This is Michael Shalvey’s last day as the County Council Rent and Rates Collector in the area. Good Luck to him in his retirement, he was always a kind and friendly man. Here he is with Grainne.
Archive for the ‘Cavan’ Category
Michael Shalvey
Friday, May 29th, 2009Fleadh Ceol
Friday, May 29th, 2009
Rally
Monday, May 25th, 2009The Kilmore Hotel Cavan Stages Rally passed near here yesterday. In my opinion once you’ve seen one car going round a corner fast, you’ve seen them all. Still, the event seemed to be very well organised by Cavan Motor Club. It was difficult to get anywhere near the route and the large crowd had to take to the fields. I was out at Relagh Cross for a while.
Confirmation
Friday, May 22nd, 2009
Election
Saturday, May 16th, 2009The local and European elections are on June 6th and every vote counts. Here’s Ciaran McEvoy on the campaign trail for Fianna Fail.
Charlie Galligan is nearly ninety, and he’s been a Fianna Fáiler for most of that. Brendan Smith (minister for agriculture, fisheries and food) is here making a presentation to him in the pub last night. Also in the photo are Mrs Galligan, Brian Smith, Senator Diarmuid Wilson, Mary and Seamus Galligan, Caitlin Tully, Mickey Galligan and Ciaran McEvoy.
Click on the photos to see a larger version
Kilnaleck loses most pubs title
Thursday, May 14th, 2009Article in this week’s Anglo-Celt. It doesn’t say where the title has gone to, because most Irish towns are losing pubs. Besides that would be just too much effort – this is the Celt after all. In typical extensively researched fashion the article goes on to say that we’re suffering from competition from the three pubs in Mountnugent and the eight in Ballinagh. They’ve added two new pubs in each of these towns 
Pic by: Adrian Donohoe
Empty stools and empty glasses. Pubs closures in Kilnaleck have resulted in the town losing its title as the location with the most pubs per head of population. Publicans Joey Boylan, Pius Denneny, Tom Michael Hill and Peter Brady are photographed in Kilnaleck.
The town of Kilnaleck, which once boasted to having the highest number of pubs per head of population anywhere within the British Isles, has now lost that title following the closure of two pubs in recent times.
Fun Fair
Wednesday, May 13th, 2009
Wild Garlic
Sunday, May 3rd, 2009
St Mary’s Abbey
Tuesday, April 21st, 2009Cavan is unusual historically as it was founded by the local Gaelic chiefs the O’Reillys and is one of the few (perhaps the only) Gaelic town in Irish history.
CAVAN ABBEY
Founded in 1300 by Giolla Iosa Rua O’Reilly as a Dominican abbey. In 1393 the Dominicans were expelled, and replaced by the Franciscans. The abbey was burned in 1451, 1468 and 1576. Owen Roe O’Neill was buried there in 1649. There are no remains of the medieval abbey although an 18th century tower survives on the site.
The plaque was unveiled in 1949 by President of Ireland, Sean T O’Kelly.
The death of Owen Roe was a colossal blow to the Irish people at large and particularly the Irish of Ulster. The country was cast into deep mourning. Now that Charles the First of England was dead the threat of Cromwell and his Roundheads hung over the country and Owen Roe was their sole protector against him. As the poet most succinctly put it
“Did they dare, did they dare, to slay Owen Roe O’Neill?
Yes, they slew with poison him they had feared to meet with steel.
Had he lived – had he lived – our dear country had been free;
But he’s dead – but he’s dead – and ’tis slaves we’ll ever be.
Sagest in the council was he, kindest in the Hall:
Sure we never won a battle – ’twas Owen won them all.
Soft as woman’s was your voice, O’Neill; bright was your eye,
Oh! Why did you leave us, Owen? Why did you die?
Your troubles are all over, you’re at rest with God on high;
But we’re slaves, and we’re orphans, Owen! – why did you die?
We’re sheep without a Shepherd, when the snow shuts out the sky-
Oh! why did you leave us, Owen? Why did you die?”
Thanks to Jim Hannon’s article. More photos here
