Local History: It is particularly appropriate and pertinent that the Meath Archaeological and Historical Society's local history journal of this year, Riocht na Midhe Vol XVI 2005, should devote its first two contributions to the current controversy about the M3 motorway, writes Richard Roche.
Dr Edel Bhreathnach (UCD) and Dr Joseph Fenwick (UCG) leave the reader in no doubt that the proposed motorway ("a large white elephant", according to Bhreatnach and "a poor planning decision" in the words of Fenwick) will do more harm than good. The 12 other illuminating articles, as well as book reviews and notes, mark this 50th anniversary journal as a noteworthy addition to the archives of the Meath-Westmeath region. As with the previous editions of Riocht na Midhe, this one is, as expected, lovingly edited by Dr Séamus Mac Gabhann (NUI, Maynooth). It deserves the widest possible circulation, especially in view of the implications for the future of Tara.
What fascinating history there is in a small rural parish - a parish, particularly, such as Kilmore in Co Armagh. It is no exaggeration to say - and the 150-page A History of the Parish of Kilmore confirms - that Kilmore was a focal point in some of the main events in Irish history. St. Patrick passed through on his way to Armagh; the Cineal Eoghan O'Neills built a castle there; the plantations transformed the parish society in the 17th Century; despite the Penal Laws the original Catholic families (including the author's own) survived and prospered; sectarian violence and land appropriation erupted after the "Battle of the Diamond" in 1795; the Orange Order and the Defenders' reaction to it caused Wolfe Tone to despair of the county ("always a plague on us") and the names of Loughgall, Fr James Coigly, the United Irishmen and William Blacker have gone down in local as well as Irish history. The parish today is better known for its Bramley apples. This small book, by a local man, should make all parishioners of Kilmore extremely proud.
Previous volumes in the Gentry series, initiated by Art Kavanagh and the late Rory Murphy of Bunclody, included histories of the "gentry" (i.e. landed proprietors as well as the older, truer aristocracy) of Wexford, Tipperary and Kilkenny and the publishers, Irish Family Names, promise forthcoming books on the gentry of Louth, Meath, Waterford, Cork, Limerick, Galway, Clare and Armagh. This volume, The Landed Gentry and Aristocracy of County Kildare, consists of detailed and colourful records of 18 families, picked at random according to co- author Turtle Bunbury. He warns, however, that it is not intended as an authoritative compendium of pedigrees, even though much use has been made of the ever-reliable Burke. It is a beautifully illustrated volume and well worth its €35 price.
For an excellent study of landlordism and its effects (both good and bad) in Ireland from the 17th to the 20th century, Kathy Trant's book, The Blessington Estate, can hardly be bettered. The author has lived in this area for about 30 years and she brings a personal knowledge as well as meticulous research to bear on her subject. The Blessington estate, in west Wicklow, dates from 1667 when Michael Boyle (later Archbishop of Armagh and Lord Chancellor of Ireland) bought the old Norman lordship of the Three Castles for £1000 and established a landed estate which, under the Boyles (Viscounts of Blessington) and the Hills (Marquises of Downshire), existed into the 20th century. It prospered or declined according to the exigencies of the period and the families' fortunes and finally disappeared with the acquisition of most of the lands by the Land Commission in 1908. There is a long appendix giving the names of the tenants in 1850. Local families will find the book of absorbing interest as they search for references to their ancestors - landed or otherwise.
If your name is Madden, O'Madden, Madigan or any one of the 20 or so variations, then the History of the O'Maddens of Hy-Many is for you. The long-tailed and distinguished clan of O'Madden of Hy-Many (Uí Máine in east Galway) has a pedigree going back to the 8th century (and maybe earlier, according to the author) and includes many notables such as Dr Ambrose Madden, Bishop of Clonfert (1644-1715); Dr Richard Robert Madden (1798-1887, chronicler of the lives of United Irishmen); Admiral of the Fleet Sir Charles Edward Madden (1862-1935) and the strangely named Falconer Madan (author of a history of the Madan family). The Maddens were prominent in the church, among the Wild Geese and to be found in the respected families of Madden in Clonlara (Co Clare), Kiltormer, Killererin and Taylor's Hill, not forgetting the author's own family who, no doubt, will be proud of this fascinating account of the widespread clan.
Part of the O'Madden territories extends into the diocese of Elphin and the Madden names crops up in the 597-page edition of the Census of Elphin in 1749, a huge task expertly handled by editor Marie-Louise Legg and derived from a manuscript census carried out by Bishop Edward Synge in 1749. This massive work, with a statistical analysis by Brian Gurrin, is published by the Irish Manuscripts Commission and will be of special interest to historians of the area.
Richard Roche is a local historian and author
Riocht na Midhe. Vol XVI 2005. Edited by Séamus Mac Gabhann. Meath Archaeological and Historical Society. €20
A History of the Parish of Kilmore, By Benedict Fearon. Self published at 120 Brownstowns Road, Portadown. €10
The Landed Gentry and Aristocracy of County Kildare. By Turtle Bunbury and Art Kavanagh. Irish Family Names, Grand Canal Street, Dublin. €35
The Blessington Estate. By Kathy Trant