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These pages would not exist were it not for Jean Cattigan, Pat Fallon, Sarah Moran and Celia Ruddy (pictured above) who, whilst on a FÁS back to work scheme, devoted their work experience time to keying in this information. Our sincere thanks to the four of you who have made it possible for everyone to view these documents. Our heartfelt gratitude must also go to everyone who gathered this information on a previous scheme and of course to FÁS, Achill Community IT Centres,TASPO, Achill Sound students scheme, Muntir Acla and all of the course organisers. Final thanks should go to Bridget Flynn and family for the loan of the Folklore Commission document. Last and by no means least we would like to dedicate these pages to Denis Gallagher who loved this place so much. |
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Before 1880 there was very little emigration from Achill. Male farm labourers simply moved to Eastern counties for seasonal work. They were hired at hiring fairs for the season. |
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Population of Achill |
1911 - 6,800 |
Deaths in Achill |
1995 - 101 |
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A recent mini – census compiled by Loch Gael Community Group (Fast) shows the present population of the Currane Peninsula. It is divided into eight sections. Those sections are Pre – School 20 National School 97 2nd. Level 86 3rd Level 40 Employed 172 Unemployed 108 Housewives 81 Pensioners 166, giving a total population of 770 approx. However this does not include fathers or youths who are forced by unemployment to work overseas. |
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To compromise is to doubt your own convictions, run the old adage and it’s one that Padraig Joyce might well have coined himself. |
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Patrick J. O’ Malley retired president of the Cleveland AFL-CIO Federation of Labour, at one time was the most powerful labour leader in the city. He rose through the ranks to become regional director of the United Auto Workers, a post he held for 19 years until his retirement in 1968. |
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Rev. Sir, |
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On the 14th Dec last the fishing boats of the fishermen of Currane Achill. Were seized by Irish Free State Forces and removed to Westport Quay where they have been retained since. |
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In 1847, the year of the famine, Fr Mick was transferred to and given charge of the parish of Achill. Nangle’s mission was at the peak of its power. The story of Mick’s seal for his parishioners had preceded him to Achill and Nangle and his followers proceeded to persecute and annoy the priest in every possible way. |
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A daughter of Patchacó’s was married to one of the Heverins that owned this mill. (the mill was in Belfarsad near where the church is today, Belfarsad is near Achill Sound). Patchacó’s name was Pat Mc Neela he was a native of Tóin ré Gaoit,or Claggan(in South Ballycroy). He used to be with Caiptín Ó Máille, he was a better seaman than the Caiptín but he hadn’t the “navigation” like the Caipín, seldom the Caiptín used to go out without him. |
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Both of them were near the chapel to the south of it where the rivers are going down to the shore. They were owned by a family of the Heverins who came from Erris ( probably from Doolough s.m.). Some of their family are living in Belfarsad yet one of the men was married to Patchaco’s daughter. One of the mills was for grinding corn and the other one was only a small one for the thickening flannin. The one for the corn was the nearest to the chapel. Its about 55 years since the big one stopped but the thickening mill was working between 20 or 25 years ago. |
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I remember when the monks came to Bun a Corraig (a village in central Achill) and ‘twas near a great flight when they were gathering stories for the monastery. Taws in Gallagher’s land (owners of the Public house is now rented by Mr Michael Lyon) above the road at the little bridge, when the stones were gathered ready for bringing down to Bun a Corraig were they were goin’ to build the monastery the Cashel people and the Bun a Corraig people came to stop the monks from bringing the stones down. When the Corrán people heard it they went down with their horses and carts and asses to bring down the stones for the monks. ‘Twas a woman from Clocmór side (named Grace Gallagher) that got hold of the first stone and then a man named Patten a man named Nolan, she (Grace Gallagher) belonged to FR Gallagher’s people (note on Fr Gallagher later s. m.) when the people below, Cashel and Bun a Corraig people saw that the Corrán people meant business they went home and the monastery was built. The monastery was built a year or two after my uncle (Fr Michael Gallagher) came to Achill. Fr Gallagher came to Achill in 1847. |
