At the beginning of 1983 , the Togher Community Association undertook a scheme to provide employment to teenage girls in Togher. Those who signed up for the opportunity were trained at ANCO throughout the spring and were given jobs in an industrial garment factory on Vicar's Road operating machinery that summer with the official opening taking place in December 1983. The management was all male , including Con O'Brien - Factory Manager ; Tony Carey - Production Manager and Denis Harrington - Floor Supervisor. The factory was opened to great fanfare by the Lord Mayor - Togher's John Dennehy and several Government Officials. Besides primarily manufacturing raingear and hospital garments , the factory secured a contract with Apple in Knocknaheeny. However even this was not enough to save the project as it sadly closed in 1985 due to the economic downturn of that decade. Today the former site of Togher Community Development Ltd. - its official title , is now occupied by Swan Beds. Two former employees , Mags Murphy and Anna Marie O'Shea , have fond memories of their time there and have shared some of their stories and memorabilia with the Blog. Cllr. Fergal Dennehy kindly shared some material from his family archives which documented the opening.
Swan Beds , Vicars Road
formally Togher Garment Factory
Clergy and Management at opening December 1983
Lord Mayor , Officials and Management at opening
Tony Carey showing samples to Lord Mayor
Below are members of the Garment Factory including Management and Staff. The short lived project can now be brought back to life and given its place in the annals of local Togher history.
Con O'Brien - Factory Manager
Tony Carey - Production Manager
Anna Marie O;Shea - Staff Member
Anna Marie O'Shea : " I
remember we were sub contracted to Apple at one stage. The rain gear we
did had to be welded and I got stuck with it. I hated it , then they saw I
had a flair for the overlocker and was put on that ; loved it. Loved the Apple part as well because you were standing most of the time and could
move about. The overlocker had 4 needles and it was for the edges before the item was hemmed. I used to do hospital garments. " Anna Marie also made mention of some co-workers ; Ber, Christine, Ger ( Sister-in Law of Denis Harrington ) and Majella.
Mags Murphy - Staff Member
Mags Murphy : " Con O'Brien was our boss there. We were trained in ANCO. We opened in 1983 and it closed in 1985. Dennis Harrington was our
supervisor. It was to provide local employment to our area. Anna Marie
O'Shea worked there with me. We made hospital
disposable suits also. I loved it there. " Mags still has possession of the placue presented to all employees at the opening in December 1983 which can be seen below.
Togher has many iconic photographs and images associated with it , which instantly stand out as being memorable and unforgettable. The following is no exception and may boast the title of Togher's first colour photograph! Each photograph has a backstory and thankfully the blog was able to make contact with the family behind it. The 3 children depicted are from left to right ; Marion Hoey nee Finn , Eleanor Hurley nee Finn ( white dress and red top ) and Patrick Finn. It was taken by their Uncle , Fr. William Finn towards the end of the 1960s. It was shot from a slightly elevated position on the Togher Railway bridge and shows the then Togher Boys National School. To the left can be seen ( hut painted green with red door ) Mrs. O'Sullivans sweet shop a.k.a. " Mrs.O's ". She lived in Deanrock Villa which is out of shot to the right. To the left of the picture can be seen the site of the future Boys and Girls National Schools which would be built in 1971. Today the old school has been transformed into a Community Centre , with many extensions and the original stone wall being moved out towards the main road to cater for an enclosed car park. The grass verge to the right of the children is the entrance to The Cutting , an enclave of houses which sadly were demolished in the late 1970s. Also in frame are the iron rails of the bridge.
Iconic photograph taken in colour by Fr. William Finn
Eleanor Hurley ( centre of photograph ) attended school in Togher from the late 1950s to the late 1960s. She would have begun in the old National School when it served both boys and girls and would have finished her education in the new Girls National School ( now Youth group centre ) when it opened in 1961. The blog would like to thank Eleanor Hurley for information relating to the photograph.
On Monday 16th October 2017 , an extremely rare natural event occurred in Ireland. Ex-Hurricane Ophelia - a Tropical Storm , arrived with winds exceeding 150 Kph. It left a trail of destruction in its wake as it mercifully traversed the land in just under 2 hours. The most tangible legacy was the enormous number of trees which were virtually uprooted. Eamonn Pearse and Eamonn Twomey of the Togher Historical Association drove around Deanrock Estate , Vicar's Road and the Lough to document the aftermath. The following videos show a snapshot of what they witnessed.
