Millstreet.ie

Baby Jacob and his family were on the TV3 news yesterday (Tuesday) evening, and this morning were on Ireland AM, with Joan O’Mahony of the Baby Jacob Trust fund bringing attention to the efforts to raise money for the operations that he needs in the future.

For the next stage of the treatment, they are heading back to Germany next Sunday so that Jacob can get larger implants into his eye sockets, as his current implants are quickly becoming too small.

Unfortunately, we can’t show you the videos clips directly, but here are the links where you can see the videos

• the video of the report on the TV3 News,
• the video of the interview on Ireland AM this morning (11 mins long)

there are also lots of stills from the videos at the bottom of this article

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THE parents of a little boy born without eyes have launched a desperate plea to help raise €300,000 for his treatment.

Jacob Nowak suffers from an exceptionally rare condition whereby his eyes never formed in their sockets before his birth.

The condition, anophthalmia, affects fewer than one in 100,000 children but, in Jacob’s case, it left the him without eyeballs or optic nerves.

Jacob, who was born last August, is healthy in every other respect but now faces years of treatment to cope with his condition.

from today’s Irish Independant
also in todays Irish Examiner
and also in the Irish Times

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A historic train ticket from the Great Southern & Western Railway -  Cork to Millstreet dated 17-mar-1949 which was sold recently on eBay for £5.55

Below are extracts from the “Handbook for Travellers in Ireland (with Maps) 1866″ which refer to the Millstreet area.

Note: the spelling is not great because a computer was used to scan it and copy to text, but the information of the time is interesting.
Coal:
… the only practicable coal being in Clare, where there are thin beds of culm, from which, however, one colliery-owner clears his 4000?. a year. This exception is in the barony pf Duhallow, in the neighbourhood of Kanturk and Millstreet. Here are six veins of anthracite coal, three of which, known as the Bulk-vein, Rock- vein, and Sweet-vein, are of tolerable thickness and have been pretty extensively
worked. ” The coals of the Munster field lie in a series of troughs, the hills usually striking from E. to W., and the strata dipping on either side, N. and S., at considerable angles, often perpendicular.” — Kane,
The coal rocks in Clare are of an estimated thickness of 3350 ft., and consist of limestone band …

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The eldest daughter of Denis and Elizabeth McCarthy her beauty I recall
When she was young in Pound Hill the fairest one of all
Though the years go by so quickly and fleeting is our prime
The memories of her beauty remain undimmed by time
Tall and blond and young and graceful in my mind she remain
Such lovely mental pictures of Phil to retain
She rests at peace in Dublin well north of Millstreet Town
Far from the streets where with her young friends she often walked up and down
Unaffected by her beauty she was free of conceit
What was a win for Dublin was a loss to Millstreet
She would have been in her sixties as far as I know
One can only hope her end was peaceful and not painful and slow
The years go by so quickly and time does not stand still
May she rest in peace in Dublin far from the Town by Clara Hill.

by Francis Duggan

A postcard of Drishane Bridge from the 1940s. Published by Laurence, Dublin.

It is currently on sale on Ebay by a Canadian seller

Names, dates and places of death taken from the Irish Memorial Records, listing all those from Millstreet that died in WWI over in Europe.

• BREEN DENIS 1916-03-27 FRANCE
• BYRNE PATRICK 1915-01-19 FRANCE
• CORKERY DANIEL 1918-03-21 FRANCE
• CREEDON PATRICK 1916-04-30 FRANCE
• CREMIN JOHN 1918-03-23 FRANCE
• CRONIN DANIEL 1914-10-19 FRANCE
• DESMOND MICHAEL 1915-04-26 GALLIPOLI
• HICKEY DENIS 1915-11-27 GALLIPOLI
• HICKEY JOHN F. 1918-01-26
• KELLEHER DENIS 1916-01-12 FRANCE
• MAHONEY MICHAEL 1916-09-09 FRANCE
• MURPHY JAMES 1915-08-09 GALLIPOLI
• O’LEARY EDWARD 1914-10-03 FRANCE

Note: the Irish Memorial Record is incomplete, often incorrect and can contain duplicates. Nonetheless it is interesting information. from a discussion on wartime newspapers

Photograph shows Marius (Jacob`s father) and Jerry Pat O`Leary (Chairperson) accepting a cheque for €1000 for the Baby Jacob Trust Fund from the Transition Year Students. Half of this money was raised through Charity fund-raising events in the School and the other half came from the “Tastes of Christmas”cookery demonstration which was held last December.

