School: Kilmurry

On this page

1. Local Happenings

   

   Share Share Post

   In the year 1880 and in the month of March a large barn and horse stable the property of my grandfather, Michael Dunne, was burned. The two houses were joined together and were about 40 feet in length. The fire started in this way. A mare foaled and the workman of the house was left to care them the night the mare foaled. He had a lamp in the stable and he lay down and fell asleep. The mare knocked down the lamp and the straw in the stable got on fire. Then the burning started. It was about two o'clock in the morning the fire started, and when the neighbours' heard about it they rushed to the scene but were unable to save anything except the mare and foal. The whole stable was burned from end to end and two tons of hay which were on a loft and about twelve pounds worth of leather and a stack of oats that was in the barn. About forty years ago a stable and a large clamp of turf the property of Thomas Birmingham, Ballycommon, Daingean, was burned. One of the small children got a match and set the turf clamp on fire and then the blazes caught on to the stable. There was a high wind blowing towards the dwelling house and the burning stable was convenient to it. The blazes were catching on to the thatch on to the dwelling house when Mrs.

   (continues on next page)

   

   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. events
      1. hardship (~1,565)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Thomas Dunne

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   13

   Address

   Ballycommon, Co. Offaly

   Informant

   Richard Dunne

   Relation

   Parent

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   72

   Address

   Ballycommon, Co. Offaly