Travellers in Portlaw

Just over a week ago, some members of the travelling community, with some animals and vehicles,  arrived in Portlaw, where they stayed for four days approximately. They were mainly members of a Delaney family, who told me they confine their travels to County Waterford.  Some Reilly travellers were also present on the day I visited them.   Of particular interest was their traditional horse-drawn caravan, which they told me was now forty years old. I was offered access to the interior, which had a nice solid-fuel cooker/heater.  A picture of the caravan is hereunder, parked outside the entrance to the former Malcomson Cotton Mill, which later became a Tannery. In recent years, I have photographed travellers with the surname Reilly in both mid-Tipperary and County Carlow, some of which are online, or have been published (with permission).

Above:  M. Delaney himself, head of the travelling family referred to previously.
The gate seen here was formerly the gate to the Malcomson mansion - Mayfield House,
which in 1934 became the Tannery ofice.

 Members of the Delaney and Reilly families.

John Reilly with young Mary Delaney on horseback.

MASS AT CLONEGAM CEMETERY:

A single left click on most images will show an enlarged version on black.

VIEWER FROM FAR AWAY!

It's pleasantly surprising this morning

to see we have a viewer

just now at 10.18 am

looking in from

H O N G  K O N G!

We hope you are enjoying your visit!

-   oooOooo   -
Statistics, like the above, are available behind the scenes to the site owner, at the press of a button! 

THE INISTIOGE CONNECTION!

The fine window above, plus enlarged bottom panels hereunder, were photographed at St. Mary's Church (Church of Ireland/Anglican), Inistioge, on a recent outing. Thanks to the lady who gave us permission to enter the church and do so, and filled us in on some history relating to the building and it's contents.

The church lies on the site of an Augustinian Priory, founded in the early 1200s by the Anglo-Norman lord, Thomas FitzAnthony.  King Henry VIII had the Priory suppressed in 1539 during the 'Dissolution'.

You may ask - 'Why this image on a Portlaw website?"   The answer can be found in the dedication on the bottom panels, which are shown underneath:

"To the Memory of Richard Uniacke Beresford, Precentor of St. Canice's Cathedral, Kilkenny, and Rector of this Parish, 1892 - 1925. Erected by his Parishioners, Relatives and Friends."

It so happens that the Rev. Uniacke Beresford (1858-1925) had strong Portlaw and Stradbally connections. The Uniackes were associated with the Youghal area from the 1500s, and the Stradbally area from the late 1700s, while the Beresfords arrived in Portlaw in 1717, marrying into the de la Poer family of Curraghmore.

Further text, re the Portlaw connection, to follow!

.........................................................................

The window depicts Jesus Christ having arisen from the dead  on the left light(opening),
On the right light is depicted Mary Magdalene,
the first person to see Christ after his Resurrection, when he said to her: "Mary!".
She turned and said to him - "Rabboni!" - which means, 'Master' or 'Teacher'.
This incident is told in all four Gospel narratives.
(See: King James Bible - John chapter 20, verse 16).

W E L C O M E !

W E L C O M E

to you out there

in

BRAZIL,

looking in just now!

Taiwanese Viewer

G R E E T I N G S

to you

out there

in

T A I W A N,

looking in just now!

PILLAR DOWN!

One of the main entrance gate-pillars to Curraghmore Estate

has been toppled in recent days.

I've heard it was damaged when a vehicle, loaded with bales of hay,

was passing through!
Presumably these gate-pillars were erected 200 or more years ago,
when the width between them was designed just for horse-drawn vehicles?

A stone mason was working on the site this morning, July 3rd.

ADDENDUM July 7th:

Work continues on the damaged gate-pillar.
Only traditional mortar - sand and lime - is being used, instead of sand and modern cement.
It was also brought to my attention that the pillar on the opposite side of the entrance
had also been damaged.
Lifting machinery is being used for lifting each piece of granite into position.
One wonders how the lifting of such pieces was carried out in the past
when the material was being quarried and transported from the distant
Blackstairs or Wicklow mountains, surely by horse and cart?