24Rebels of '98A pike believed to have been used by an ancestor of the Redmond family, Riverchapel, at the battle of Arklow was found by Mr. James Kenny, Ballinatray when he was demolishing his house at Riverchapel. The pike-head was lodged in the wall above the door and was in a fair state of preservation. Since the '98 period the house, then occupied by the Redmonds, has passed into the hands of numerous tenants, until a little over a year ago when it was purchased by Mr. Kenny.
Mr. Kenny intends having the pike exhibited this year, probably at Feis Charman and a similar decision has been made by Mr James Kane, Riverchapel who found a pike many years ago on the shore at Courtown Harbour when carrying out improvement works. A prayer book which has been in use for fully 115 years was sent recently by Miss Lily Nolan, Liverpool to her cousin Mrs. Nellie Davis, Riverchapel. The prayer book bears the imprinatur of the Rev. Dr. Murphy, then Bishop of Cork.

John Belvin tells me of the following gruesome happening in the 'nineties'. It was brought to his mind by the 'Rushes' murder of this year. At Ballyart in the parish of Donaghmore about 8 miles due north of here lived a family of Byrnes. One of them John was married to a woman from Riverchapel close to Courtown Harbour and about ten miles from Ballyart. She owned the house and a bit of land and John Byrne went in as a 'cluain isceai'But Mrs. Byrne refused to sign over the place to her husband and this led to quarrels and finally separation John Byrne coming back to Ballyart to live with his people. I may remark here the said John Byrne had a wooden leg and consequently walked with a 'heck'.Now to come to the 'happening'. On a certain night in the Spring he retired as usual with his little nephew and when he found the child fast asleep he arose dressed himself and set out for the Riverchapel. He was seen to pass through Killena by Mrs. Brien who lives at the Cross Roads there but she did not volunteer evidence at the subsequent trial. He arrived in Riverchapel

Local History
Riverchapel DistrictRiverchapel derived its name from the "church on the River" because in the early ages the Catholic Church in this place was built on the Brannouge River. Long ago this place was a cemetery, and in some of the fields to this day, a loose soil can be found, known as shingle.
A coal-yard was in Riverchapel near the present graveyard, and the stones in the walls around it are all black. Near this village at a place called Ounavarra a church and a monastery were built. This monastery was inhabited by monks, who used to love the solitude of its surroundings. A man named Godkin who lived at Bolaney arrested the Abbot and shot him. Before he died the Abbot told him his race would die out. A narrow path lay between the church and monastery dividing them from the river. The dampness caused these buildings to fall, and large stones have fallen into the river.In Ballinatray wood there is a stone cross, some people say Cromwell erected it, others say the Danes landed

26following the death of Mrs. Callaghan. Her abode was at Riverchapel and on the departure of the family for Liverpool they took the cross with them. The Miss Lily Nolan who sent the cross to Mrs. Dunne is the daughter of the above-mentioned Mrs Mary Nolan. It may be of interest to add that when the cross was in the possession of Mary Callaghan it was given to the late Sean R. Etchingham to be exhibited at a Feis in Wexford.Collected by :
Charles Hobbs, Ardamine, Riverchapel
From :
Mrs. Davis. Riverchapel.

Dora Byrne 14 years Ballinagran, Courtown. Information given by her mother Mrs. Byrne. Age over 50.
Local History, Riverchapel, BallygarrettRiverchapel got its name because there was a chapel built on the bank of the river long ago and it was burned down by the Goemen in 1798. After the burning of the chapel they all got drunk and they decided to go burn down Ballygarrett chapel. There was a man living in Glynn by the name of Alick Myers heard this and he ran to tell the priest. The priest got the Sacred vessels and vestments out of the chapel and fled. No sooner than he had escaped, the Goemen came to his house and asked the servant girl was the priest inside and she told them she did not know where he was. One of the Goemen told her to open her mouth to see was she telling a lie and she obeyed him and he shot down her neck. They then went and burned down the chapel and the remains are still there. When they were returning they went into the house of Alick Myers and shot him for they knew it was he that told the priest.

