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Echoes of the Past

Discover the untold stories of Dunmanway through our adult-focused audio guides. Each plaque offers a deep dive into local history, accompanied by full transcripts and Spotify-linked audio for an immersive experience. Select a plaque below to listen and read along to the stories.

Clock icon with a reverse iron surrounding it representing Echoes of the Past
An illustration for a plaque titled "Town Origins & Linen Legacy". On the left is a portrait of an 18th-century man wearing a wig. A sweeping graphic transitions to the right, revealing a traditional linen loom and an old building with an exterior waterwheel.

Plaque 1: The Origins and Early Development of Dunmanway

Part One – Sir Richard Cox – First Baronet (1650- 1733)

The Origins and How it All Began?

Lewis’ topographical dictionary of Cork City and County, states that Dunmanway derived its name from the “castle of the yellow river” or the” Castle of the little plain” which related to the old MacCarthy castle long since demolished or “fort of the two yellow gables”.

Prior to the founding of Dunmanway town in the 17th century – the area was largely rural with medieval settlements dotted across the landscape in the vicinity of ecclesiastical settlements such as – at Fanlobbus and Kilbarry with fascinating histories often dating back to the 6th century. 

In the 17th century, people in the rural areas lived in small hamlets. Many clan chieftainships still held lands under the system of Surrender and Regrant. The policy whereby the local clans surrendered their land to the  King who in turn  regranted the lands, often with English titles, in exchange for loyalty, obedience, and adopting English law over Irish customs.

The town owes its origins to Sir Richard Cox, Lord Chancellor of Ireland and First Baronet- Born in Bandon in 1650, Richard was the son of Katherine Bird of Clonakilty and Captain Richard Cox. He  acquired from King William the third, letters patent with a grant to hold a market and fairs in 1693.  Old sources recall his stately mansion. What is currently referred to as the Manor House in Dunmanway is most likely the third Cox house built on the same site of the second house. While the first house was initially built as a summer residence for Sir Richard, it is often described as being situated on a precipice overlooking Dunmanway Lake and is located between two streams that run down the hillside, surrounded by an oak forest. The first house most likely was a wooden Tudor-style residence situated somewhere in the vicinity of today’s old convent buildings.

Sir Richard needed his new town to be accessible for growth. Access then – to Dunmanway was through the northern route via the road known as the Spa Road. So named because of the healing spa and well waters in that area. In the early years the River Bandon would often be in flood, cutting off access for both horses and humans. Only  a few times in the year would the river be shallow enough for locals and horses to pass. Sir Richard built the Long Bridge consisting of 6 arches, accessibility helped the town to grow.

Cox purchased his estate around Dunmanway in 1690 from William Arnoppe who was granted an estate of almost 3,000 acres at Dunmanway in 1666. Cox was knighted in 1692 and created the Cox Baronet in 1706.  In 1674, he married Mary, daughter of John Bourne of Carbery, Co. Cork; they had at least twenty-one children, of whom five daughters and two sons survived into adulthood. He died in 1733 . An interesting fact is that his portrait is hanging in the Royal Hospital Kilmainham. The eldest son, also called Richard, predeceased Cox and the baronetcy passed to his grandson Sir Richard Cox who became second baronet.

Plaque 1: The Origins and Early Development of Dunmanway

Sir Richard Cox – The Second Baronet (1702-1766)

Development of the Linen Industry

Richard Cox, the second Baronet, promoted the linen industry and established Dunmanway as a leading local market town. Early industrialisation of the town centred on the linen industry putting Dunmanway firmly on the 18th century textile map. Great emphasis was placed on the quality of the linen and on the local flax . Linen Workers were rewarded with prizes every year. The Winner received a title of Master of Manufacturers and was given a house rent free for a year. Cox founded a spinning school in 1746 and a family was brought from the north of Ireland to run it. 

He established a May Day tradition when the spinning girls brought out their spinning wheels to the green and spun the flax. The most skilful spinners won a prize. The town’s population and the Linen industry flourished . Dunmanway’s  Linen Fair became famous in the country. Cloth from all over the area was exhibited and sold here. Two bleaching greens, close to the town centre were in constant use, hence the East Green and the West Green names. The population increased dramatically by 1755.

The two years 1747 to 1749  witnessed a huge growth in the linen industry.  In 1747 it was estimated that there were 87 flax wheels and 51 woollen wheels in operation – however by 1749 this had increased to 226 flax wheels and 28 woollen wheels plus those at the spinning school.

Recent research suggests some of the  original weaver families originated in Scotland. They moved to Antrim and from there they were head hunted and brought to Dunmanway by Cox. Some of them resided in the Kilmichael area before finally settling in the town proper. By the late 1780s these families were living in Dunmanway. 

Sir Richard’s death in 1766 was a major setback. He had insisted on the highest of standards and modern linen techniques. With his passing the old methods reemerged, standards slipped resulting in a poorer quality of cloth. Increased mechanisation revolutionised the textile industry however many in Dunmanway still used hand looms. By the early 1800s Dunmanway’s linen industry was in decline.

In 1837 , Dunmanway had 2,738 inhabitants. Subsequent generations of the Cox Family left their imprint on the town. Two sisters, Katherine and Martha being the last known descendants to reside in the Manor House. They are fondly remembered for their benevolence during the Famine years when they provided soup for the hungry. So much so that a special silver service tea-set was presented to the sisters by the local community before they left Dunmanway.

Martha and Katherine Cox were among the principal lessors in the parish of Fanlobbus, at the time of Griffith’s Valuation. In November 1858, they offered almost 7000 acres of the estate, for sale in the Encumbered Estates Court. The sale notice indicates the purchasers of the various lots. They included the Baldwin, Bryan, Becher, Hamilton and Shuldham estates. In October 1873, 1300, acres owned by Katherine Anne Cox, around the town were offered for sale. The old Cox Burial Vault is located at Saint Mary’s Church which was founded by Henry Cox in 1821.  

Cox’s Hall is named in memory of the Cox Family. In recent years a number of Cox descendants have re-connected with Dunmanway and provided additional family information to the local historical association.

An illustration for a plaque titled "The Market House & Town Commerce". On the left, a stone wall features a sign reading "BREWERY LANE". A sweeping line transitions to the right, showing a sack of grain, a traditional street lamp, and an old stone building with posters displayed on the front.

Plaque 2: Market House & Commercial Life

The Market House   

In 1972 the hub that was the Market House and the surrounding buildings in Dunmanway Square were demolished. Buildings erected in the mid-18th and 19th century came crashing down. It was the end of an era. 

Built by Sir Richard Cox, the market house was rumoured to have been built from the demolished stone of the MacCarthy Castle at Castle Street. It remained in the Cox Family until 1871 when it was purchased by Captain Shuldham.

In 1842- William Makepeace Thackeray, in his travels around Ireland, passed through Dunmanway. He claimed the stagecoaches travelled at 7 miles an hour – his final destination was Skibbereen so he had plenty of time to take in the landscape. 

In it he described Dunmanway Market House as follows: 

“Here it was market day, and as usual no lack of attendants; swarms of peasants in their blue cloaks, squatting by their stalls here and there. There is a little market house, where a few women were selling buttermilk; another bullock’s hearts, liver and such scraps of meat, another had dried mackerel on a board.”

The Market was on a Tuesday with fairs, mainly for cattle, held on May 4th, on the first Tuesday in July and on September 17th and November 26th. 

At the intersection of the principal street was the large building used as a market house and other adjoining premises. It housed a famous butter market. 

There was a constabulary station. A Manorial Court and a Petty Sessions Court were held there. It also had a victualler shop. 

It comprised a two-storey building where a family known as the O’Shea’s lived in the upper floor and they held the tolls of the town until they were evicted in 1871 by Captain Shuldham. The eviction of the O’Shea’s was a whole other story involving riots and a standoff with local constabulary. 

The O’Sheas’ living quarters became a corn store for many years. In the first half of the 20th century , the market house area, included a veterinary practice, a picture house cinema in the top floor and a boxing gymnasium, later used as a Local Defence Force Training Hall. There was a drapery known as Paris House. 

In the 1950s the bottom portion ceased to be used as a market house and became a store.

In the early years,  Dunmanway consisted of one long street extending to over half a mile to the west of the bridge. By 1831 there were 419 houses, which were noted for their clean appearance, though different in size. A small post office was opened but it was supervised from Bandon. 

Road infrastructure improved by early 19th century. A reading room was established in the town in 1832 but it never really took off and went into decline.

Plaque 2: Market House & Commercial Life

The Commercial Life of Dunmanway

Throughout the centuries , other businesses contributed to the vibrant commercial life in Dunmanway including a porter and ale brewery which was established in 1831 at Brewery Lane and Brewery Bridge – now known as Park Road. They produced 2,600 barrels of beer annually.

Three tanyards were operational in the town from the mid to late 18th century until the early twentieth century – although not all at the same time. Under the ownership of the Atkins Family they produced leather and goods for export, while also providing leather for local shoemakers and harness makers. 

The tanning industry was centred around Tanyard Lane until 1929 when it closed. The building was eventually demolished in 1961. 

Two boulting mills, at Kilbarry Road and Pearl Valley, formed part of the early industrialisation of the town. These mills ground upwards of 15,000 bags of flour per annum. 

In 1911, Dunmanway’s commercial life benefitted from streetlights and an early private system of electrification. The powerhouse was located in Gillespie’s Yard, now the West End Yard. 

The builder, Gillespie, was from Roscommon and he believed that Dunmanway was a market town of commercial stature that suited a twenty-horsepower unit and with 110 volt supply. Installation of house light points could be fitted for those who could afford it or to rent it. In 1936 the Electricity Supply Board took over the Bandon Milling Company who had bought the business from Gillespie’s widow.