On 24th September 2017 Eamonn Pearse of the Togher Historical Assoc. along with Eamonn Twomey paid a visit to Chetwynd's oldest natural structure - the famed Ring Fort. This over looks the Laune Valley with a commanding view of the surrounding countryside. It is thought it dates back to the Bronze Age and is over 80ft in diametre - sadly its ditch has since been infilled. Originally it would most probably have had high stakes erected on the ditchtop for added protection from wolves and raiders and a wooden house inside for both family and livestock. In fact it would have been the owners actual home where he kept his cattle and family at night while during the day the cattle would have grazed nearby with the family sowing crops and performing other tasks. It must be remembered that when this was originally constructed , the area would not have been shired ; that is to say no field boundaries but open ground save for the heavy forest which surrounded it. Upon sight of enemy raiders emerging from the forest , the owner would have hurriedly rushed his family and cattle into the ring fort and fought off the intruders from the safety of the fort. Over time , these would have been abandoned and with the removal of any timber materials , would have become part of the local folklore attached to Fairy Rings , which the superstitious locals firmly believed in , having no knowledge of the original occupants. Thankfully , this has helped ensure its survival so that we may still have a tangible link to the past.
On 22nd September at 4 O'Clock in the afternoon , the Togher Historical Assoc. took to the road once more for its 22nd Fieldwork Trip to date. High on the agenda was the locating of a Fulacht Fiadh or Burnt Mound in the Togher townland of Gortagoulane. Several efforts were made to gain access as near as possible to the site which had only been summarily depicted in Richard Henchion's book - Land Of The Finest Drop - which prompted the investigation. However , it was decided to take a more open route through the farmlands of Chetwynd Farmhouse on Doughcloyne Hill. The route was undertaken in torrential rain as the team , made up of Eamonn Twomey , Eamonn Pearse and Billy O'Brien entered the next field which was home to the remnants of Ashgrove House. Sadly all that remains is the Orchard Wall , albeit just two long walls with one arched entrance.
Ashgrove House , Gortagoulane , Togher
The team next traversed the long field seeking out a streamlet which rises nearby and meets up with the Liberty Stream on its right. However it was decided to make a more direct detour to the spot where the two streams meet as shown on G.P.S. due to substantial rainfall and wind. Thankfully the streamlet was discovered almost by accident just short of its merging with the main stream as shown in the photo below. It is thought that it is piped for most of its course up to this point where it daylights.
Streamlet daylighting near Fulacht Fiadh
Area of Fulacht Fiadh showing grassy mound
It was remarked by all present that the ground underfoot suddenly became hard and uneven - evidence of rocks underground which pointed to a possible location of a Fulacht Fiadh. Roughly translated from the old Irish , the ancient Celtic water pit was known as the " Dragon's Breath ".They are typically u - shaped , circa 3 feet high and near sources of water. It is known that a pit is dug of approximately 2 feet , though they may be larger and deeper. A fire is lit nearby and rocks and stones are heated which are then added to the water. As the stones cool or shatter , they are simply extracted and dumped nearby , over time forming a semi - circle around the pit. The soil is usually charcoal rich and obviously over time becomes overgrown with vegetation. There are many schools of thought which differ and agree in equal measure as to their exact purpose. From bathing to cloth dyeing to cooking and even to brewing of beer! The whole area was investigated as much as possible but the team had to move on due to worsening weather. It is planned to return in the future for a more indepth analysis and to study the area more extensively.
Where the two streams meet at Fulacht Fiadh
Close up view of the Fulacht Fiadh showing rocks
The group next walked through two fields composed of marsh and scrubland to enter the land below the former Phillipine House. At this stage the weather grew more windy but miraculously became calmer in mere minutes as shown by the video below.
Marshland and scrubland near Fulacht Fiadh
A brief moment was spent near the new construction of the now Fellowship House complex. Photo opportunities presented themselves as the team made their way up Doughcloyne Hill to their transport. To the right Togher Reservoir could be seen in the near distance. Then a quick look at the former Sexton House site and the last of Togher's water pumps. Then a cursory look at the former Hegarty home whose owners left in the early 1970s to live on Hazel Road. The Fieldwork Trip ended with the group soaked to the skin but all the richer for the experience of walking in the footsteps of their ancestors.
Just a few thoughts on Parishes. Whenever this term is bandied about ,
most people subconsciously think of a Roman Catholic Parish. Though there
is some truth in this assumption , it is not 100% accurate and is only
part of the answer. The actual origins of the Parish go back to the 12th
Century shortly after colonization by the Anglo-French Normans , where
the system was rapidly put in place to facilitate the payment of Tithes
to the Church ( we can see here that this was a practice long before the
much later enforced payment of tithes to the Protestant Church ) - the
Catholic Church! These ecclesiastical units of administration closely
followed the boundaries of Manors ( in Cities ) and Tuath ( in
pre-existing Gaelic County areas ). During the 17th Century and the
dissolution of the Catholic Church , these Parishes became Civil
Parishes , with much the same mandate - the collection of Tithes - but
this time to the Protestant Church. During the 18th and 19th Centuries ,
the Irish Clergy established a separate system of Church Parishes. This
is where the " new " Parishes forked off ( pun unintended ) from the
original ones , which had by then transformed into purely Civil
administrative Parishes. The Civil Parish as it pertains to the South
Cork City area was originally known as the Manor of Fayth - in its
Catholic guise , and later became St Finbarrs - in its Protestant mould.