A part of Cromwell's army passed along the sea-road in the district on his way to Wexford.
They heard about a number of people who were in hiding at a place called Laburmum Hollow near Killena and murdered them.
Some of the old people still call the place Murderer's Hollow.In the Penal Days there was a chapel by the River Ounavarra in the wood between Bolaney and Ballinatray. A foot-stick led across the river to the Chapel and in rainy weather when there would be a flood in the river the people had to hear Mass from the other side. It was called the Riverchapel.
That is also how the present village of Riverchapel got its name after the chapel was removed to the village.

25History of a Cross : Not long ago a carved cross on which was the figure of Christ was sent from Liverpool by Miss Lily Nolan (late of Riverchapel) to Mrs. John Dunne, Courtown Harbour. The cross has been loaned temporarily to Mrs Dunne. The cross had originally been in possession of a family named Hendrick whose place of residence before the '98 Rising was at Clone, Monamolin. When the Hendricks were living at Clone the yeomanry entered the house and attacked a male member of the family, one of the party cutting the scalp off the unfortunate man's head with a sword
They mutilated the cross which was in the house by cutting off the two arms and left it behind them. To the surprise of all, family and friends, the man recovered from his injury and survived his awful ordeal. A Mary Hendrick, great grand-mother of Mrs Davis Riverchapel took the cross with her on entering into possession of a house at Monmore after her marriage to John Kinsella. The cross next came into possession of Mrs Davis's grand-mother who married a man named Patrick Callaghan. Later Mrs Mary Nolan (nee Callaghan) aunt of Mrs. Davis was custodian of the cross following

Brigid Barron 12 years. Riverchapel, Courtown. Mr. John Kennedy, Poulshone, Courtown Age 80
Old Crafts B. Barron
Long ago an old woman used to live in a place called the Ban. Her name was Anne Bolger and she used to make bent mats. Bent is shrub which grows on the sea-banks. She used to plat the bent and then stick the plats together with cord. Then her son used to sell them.
Cooperage is still carried on in this district. The name of the cooper is Mr Redmond. He make barrels and churns. The churns are made out of oak and the barrel are made out of ash mostly.
The brick works exist still also. The men dig clay in the fields owned by the brick company. It makes bricks flower pots and other things out of clay.
There is an old disused quarry bet-ween Riverchapel and Courtown Harbour and lime used to be got in it. In former years this quarry used to be well known in North Wexford on account of its excellent lime. The way the lime used to be got was: the limestone used to be quarried out of the rock and broken into small pieces. Then it used to be burnt in kilns. The way it was burnt is: first the men used

20Darby's Gap, Doonooney, Deerpark and The Chase
Dunganstown and Derbystown,
Ford and Ballynaas
Dunsinane and Dunemore Crossfarnogue and Cull
Coddstown, Little, Coldblow,
Crossabeg, Coolhull.
The townlands by the seaside in Summer make their bun
They went it all I tell you for Winter is no fun
The people flock on Sundays by car and bike and train
To take a dip or bathe their feet in the pleasant ocean main. From
Earlswood and Effernogue, Edenvale and Kyle
Edwardstown and Ecclestown,
Garr and Garrymile
Fannystown and Fardystown,
Fiddletown and Fing
Farnatrane and Funshogue, Forties, Ford O'Lyng.
In Winter we've the Mummers, and can't they rhyme and dance.
These fireside theatricals give everyone a chance
And soon in every townland the folk will celebrate
The glorious deeds of gallant men in gory 'Ninety Eight.
Boolavogue and Oulart, Forth and Shelmalier
Moneyhore and Raheen, Scark and Moneyhere
Tubberneering, Crefogue Ballywaltermore
Shroughmore and Shanoule Beak and Ballymore.Collected by :
Robert Byrne Riverchapel, Gorey
From :
Mr. J. Brady Riverchapel, Gorey