One shop from the nineteenth century continues to trade today in the Market Square, D. Crowley’s otherwise known in the past as Mrs. Dan’s. The facades of the buildings in the Market Square are reminiscent of the past, still echoing their original design and form part of our built heritage. 

An illustration for a plaque titled "The Atkins Family: Industry, Employment & Science". The left side depicts a traditional saddler or cobbler's workshop, displaying a saddle, boots, and tools on a workbench. The image sweeps to the right into a modern scientific graphic featuring a DNA double helix, molecular honeycomb structures, and the words "RNA", "What is life?", "DNA", and "RECODING" against a dark, starry background.

Plaque 3 : Atkins History  

John Atkins (D’way) Ltd. and Prior History

The Atkins name runs through Dunmanway’s commercial story from early industrial times to present day modern science, linking local tanneries and mills with world‑class RNA research. Theirs is a story of early rural industrialisation and of supporting community. 

At the start of the 1700s the Atkins family moved from a rented farm in the townland of Lettergorman, 8km North to Dunmanway town. They were involved in  harness making and started a shoe shop on the North East end of the main square. In the 1790s John Atkins established a tannery to generate leather diagonally across the road close to the river. Remnants of it were discovered in the 1980’s during construction related to a supermarket at the site. Two more tanneries were later erected with the third being in what is now a car park at the end of tan yard lane.  A significant proportion of the output from the third tannery was exported to Northampton in England and some to France.  Under Atkins proprietorship, the tanning industry contributed significantly to Dunmanway’s reputation as an industrial town rather than simply an agricultural market centre. 

Most of the hides came from local suppliers though some were from such distant destinations as Colorado.  According to local sources about 35 hides were tanned together.  For 50 or so years before the last tanyard closed in 1929, there was an adjacent bridge across the river to stables. The third tannery building was demolished in 1961, the year the last train left Dunmanway. 

Before the 1840s the Atkins business had started to develop a complex at the Southern end of the town. This complex included grain mills for animal feedstuffs. When the railway arrived in 1866, a siding was constructed along the side of the mills and greatly facilitated the use of maize and other imports in the rations. In the 1960s grain drying machines for local barley were purchased and a silo built. Another part of the complex was sawmills including a rack bench for cutting logs into planks. This was especially important during the second world war when it was powered by a Blackstone engine. There was a carpentry shop whose output included coffins for the associated Undertaking Department.  The firm’s wholesale grocery, and a small retail grocery was also in the complex. Grocery product brands such as Atkins “Supreme” brands were commonplace in the twentieth century.    

The Main street business next to High street dealt with almost anything imaginable except drapery : from grocery and hardware to furniture to cards to sales offices for  shed erection, building materials and pumps. Most important was Santa before Christmas in the 1970s or 1980s! and most iconic the Lamson cash railway system. 

Expansion to Cork city started in 1878 when a seed and agricultural merchants was opened in the South Mall. This venture grew into John Atkins & Co. Ltd., and now is one of Ireland’s oldest surviving companies, specialising in farm machinery, garden equipment and related products. The Atkins family helped modernise farming across Cork County and beyond, acting as a bridge between rural customers and new mechanical and horticultural technologies. 

In 1974 the Atkins business in sold to James McMahons Ltd., of Limerick. It had 110 employees back then.

Plaque 3 : Atkins History

And now to Science: John F. Atkins

The President of University College Cork from 1954-1963 was a descendant of an Atkins relative who had worked in the  Tanyard. At that time, John F. Atkins in Dunmanway had become intrigued by the potential of knowledge starting to emerge about the molecular basis of information in DNA specifically proteins that catalyse nearly all reactions and perform other roles in all known life.  For many years, John has played a leading role in discovering and revealing various types of dynamic non-standard genetic decoding events that occur in probably all organisms. These events are collectively called Recoding, a word he co-coined in 1992 (now often called Translational Recoding). One of the many viruses to utilise Recoding is the Covid causative virus, and its utilisation by that virus can be specifically inhibited.  John’s recoding work provided him the opportunity to perform wider roles in RNA biology. He has been co-editor of 5 major books on the topic including its implications for early life.

John was first Director of Life Sciences and Biotechnology for Science Foundation Ireland, and the first Royal Irish Academy Gold Medallist in the Life Science which is awarded every four years. He was the first Irish national to be elected as a member of the European Molecular Biological Organisation. His contributions to RNA virology were honoured with the name of a family of viruses normally present within all humans being named Atkinsviridae. He is an honorary Professor of Genetics at his alma mater Trinity College, Dublin. He co-commissioned and part-designed with Charles Jencks, the sculpture ‘What is Life?’ which was donated to the National Botanic Gardens in Dublin. 

An illustration for a plaque titled "Famous Artist & Space Explorers". On the left is a wooden artist's palette with dabs of paint and a paintbrush. The image sweeps to the right to depict a space scene featuring the Earth, a space capsule, and a space shuttle launching into the starry cosmos.

Plaque 4: Dunmanway’s Diaspora in Space

Eileen Collins

Eileen Marie Collins was born in New York, USA in November 1956. She is famous as the First Woman to pilot a Space Shuttle and later become the first female Commander of a U.S. Space Shuttle. A trailblazing astronaut – she has ancestral origins to Dunmanway.

Her paternal ancestors , the Collins’s left Ireland in the mid-1800s and settled in Pennsylvania. Her ancestors came from the wider Dunmanway hinterland. Her great, great grandfather Jeremiah Collins, was from the Lisbealad / Drinagh area. Jeremiah and his wife -who was probably from Kinneigh, emigrated to the USA.

Several years ago, Eileen visited Cork and was met in the City by members of Dunmanway Historical Society. Eileen broke the glass ceiling in NASA for female Pilots. According to the National Women’s Hall of Fame her family struggled to make ends meet and Eileen paid for her own flying lessons initially. After studying at Syracuse and Stanford Universities she became a math instructor at the Air Force Academy and a test pilot at Edwards Air Force Base. Selected by NASA in 1990 she became an astronaut and in 1995 became the first woman to pilot a space shuttle and was afterwards honoured by President Clinton in the White House. In 1999 she was made commander of the Columbia shuttle for Mission STS-93 and according to NASA the mission made space shuttle history. It was the first mission to be commanded by a woman, Eileen Collins.

It was a  five-day mission, where experiments included capturing  ultraviolet imagery of Earth, the Moon, Mercury, Venus and Jupiter.

Under her command,  astronauts monitored several plant growth experiments and collected data.

As a trailblazing woman she stated: “I want to do well because I know I’m representing other women, other pilots, ”.  She is highly decorated and some of her accolades include – Distinguished Flying Cross, French Legion of Honor, NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal and National Space Trophy among others. Her ancestors left- an Ireland ravaged by starvation and disease. Little did they think their great, great, granddaughter would fly high into the cosmos.

Plaque 4:  Dunmanway’s Diaspora in Space

Michael Collins 

Imagine a grandson of a Dunmanway man, piloted to the moon!

Famed  Apollo 11 mission astronaut, Michael Collins was born in Rome in 1930 to American parents of Irish and British descent. He was proud of his Irish roots. He was famous as the pilot of the first moon landing in July 1969. His Irish ancestry traces back to his grandfather, Jeremiah Bernard Collins, who emigrated from Dunmanway, in the 1860s. Jeremiah came from the Droumdrastill area. He left Dunmanway as a young boy in the early 1860s to join family members in Ohio.  Jeremiah later served in the U.S. Civil War. According to an article in Irish America, family lore says Jeremiah served as a drummer boy in the American Civil War and later helped drive horses into Texas to replace cavalry mounts lost in the war. After the war he moved to New Orleans where he worked for a grocer named James Lawton. He then married Lawton’s daughter Kate. Jeremiah and Kate set up a dry‑goods store with a pub in the back in Algiers in New Orleans. They had 11 children, all involved in the business.

Their son, James Lawton Collins became a career U.S. Army Major General who served in both the First and Second World Wars. In the First World War, Collins served under General Pershing with the American Expeditionary Forces in France. During the Second World War he had been promoted to Major General and became Director of Army Administration helping manage logistics for the rapidly expanding U.S. Army. While he was stationed in Rome in 1930  his son Michael was born.

Features on astronauts with Irish ancestry repeatedly list Collins and note that his Irish roots can be traced specifically to Dunmanway. In his lifetime, Collins expressed pride in his Irish heritage, particularly his ties to County Cork.

Plaque 4: Dunmanway’s Unsung Artist

Thomas Hovenden, Painter of Hearth & Home, Supporter of Abolition

Thomas Hovenden was born in Dunmanway on 28 December 1840. He was a famine orphan who became one of America’s most admired realist painters, remembered for his empathy and social conscience. An obituary in a Cleveland newspaper called him a “hero artist,” noting that anyone who had stood before his painting “Breaking Home Ties” at the World’s Fair would not be surprised he died trying to save a child, having always been “one of the obscure heroes on the battlefield of life” .

He was the son of Robert Hovenden, Dunmanway’s gaolkeeper, and Ellen Bryan, daughter of a Methodist minister. He grew up in the town Bridewell on Main Street with his siblings John and Elizabeth. The building still resembles a Victorian gaol, with its carved stone façade. During the famine years of 1846–47, both his parents died from famine illnesses. The children were placed in an orphanage in Cork City .

In Cork, staff noticed Thomas’s artistic talent. He was apprenticed to a carver and gilder named Tolerton, who later helped him gain entry to the Cork School of Design around 1860, possibly on the strength of a detailed drawing of the Venus de Milo. Some of his early watercolours and this work were later listed in exhibition catalogues, including one at the Smithsonian. At that time, he was residing in New York. Hovenden became known for meticulous shading and layered detail, hiding figures and objects in shadow so that the more you look, the more you see.

