The town of Killenaule lies at the Southern extremity of the range of The Slieveardagh Hills — situated 17 miles from Clonmel, 10 miles from Thurles, 10 miles from Cashel and 28 miles from Kilkenny City. The area has a chequered and colourful history, from Scandinavian invasions in the 9th Century, to a battle at Crohane in 852.

In the Norman Era, Killenaule was granted to a settler named Stantton, and the town achieved the status of Borough. Names associated during this period with Killenaule include Butler, Laffan and Cantwell.

During the 16th Century and the reign of Henry VIII lands in Killenaule were under the ownership of names like Britt, Purcell and again Cantwell and Butler. Around the mid 1500s landowners included Thomas Morris in Killenaule, Ballinure, Ballintogher and Moyglass. In 1640 the chief landowners among others were, Theo Mansell, Cataganstown 560 acres, Edmund Kearney Knockinglass, 800 acres, Everard of Fethard, 600 acres in Moyglass lower, Robert St. John, 300 acres in Roan, Cantwell of Killeens 700 acres, James Earl of Ormond 1600 acres in Killenaule. In Ballinure, landowners were Richard Tobin and Walter Hackett, Florence Fennell had 160 acres in Cooleagh, Morish Stokes, 800 acres in Coolquil and Henry Laffen had 1600 acres at Noan.

The principal Landlord in the Killenaule area was an absentee landlord named Waldron and the town of Killenaule was part of the Waldron Estate in the early 1900s. On the death of Mr Waldron the deeds passed on to the trustees of the Bank of Ireland. Around 1976 much controversy arose in Killenaule as some of the Waldron leases had expired and the townspeople wished to purchase outright the leases on their holdings. Various local meetings were held and with the co-operation of Tipp SR. Co. Council, and legal advice, a satisfactory agreement was reached between leaseholders and Waldron Reps.

In more modern times the two largest estates adjacent to Killenaule have been the Lanespark Estate, Ballynonty, and the Noan Estate, Ballinure. These both provided a welcome boost to the local economy by providing employment and various small industries.

Killenaule and its surrounding area, has a large and varied history and heritage to offer. The area has many fine ancient Ring Forts, Tower Houses and Castles to support its local history.

Rathmoley double Ring Fort is one of the finest complete double Ring Forts in the Country now preserved by the State. It is also situated in a prime viewing area very adjacent to Killenaule Town and discovered on its site, in Autumn 1925, was The Killenaule Viking Silver Hoard, now in the possession of the National Museum of Ireland. The site of Killenaule Castle is just a few hundred yards from the town centre and the Norman Graystown Castle is just a few miles to the south west of Killenaule. Other notable Castles are St. Johnstown, Coolquill, Mortlestown and Cooleagh Castle at Ballinure. The area has many natural resources including coal mining and peat harvesting. Killenaule is also noted for the very successful horse racing industries and numerous greyhound breeding and training establishments in the locality. In recent years, Killenaule Stone Quarries have established a thriving business at Kilbrennal Quarry. The stone is both used as road trunking and also very much sought for ornamental design.

The surrounding bogland has left a Hugh store of folklore and as this area was the last Gaelic speaking area of Killenaule, a large vocabulary of many old Irish words have remained in the area. The late Dr. Thomas Morris, former Archbishop of Cashel & Emily documented these for posterity. The normal piseogs that exist throughout rural Ireland can be heard in the Killenaule area.

The Hills of Killenaule Festival provides entertainment cultural, sporting and musical around mid-summer and has been growing in popularity since its inception three years ago. There are at least four local historians in the locality and much activity surrounds the now restored Church of Ireland in River Street, which houses the Slieveardagh Rural Development Co. Ltd, administrative centre, and is also the local Cultural and Enterprise Centre. All of the data from headstones from the ten local cemeteries have been logged and computed and also available to visitors are the complete list of death records for Killenaule, dating back to when these records were first logged.

Killenaule is also the home of Derrynaflan Island, where on a dark and dreary February Sunday evening in 1980, Mr. Webb and his son unearthed the priceless Derrynaflan Hoard, consisting of an 8th century chalice, a strainer or ladle, a stand — all enclosed in a bronze basin, buried eighteen inches below ground, and found about 20 yards from the main church ruin. This priceless archaeological find continues to bring many students of history, historians and interested tourists to our area to view the exact location of the find. Derrynaflan Island is situated approximately 4 miles north west of Killenaule Town.