It later was subdivided into St Finbarrs West , which took on the name
of the Lough Parish , which subsequently further subdivided into many
other Catholic Parishes , including in 1977 - the Togher Parish. So a
lot of affiliation and crossover from an historical point of view.
Remember also , that the Parish was made up of many smaller units -
known as Townlands. And this is just from a R.C. perspective! There are many others from the past and sure to be many more in the future!
In June 2016 , a subject of local controversy which had been quietly simmering for almost 40 years came bubbling to the surface and ran the whole gamut of emotions and both divided and united an entire community. The thorny question of " Wilton " was tackled head-on by the combined forces of the County Council , Togher Community Association and the Tidy Towns Committee. To this effect , a sign proclaiming "Welcome To Togher " was erected on Sarsfield Road. Grant funded and approved by the County Council , it was one of several sited around Togher in prominent locations. The Togher Historical Assoc. first became aware of them on social media. The Historical Assoc. had been approached for advice on citing of signs and offered suggestions for the outer boundaries of the district , including a finger post or elevated sign under the Sarsfield Flyover. However these suggestions were not taken on board with the bodies concerned deeming to showcase the signs in a more elaborate fashion. The following article will cover the subsequent narrative of the controversial sign on Sarsfield Road , the ensuing online satire , the Assoc's proof of boundaries and finalize with the actual location of Wilton. The blog also includes the radio debate on RED FM which is informative and highly entertaining.
Welcome To Togher sign erected by T.C.A./Tidy Towns
Roadside view of sign on Sarsfield Road
May was a red letter day in a certain part of Togher which for the previous 40 years had gone under the rather dubious title of Wilton , much to the consternation of native locals in the area who knew it as Togher for generations. However , the subject , while discussed with amusement but never openly debated , finally came to a head in 2016. The sign denoting Togher was erected on Sarsfield Road opposite White Oaks and almost immediately attracted attention in the form of social commentary which quickly escalated into online debate which consisted of differing factions ; one group denouncing it and one group applauding it. Greatly simplified , some residents decided to launch a door to door petition which it is believed petered out due to lack of interest. Local and National Politicians were approached for intervention. Online threats for its removal came to the fore and in June the sign became the target of several attacks. Firstly , the titular " Togher " both in English and Irish , was painted over in black , then papered over with a handwritten " Wilton " title ( no photo available ) and tragically culminated in the theft of the sign which was captured in progress
by local Togher Boxing legend Paul Buttimer as he was passing by in his
cab at 2 a.m.! Alas , he was with a fare and was unable to stop and apprehend the culprit.
Welcome To Togher Sign painted over
Theft in progress of sign
The Togher Community Assoc. and Tidy Towns decided not to press for legal action but instead appealed for the return of the stolen sign. However this was not to be and the sign remains at large though plans are in place to re-erect it again. It should be noted that a dangerous precedent was allowed pass in that Government Property was both vandalized and stolen , which is in and of itself a Criminal Act. What followed can only be described as bizarre and witty but on the whole highlighted the famous Togher wit. Social media became awash with humorous parodies while the printed media highlighted the series of events. Finally 2 Cork Radio Stations dedicated whole programs to the topic of social snobbery. Sadly 96FM had a technical fault and was unable to recover a copy of their show. Thankfully , RED FM released a podcast of the entire show which has been edited by Eamonn Pearse and can be listened to at the end of the page. Highly informative and extremely funny , it not only covered the topic of Togher , but branched out to the entire City which made listeners aware of just how endemic the problem actually is.
Posts without stolen sign
Turf War takes amusing turn
Local with makeshift replacement
Online satire via social media
President Donald Trump appeals for return of sign
Missing Togher sign is literally out of this world!