He emigrated to the United States from Queenstown – now Cobh – on a ship called the City of Baltimore in August 1863 and resided mainly in Philadelphia, Baltimore and New York, with artistic – study periods in Paris. In the mid‑1870s he trained under Alexandre Cabanel at the École des Beaux‑Arts. He lived near the Louvre. In 1875 he met fellow artist Helen Corson at an artists’ community in, Brittany; they married in 1881, had a son and a daughter. Thomas became a naturalised citizen in 1887, one year after his appointment as Professor of Painting at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in 1886.

Hovenden produced over 100 works focusing on domestic life, and African American subjects, reflecting his abolitionist views and famine-shaped compassion. In paintings such as “Chloe and Sam,” he depicted coloured domestic life with unusual tenderness and dignity for the period. His “The Last Moments of John Brown” painted in 1884, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York portrays Brown on his way to his execution. It  was painted for one of Hovenden’s patrons – two decades after Brown’s death. “Breaking Home Ties” was painted in 1890. It  depicts a young man leaving his family farm, it was voted the most popular painting at the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago.

Hovenden’s life ended tragically in August 1895. He and a ten‑year‑old girl were killed by a train near his home. Newspaper stories portrayed him as dying while saving her, the coroner ruled it an accident. Although his reputation dimmed in the early twentieth century, the Civil Rights era revived interest in his work, especially his sympathetic portrayals of African Americans. Today his paintings are again exhibited and studied across the United States.

A monochrome illustration featuring a circus theme. On the left, a man in a formal 19th-century suit and top hat stands holding a walking cane. Beside him is a large African elephant. In the background, a traditional 'big top' circus tent is visible. The right side, set against a dark, speckled background, shows three circus performers or clowns in suits and hats. One plays a trumpet, the second a drum, and the third a saxophone.

Plaque 5: John Duffy’s Circus

Roll up , Roll up, the Circus is coming to town – John Duffy and Sons – one of the greatest names of Circus Fame, found a permanent home in Dunmanway, at least for the Winter season from October to Easter for several years. The circus families, except for the international performers who rotated among different shows, integrated into local life, with children attending school and playing football with local children around the town until Easter. Their address was the Circus Depot, Carbery- Dunmanway otherwise known as Galvin’s Service Station today. Almost nothing is left of the old training ring or circus life, except for some tales about elephants and other animals buried in the field behind. Stories still circulate about lions, monkeys, and elephants howling in the darkness—especially during stormy nights. In 1950 a journalist lived in with the Circus families at the Circus Depot for a few days , he wrote an article published in the  World’s Fair in December 1950. By 1950 John Duffy senior had passed away in 1944 and his sons were then running the Show –

The following is an excerpt –

In the churchyard of St. Patrick, Dunmanway, County Cork, there is a grave with a memorial that here is the last resting place of one John Duffy who departed this life at the age of 68 in 1944. A little further along the main road into Dunmanway, on the left-hand side as one approaches from Cork and Bandon, is another memorial to this former outstanding personality of Ireland’s showlife and circusdom – the headquarters of John Duffy and Sons’ Circus which he established and travelled on the death of his father who had created the original Duffy’s Circus. One cannot easily miss the place, which, occupying a corner site, has two red gates boldly inscribed with the words “Circus Depot”

Ten Years There : it is ten years now since the late John Duffy decided to make Dunmanway the home of his circus. Prior to that the Winter quarters had been hired, not the most satisfactory of methods. Anyhow, learning from a friendly estate agent in the little town that the place was going, he stepped in and took over. Even though when it rains in this district there are half no half measures about it, I don’t think that Mr. Duffy or his sons John and James, have had any regrets at getting settled. Dunmanway hasn’t, I know; the town is proud to house Ireland’s National Circus.

Homes- On and Off Wheels : Behind the main road wall, on either side of the gates, are the bungalows respectively of John and James Duffy, cosy and comfortable places wherein they and their families live during the days of the Winter, sleeping in their caravans parked on the concrete behind.

No Time Lost: To the left of the main yard stands a big building used for several purposes.  In the front part are housed the cages of the lion and lionesses and their young cub recently born, and the monkeys. Then one comes to an expansive section occupied by many of the circus wagons, with evidence that the Duffys loose no time in getting ready for a new season once the old is finished. At the time of my visit – November 12-15- most of these wagons had already been repainted by John McCormack, Thomas O’Neill and their helpers, and generally, overhauled. They fairly shone with their fresh bright colours and coats of rich varnish.

Training Barn : In the backend of this building is the training barn with a full- sized ring and affording plenty of height for aerial practice. It was in here that I saw six-year-old Anne McCormack ( John’s daughter) giving, for one so young, an astonishing performance on a pretty high tightrope- astonishing for its correctness of technique, that is, until one realised that she was being taught by Georgie Knight.

A Closed Caravan: Along the full length of the other side of the main yard runs an open fronted shelter beneath which stands more wagons and props and tackle. It was here one morning that I found tent master Jim Hayden overhauling some canvas, while under the direction of Mr. James the carpenters were at work building a new van to take the elephant to the Belfast Hippodrome. And it is at one end of this shelter that one comes across a caravan, fully furnished with the curtains drawn. The home-on-wheels of the late John Duffy, there it stands just as it was when he died in it.

Elephant House: At the end of this concreted yard is another, whereon are provided winter quarters for some of the shows more or less permanent personnel, and for a number of the travelling showfolk. In one corner here are located the stables of the riding horses, and the permanent quarters of elephant Lilli Marlene. In this yard too is the forge.

Sunshine Farm: Behing this yard is a meadow forming part of the property in which for the first two days of my visit three horses were grazing. But what of all the other horses belonging to the Duffys? These are not wintering in Dunmanway. Sixty of them enjoy the sweet grassland of Sunshine Farm, some 198 acres in extent situated near Innishannon, 23 miles from headquarters. Twenty more are kept at another large farm, devoted in the main to tilling, while a few more are in the North for breeding purposes. I was taken out to Sunshine Farm to see for myself how well conditioned were the horses as they grazed at will in this vast expanse of rolling meadowland. John James Duffy is a firm believer in covering as many miles as possible in the shortest attainable time. If anyone seeks confirmation of this they have but to ask John McFadden.

Good Workers: At the Dunmanway quarters the number of people constantly at work there during the winter months averages thirty-three. And by work I do mean work. It was an inspiration to see how the men went about their jobs – no clock watching here. This may in no small part be due to the fact that they like working for the Duffys, for after spending four days in such intimate contact with the two families I was left in no doubt as to the correctness of the impression gained when meeting them on the road both this year in 1949 – they are honest, kind and decent folk.

The Two Freds: Occupying important roles in the Duffy organisation are two men, each christened Fred. There’s the general manager. Fred J. Barbour, who hails from Cork. Fred doesn’t live at the quarters but every day he is much in evidence, doing the hundred and one jobs that fall to a manager’s lot. And that Grand Old Men of Advance Agents, Major Fred Lewis. Unfortunately health reasons prevent this Fred from leaving his wagon, but I am sure that he is happy at heart to spend his days for ever surrounded by the ceaseless activities associated with circus and all that goes with it.

Seasons Ending: Until requisitioned for housing, the Duffys owned the Depot on the other side of the road. There it was that they assembled their cavalcade of wagons prior to starting out on a season’s run, and a fine sight it must have been, one which created no little excitement in Dunmanway, but not nearly so much as to the two performances there which the Duffy Circus invariably gives on the last day each season. Dunmanway may have other claims to fame – I must confess to being ignorant about its history – but today it surely can have no prouder boast than being the home of Ireland’s National Circus.

A monochrome montage depicting religious and historical figures. On the left, a nun in a traditional habit is shown from the waist up, holding an open book. On the right, against a dark, starry background, is a group of five men in early 20th-century attire (flat caps and jackets) carrying rifles; one is kneeling and aiming a handgun. Superimposed on the far right is a portrait of a man with glasses and a suit, looking directly forward.

Plaque 6: Crossroads to Revolution and Religion

The Religious Crossroads- the convent and churches

Standing at this plaque, you are literally at a crossroads in Dunmanway – where Main Street, Wesley Place, Church Street and Sackville Street all meet, and where much of the town’s religious, social and educational history comes together. This junction once had strategic importance for defending the town, as each road is a key route into Dunmanway.

On one side stands Saint Patrick’s Parochial Hall, built around the 1880s and long known locally as the Town Hall. For over a century it has been a lively community space, hosting everything from socials and concerts to plays and public meetings. 

Beside it, the old convent gates mark the presence of the Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul, a religious order founded in Paris in 1633 by St Vincent de Paul and St Louise de Marillac. The sisters came to Ireland in 1855 to serve the poor through education, health care and social outreach, and in 1887 they were invited to Dunmanway by the parish priest, Canon Lane, to take charge of the local Catholic school.

At first, the sisters rented Brookpark House on the Quarry Road and taught in a simple, whitewashed one‑room school beside St Patrick’s Church, on the site now known as the Nun’s Plot. True to their Vincentian tradition, they taught during the day, visited the nearby workhouse, and even ran night classes for adults. One of the founding sisters, Sr Mary Blundell, opened a boarding school, St Vincent’s High School, whose first pupils came from Lanark in Scotland. The convent itself was modelled on one of their community houses in Lanark and built on land leased from local solicitor Francis Fitzmaurice. The area was known as the “Turret “ section of land known as the “Forest”. Fitzmaurice was later to become part of Dunmanway’s revolutionary past. He lived in the nearby mansion- Carbery House.

