The Lost Castles of the McElligotts

In earlier times, the McElligotts held an impressive number of castles in the parish which takes their family name:   Bally Mac Elligot distant to the east from Tralee about three miles, has in it the ruins of some considerable castles but it is chiefly remarkable for its name, which it takes from the Mac…Continue Reading

Mary Agnes Hickson and the Earls of Desmond

Nineteenth century Kerrywoman, Mary Agnes Hickson (1825-1899), is perhaps best known for her Selections from Old Kerry Records which she compiled from historical manuscripts inherited from her father.1   The volumes served to establish her reputation as a genealogist and historian.  This was underlined in the first volume of her subsequent work, Ireland in the…Continue Reading

John Twiss and the Campaign to reprieve him

Twiss says that time will prove his innocence and he forgives those who swore falsely against him. Telegram from Patrick H Meade, the Mayor of Cork, to the press1   An interesting document has recently been added to the Michael O’Donohoe Memorial Heritage Project.2  It is a nineteenth century letter handwritten in ink sent from…Continue Reading

From Waterspouts to Moving Bogs: the weather in Kerry

Adverse or favourable, discussion about the elements is part of our daily lives.  Our literature abounds with tales about weather-related events and their effect on people and the environment.   In times gone by, before the improvement of roads and bridges, people in everyday situations were often caught out by freak weather conditions.  In Castleisland,…Continue Reading

Maps of Kerry through the Ages

You do not have to be a cartographer to enjoy the fascinating compilation of maps of Kerry, dating from the 1500s to the present, held in the Castleisland Collection.1         It contains almost one hundred maps which illustrate not alone the geography of Kerry but the peculiarities of spelling and the artistry…Continue Reading

Castleisland Church and People by Fr Kieran O’Shea

Michael O’Donohoe made a study of Castleisland Church and People, a book (now rare) written by Fr Kieran O’Shea in 1981 (reprinted 1982).  Michael’s study resulted in a handwritten index to the work, transcribed below, of great use to those conducting research into the town of Castleisland and vicinity.     The book also contains…Continue Reading

Nineteenth Century Castleisland – the Heart of the Collection

Michael O’Donohoe’s detailed study of Timothy Charles Harrington’s nineteenth century newspaper, the Kerry Sentinel, might be described as the heart of the O’Donohoe Collection.1     It is, essentially, an A-Z of Castleisland-related people and subjects in the nineteenth century.2   The subjects, which run over many hundreds of pages, are varied and numerous.  By…Continue Reading

Military Record of Castleisland

It was inevitable that Michael O’Donohoe, son of Castleisland Garda, Matt, and a former resident of Barrack Lane, should take an interest in the military history of the town.   The collection holds material on the general development of law and order in the Castleisland district including notes on the barracks, bridewell and courthouse and…Continue Reading