Situated near the village of Moyglass is the ancestral site of the home of Ned Kelly the famed Australian bush ranger at Clonbrogan. This site is of major significance to all Australians who visit our town. A natural amenity available to all visitors in the future is the beautiful lake and nature reserve, presently under construction at Derryvilla between Glengoole and Killenaule, where a large tract of bogland has been flooded and converted to a lake, this will be complimented by a pony trekking area and a nature and wild-life preserve. Ideal viewing points around the Killenaule area include Knockforlagh, The Reen, Rathmoley, Graigue Upper, Knockavardagh, Crickeen and Monslatt, all providing beautiful scenic views of the various “Hills of Killenaule”. Those same “Hills of Killenaule” have been immortalised in song by the late Davy Mc Cormack, Ardagh House, who wrote this widely known local song in praise of our native hills. At Mardyke or “The Found” near Killenaule can be seen the remains of the first mining village in Ireland and also visible the remains of a mining Engine House and Air Vent. Mardyke in its glory days boasted an R.I.C. Barracks, a National School and three streets: Barrack Street, Puddle Street and Middle Street and numerous Mining Company buildings. At its peak over 1,000 men were employed in mining across the Slieveardagh Hills around 1827.

Bord Na Mona at its former works at Littleton and more recently at Killeens briquette factory provides a national fuel resource and also valuable local employment.

Local traditions of cheese making can be found at the home of Mr. Louis Grubb, Silverfort, home of the famous “Cashel Blue Cheese”. Also cheese is made at Sullivans Ballinure, home of Derrynaflan variety. A number of local people are involved in the craft industry, mainly in needlework, Art, and Hurley making. Scoil Ruain is the base of Derrynaflan School of furniture & design, where post Leaving Cert students study the craft of designing once off furniture pieces.

Killenaule Tidy Towns Committee and numerous other personal, have had and continue regular meetings with senior officials of Planning, Environment, Roads, and Sanitary services to keep abreast of proposals and council initiatives, concerning Killenaule Town and surrounds. The main concerns at these meetings entail traffic restrictions in Killenaule Town, proper sign posting derelict sights and dangerous and derelict buildings in our locality. Concern has also been aired regarding proper public lighting, provision of proper footpaths and car parking and public toilet facilities, also the planting and landscaping the approach roads to our Town.

Killenaule Town has had a new Sewerage system installed at Crosscannon in recent years. This system is capable of, and has the capacity to deal with current housing development as of now, however, future development may entail an enlargement of this present system.

There is a steady rate of planning for housing in close proximity to our town and surrounding area. The applicant base is generally young married couples whose employment base is one of Thurles, Clonmel, Cashel, Kilkenny or Waterford City. Killenaule is ideally situated and provides all of the services necessary and demanded by young families building residential homes in our area.

Buildings listed locally in need of conservation include the Old Distillery Building at River Street, the former Killenaule National School now St. Mary’s Community Centre. A number of derelict buildings and sights are at present under scrutiny and in co-operation with the environmental officer of Tipp SR Co. Council; progress on this issue is expected shortly.

Killenaule is a self-sustaining town to a large degree, containing seven public houses, a supermarket, five grocery shops, a hardware shop and a Glanbia provisions store. its service include a medical clinic, a modern nursing home, three hairdressers, two victuallers, one bookmaker office, one central primary school, one secondary school (600 pupils), one roman catholic church, one Garda barracks, two drapery shops, a solicitor’s legal business, three garages and filling stations, two guest houses, one chemist shop, a funeral parlour and undertaking business, public health nurse, two practising medical doctors, a modem post office service, three existing town taxi services, one dry-cleaning service shop, a modern chip shop.

Public buildings include a modem Sports Complex Centre, a Heritage Cultural & Enterprise Centre, St. Mary’s Catholic Church; St. Mary’s Community Centre Bailey Street, a Credit Union Centre, two Electrical and T.V. shops. Killenaule town is serviced by Tipp S8.R. Co. Council Refuse Collection, a once weekly service. The existing bus services include twice daily Clonmel-Thurles and reverse. A bus service also exists to Kilkenny City daily. Train services are available at Clonmel (17 miles) and Thurles (10 miles). The National Bus service route can be availed of at Littleton (6 miles) and Urlingford (12 miles).

For the last 10 years Killenaule has provided its own FÁS Community Employment Scheme giving valuable training and experience to prospective employees. It has also used the FÁS Youth Training Schemes to publish the “History of Killenaule / Moyglass” in 1990, this gave valuable employment and experience over two and half years to over twenty young people. The Youth Training Scheme was also employed to renovate the existing Culture & Heritage Centre at River Street.

