The Castleisland Collection holds material pertaining to two nineteenth century elections in the county – the Kerry Election of 1835 and the Kerry ‘Home Rule’ By-Election of 1872.1 Michael O’Donohoe observed how in those years, ‘everybody had to go to Tralee to vote’. In 1835, Daniel O’Connell urged that: Deputations be…… Continue Reading
Animal Sports in Castleisland
Castleisland has a great tradition in animal sports. As far back as 1747, Castle-islanders got behind a five day horse-racing event for prizes of up to a ‘purse of 30 shillings’. Day two of the event was to be run by ‘real hunters’ who had been at the death of two brace of foxes…… Continue Reading
Castleisland and the Herbert family
Michael O’Donohoe created a useful reference to names and places of local interest found in the 1963 edition of Herbert Correspondence (edited by W J Smith).1 Smith’s introduction to the Correspondence explains its relevance to the Castleisland collection: The letters printed in this volume constitute all the sixteenth and the greater part of the seventeenth…… Continue Reading
Castleisland Church of Ireland
Church history forms part of the O’Donohoe archive and includes Michael’s impressive 39-pg study of the Church of Ireland in Castleisland. It commences with the division of land following the death of Gerald, 16th Earl of Desmond, in 1583:1 From 1587c onwards, the seigniory of Castleisland was owned by the Herbert family, apart from…… Continue Reading
Castleisland Charter school
The O’Donohoe Collection contains a number of articles and references to the Castleisland Charter School which operated in the town for about forty years in the closing decades of the eighteenth century. The material includes Michael O’Donohoe’s summary of the school from its opening on 2 May 1763 until its suppression in 1802.1 …… Continue Reading