Portrait of James Edward John Julian, JP, QC, a Model Kerry Landlord
‘It is quite plain that if the other landlords were like Mr Julian the country would be better off’ A man by the name of McAuliffe made the above remark during a meeting of the Lixnaw United Irish League. The meeting was about compulsory purchase and landlordism, and it throws light on the life […]
Fitzgerald of Adraval and Knockrower
Adraval (spelling varies), near Scartaglin, was once a residence of the Fitzgeralds, Earls of Desmond. There is no local memory of the property and its precise location has not yet been ascertained.[1] John Galvin of Adraval describes the townland as follows: Adriville (the Central Village) is in the centre of Scartaglin Parish being […]
The Monarch and the Scribe: King Felim of Munster
A few miles outside of Castleisland, on the road to Farranfore, the passer-by will be forgiven for not recognising the place where once stood Kilfelim Church. Nothing remains of it today; indeed, nothing remained of it when John O’Donovan enquired in 1841: The site is pointed out in the south end of the townland […]
Edward Creighton: Leader of Men, Irish-American Hero
Creighton reached Salt Lake City with 25,000 telegraph poles standing behind him Castleisland man Peter Browne is the current owner of the Telegraph Field at Foilhomurrum, Valencia Island, Co Kerry, from where in 1866 was established the first wholly successful telegraph link across the Atlantic.[1] The O’Donohoe Archive, Castleisland, has met with another […]
County Kerry’s Contribution to Lexicography
As a school principal and a local history researcher, Michael O’Donohoe made good use of the dictionary. Indeed, the collection includes a copy of his own 1977 edition of Foclóir, on the cover page of which is proudly written, Micheál S O Donnchadha.1 Michael’s research papers reveal that he made frequent reference to Rev […]