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A man of the Gallagher’s from Tieraur (Tír an Áir) a townland between Malranny and Newport) who was a parish priest in America and whilst he was there he was among most of his relations from Ballycroy and Achill and they gathered a lot of money for him. His mother’s name was Campbell, a relation of the money to be spent to educate the Gallaghers of Achill, Ballycroy Tiernur or their offspring. For the priesthood and if there was any money left over they were to go to Donegal to the offspring of the Gallaghers there. A good many Gallaghers got the scholarship but there was never a priest of the Gallaghers ordained but they were not Gallaghers -their mothers were some of the Gallaghers- and the first to be ordained from the scholarship fund was a policemans son from Newport, but he was not a Gallagher. He (the parish priest who left the money) came home to Tieraur on a visit and he walked to Achill though Corrán and back again to Tiernaur on foot. He was so gortac that he wouldn’t spend a penny and no wonder he’d have money. This Fr Gallagher was ordained sometime after my uncle (Fr Michael Gallagher ) and it was though Fr Michael recommendation he got the place in America whilst he was at home on his visit he never gave a penny to any of his friends or left them any in his will. There was a good many of the Gallaghers from Achill here who got the scholar ship, but something happened everyone of them before they were ordained, so none of them ever was a priest from it. There must be some mallait or mí-ád on it. |
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This Michael Gallagher was my father’s father and Fr Michael Gallagher was his son and a brother of my father’s. My father’s name was Tommy Gallagher. My grandfather was very well off. He had a hooker and used to be whale fishing. He used to go to Donegal and buy stockings and selling the stockings first he hadn’t much to spare, one day here in Corrán where he was living a young man, a stranger to the place came in and that he wanted a few pairs of stockings but that he had no money my grandfather said to him: “Ní artnigim tú, bfuil bannaide a bit agat;” “Mac dé”arfa an strainféar, uad sin amac bí an t-airgead á cárnú ifteac ‘uige aguf ní faca sé lá boct ‘na déid sin gur caillead é. |
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Father Mick Gallagher was my uncle as I said before and I was only three weeks old when he came to Achill as a parish priest. He came in 1847, he spent a while in Turoc (a place about 4 miles from Castlebar on the road to Ballyvary) and a while in Islandeady (a place between Castlebar and Westport) It was from Islandeady he came to Achill ,when he came he was living in a small house in Cashel l(a village in centre of Achill Island) He got the house repaired and he had a fine comportable thatched house then. When the jumpers got the land in Cashel the priest had to leave it. He came up to Bréan-Asgaill(a village about 3 miles south of Achill Sound on west side of the Sound). Bréan- Asgaill was in Pike’s estate (Pike was a landlord and grandfather of the present Mr Pike who lives about half a mile west of Achill Sound). Pike was a great friend of the priest also Pike was a Protestant. He put a man out of his house in Bréan- Asgaill and gave the house to Father Mick, but he build a house for the man he put out, indeed Pike was very good to my uncle(Fr Mick) . He gave him eight acres of land at Kildownet chapel and fenced it in for him, you can see it today, it is on the south side of the chapel and it is now divided into eight stripes, if you count eight stripes up(southwards) from the chapel you will come to an aitnn ditch. All them eight stipes was land that Pike gave to my uncle. Fr Mick was a great horse-man and he used to have a good horse always. He had one grey horse once and indeed he was a fine horse. There’s a likeness of the priest riding on the grey horse, in Pikes below yet (in Mr Pike’s residence, half a mile west of Achill Sound). You can see the house in Bréan Asgaill where my uncle was living, it is down at the shore. It is a two storeyed slated house now but it was only a thatched house in my uncle’s time. There is a man named Scanlon living in it now. |
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An t ‘atair Ó Máille was the parish priest that was in Achill before Father Michael. An tAtair Ó Maille had a curate named Fr Malachy Monaghan and it was Fr Malachy that baptised me . An tAtair Ó Máille was from Baile an Tobair or Pártrí (two townlands about 8 or 9 miles south of Castlebar). He was shifted out of Achill before Father Mick came. I think it was because he was old, I don’t know where he was shifted to. Fr Malacly Monaghan was in Achill a good while after An tAtair Ó Máille when he left Fr Henry came and he was Fr Mick’s curate. The next parish priest that came after Fr Mick was Fr Pat O’Conner, Fr Colleran was the parish priest and then Fr Campbell, the present parish priest. That’s five parish priests in my time and An tAtair Ó Máille, but I don’t remember him. I couldn’t be sure about the curates because they usedn’t stay long |