The existing Community FÁS Employment Scheme provides numerous local services e.g. Maintenance of Local cemeteries, grass cutting and cleaning of public Buildings in the area, erecting approach fencing and walls to town, planting and maintaining public flower beds etc. and assisting in running local festivals, concerts and public events.

Killenaule would be described as a modem progressive Rural Town, where the community are hard working and forward looking, who aspire to a decent standard of living and education, and their fair share in the distribution of the National Cake. Our Community is noted for their generous Cead Mile Failte to our town, where visitors will be showered with hospitality and afforded plenty of time and opportunity to learn and listen and participate in the general merriment of our life and times. In brief, in Killenaule like Tipperary, “the Stranger is treated like a King”.

by (Sean Watts PC)

REMEMBERING COAL MINING IN THE SLIEVARDAGH AREA

(ITS IMPACT ON KILLENAULE AND THE SURROUNDING AREAS)

By Former CoalMiner Jimmy Lawlor Graigue Killenaule

Anthracite was mined in the Slievardagh area going back to the 17th century and it wasn't until Tommy 0 Brien transferred his mining interests to Gurteen coalmine that it really had any impact on the people of Killenaule and surrounding areas. There was in excess of 200 people employed between the period 1954 to 1971 and together with Bord na Mona, Ballingarry Colleries were considered to be the major employers in the area. The employment created by the mines reflected on all the businesses in the areas and Killenaule enjoyed a much needed injection of prosperity.

Whilst the majority of miners employed in Gurteen were from the locality there was also an influx of miners from different counties in Ireland and from as far as England and Wales. The owner Tommy 0 Brien was a Mayo man and the Mine Manager Mr Moore was a Welsh man. The mines was the one place where you could meet somebody from Killenaule, Ballingarry The Commons, Kilkenny, Castlecomer, Donegal, Leitrim, Roscommon, Sligo, Mayo and not forgetting from across the Water. The mine owner Tommy 0 Brien was responsible for the building of 32 houses to accommodate the miners and their families and this was of great benefit to Killenaule. This area, formerly known as “The Ballingarry Estate” is now Castlequarter Estate.

The colliers worked on a contract basis paid weekly for the tonnage of coal produced. I started work in Gurteen in 1964 and my job was to load the coal into a tub, to get it to the pit bottom for haulage to the surface. I was paid so much per day and a little bit extra at the end of the week from the colliers for a job well done. Friday was payday and there was always a bit of a buzz about the yard that day. When the young people got the pay packet it was straight to Maureen Duggans shop for lemonade and buns and maybe cigarettes. Then it was off to Cheap Jacks van parked near the shop, to buy clothes to wear down the mines the following week. Next step was to board Willie Lannons bus and head home to Killenaule where some of the men went for a few pints ( to wash down the dust) to Tom Connors pub on the Main Street. I had my first pay packet and I considered myself one of the men so I headed in with them and drank a couple of bottles of cider. I was delighted with myself and thought I could have a repeat performance the next week. When I got home my parents had other ideas. I started and stopped drinking all in the one day and it was back to the lemonade and buns.

Employees of the mines were allocated several rations of calm during the year some were kept for personal use and the rest sold. My favourite customer was the late Mrs. Jack Carroll of Dunguib and I enjoyed many the good dance as a result of our partnership. Culm is the fine slack from anthracite and when mixed with yellow clay and water and "danced" it produced a mixture to make calm balls for burning in an open grate and provided people with a very cheap source of fuel for heating their homes. The bulk of the calm was sold on to the sugar factories in Thurles, Mallow and Carlow and the coal was sold for the domestic market and also shipped abroad.' Some great characters worked in the mines. We had a mix of musicians, storytellers, poets and comedians, some that come to mind, Pat Lyons from Ballynonty a famous accordion player, Paddy Noonan and his son Jim from Monslatt also accordion players. Then there was Dick Ivers and Joe Costello from St. Mary's Road who were never short of a song or two and from River St. came Patsy Meagher who played such a sweet tune on the fiddle. His rendition of the cuileann would bring a tear to your eye.From the Commons hailed Eddie the Yank Purcell (accordion) Roundy Lawlor the well known bodhran player and the King Cleere who was a fountain of knowledge. We had John (The Tailor) Scott from Crosspatrick and last, but not least, from Ballingarry the poet Ned Whelan.