By 1889 the community had built a permanent home in St Mary’s Convent, with a new primary school built on the lower, sloping ground behind St Patrick’s Hall. The sisters’ school, along with the De La Salle boys’ school which opened in the 1890s, helped make Dunmanway a small regional centre of Catholic education. The sisters had an excellent reputation for teaching music to children and they formed their own choir with orchestral groups. The Home Economics and Boarding Facility was regarded throughout Ireland. 

A short distance away you can see the former Methodist Church, built in 1836, now Atkins Hall, St Mary’s Church of Ireland built in 1821, and St Patrick’s Catholic Church – a cluster of churches and schools that makes this corner of Dunmanway a true “religious crossroads” .

Plaque 6: Crossroads to Revolution and Religion

The Revolutionary Crossroads

Revolutionary Period

During Ireland’s revolutionary period, Dunmanway – like much of West Cork – saw intense violence, including attacks on the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) and a controversial series of killings in 1922.

The Irish Constabulary was established in 1836. Queen Victoria granted this force the right to use the prefix ‘Royal’. In January 1919, the RIC had 1,300  barracks across the country. One of which was strategically positioned in Dunmanway. 

It was situated beside St Patrick’s Hall- at the crossroads of Main Street, Sackville Street, Church Street and Wesley Place. Its position allowed for a full view of all the roads leading into and out of Dunmanway. Typical of Victorian architecture at the time, it was austere with a small walled garden entrance to the front. In April 1919 – the First Dáil called on people to socially ostracise the RIC constables. This led to hundreds of resignations. By 1920, it was necessary to  reinforce the RIC by personnel recruited in Britain who became known as the ‘Black and Tans’ and also by the Auxiliary Division of the RIC. In August 1922 , the RIC was disbanded. It was replaced by the Garda Síochána in the Irish Free State. The current Garda Station is located across from the old RIC barracks.

Dunmanway was a main focus of conflict and tensions escalated sharply on 15 December 1920, when Auxiliary officer , Cadet Vernon Hart, shot dead the local parish priest, Canon Thomas Magner and 24‑year‑old Tadhg Crowley about a mile outside the town. Both were unarmed and not believed to be involved in politics. Their deaths caused outrage locally and nationally. It is believed that their deaths were an act of reprisal for an ambush earlier in Cork City. 

A monument dedicated to Canon Magner’s at his grave can be found in St Patrick’s Church yard while the location of the shooting is marked by a further monument a short distance from St. Joseph’s graveyard. 

The notorious, Black and Tans were mainly stationed at the Workhouse, having discharged all the patients. Many locals were intimidated by the Black and Tans. They often opened fire sporadically on anything or any person that aroused suspicion. Dunmanway people had to keep their windows darkened with cloth and if any light were visible – it was assumed that a meeting was taking place and the house raided by the Tans. 

Violence flared again in April 1922, shortly after the Anglo‑Irish Treaty and during a fragile truce. Between 26 and 28 April, fourteen Protestant men were killed in and around Dunmanway and the wider Bandon Valley in what has become known as the Dunmanway massacre. The shootings were a reprisal for the killing of IRA officer Michael O’Neill at  Ballygroman. The motives and chain of command behind the shootings are debated by historians.

The first victims in the town itself were three prominent Protestant civilians attacked in their homes in the early hours of 27 April 1922. Solicitor and land agent Francis Fitzmaurice who was shot at the front door of Carbery House. His law practice was in the adjoining annex.

 Chemist, David Gray and retired draper, James Buttimer were shot at Sackville Street. Both Draper and Gray had shop premises in the Square and were neighbours. An inquest concluded that all three died from close‑range gunshot wounds. Over the next two days further men were shot in rural areas around Dunmanway, Ballineen and Murragh.

No individual claimed responsibility and historians continue to dispute whether the victims were targeted as alleged informers or were killed in a sectarian attack. Today, these events are remembered as some of the most traumatic episodes in the town’s twentieth‑century history, highlighting how deeply the national struggle and its aftermath scarred this West Cork community.

 

Minister for Local Government- T.J. Murphy, TD

As peace and order was restored in the late 1920s. Timothy Joseph Murphy- known as “T. J.”  emerged on the Dunmanway political scene. He was a Labour Party TD for Cork West and one of Dunmanway’s most important public representatives. 

Born in Clondrohid, he moved to Dunmanway around 1920. and was elected to the Dáil He was elected to the Dáil in 1923 and represented the Cork West until his sudden death in 1949. He also served on Cork County Council. He also was responsible for the rebuilding of the burned Dunmanway Workhouse and it’s renaming as Dunmanway Cottage Hospital offering a large array of medical services with surgical and maternity units. He was re-elected at the next nine general elections, until his death

He was appointed, Minister for Local Government in the first inter‑party government in 1948. He pushed for more local authority house‑building projects to tackle post‑war shortages. 

He encouraged the use of direct labour rather than private contract, – an approach that influenced later public‑housing schemes and is part of his policy legacy.

At community level his advocacy for labour rights, public health and housing, helped improve living conditions for working families across West Cork. Today his contribution is remembered in Dunmanway in the naming of “T. J. Murphy Place,” a housing development a short distance from here. His name is also on a few other housing developments across Munster. Following his death his son took his seat in the Dáil and they continued to live at Sackville Street. The family live locally.

A monochrome illustration showing civic and transport themes. On the left, a man and woman in formal mid-20th-century attire stand talking in front of the White House (a large, neo-classical building with columns). On the right, set against a dark background, is a close-up of a basketball entering a net. In the background of this section, a vintage train is stationary on tracks at a rural railway station under a night sky.

Plaque 7:  The Railway in Dunmanway

When Railways were first suggested for Ireland in the 1820’s they were intended to be between cities rather than the rural areas. It took many years before  West Cork would be linked to Cork City by rail. Prior to the famine, West Cork was difficult to access, roads we are familiar with today, did not exist.  Many were built during the famine under the board of works schemes. Terrain was hilly, rough and not suitable for walking or even travelling by horse or carriage. Coastal travel from town to town was often preferable. From 1836 onwards many committees were formed that eventually saw a rail infrastructure extend to West Cork’. Viaducts and tunnels were built; the tracks were laid. In May 1866, the independent Cork and Macroom Direct Railway opened. Around the same time, The West Cork Company’s line from Bandon to Dunmanway was nearing completion. The first sod was turned by Lord Carbery in June 1863 using a silver handled spade and a specially engraved wheelbarrow for the occasion. 

There were three sections of the West Cork Railway to be completed by 1866, Bandon to Ballineen, Ballineen to Dunmanway and Dunmanway to Skibbereen. It took longer than anticipated to complete the section to Dunmanway. Trains first ran to Dunmanway on 1st May 1866 but the official opening did not take place until June. The opening ceremony was low key and for a while Dunmanway had a temporary station. Halts were opened at Manch for Ballinacarriga. When Ballabuildhe Fair was held at Ballyboy near Ballyhalwick there was a railway stop there for visitors and horses to use the railway. The first two engines to run on the new line were called Patience and Perseverance. They were built in Lancashire in 1865. They were painted olive green with black and red lines and they remained in service for about thirty years. The company’s repair shop was in Dunmanway. The goods wagons were purchased from the South of Ireland Wagon and Wheel company in County Waterford. The West Cork Railway ran its own trains separate from the Cork and Bandon Company. By 1877 the line from Dunmanway to Skibbereen was ready after a long process of securing finance. The Engineers had their biggest difficulty at Gloundha , where they had to rock break, as the railway and roadway had to pass through a narrow gap between the hills.

The new stretch of line from Dunmanway to Skibbereen was marked by celebration in July 1877.

Dunmanway’s Railway contributed to the development of the town. Its tanneries, milling and textile industries all benefitted from the connection to the wider world. Unfortunately, the Railway was also a place where emigrants said their final goodbyes to family and friends. In Dunmanway the Railway Hotel is now  the Parkway hotel. The tracks once crossed the road through what is now McMahons yard towards Drimoleague. 

The water crane and the old station house can be seen in the grounds of Brookpark Veterinary Clinic. In Milleenananig , remains of a metal railway bridge are still evident. The layout of the railway yard in the 1960s consisted of two platforms with a station building which had a short canopy. Beyond the down platform were the goods yard and cattle bank, while beyond the level crossing on the right-hand side was a siding into Atkins Mills. Over the century, the railways benefitted from modern advances however the last train left Dunmanway 31st March 1961 after almost a century, the iron track was no more.

Plaque 7: A Dunmanway Descendant in the JFK Administration

The area around Brewery Lane, now Park Road and the Clonakilty Road, is deeply tied to Dunmanway’s diaspora and emigration to America. From here, generations said goodbye as families gathered at the railway platform for trains bound for Cork. The line closed with the final train departing Dunmanway Station in 1961. Today, the site includes Brookpark Veterinary Clinic, the Parkway Hotel, and houses built along the route of the tracks of the West Cork Railway.

Across from the Parkway Hotel, this area became an industrial hub in the 1960s and 70s, home to a German steel fabrication factory, a hat factory, and a carpet and rug factory. The latter was reputedly commissioned to create a unique rug for President John F. Kennedy by his advisor and friend, Larry O’Brien—a notable but often overlooked son of Dunmanway.

Larry O’Brien, can claim the title of our Dunmanway man in the White House. At his funeral in 1990 he was praised by Senator Ted Kennedy as a “founding father of post-war American politics” and a cherished friend of the Kennedy family. Larry was born in Springfield, Massachusetts, in 1917 to Myra Sweeney, who emigrated from Dunmanway in 1903, and Lawrence O’Brien Sr., also from West Cork. Myra was one of about ten siblings; only her sister Julia remained in Dunmanway, caring for their parents, Denis and Anne Sweeney of Direens, all three are buried in St. Patrick’s Churchyard.