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My father had a hooker and he went down to Rathfram (a townland near Killala in Mayo) for a cargo of potatoes. He drank the money he had with him to pay for the cargo, he fell in (became acquainted) with an office of the coastguards in Rathfarm be the name Lyons. My father waited in Lyons’ and he sent home more money to pay for the potatoes when he got the money he paid for the cargo and came home around Erris Head. When he was in Rathfarm there was no turf in the place but cipíns (cipíní ádmaid). The following year my father went down for another cargo of potatoes and he brought another hooker and his own and had two cargoes of turf down with them, he got the two cargoes of potatoes for the two cargoes of turf and I’m sure he gave a good supply to Lyons. Sometime after that Lyons was sent to Achill Beg where there was a station (Coast Guard’s Station) then, when he met my father he kissed him, he was so fond of him. They were great friends surely till he died (my father). |
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I seen mesel’ with me own two eyes, thanks be to God, a man coming over from Dooega (a village in the South coast of Achill Island about halfway between Allcaca Mionán and Béal na gCliait ) and a corpse on his back. He had “eirif dá lám” (straps or ropes crossing his shoulders and bound to a load carried on the back of a person) on the corpse. The corpse was without a coffin but the clothes that he died in, when he was passing our house , mesel’ and me mother and me sister were looking out, my mother send my sister to help the man to keep the feet of the corpse up, they were sweeping the road. He was going up to Kildownet graveyard to bury the man, my sister Lord have mercy on them on them all, went out and helped him with the corpse. She was about 8 years older then me. I was about 10 or 11 years at the time. He carried that corpse 5 Irish miles and he had a bad road to come, he came over through Aisléim (a village between Kildownet and Dooega) and down here on road to the graveyard. The road he came is called “Bealac na hAisléim go Dub Éige”. I was in the “bad times” they made that road and I was a gasúr working on it for a penny a day and some days we usednt’t get anything and other times we’d get a máimín o’yellow meal. |
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There was big grave in Kildownet, the biggest one in it. You’ll see it with the iron railin’s around it. That’s where the people that were drowned at the quay at Westport are buried, to Scotland they were going ‘the craythurs, they left Achill in two hookers on a fine morning about the middle of June to go to Westport to meet the Glasgors ship there, when they were comin’ in drawin on the quay they saw the ship anchored out a bit waitin’for the tide. When the hookers were near the ship one of them was closer then the nearest one and ather people in her went across to the side of the hooker to have a good view of the ship. It was calm morning’ but at that minute a little sharp squall came the other side and the sail struck against the mast and because the weight was all on that side and the force of the wind too, the hooker capsized and out goes everyone that was on deck. When the sail struck the water and got wet the hooker couldn’t right hersel’ and the sail kept the people that were under it down. They had no chance at all but some others that weren’t under the sail were saved. All the bodies were found because there was plenty of boats and it wasn’t very deep. The bodies were brought into Westport quay and laid out in a shed for the night. I believe if they were rightly attended to that some of them would be saved, because when they came the next day with the coffins some of the bodies were in a different position. They must have stirred or moved durin’ the night, thirty two altogether that was drownded and they are all buried in the one grave in Kildownet, I saw the hookers goin’up in the morning and I was with the funeral and indeed it was a poor sight, no wan else was buried inside railin’s since, although relation’s of the people that are buried in it but the priest wouldn’t allow them, and he was right too. The Healy man that owned the hooker was from Belfarsad below the near the Sound. Some of his people are there yet. |
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That was the time they were makin the railway from Westport to Achill and if the people could wait a little longer they could go on the train, but they couldn’t wait. There was only a small piece to be finished before the train would come to Achill. When they were bringin’the coffins home to Achill they finished the little piece someways to carry the train and that was the first train that came to Achill and it had a load of dead with her. That was in the Prophecy and it was in the Prophecy too that the last train that would come would have a load of dead too. That happened too when the 10 men from Achill burned in Scotland (in Kirkintilloch,Sept,1937) in a bothy. That’s the time they were liftin, the railway from Achill to Westport and when the ten coffins were comin’ home, they sent a special train from Dublin with them, and that was the last train that came to Sound (Achill Sound ) Now isn’t it hard to go beyond the Prophecy .(The train that took the coffins to the Sound was the last train Special train. The usual trains ran for a week or so afterwards, s m) |