Riverchapel District there. Certain signs are engraved on this stone, Ogham signs or Danish writing it is said to be. A tunnel leads from this cross to Ferns, it was used in 1798 smuggling arms and ammunition to the Irish- men. In 1885 a beautiful foreign bird was cis and shot by the Rt. Hon. E. B. Stopford on the shores of the Old Bar. The name of the bird is an " Asprey" It is preserved in Courtown house also the trout the bird was eating.In kiltennel graveyard there is the ruins of a church, some people say it is a church of St. Aidan, others say it belong to St Kilan.In Ardamine there are many great historical places. The moat was made in the year 1,000. In some books we read that ladara as a penance to his slaves made them carry sacks of sand and make this mound as a watchplace for smugglers. This mound is lined inside with bricks. In other books we read that under this lies the ruins of a Catholic church. Near this a cross marks the landing place of St. Aidan. This holy man converted Ladan and Bran Dubh king of Leinster.

We have not many instances of place names here one instance is "Baile na Traga" viz. the "town of the sand." Another is Riverchapel it takes its name from olden times, when a church was said to have been built on the side of the river "Branogue." This church was said to have been burned by yoemen. Ned Richards following his flight from Ballyellis '98In Ardamine, we have some funny names on fields namely, the "Brick-field" owned by Mick Sinnott, so called because in former times a brick yard is said to have been situated there, to confirm this the writer went to this place during a ploughing process. If the bricks and stones came up through the earth on one brick we could distinguish "Ar" which must have meant that the manufacturers had the name "Ardamine" stamped on the bricks.Another name is the "ram park" owned by B. Kenny. It got its name from the time when the Richards family reigned in Ardamine, like most of their class they were faddy and they kept a lot of peculiar species of animals and this lawn or field was allotted to rams.The "Cow Bawn" got its name from this source too, the family this field which is

There are many roads and bye-roads in this district. There is the main road between Courtown and Gorey. It is a very good road. It is tarred from Courtown to Ballinatray and is cement from there to Gorey.Scott's road or the old road was the Main road years ago. It was used in 1798 when the men were going to and coming home from the Battle of Gorey. There is a very old walk in the district called the Bachelor's walk. It is chosed by people for their Sunday walks. There is an ols ford on the Ounavarra River. It is a place where people used to cross when the old church was there in 1798.
Dances used to be held on the cross-roads years ago.In Courtown wood near the Main road there is a stone cross erected by Saint Aidan in memory of a church that was built there. There is only one Mass - path known to exist in the district. It stretches from Dunnes of the fields to Riverchapel.

"Courtown" means the town of the sand". In this village of Courtown there is a Cromwellian estate owned by the Earl of Courtown who is said to be an ancestor. In these woods at Balinatray we see s stone cross which I am told marks the grave of a Danish leader.
Near the Ounavara we see the remains of a church which was burned in '98. In Kiltennel there is a well of St Canice and the ruins of a church of St Patrick.
Next we come to Riverchapel which means the "church on the river". This was burned in '98. Many Irishmen took shelter in the ruins of the old church when they were flying in haste from Vinegar Hill and Oulart.
"Ardamine" means the height of the mines because in olden times there were mines in it, traces of iron is still to be found in some of the land. There was also a brickfield some centuries ago where bricks were manufactured. The field is still called the "Brickfield".
Saint Aidan when he came to Wexford put his feet on Ardamine and where he landed is marked by a stone cross. It is said he built a church and monastery there.

I
In the prison cell an iron hell
He there did end his life
By his own hand he died in this
July for the murder of his wife
The Jury found him guilty
And the learned judge in tears
Said "By me James the prison claims
Your bones for fifteen years. II
"My Lord! My Lord! I'm innocent
As the chid just seen the light
From our my breast I do protest
I was not there that night
Though John Stone said he saw me
Going to the Riverchapel smart
It is all a lie believe me
I was then in Ballyart"