Raised in Springfield, where the Kennedys also lived, Larry became a close confidant and key campaign strategist to JFK. He accompanied the administration throughout, including the 1963 visit to Cork, when his aunt Julia proudly met the President. Kennedy’s address at City Hall on June 28, 1963, celebrated the enduring kinship between Ireland and America.

O’Brien was in the car behind Kennedy on the day of the assassination. In his memoir No Final Victories, he recounts returning on Air Force One with the President’s body alongside fellow Irish associates Powers and O’Donnell—a moment of global and local significance.

After Kennedy’s death, O’Brien served President Johnson, who appointed him Postmaster General. He later chaired the Democratic National Committee and supported Robert Kennedy’s 1968 campaign. During Watergate, he was among those surveilled by the Nixon administration.

In 1975, O’Brien became NBA Commissioner, revitalising the sport and earning Sportsman of the Year in 1976. In 1984, the NBA Championship Trophy was named in his honour – The Larry O’Brien Trophy.

Notably, both this trophy and the Sam Maguire Cup—named after another Dunmanway native – link global sporting history back to this small West Cork town.

A monochrome illustration focused on sports and history. On the left, a large, two-storey manor house with multiple chimneys is shown beneath a vintage Spitfire-style fighter plane in flight. In the centre, a man (Sam Maguire) in a Gaelic football kit is depicted mid-stride, running forward while clutching a ball. On the right, a metallic-effect rectangular plaque is set against a dark, starry background.

Plaque 8: Sam The Man 

Sam Maguire, political activist  and legend of the Gaelic Athletic Association was born the sixth of seven children at the townland of Mallabracka six miles north of Dunmanway on 11th March 1877. He attended the Model School and attended Master Maddens school in Ardfield, Clonakilty. This school specialised in preparing candidates for the civil service examinations within the United Kingdom. Sam was successful and was appointed as a sorter in the post office in London.

 

He joined the Hibernian football club, who by coincidence wore green jerseys like the Dunmanway football club. His club represented London in several All-Ireland finals. He played in all the games but they failed to win. He served as chairperson of the London County board.

In 1902-  he became a member of the Irish Revolutionary Brotherhood. This later became the Irish Republican Army, the I.R.A. In 1909 – he recruited Michael Collins as a member of the organisation.

During the War of Independence, he became the main agent of Michael Collins. He organised a very efficient arms smuggling operation together with another operation that focused on intercepting British army mails. On the orders of Collins his organisation attempted to assassinate Major Percival who was stationed in West Cork and who was renowned for his brutality.

The War of Independence ended with the Anglo-Irish treaty in July 1921, establishing the Irish Free State  while  the six counties of Ulster remained part of the UK becoming Northern Ireland. Many were opposed to the treaty because of the partition of the country . This led to armed opposition to the Free State in the Civil War in 1922-23. Sam Maguire supported Michael Collins and the Free State.

In 1923 he returned to a job in the Irish Post Office. There is no record of a pension from the UK Post Office.

In 1924 officers in the Free State army attempted a mutiny. Sam was accused of involvement in the event and was fired from his job. He was not given a hearing of any kind and was not given a pension.

He returned to Mallabracka and died of tuberculosis at age 49 on 6th February, 1927. 

His friends and colleagues and those who knew of his dedication to his country and the GAA decided to present a cup in his name. It was modelled on the famous Ardagh chalice , made from silver and cost 300 pounds about €20,000 in today’s money . It is now so famous that it is referred to as “Sam,” 

A common refrain in sporting circles is  –  “who will win Sam this year?”

Plaque 8: Flying Beamishes – Rugby Heroes & Flying Aces of WW2

On the Field 

In 1903, local Dunmanway man Francis Beamish of Acres, a farmer’s son was appointed Headmaster of the Model School. A notable academic and sports enthusiast he graduated with an MA in literature. He also was an excellent bee-keeper and wrote many articles on the topic. He also was quite the sportsman and newspapers of the time recount the sporting achievements of the pupils of the Model School in 1911. He left Dunmanway when he was promoted to the position of School Inspector ain 1912. As a result the family moved north and finally settled in Coleraine. Separated by the events of the Revolutionary years in the 1920s, it was to be many years before members of Francis’ family were to return to Dunmanway. However, his children made a huge contribution to Irish and International Rugby, not to mention their distinguished military careers in World War 2. Francis returned from Larne, Co. Antrim to be buried in Dunmanway at Saint Mary’s Church yard having passed away at just 53 years of age. His funeral was a quiet affair.

Francis and his wife, had six children. A number of the children were born in the headmaster’s residence before their father’s promotion. The Beamish children – Victor, Charles, George , Cecil, Kathleen and Eileen all went on to have distinguished careers both on the field of rugby, golf , in the air in the many aerial battles and combat zones of the second world war. 

Two of the older boys were students in the model school for a while. As Sporting Enthusiasts they all loved golf and in particular rugby. All four of the boys played rugby at various levels, both for  Ireland and at international levels. However, it was both Charles and George who made Rugby Headlines in the years before World War 2. George was capped 25 times and travelled with the Lions Tour to New Zealand in 1930, wearing the number eight jersey. Charles scored Ireland’s first-ever try against the New Zealand on December 7, 1935, at Lansdowne Road. The following year Charles was picked for the Lions Tour to Argentina in 1936. He made many headlines as a prop. The Lions won all ten of their fixtures including the one Test. Charles was capped 12 times for Ireland. Cecil and his sisters excelled at golf, they won numerous competitions. There are many links with the Beamish family and Portrush Golf Club.

Today when we think of the Lions Tour – spare a thought about the kit they wear. For it was George who led a delegation to the management in the 1930 Lions Tour of New Zealand expressing disappointment of the lack of any input of Ireland into the strip. There was no green representing Ireland. As a result- a green splash was added to the socks.

In the Air

Just like their prowess on the field of Rugby they exhibited prowess in the theatre of war especially aerial combat. Group Captain Victor Beamish served with distinction and was awarded numerous medals . He was shot down in 1942 by an F W 190 over the English Channel off Calais. Prior to World War 2, Victor was a flight trainer on loan to the Canadian Air Force. He was such a respected flying ace that a street in Kenley, was named in his honour. Victor Beamish Avenue is located near the historic Kenley Aerodrome and Kenley Common near Croydon in Surrey. His brother, air marshal Sir George Beamish  survived the war. George met with many notable characters of the War years, including General Montgomery in the North Africa Campaign. George had an illustrious career and was senior RAF officer in Crete during the Battle of Crete in 1941. After the war George became Director of Weapons at the Air Ministry in 1947 and became Commandant at RAF Cranwell in 1949. Group Captain Charles, also a pilot, flew over the beaches of Normandy in the D-Daly landings of 1944 and had a very interesting military career. Cecil who was a dentist with the R A F medical unit- engaged in pioneering facial reconstruction and dentistry for the war wounded of World War 2. He was a close friend of Archie MacIndoe who pioneered plastic surgery and who was involved in the Guinea Pig Club which was a support group for those who needed reconstructive surgery during the war years. The sisters, Eileen and Kathleen both also served in the RAF in the medical side, both attaining the ranks of Flight Lieutenant. The Beamish brothers are often referred to as the Flying Beamishes and were adept at handling many aircraft, in particular the iconic spitfires.  One family from Dunmanway contributed an impressive two flight lieutenants, one air marshall, one vice-air marshall and two group captains to aerial combat of the Second World War.

On the field and in the air – what an amazing legacy from the past Headmaster and his children, the likes of which may not be seen again.

A Few Outstanding Military Awards

Wing Commander (later Group Captain) Francis Victor Beamish was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) on July 23, 1940 by King George VI  in recognition of Beamish’s “courage and leadership”. The award recognised his outstanding leadership as the Station Commander of RAF North Weald during the early stages of the Battle of Britain.  He held the rank of  Wing Commander at the time of the Award. He was later awarded a Bar to add to his DSO  September 2, 1941. 

The American Legion of Merit was awarded to George Beamish by General Eisenhower before the end of WW2 and the same award was made to Charles Beamish by President Harry Truman in 1946.

A monochrome rural scene. On the left, a man wearing a flat cap and a rugged jacket stands in a field, holding the lead ropes of two horses. The background shows rolling hills and sparse trees. On the right, a large, four-storey stone castle or tower house with turrets is depicted against a dark, speckled night sky, with a small path leading to its entrance.

Plaque  9:  Sister Castles

Dunmanway Castle 

Castle Street is named after Dunmanway Castle, a 15th-century structure that stood on the north bank of the Sally River beside Castle Road. While documented in the Downe Survey of the mid-1600s, little remains of this early seat of the MacCarthys with the exception of the stones which were later repurposed in the construction of a Mill, now Cotter and Keane’s-on the Kilbarry Road. This was documented in local folklore and George Bennett’s 1869 History of Bandon.

Some attribute the destruction to Sir Richard Cox, who founded the market town in the 17th century and used the materials to build his  mansion, the “Long Bridge” over the River Bandon and the “Market House,” since demolished in 1972.

The fine cut stone was reportedly quarried near Kilbarry, close to the castle site. Remnants and markings of the castle are still visible at ground level, though the area is not accessible to the public. 