It must be stated that many detractors did in fact agree to their inclusion in
Togher R.C. Parish but strongly asserted their Address as part of the
Wilton district. To put this into its proper perspective , it should be
made clear that in the early 1970s , the S.M.A. who owned a large tract
of the lands around Doughcloyne sold much of their holdings to a
development Company known as Wilton Securities. Rather dubiously they
marketed their new builds to prospective buyers as having the address of
Wilton. The series of photos below highlight the historical and currents facts pertaining to the actual location of Wilton as opposed to Togher. In all cases , Wilton is located north of the Glasheen River. A 1950s Ratepayers list clearly shows Doughcloyne as being part of Togher. In 1983 , the Catholic Church established the Parish of Wilton. Notable by their absence are the Estates currently arguing the complete opposite. Running in tandem with this is the 2007 Bishopstown & Wilton Action Plan by City Council which notably does not stray south of the Glasheen River when portraying Wilton. A more modern day marker would be the Sarsfield Flyover which closely follows the Glasheen just north of it. Tangible proof can be discerned from the directional signage erected by the Council which clearly shows the true direction of Wilton ( north of the Sarsfield Flyover ) towards the C.U.H. and north of the Glasheen River.
1832 Holt Map showing Wilton above Glasheen
River and Doughcloyne below
Documentary proof of Doughcloyne's Togher heritage
Diocesan website outlining boundaries of Wilton
Wilton Parish established in 1983
2007 Council Action Plan for Bishopstown & Wilton
Wilton directional signage north of Sarsfield Flyover
Close up view of true direction of Wilton
Motorway Signage pointing in right direction away from Doughcloyne
Finally , a local radio show hosted by Neil Prendeville of RED FM gave almost an hour air time to the topic of Wilton vs Togher. Many callers both for and against participated to showcase both their grievances and acceptance in equal measure. However , it soon became apparent that the whole case for Wilton was collapsing as listener after listener , many who hailed from outside districts argued in favour of Togher. Below is the whole show which is required listening and a history lesson to boot!
Pauline Murphy has informed the Togher Historical Assoc. of some remarkable structures in Togher which all have a Murphy/Spur Hill connection though the Families are not related. The first concerns her Father , Finbarr Murphy who lovingly painted and maintained a water pump on Maher's Lane which until recently was unknown to most. The pump , like its counterpart near the Sexton House , was walled on three sides and painted in flat green. As shown in the photo below , thought to date from the early 1990s , Finbarr was extremely proud of his charge. Today , it is believed to either be completely overgrown by vegetation and hidden from all but the most inquisitive of eyes or sadly possibly demolished. The second photo shows a 2009 shot of it , with the top of the water pump protruding from the overgrowth. Its location is just before the area where a gas pipeline was laid down not far from the railway bridge to the east of the Chetwynd Viaduct. The Togher Historical Assoc. paid a brief visit to the location but could not discover its whereabouts. It is planned to undertake a more exhaustive investigation in the near future. Pauline has kindly supplied a map outlining the original locations of all water pumps on Spur Hill.
Finbar Murphy posing beside water pump
2009 photo of location of water pump on Mahers Lane
Location of water pumps on Spur Hill
Pauline Murphy also informed the Blog of a stone which is hidden in
plain sight at the junction of Sarsfield Road and Doughcloyne Hill. Her
Father placed the stone there in the 1970s or 1980s as a marker for the
Deanrock Bowling club from which to start their scores on Sunday
mornings. Legend has it that her Father relocated it from excavation works being carried out on the old City Walls! The truth of this claim may never be known. The stone marker is nowadays several feet further in from its initial placement , having been pushed into the bushes by a car crash several years ago. Eamonn Pearse traveled to the location to capture some images of the stone as it is today.
Stone at junction of Sarsfield Road/Spur Hill
Zoomed out shot of stone marker in bushes
Close up of stone marker at corner of Sarsfield Road
Pauline also informed the Blog of an old Grotto halfway down Mahers Lane which was erected by the owners of the adjoining farmland. This particular Murphy Family , no relation , may have constructed the shrine in 1954 which was a Marian Year in the R.C. Religion. Kathleen O'Keeffe confirmed that she used to visit it in the early 1960s. Originally it would have had a statue and kneelers , but nowadays all have been removed and the site is slightly overgrown. Pauline has supplied a photo from the 1970s showing the shrine as it would have looked back then. Kathleen O'Keeffe photographed some close ups of the site as it is today.
On 28th June 2017 , the Sexton House on Spur Hill was demolished to make way for a private build. The Sextons have a very important link with Togher history in that Maurice Sexton was the land steward for the Sarsfields up to 1947 when they sold their Estate to the S.M.A. and emigrated to Wales. Previous to that the Sextons lived in the rear portion of Phillipine House a.k.a. Fellowship House ( also demolished ). Fr. Slattery of the S.M.A.subleased the Cottage to Maurice Sexton in 1961 in advance of his retirement as Land Stewart , a position he retained when the African Missions became the new owners. The Larkins would have been the previous occupants of the Cottage. Joan Sexton was the last sibling of the family and passed away a few short years ago aged 90. With no surviving family members it fell into private ownership and is now gone forever. The site is also notable for the last remaining water pump in Togher which is located to the left of the entrance.
Mags Murphy with original presented placue