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There was two “soup schools” here in Corrán, one of them was two stripes back from this house where the “pound” is now. The pound is just where the oul’schoolhouse was. Twas only a small thatched house . Oul’Pat Sweeney was the teacher. Pat Sweeney at the Sound is his son . Oul’Pat, the teacher, turned a Catholic and got married to a girl named Mary Mc Cann. There never was many scholars goin’to the school and it didn’t last very long. Oul’ Pat Sweeney left and it went over to Kildownet and he was teaching there for a while. Then another teacher named Cafferkey from Ballycroy came here to the school here, but he didn’t stay long. The people didn’t like him and anyhow they didn’t go to the school very much Cafferky left and went to Meelin (a townland north of Dooega in the southern part Achill Island) Cafferkey was teaching after that for a long time in Meelin. Some of his people ( his descendants)are there yet and they are jumpers’ yet. |
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I remember when there was up to sixty houses in Ailte but Pike evicted them. Pike was the Landlord, William Pike was his name. He wanted the land for grazin’ and he put the people out of it. It was a big village and streets in it like a town. Every five or six, or more of the houses were stuck together, like you’d see in a town. They were only small houses. |
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About sixty years ago the people from Corrán used to go up to the “Coire” ( a glen on Corrán hill to the east side of Corrán) booleyin.” They had little boiógs there and one night all the women left the Coire and came down home with the milk and the butter except one woman. |
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I remember when the oul’ school (old N school) was made. You can see the walls of the oul’ school yet behind at the Schoolhouse (The present N.S in Corrán). Before any schoolhouse was made in Corrán there was a master from Newport be the name of Flynn goin’around to some of the house in Corrán teaching their children. Twas this Flynn that was teaching my uncle, Father Mick, only a few families that used to go to school to him. The Gallagher’s the Ó Máille’s and the Pattens mostly (that used to attend). Indeed he had no school only goin’ from house to house or anywhere he would get a barn to bring his scholars into. This was not the Flynn I was tellin’you about before that was in the soup school but a namesake of his. |
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My great-grandfather`s name was Micheal Gallagher and he lived in Corraun, in Áird (A village in Corraun) He had a son named Michael and that was my grandfather. My grandfather had three sons and one daughter at home, Mathew, Micheal and Tommy were the son’s and Alice was the daughter’s name. She married a man named Gibbons from outside Newport. My mother’s name was Leneghan, one of the Leneghan’s of Ballycroy, and my father’s name was Tommy. My grandfather had a place in Newport and it was the first slated house that was built in the town, It was in the main street on the right hand side going in from here ..He had a shop, along with the three uncles and one aunt I had at home, I had two uncles who went to America, I never saw them, I had two aunts in America too but they came home and got married. The two of them married two Henry’s from Erris, Alice married Pat Henry and Sarah married Dominick Henry, the two men first cousins |
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My uncle Mathew was a smuggler and he used to bring tobacco and wine and other things from Flush(flushing). He used to be with Caiptín Ó Máille sometimes and sometimes with Paidin Ban ‘ac Cormaic. Páidín was a great a smuggler and he had a ship of his own and he used to have a man named Leneghan from Ballycroy, a first cousin of my mother’s with him and a man named MacNeela. I think Mac Neela was from Tóin Re Gaoit (A Townland between Malranny and Achill Sound) or Claggan in Ballycroy . Páidín himself was from Croc Maoilín in Ballycroy and he was a relation of my mother’s. They used to put their cargoes out at Tóin na Dúmaca (a place in Corraun) sometimes and they used to bring the stuff from there on horseback to Newpor, and in the country.old men used to bring a hundredweight of tobacco on their backs from Tóin na Dúmaca to Newport at night, I seen the men mesil’ an was talking ‘to them. (The distance from Tóin na Dúmaca to Newport is about 14 miles s.m.) Páidín Bán was drowned himself. He was a fine tall strong man and he used to wear brógaí go (de) leatar na Spáinneac up to his knees. There was a song composed about Páidín, I heard it often in Ballycroy. |