It was the chief residence of the MacCarthys of Gleannacroim. The tower house was confiscated in 1602, by  the Lord President of Munster, George Carew, as a consequence of Tadhg-an-Fhorsa’s participation in the Nine Years’ War in Munster. Tadgh an Fhorsa was the Gaelic chieftain who also commissioned the sister Castle at Togher in the late 1500s. In 1615, Tadhg-an-Fhorsa (I) the first , went a second time through the process of surrender and regrant to King James I, and on his death in 1618, Dunmanway Castle passed to his elder son and successor, Tadhg-an-Duna -the first , (I) (meaning “of the fortress”). While Togher Castle passed to his younger son Dermod. Tadhg – an-Duna for his part later in the 1641 Irish Rebellion saw his lands forfeited under the Cromwellian confiscations and by 1652, Tadhg’s widow, Honor O’Donovan and his youngest son, Callaghan are recorded as living in Dunmanway Castle . 

According to Daniel MacCarthy Glas writing in the 1860s, the poet Domhnall na-Tuile praised Tadhg, for his hospitality “for the bestowal of wines and tender beef, the love of humanity, Ireland possessed no chieftain equal to Tadhg—” Hence Tadhg is often referred to as Tadhg na Feile . Feile meaning “festival or feast” in Irish.

Recent research indicates that the old medieval graveyard at Kilbarry a short distance away may be the final resting place of many members of the MacCarthy’s of Gleannachroim -of these Sister Castles.

Meanwhile the sister castle at Togher is an impressive ruin a few kilometres to the north of Castle Street.

Plaque 9:Sister Castles 

Togher Castle

Togher Castle- located 10  kilometres to the north of the town is the Sister Castle to Dunmanway Castle. It is a sophisticated 16th century tower house , it is associated with the  MacCarthys of Gleannacroim. Commissioned by Tadhg an Fhorsa ( literally meaning -of the force) who was Chief of  the MacCarthys of Gleannacroim and who acquired the lands under the system of “surrender and regrant”.  

Characterised by their towering stone construction, they were strategically positioned against potential threats. The architectural blueprint of Togher reflects the MacCarthy branch’s ability to hire skilled master masons. Many tower houses feature a rectangular floor plan, with an offset internal wall which divides the space in two. However, stone masons at Togher caused this design to resemble the mathematical concept known as the golden ratio.

Consisting of four-storeys with the entrance at ground level on the eastern wall,  a medieval spiral stone staircase winds its way to the top. At the foot of the stairs is a tiny chamber known as chambrin á chodaigh” (the tyrant’s little room). The ground floor provided space for  food and animal housing. The main chambers on the first, second and third floors are illuminated by pairs of windows in the north and south walls. The second floor has a fireplace and the room. 

Defensive bartizans and machicolations overhang the northwest and southeast corners from where defenders could drop stones or burning liquids onto attackers below.

The MacCarthy Castles were forfeited during the Cromwellian confiscations of 1641. By 1667 , the Hoare Brothers, who came with Ireton’s Army in 1649 acquired Togher Castle and surrounding lands. After the Battle of the Boyne, several of the MacCarthy leaders took up military service in France.

In the mid- 1800s,  antiquarian Daniel MacCarthy Glas published a Historical Pedigree on the MacCarthys of Gleannacroim documenting their genealogies from whom he claimed descent.  Daniel – a frequent attempted to conserve the castle by erecting a corrugated iron roof , shipped from Liverpool , which remained intact until a storm in 2015. Displayed in the castle’s entrance lobby  is the MacCarthy Memorial Shield which he erected in1883 sculpted by renowned Cork sculptor, Patrick J. Scannell. 

The MacCarthys forged local alliances, Angelina daughter of Randal Og Hurley of Ballinacarriga Castle married Cormac Glas MacCarthy.

 Togher Castle continues to captivate and inspire enthusiasts of Irish history, and tourists with its vibrant narratives of the past. A detailed information panel is located in the vicinity of the Castle. Members of the MacCarthy Clan are interred in the old medieval graveyard at Kilbarry a short distance from Castle Street. 

Plaque 9: Ballabuidhe , Fair Days, Races and Festivals

Ballabuidhe, formerly called Ballyboy, was labelled the “Ascot of West Cork” by the Cork Examiner in 1937. Ballabuidhe horse fair was always a highly anticipated event on the social calendar. The Ballabuidhe Horse Fair has relocated in the area several times. It moved from Ballyboy to the Gazabo, to Prospect Lawn  before finally settling on what is today known as Droumleena Lawn Racecourse with the Horse Fair in the Market Square. The Tuesday night Gathering added a great sense of community to Ballabuidhe. Held at the start of August was no coincidence, with the dates surrounding the pagan festival of Lughnasa and the feast of St Christopher. While in the last century Dunmanway’s diaspora returned from far flung shores in August. In the 1980s, a Welcome Home Committee ran events in tandem with the Ballabuidhe Race Committee resulting in many headline artists of the 1908s, visiting Dunmanway including Hollywood icon, Maureen O’Hara. Each year the Ballabuidhe Race and  Festival Committees continue that centuries long tradition. 

The origins and folklore surrounding Ballabuidhe all set it apart. It has survived our tumultuous history, world wars and even at one point the fair and its quality bloodstock is rumoured to have reached Napoleon himself. So taken was he with the quality that a horse or two were purchased for his cavalry at the fair. Though this story may be a tall tale, it is a story that can be claimed by few other fairs.

Ballabuidhe maintains its status as Ireland’s second oldest fair, after the Lammas Fair in Ballycastle. Originally held in Ballyboy  – in Irish – Béal Atha Buidhe, translates as “mouth of the yellow ford”.  Ballabuidhe horse fair was the Óenach Mór of Dunmanway. The site was located a short distance from Fanlobbus Ecclesiastical Site. The site’s natural elevation and size created a perfect amphitheatre, offering space for crowds and horses and serving as an ideal grandstand.

The earliest record is from 1615, when King James granted Randal Og Hurley of Ballinacarriga Castle permission to hold a fair on July 25th and the following day. This occurred before Dunmanway was planned by Sir Richard Cox.

Some believe there was an earlier tradition existed in the area around the dates of 25th July to August 12th , these dates formed part of Lughnasa. If so, this would have predated the 1615 patent. Meanwhile , July 25th also linked to a Christian feast day, that of St. Christopher- patron saint of travellers and transportation. 

The traditional Tuesday gatherings are linked to Sir Richard Cox, who established a Market Town through patents for fairs and markets in 1693. As workers arrived to join his linen industry, the eve of the fair featured competitions and sales related to linen manufacture, continuing until the industry declined in the 1800s.

The advent of the Railway boosted Ballabuidhe. In 1866 there even was a stop at Ballyboy. A siding and loading bank in the fair field facilitated the transportation of purchased horses at Ballyboy Fair Field. Attendance declined, prompting a move in 1898 to the Gazabo near Castle Street. By 1900 the fair had over two thousand horses attend. Buyers soon began to conduct their business in the local streets and the Wednesday Fair in the Square gained acceptance. The Ballabuidhe Race Committee purchased Droumleena Lawn as a permanent grounds in 1952 and have continued their historic task of maintaining continuity which now includes several race categories including flat races, harness racing and trotting.

A monochrome montage of architecture and portraits. The left side features a detailed drawing of a large stone castle or fortified building with gothic-style arched windows and battlements. On the right, against a dark background, are portraits of two men in early 19th-century formal dress (cravats and high-collared coats). Between them, in the background, is a simple stone church with a cross on its roof.

Plaque 10: History Tales from the Lakeside

The Pioneering Church Builder – Father Doheny

The Lakeside area has a diverse history. Saint Patrick’s Church as we know it today was built under the pioneering and watchful eye of Father James Doheny, in 1834. 

Father Doheny, known for his outspokenness and willingness to take risks, is honoured by a plaque inside St Patrick’s Church. Born in Tipperary in 1786, he served as parish priest from 1818 for 30 years. The church he found on arrival was built in 1793 on land obtained from Henry Hamilton Cox by Father Coghlan. The story goes as follows :-

The Penal Laws, starting in the late 1600s, forbid Catholicism. By the late 1790s these laws eased, allowing the local priest to hold mass in a small, thatched cabin near the long bridge. A descendant of  Sir Richard Cox  -the town’s founder, called Henry Hamilton Cox, witnessed many Catholics trying to enter into this tiny cabin to attend mass, with many kneeling along the long bridge and roadside. Overcome with compassion he realised these were his tenants and offered Father Coghlan a lease of land for a church.  A small church was established on Cox’s land where Saint Patrick’s Church now stands. 

Father Doheny, appointed in 1818 set about a building programme. By 1834, Father Doheny had built a new Church. In appointing Father Doheny, Bishop Murphy was aware of Doheny’s reputation for being  zealous, hardworking and caring. He also built Togher and Ballinacarriga Churches.

Father Doheny , never afraid to speak his mind, had much influence over the community . He feared political extremism and often spoke out against the agrarian agitators. His friends included the Liberator- Daniel O’Connell, William Joseph O’Neill Daunt – the Personal Secretary to O’Connell who was also co-founder of the Repeal Association, and the temperance advocate Father Mathew. Like Daniel O’Connell he believed in constitutional means to obtain relief from the oppression of English laws. As an advocate of the tithe war, he held a meeting in 1832 in the church grounds that was attended by “thousands”. His speech was called the “Great Repeal and Tithe meeting” and it made headlines in the provincial newspapers. 