A member of the Irish Workers Party and a Socialist and a true Republican
And he loved Ireland and the Irish Language Neil Healy was a very special man
A family person and a quiet achiever he was one worthy of far greater note
I’d like to write a poem in his honour were I born with the genius of a poet.
.
One who did speak the Irish Language fluently not many like him that seems sad to say
In the changing face of twenty first century Ireland in the ever changing World of today
A loyal supporter of Joe Sherlock of the Workers Party to the colours he believed in he was true
To many one who did choose to be different for that alone great credit is his due.
.
People like he was make a case for re-incarnation I’m only saying how it does seem to me
He did love places distant from Duhallow old towns in France in Celtic Brittany
His passing a huge loss to Celtic Culture he is one who will be hard to replace
In Millstreet he will always be remembered where his will live as a remembered face.
.
He always stood for what he did believe in one who was as honest as the word can be
And ’tis sad to think that on the streets of Millstreet he is one that in the flesh we never more will see
But the World was better for him living in it of him that would be a fair thing to say
Conchubar O hEalaithe is one well worth remembering and good memories of him will live for many a day.

by Francis Duggan

Minister for Education & Science, Batt O'Keeffe, T.D. joins over twenty students from Millstreet Community School as they prepare to have a Trócaire Sleep-Out on the grounds of St. Patrick's Church, Millstreet from 7pm on Monday, 1st March until 7am on Tuesday 2nd March. The very impressive project is part of the School's Trócaire Lenten Campaign 2010. Also included is John Magee (Chaplain) and Teachers Derry Morley and Jennifer O'Donoghue as well as Fr. Declan O'Connor, P.P., Millstreet.

… hope they didn’t feel too cold. It was -3C at 7am this morning!

read more information on the sleep out from a few days ago

He works hard and he has drunk many a beer
And he has lived in Australia for many a year
As good a person as one could wish to meet
But Mick Kelleher’s heart it is still in Millstreet.
.
In Claraghatlea in Millstreet he first saw light of day
And he often recalls old friends and places far away
Where the old Finnow river it babbles on down
To the mighty Blackwater close to Millstreet Town.
.
He talks of Claraghatlea, Inchaleigh and Claramore
So many miles inland from Hibernia’s shore
But distant from Duhallow he may live out his life
With his children and grandchildren and Rosemary his wife.
.
What is a great loss to Ireland is surely Australia’s gain
But loyal to Duhallow Mick Kelleher remain
And though here he may live out his last night and day
His heart is by Clara Mountain far away.

by Francis Duggan

Twenty three students and teachers from Millstreet Community College will brave the elements and ’sleep out’ overnight at the doors of Cork’s Millstreet Church to support Trocaire’s Lenten campaign on hunger. They will be joined by members of Millstreet parish. The students aim to highlight world hunger and the poor living conditions faced by people struggling to survive, while raising money for Trocaire’s work.

To make the sleep-out as challenging as possible they will leave mobile phones, i-pods, and all forms of portable entertainment at home. The students will speak at local parishes over this weekend, 27/28th February, and to end the week off they will undergo a 24 hour Fast on Friday 5th March for Trocaire. Also on the 11th March there will be a multicultural event in the Community School as part of the Lenten Project.

Why? For the first time in history 1 billion people or one in six people in the world do not have enough food.

At the doors of St.Patricks Church, Millstreet. 7pm on Monday 1st March to 7am on Tuesday 2nd March.

Read about it on the Trócaire website

The stream from Kippagh mountain downhill babbles it’s way
Through the fields of Ballydaly by overnight frost made gray
Along by the brown hedgerows by Winter winds stripped bare
The coldness of late February is in the morning air.
.
The water is flowing bank high in river, stream and drain
And dark clouds above the mountain give promise of more rain
Yet on the naked birch tree the territorial robin sing
Despite the Wintery weather he senses the coming Spring.
.
Of Ballydaly in late February the memories remain
In my nostalgic flights of fancy I walk the old fields again
Across the bare and wet and frosted fields the freshening cold winds blow
Yet the frost resistant daisies bloom where grass refuse to grow.
.
In quiet old Ballydaly in late February of the year
The wild cries of the hunting fox in the moonlit fields one hear
Her cubs too old to suckle and too young to hunt in their den are crying for meat
A rabbit, hare, pheasant or chicken they would feel glad to eat.
.
From the lake in Kippagh mountain the stream through the bracken flow
And bank high it babbles it’s way Inland down by the bare hedgerow
Yet the robin he is singing on a cold and wintery day
And from old Ballydaly Spring cannot be far away.

