish Barbers. What greeted the explorer was heart-stopping and reassuring all at the same time. The old stone arch bridge which up to the late 1970s could be viewed from the entrance to Greenwood Estate was in plain view , albeit hidden from modern day eyes , by virtue of an extended overhang constructed late 1990s to meet with the new precast concrete gully walls which replaced the former banks and riverbed. The approach to the overhang is an eerie experience , where the unwary needs to tred carefully in light of the muddy deposition. A series of circular cement buffers flank the overflow runnel and newly expanded concrete floor. The right side of the old stone bridge has been rendered with cement and the entire painted white. The additional overhang slab can be viewed from beneath and is clearly visible , being placed on top of the old shorter slab , which in days gone by acted as a foundation for a pump house.This now confirms that the stretch of road from the Community Centre to Togher Cross is home to 3 Bridges all under the road! This concluded the Fieldwork Trip which proved to be both educational and enlightening for all concerned. The Blog would like to thank Eamonn Twomey for accompanying the group for the day and for his sheer enthusiasm for local history.
across from Community Centre