In the 1830s, Father Doheny lived in Gurteenasowna with his sister Alice, who was his housekeeper, and his brother Thomas and family joined him thereafter. Thomas’s daughter – Mary, took up the role as housekeeper and inherited his property. Local lore reveals that it was Mary who provided the hospitality for Daniel O’Connell & Father Mathews’s visits to Dunmanway.  Father Doheny leased land at Doheny’s Lane for himself and the family who were experiencing financial difficulties. Father Doheny retired in 1848, residing at Lakelands until his death- at 80 years of age. Headlines in the Cork Examiner for April 7th 1866 – read as follows “Father Doheny’s works live after him and few men have worked harder .. than this worthy priest.”. The location of his burial is a source of speculation and remains unknown. While his family are buried in the Doheny Plot adjacent to the church.

 

Plaque 10: History Tales from the Lakeside 

 Father Mathew- Temperance Visits 

In the 1820s and 1830s two great Irish social and political movements appeared on the scene, Daniel O Connell and Catholic Emancipation and the Total Abstinence Society of Father Theobald Mathew. Both experienced successes. On the 20th February 1841, Father Mathew, a friend of the local priest Father Doheny and fellow native of Tipperary, preached in the newly erected Saint Patrick’s Church. The subject of his speech featured abstinence from alcohol and also the elimination of the debt and building costs of the new Church but also to get further support for its completion. All the clergy in the surrounding areas attended. Father Mathew was warmly received when he appeared at the altar. Following his sermon, Father Mathew proceeded to a platform in the front of the church, the yard was overflowing with people. A crowd of over two thousand people had gathered to greet Father Mathew. The visit had been well publicised and people travelled from Bandon, Clonakilty, Bantry and Skibbereen to hear him speak. Following the speech at the platform, many advanced to recite and take the pledge of abstinence. 

Councillor O’Sullivan of Bridgemount was the first to take the pledge. Father Mathew continued to administer the pledge well into the night and then returned to Father Doheny’s home at Lakelands. The next day Father Mathew returned to again administer the pledge and by the evening it was estimated more than two thousand persons had taken the pledge. According to a newspaper report – the following day Father Mathew presented Father Doheny with a large donation for the chapel and fifteen pounds to buy instruments for the local Temperance Society Band in Dunmanway.

Father Mathew made return visits to Dunmanway in 1846 and at the end of 1847 – during the famine years.  

Plaque 10: History Tales from the Lakeside 

The Liberator’s Visit – Daniel O’Connell 

Catholic Emancipation was the process in the late 18th and early 19th centuries that removed many legal restrictions on Catholics in Britain and Ireland. It culminated in the 1829 Catholic Relief Act, which allowed Catholics to vote, hold public office, and sit in Parliament, ending centuries of civil and political discrimination. Daniel O’Connell was elected as MP for County Cork in 1841 and represented the constituency until his death in 1847. This was one of several constituencies he sat for in the House of Commons, having previously been MP for County Clare, Waterford City, Kerry, Dublin City, Kilkenny City, and Meath.

As Cork’s MP he continued his two main campaigns: Catholic Emancipation, which he had already helped win, and the Repeal of the Act of Union, calling for an independent Irish Parliament. A year later, O’Connell’s advisors advised he hold a Monster Repeal meeting in West Cork. In May 1843, a west Cork delegation including Father Doheny asked for a date to be set for a meeting. Skibbereen was chosen as the venue, the date – June 22nd, 1843. 

Daniel O’Connell left Cork City on the morning of Wednesday 21st and arrived in Dunmanway that afternoon. It was the first day that O’Connell had visited this particular area known then as the Carberies. The journey was not without complications. It was peaceful until O’Connell reached Ballineen where there was a little disruption. There was anticipation of further disruption in Dunmanway and some of the town’s Dragoon Regiment were on standby.

 During his overnight stay at Dunmanway, O’Connell was the guest of his friend, Father Doheny at his home in Lakelands. In the morning O’Connell was greeted with an audience and was addressed by to those gathered. The address to him was composed and read by Councillor O’Sullivan of Bridgemount House. O’Connell departed Dunmanway before noon accompanied by Father Doheny and others. While at Lakelands O’Connell was entertained by Father Doheny’s niece Mary, who had a reputation of being an excellent hostess, cook and a lady of literary refinement.

Plaque 10: History Tales from the Lakeside 

The Liberator’s Secretary , Writer & Politician– William Joseph O’Neill Daunt – A Country Gentleman from Kilcascan

Not far from Doheny Family Plot in St. Patrick’s Church lies the grave of William Joseph O’Neill Daunt adjacent to the church founded by his friend Father Doheny. Until recently, the considerable contribution of William Joseph to politics and literature had been forgotten. Born in 1807 in Tullamore where his father was captain of the Louth Militia. He was reared at his father’s estate in Kilcascan, Ballineen a short distance from Dunmanway. The Dictionary of Irish Biography states he was influenced by the Conners of Connerville, especially Feargus. Feargus’s father Roger officially changed his name from Conner, with an e  to O’Connor with an o. Feargus’s uncle, Arthur O’Connor, was a prominent figure in the United Irishmen. Arthur, a  member of the Irish Parliament , was arrested in 1798 and banished to France. The future Emperor Napoleon supposedly appointed him General of an Irish division readying itself for an invasion of Ireland that never happened. 

William Joseph’s father died in a duel, in 1826. He was shot by his cousin, Daniel Connor (or Conner) of Manch House. The cause – stemmed from a courtroom disagreement, where Joseph Daunt publicly insulted Daniel Connor—the local magistrate. This 1826 duel is often recorded as one of the last fatal duels fought in Ireland.

Following his father’s death, 19-year-old William Joseph O’Neill Daunt inherited the family estate, Kilcascan Castle, a gothic style castle built around 1819.

Though raised Protestant, he converted to Catholicism in the presence of Father Mathew. He entered politics becoming an MP for Mallow in 1832- supporting the repeal of the Act of Union. Daniel O’Connell appointed him to be his secretary when he was elected Lord Mayor of Dublin in 1841. Together with O’Connell he was one of the founders of the Repeal Association and was its director for Leinster. He remained a lifelong friend of O’Connell and his contribution  is under recognised. He wrote –“ Personal Recollections of the Late Daniel O Connell” a year after O’Connell’s death. He was prominent in the Home Rule movement. From his home outside Dunmanway, he kept an eye on the political scene. His diary “ A Life Spent for Ireland” documents his life from 1842 to 1888. After his death, his daughter Alice edited his diary and his other novels. Interestingly -He did have a nom-de-plum, Denis Ignatius Moriarty – under this name he wrote five novels.

A simple plaque erected in 2025, commemorates one of O’Connell’s staunchest followers and Irish nationalist William Joseph O’Neill Daunt.

A monochrome illustration depicting the Irish famine. On the left, a man, a woman in a shawl, and a small child are shown walking through a stone archway. On the right, a large three-masted sailing ship (a 'famine ship') is depicted at sea. Above the ship, set against a dark background, is a wooden directional signpost.

Plaque 11: Workhouse and Famine Life

Dunmanway’s Famine Years are best understood by exploring the ruins of the Poor Law Union Workhouse found to the rear of the community hospital. Information signs there will offer insights into life during the Famine including the story of the 14 orphan girls , sent to Australia during the Great Hunger. An information board located at the 6th Century Fanlobbus Ecclesiastical Site located a short drive away provides further information on the Famine burials pits. Here early Christian archaeology and monastic life can be explored.

Irish Workhouses were established under the Poor Law Act of 1838. Dunmanway Workhouse, like all workhouses, was designed by George Wilkinson. It opened in December 1839 on a six acre site serving a catchment area of 140 square miles with over 30,000 people. Completed by 1843, it accommodated 400 paupers, though numbers often doubled during the famine. On 2 December 1843, there were 163 residents. The importance of these workhouses grew unexpectedly during the Great Famine.

The Poor Law Union was managed by a Board of Guardians, with daily operations handled by the Master and Matron. Clergy and medical staff attended to inmate welfare. The building had separate wards for men, women, boys, and girls, with children separated from their parents. Children were educated on site.

Upon arrival inmates’ details, health, and general appearance were recorded. They received uniforms and were informed of the rules and the consequences for breaking them. Sleeping conditions consisted of straw mattresses on wooden platforms, with poor ventilation and sanitation. Overcrowding during the Famine Years led to worsening conditions and increased disease and mortality.

The Chapel, now known as the Famine Memorial Chapel Room, also served as a dining area. Departments like spinning, milling, laundry, carpentry, rock-breaking, shoemaking, and dressmaking operated on site, where inmates worked for their rations.

1847 is known still as Black ’47, the worst year of the famine, it saw 866 people housed in the main workhouse and a further129 in the Fever Hospital on March 27 – 1847. The Fever Hospital played a crucial role during the typhoid outbreak, with 59 deaths in one week in May 1847. Later in 1849 the Fever Hospital was strained by the cholera epidemic then rampant across Ireland.

 In the years after the famine – the workhouse continued to a play a similar role until the building became a County Home and more akin to a hospital in 1919. One of the earliest acts of the First Dail in 1919 was to remove the term -Workhouse.

Plaque 11: Fanlobbus Monastic and Famine Graveyard 

In Autumn 1845, the potato blight destroyed the potato harvest. Fanlobbus became a pivotal burial site in the area then. However, its broader monastic and archaeological history is less well known.

The name Fanlobbus is sometimes translated as the slope of the fawn’s bed or the slope of the leper. Ancient texts suggest there was a leper colony in the vicinity. There also is a folklore connection to the race known as the Fomorians. These were a mythological race of giants, sea raiders and supernatural beings. Saint Goban Corr, a 6th-century cleric, is credited with founding the first monastic settlement there. The word Corr suggests he had a stooped posture, most likely from years residing in small monastic cells. 

Saint Finbarr (550–623) later acquired oversight of the monastic settlement.  It also had links to the diocese of Kinneigh and was mentioned in a letter from Pope Innocent III dated 1199. Today, only a quadrant of the original settlement is evident. Fanlobbus is an example of a double ring enclosure.