A beautiful young woman with blue eyes and shoulder length wavy hair of brown
She lives between Banteer Village and Millstreet Town
The Pride of Rathcoole Annmarie
One who does sing so beautifully.
.
She is surely a princess of song
One could listen to her all night long
Her voice so soulful, melodious and clear
More of her doubtless we will hear.
.
Annmarie O Riordan remember her name
For her’s will be more than a Duhallow wide fame
With youth and beauty and a great voice and time on her side
She could become famed Worldwide.
.
The gift of song is a marvellous thing
The songstress who does love to sing
And she is not yet in her prime
She will only get better with time.
.
How could one with her but not feel impressed
To possess such a singing voice she is truly blessed
In her fan club she now does have me
Go sing it again Annmarie.

by Francis Duggan
Visit Annmarie’s website

She was Breda O Connor before becoming Pat Broderick’s wife
In Millstreet she raised her children and lived there for the most of her life
But a heart that was full of kindness sad to say forever still
And she will be missed by many in the Town by Clara Hill,
In Millstreet in Duhallow the changes happening fast
And memories of times gone by are all that seem to last
Yet in memory she has not died as she was she does remain
And in our mental pictures of her she looks well and young again
I last saw Breda Broderick years ago and far away
In the West End of Millstreet Town on a cold November day
A harsh wind blew from Clara Hill quite cold enough to snow
But as ever she was happy she possessed the inner glow
In the minds of those who knew her she’s still living and she hasn’t aged a day
‘Tis only her mortal remains in the Millstreet graveyard lay.

by Francis Duggan

This article is aimed at those that are out of Ireland (and there are more and more of ye these days) .

RTÉ Player which for the last six months has allowed viewing of TV programs online for three weeks after they have been aired on TV, but which was limited to Ireland, has now gone worldwide. So, if you’re in London, New York, Sydney, Hong Kong or Milan, you will be able to catch up with what is happening back in Ireland.

On millstreet.ie in the past it has been frustrating to point to a video on RTE, but those abroad have not been able to see it. Hopefully this now solves most of those problems

Obviously due to copyright issues it will not show foreign produced programmes, but will show most of the home produced programmes.

And, also new is the 24 hour online RTE News and current affairs channel.

Just a thimble from Millstreet Country Park which appeared on eBay UK recently for the princely sum of 75p.

She was mother of Billy and John Coleman two Millstreet sportsmen of sporting renown
And wife of Paddy of the Coleman Brothers reputable business men of Millstreet Town
A family woman devoted to her husband and children in life her friends in numbers they did grow
Peg Coleman will be missed by all who knew her and by her many friends in Minor Row,
She lived to be a good age in her nineties in nine decades there’s many a night and day
Amongst the dead of Millstreet Town and Parish Peg Coleman now at peace forever lay
A good person she deserves to be remembered memories of her will outlive this simple rhyme
When I was a boy she was a mature woman and that is going back many years in time
Most of the adults of my childhood are now deceased and our biological clocks on our lives tick away
It would be great if we could live forever but for all of us a final night and day
Yes it would be nice if we could live forever but only Nature lives forever more
Peg Coleman she did live to be a great age for a decade of years at least with four score
To live that long in itself an achievement but she did live quite a successful life
A good mother to her sons John and Billy and to Paddy Coleman a devoted wife.

by Francis Duggan

A cold start to another cold Winter’s day
From the overnight frost the old fields looking gray
A cold wind is blowing from Caherbarnagh Hill
And the Cails bank high from Kippagh flows with a will
To join with Finnow In flood waters of brown
In Claraghatlea a mile from Millstreet Town
As a result of yesterday’s heavy rain
Flood waters are babbling in the roadside drain
And hungry redwings chirping on the leafless trees
In temperatures of minus one degrees
In the farmyard in galvanize cattle shed
The hungry cows and bullocks bellow to be fed
And February is blowing out a cold chill
In the harsh wind from Caherbarnagh Hill.

from Francis Duggan

Duhallow Rural Area Transport (DART) provides an invaluable service to people living in rural areas in Duhallow to access basic amenities such as health clinics, pension, shopping.

Fares are as follow: Free for Travel Pass Holders. Adults: €3.50 up to 5 Miles, €6.00 thereafter, Students €2.50 return, Children ages 10 and over €2.00 return, Children ages 5-10 €1.00 accompanied by adult, children under 5 free accompanied by adult.
Special Trips and Outings: Special Trips and outings organised by your local community such as Bingo, Swimming, Matches, Social Outings during the day or night, out of school and summer camp activities etc. can be organised through DART where quotations are provided on request. Indicative subsidies are available from the HSE to Senior Citizens Groups. For further details please contact DART at 029-60648.

In the near future, IRD Duhallow will have the timetable on their website, but for the moment the latest timetables are listed below.

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