Longitude: the angular distance of a place east or west of the Greenwich meridian, or west of the standard meridian of a celestial object, usually expressed in degrees and minutes Those who avoid the subject of maths might find the above definition of longitude explanation enough when it comes to global measurement. Those who…… Continue Reading
Foilhomurrum: Its Position in History
Foilhamurum is such a stumbling block in its etymological arrangement that it may be better adopt some other name like Valencia Cable Creek – Tralee Chronicle, 17 July 1866 Foilhomurrum Bay was catapulted onto the world stage in 1866 when it became the site of the first successful telegraph cable link with Newfoundland in Canada.…… Continue Reading
Glory to God: Castleisland’s Link to the Atlantic Telegraph
On the nerve of this telegraph wire Be – Nothing of science, or profit and loss; But, flashing electrical deeper and higher, World, let the first heart-stirring message across – Be ‘Glory to God in the Highest!’ From The First Message for the Atlantic Telegraph Written at Albury, Guildford, 27 July 1857 by Martin Farquhar…… Continue Reading
Remarks on the Literature of T M Donovan, Castleisland
T M Donovan, Castleisland’s prolific author of the early twentieth century, published his first book, A Popular History of East Kerry in 1931. The Two Mothers appeared in 1933.[1] In the intervening year, God’s Glorious Universe was published. It first appeared as a series of articles in the Kerryman from about March to May…… Continue Reading
Poff and Barrett: Global Search for Justice
Sylvester Poff and James Barrett, hanged on 23 January 1883 for the murder of Thomas Browne of Dromultan, Co Kerry, rest not. Their Dying Declarations of innocence speak to us still, and from new documents acquired by the O’Donohoe Collection, it is shown that their protestations of innocence were uttered to their very last breaths.…… Continue Reading
Poff and Barrett: Guilty Until Proven Innocent
The arrest of Sylvester Poff and James Barrett is not regarded by the public as being of any importance and it is looked upon as being in the ordinary course of matters[1] Thomas Browne was murdered at Dromultan, Co Kerry on 3 October 1882. As far as can be ascertained, the murder took place at…… Continue Reading
Poff’s Farm: Recollections of Michael Marshall, formerly of Mountnicholas
Sylvester Poff, who with James Barrett was hanged on 23 January 1883 for the murder of Thomas Browne, was evicted from his farm at Mountnicholas, Co Kerry, in 1881. The dwelling house was demolished at the time of the eviction but the foundations remained. About twenty years later, the farm was sold by the…… Continue Reading
John Twiss of Castleisland: A ‘Pure Brave Soul’
John Twiss of Cordal, Castleisland, was arrested in April 1894 for the murder of James Donovan at Glenlara, Co Cork, and the police subsequently sought evidence against him. This circumstance was remarked on by Jeremy Dein and Sasha Wass, the barristers who recently investigated the case for the documentary, Murder Mystery and My Family. …… Continue Reading
Poff and Barrett: Last Words
The most remarkable fact in connection with the case is that both the men, though in separate cells, without any communication with each other, protested all through, and above all, at the last supreme moment, their absolute innocence. Derry Journal, 26 January 1883 In 1919, it was remarked that ‘Tralee Gaol contains the calcined remains…… Continue Reading
Poff and Barrett: Caught in the Crossfire
Murder never goes unavenged, the blood of the murdered cries to Heaven for vengeance – George Raymond, BL, for Mrs Browne About one week before William Marwood, the executioner, arrived in Tralee to begin erecting the gallows on which Sylvester Poff and James Barrett would die, two appeals were submitted to the Lord Lieutenant of…… Continue Reading