School: Clonyhurk

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   “The local "estate" was that of "Warburton" Garryhinch.”

   

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   The local "estate" was that of "Warburton" Garryhinch. The last landlord was Richard Warburton. The second last landlord was his father Henry Warburton. Both are remembered as "bad" men. Richard Warburton died about 10 or 12 years ago. I knew Richard Warburton from the time I came here in 1910 until he died. From the time I came here the Warburton family were in great poverty and dire circumstances. Mrs McKenna says his downfall came about from his badness and squandering. When I first knew him he had been married a second time and had five children. Mrs McKenna remembers when he was in rich circumstances. He then kept dogs and hunting-horses. Mrs McKenna does not remember any evictions because the people were "afraid" but to pay the rent. But he was hard on the Catholics in every sense. For example no one dare pluck a leaf or twig or go inside the boundary or trespass in any way. "You might clear the road" Mrs McKenna say "when you'd see "them" coming. They used to have dogs with them and used not call them up when they would attack you. This Richard Warburton was short at and wounded in one eye as he returning from the Law Courts in Maryborough. As revenge he turned out the Catholic children out of their little school (an ordinary house) at Garryhinch Cross (he being the Landlord). a Father Connell came out on horseback from Portarlington and gathered the children and people around him on the middle of Garryhinch Cross outside the school. Mrs McKenna says here's what he said "The day will come when the glory of Warburton's will be no more. The grass will grow green through the hall-door and the steps and trees within the ruins. And when that day comes there will be a new school with a Catholic teacher and

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Language

   English

   Informant

   Mrs Peter Mc Kenna

   Gender

   Female

   Age

   75

   Occupations

   Farmer

   Housewife

   Address

   Garraí Inse, Co. Uíbh Fhailí