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Mac Neela was from Lower Achill some people said but more said he was from Claggan (a place South Ballycroy). I b’lieve mesel’ he was from Claggan. He used to be with Páidín Bán(‘ac Cormac) sometimes but he used to be with the Caiptín Ó Máille most of the time. He was a great seaman and people used to say that was a better seaman than the Caiptín. Their ship would be drowned once only for Mac Neela. They were comin’from Flush with a cargo ,the wind favoured them all the way and they were six hours too soon or sooner than they thought . Mac Neela was on deck and he shouted that Sliab Mór was in sight and he called the Caiptín Ó Máille up to see it but he couldn’t ,he ordered Mac Neela down to get the supper and when he came up again Sliab Mór was plain to be seen, only for Mac Neela was on watch that time the the ship would be in smidhreens on the wild rocks at Achill Head. |
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I seen the Caiptín Ó Máille indeed and I remember the day as I do today, I was 14 or 15 years at the time. He was going on crutches when I seen him but he was a fine tall man. I seen him comin’up the Kildownet road (a village east of Achill Island) from lower Achill and he was on his way to Clare Island. He stopped for the night in the public house that was that time in Kildownet behind at the chapel, we all went in to see him because we heard so much about him before he was tellin’ stories about his life but I don’t remember any of the stories now. The house was full because all the village went in to see him. There is a new house now at the chapel (north side) and the public house was where the stable is now between the new house and the chapel. He was related to the O’Malleys of Clare Island and lower Achill. I never heard that he was married or that he had a family, maybe he was married he used to put out cargoes at Corrán. He had a whisker but indeed he seemed to be a fine man when he was young. The last cargo he brought was sunk at Poll na Ráite near Newport. They sunk her (the ship) themsel’ when they saw the revenue comin’and no escape. The name of the ship was "The Sloopeen Vaughan” and there was a song made about her,I knew it once but I’m afraid I won’t be able to say it now. |
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Many of the young women one sees about Achill are undoubtedly handsome-one or two we saw would be called beauties in any country-and they have dark blue eyes, deep red hair perfect complexions, features, figure, and carriage. And then another charm has to be added: the voices of Achill men, women, and children are always low-pitched, softly modulated, and musical-rather remarkable characteristics when one considers the open air life they lead, and the windy, boisterous climate of the Island. But hard work and open-air life soon destroy boudoir-like beauty, leaving, however, always the graceful carriage and pleasant voice. The women’s dress of Achill consists of bodices, skirts, and shawls, hats and boots being more conspicuous by their absence. The colours affected are gorgeous. Reds of all shades, from that associated with the Post Office to the pale, washed-out tint; purple of the most deeply imperial to the salty; magentas and a colour called “puce” are likewise in vogue, as is also a vivid blue. Their blankets are home-made, of wool from the mountain sheep, and “natural wool” coloured. The woollen skirts are generally home-made, and dyed in various and locally fashionable shades with dyes purchased from Westport. The yellows and browns and a prevalent mustard colour for the men’s homespun are obtained by boiling a lichen which grows on the rocks at Kim Bay. On Sundays and festivals the better-to-do women wear the well known large, cover-all, Irish cloaks, generally deep blue in colour when going to or returning from mass. |
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Night pastimes were knitting and spinning. The wool was bought in large hanks, enough to make two jumpers. The men would hold the hanks for winding. |
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Penance that was put on a man if he got a girl into trouble (pregnant). He would have to go around the Church on top of Croagh Patrick so many times on his hands and knees, and say so many rosarys |
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On our arrival at Coarse Clay Farm we were each given a big double sized sack. This was our mattress which we had to pack with straw. We were also given three blankets . From our trunks we took the sheets and pillows our caring mothers had packed. They had been well advised about all the things we would need by previous 'tattie hokers’. So we also carried our own pottery, cutlery and table cloths (which were serviceable oil cloths the fashion of the day). Soon we had unpacked and set up our sleeping apartment, it looked like a hospital ward and the eating bothy like a canteen. We took pride in the appearance of our accommodation. We had one luxury - electricity. |
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