Under Elizabeth I -1558-1603,  most Catholic churches in the greater Carbery area were dissolved. Catholic clerics left the area; while others performed their duties in secret at mass rocks during the Penal Laws . 

By 1678 – Sir Richard Cox (1650-1733), First Baronet, Lord Chancellor of Ireland founded the town of Dunmanway and many people in the area migrated away from Fanlobbus settlement towards the new town.

In 1843 -John Windele, respected Cork antiquarian noted that  “of the extensive burial grounds, nothing remains of the old building but the ruin of the doorway .. erected in the 11th century.” 

Meanwhile in 1846 – the second potato crop failure saw  increasing numbers of paupers seek admission to the dreaded workhouse . In May of 1847-  59  inmates died in a single week, this involved multiple burials per-grave .

Victims from the workhouse were taken discreetly via a gravel path through the fields by horse and cart, to the Graveyard. The remnants of the “Famine Pits” are still visible today. An Information panel is located at the graveyard.

Plaque 11: The Earl Grey for Famine Orphan Girls

In the Winter of 1849, 14 orphan girls at Dunmanway Workhouse saw their lives transformed when they left for Port Phillip (now Melbourne). Selected under the Earl Grey Assisted Passage Scheme for Orphan Girls. This program, launched by Colonial Secretary Earl Grey, brought over 4,000 Irish orphan girls to Australia between 1848 and 1850. It gave the girls a chance to escape famine, build new futures, while also reducing overcrowding in Irish workhouses.

Fourteen Dunmanway girls, aged 14 to 18, were chosen as “government immigrants.” Before leaving, workhouse Guardians arranged for linen and other essentials for them. Painted boxes and trunks were crafted by local carpenter, Cornelius Driscoll. By December 22nd, all provisions were ready. Just before Christmas 1849, the girls waved goodbye to Dunmanway and left by horse and cart for Penrose Quay, Cork, to board a steamer to Plymouth.

Upon arrival at Plymouth Emigration Depot, the girls stayed in ventilated mess-rooms and received further supplies for the next leg of the voyage. They met their accompanying staff consisting of master, matron, nurses and surgeons and were briefed on ship rules and daily routines for the three-month journey that lay ahead.

On New Year’s Eve 1849, the girls , their trunks and worldly possessions boarded the Eliza Caroline, a clipper ship of 831 tons, commanded by Owen Evans . Their trunks contained essentials like boots, shoes, linen, and bonnets—bonnets now symbolically linked with famine orphan girls in Australia. The ship sailed south along West Africa, stopped at the Canaries, sometimes Cape Verde for water and wood, rounded the Cape of Good Hope, and crossed the Indian Ocean toward Australia, offering emigrants rare sights throughout their journey.

The Eliza Caroline docked at Port Phillip on 31 March 1850. Its manifest listed 240 Irish workhouse girls, including 14 from Dunmanway. This was the last ship to bring famine orphan girls to Melbourne.

After official processing, many of the girls were indentured or employed in domestic service, while others worked at gold mines. Life in the new country was difficult and traumatic. Ellen Desmond and her sister Mary arrived together and maintained lifelong friendships. A monument at Dunmanway Community Hospital was established in 2025 by Ellen’s great-great granddaughter to honour Ellen, Mary, and the twelve other orphan girls .

A monochrome montage of literature and wartime history. On the left, a classic illustration shows Christopher Robin and Winnie-the-Pooh sitting on a log in front of a stone ruin. On the right, a large vehicle tyre is partially visible in the foreground. In the background, against a dark sky, two medics are shown carrying a casualty on a stretcher towards a vintage ambulance marked with a Red Cross.

Plaque 12: Ballinacarriga Castle 

Ballinacarriga Castle is a 16th-century, four storey Irish tower house overlooking a lake, less than 10kms from Dunmanway. To explore the tower house continue from here to the townland of Manch, turn right at the crossroads and the castle is a short distance along the road. It proudly stands as a sophisticated example of a native Irish castle in the area. Its Irish name, Béal na Carraige, means “Mouth of the Rock,” which reflects its local landscape and strong medieval character. The castle is a national monument in state guardianship.

Though linked to the Hurley, family, some suggest it may originally have been an older McCarthy stronghold with the Hurleys acquiring it through marriage, alliance, or conflict. The date 1585 carved into the stonework is often taken as evidence of building or major renovation. It was later forfeited in 1654 and passed to the Crofts after the upheavals of the 17th century.

Archaeologically and architecturally,  the castle is especially valuable. There are several unusual carvings preserved in its fabric. These include a Sheela-na-gig carving on the exterior wall and which is believed to be symbolic of a feminine deity. There is a religious depiction of the crucifixion, and a figure with five rosettes interpreted as being Catherine O Cullane and her children. There is also an inscription dated 1585 R M C C – believed to refer to Randal Hurley and Catherine O Cullane. The M is thought to refer to the west Cork derivation of the Hurley surname – O Muirthile. 

The structure itself is a fortified tower house, with defensive features that include two bartizans and traces of machicolation. Above the front door is evidence of a portcullis slot – which was a vertical timber and iron grille typically found in medieval fortifications. A spiral stone staircase rises up through the tower with window embrasures, which were splayed angled window openings, they are found on all levels with fireplaces on the second and fourth storeys. Later use of one particular room for Catholic worship indicates the building adapted to changing political and religious conditions.  Ballinacarriga Castle reflects the changing fortunes of Gaelic Irish families during the Tudor and early Stuart periods. Today it provides a layered record of family identity, clan power, conflict, faith, and everyday life in early modern Ireland. Nestled beneath the castles shadow is a picnic site and the local school.

Plaque 12 : Christopher Robin’s Long Lost Uncles’

Once upon a time, a historian visited St. Joseph’s Cemetery in Dunmanway, intrigued by a grave she’d long wondered about given its shape and design. Her research indicated she found two uncles of the real Christopher Robin. Christopher Robin, A A Milne’s son and his teddy bear inspired the classic Winnie the Pooh stories.

Guy and Geoffrey de Selincourt, brothers of A. A. Milne’s wife Dorothy, were artists whose lives are rarely discussed in the De Selincourt family history. Their retirement to Dunmanway and link to Pooh Bear’s creator went largely unnoticed until recently.

National Winnie the Pooh Day is celebrated on January 18th, marking A. A. Milne’s birthday in 1882. Milne published his first Winnie the Pooh stories in 1926, and by 1960 the books were New York Times Best Sellers. The tales are beloved for their simple charm and witty dialogue.

Alan Alexander Milne married Dorothy de Selincourt in 1913. Two of Dorothy’s siblings, Guy and Geoffrey, retired to Dunmanway in the 1960s with friends who had likely served in the military.

Guy de Selincourt, born in London in 1902 was an illustrator, author, historian, and sailor. Though he didn’t illustrate the Winnie the Pooh books, he created illustrations for his family and other authors. Known for his height, locals recall him driving his car from the back seat after removing the front seat to fit his long legs.

Geoffrey, born in 1900, and was also a painter. Many De Selincourt siblings served in major WW1 battles like the Somme and Gallipoli. Their brother Aubrey was shot down by German flying ace Werner Voss and became a POW; he later wrote books, often illustrated by Guy. Aubrey was a classical scholar who translated works such as The Life of Alexander the Great and Herodotus into English.

Guy and Geoffrey visited Cyprus and Europe before retiring in Dunmanway. Their experiences in Cyprus inspired them to create several oil paintings.

Guy and Geoffrey belonged to a family with strong literary roots; their uncle, Ernest de Selincourt, was a renowned poetry professor at Oxford and editor of Wordsworth’s letters, as well as Virginia Woolf’s teacher. Their father, Martin de Selincourt, owned the iconic Swan & Edgar premises in London, later taken over by Debenhams around 1928. He went on to chair the Debenham Trust, and was the first chairman of Geographical Magazine.

Plaque 12 : The Dunlop Connection 

Another notable burial in St Joseph’s cemetery is that of Lieutenant Colonel Edward Henry Du Cros, friend of the De Selincourt brothers. Du Cros was a retired military man who had served in the first world war in France with the Leinster Regiment and later seconded to the Royal Engineers, most likely because of his mechanics skills. He later served in Egypt. Edward Henry Du Cros born in Yorkshire in 1896. His father had moved there as a mechanic. 

The Du Cros family from Dublin, were originally of French Huguenot descent and are renowned for their contribution to First World War, the creation of Dunlops, the advancement of the pneumatic tyre and their many links with the automotive industry, with names such Goodyear Tyre and Rubber Company and Austin Motor Company among their business partners.

Edward was the nephew William Harvey du Cros – a Dublin-born financier who became the founder of the pneumatic tyre industry by developing the innovations of John Boyd Dunlop and mass-producing Dunlop’s tyres and creating the Dunlop company. Edward retired to Dunmanway in later years to join his friends, the De Selincourts and the Paynes while his brother was a clergyman in County Cork. His grandmother was also of Cork heritage.

The Du Cros family are famous also for their organisation of the voluntary unit known as the Du Cros convoy of ambulances that rushed to provide medical aid to and from the front line in World War One. Du Cros ambulances were made more efficient by using the new pneumatic tyre to traverse the rough terrain of the battlefield. Organised and financed by Edward’s cousins,  two sons of Dunlop Tyre founder, William Harvey Du Cros. The Convoy was staffed largely by expert mechanics from their taxicab business in London. They revolutionised field transport. The Du Cros family also made many contributions to sport including Irish Rugby, Irish Fencing and Du Cros’s formed a successful team of racing cyclists known as the Invincibles.

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