There was always a great buzz in the locker rooms where the miners changing shifts met and exchanged the news of the day and enjoyed a laugh and where many the good yarn was told, none better to tell one than the man responsible for looking after the locker rooms and showers, Ned St John from Ballingarry. My late father in law, Joe Costello was great to tell a yarn which brings to mind the one he told about the shovel. The mine manager Mr. Moore overheard one of the miners giving out and complaining, in a rather strong fashion , about the fact that somebody had stolen his shovel. As a result of this incident a rule was made that all miners had to have their tally number stamped on their tools. Even-thing went very well for a while until Mr. Moore overheard the same miner complaining, he asked what the problem was and was told that somebody had taken his shovel 'and did you not have your number on your shovel' enquired the Manager to which the miner replied' sure they took that as well'. I had many experiences during my time in the mines some happy some sad but the saddest of all was the tragic death of my old school pal and workmate Jack Shaw. I remember it as if it was yesterday. We sat together on the mines bus that fateful Saturday morning, laughing and joking, had our lunch together and then I walked behind his coffin going into the Church that evening. It cast a terrible gloom over the town of Killenaule and I could not accept that Jack was gone forever. As an 18 year old I found it difficult to grasp what happened that day. There was no counselling available then and it affected me for many years to come. In the late 60s coal cutting equipment was introduced into the mines and one of these machines was called the German Plough. It was supposed to be the Rolls Royce of machinery, but it wasn't suitable for the coal seam in Slievardagh and spelt doom for the mines. One of the miners working on the plough was a bit of a poet and penned the following verse.

"Tommys Plough"

It was not long till Lyons came on, Some sheer pins he put in, The nip was through, With a flick of a switch, The Plough she moved again.

They were good men all from Killenaule, Ballingarry and Gortnahoe, And the wee lad came from Leithrim, Called Skippy the Kangaroo.

At the drive head we had 20 stone Ned, At the Tail end the old White King, We had Tony Joy that handsome boy, Who loved to have his fling.

We had wicked Jim from Kickham Town, And the Miner from Knocknagow, They all were there and did their share, And helped to work the Plough.

We had Sligo Jim and the sidewinder, And the famous heavy Dan, Joe Costello called Hopalong,, Who never carried a can.

A word of praise to all those lads,

Whose names I cannot fit,

I wish them all the best of luck in Gurteen Pit.

In recent times I worked in Lickfinn Mines , but that’s another story for another time.

When the mines closed my Mothers sentiments were “Thanks be to God.” Looking back at my time in Ballingarry Mines I often think of the men who worked hard to support their families and many of whom died at a relatively young age due to the very poor working conditions that they had to endure. They were tough hard working men but most of all they were great characters.

God Bless Them.

TOM RYAN - HURLER PAR EXCELLENCE

The name Tom Ryan is synonymous with hurling with Killenaule and with Tipperary. Tom was born in the townland of Graystown in the year 1941. At a very young age it was clear that he was destined for greatness. His prowess with the caman was soon spotted by that great reader of the game, Michael, "The Gent" Fanning and soon Tom was playing with the "New Tipperary Rangers" juvenile team. From there, with the demise of "The Rangers", he went to Killenaule and in 1958, he captained Killenaule to victory in the South Tipperary Minor Championship, only their second ever victory at this grade. During the course of this campaign, Tom was spotted by the Tipperary selectors and was an automatic choice for the minor team of 1959. He had also played for the Thurles C.B.S. teams of 1957 and 1958 but was not fortunate enough to win the elusive Dr. Harty Cup medal.

What a year 1959 was for the young Tom Ryan! He helped Tipperary win the Munster Minor championship and played a magnificent part in their 2-8 to 2-7 victory over Kilkenny in the All-Ireland final. Playing alongside him at centre-field that day was his namesake, the late Tom Ryan of Toomevara.

Soon the name of Tom Ryan was a household name, not only in Tipperary but all over Ireland. He played in the Munster and All-Ireland senior finals in 1960. Unfortunately in spite of Tom's great performance, Wexford were the victors on this occasion. In 1961, he won his first senior All-Ireland, when Tipperary beat Dublin 0-16 to 1-12 in the final. What a tussle Tom had with the late Lar Foley that day. In 1961 Tom also captained Killenaule to victory over Marlfield in the South Final.

1962 was Tom's crowning glory. His hurling was superb right throughout the campaign but his `piece de resistance' was the fantastic goal he scored after 20 minutes of the second half, a goal, which won the title for Tipperary. The late Tony Maher of Cashel Road, a spectator at the game was so excited to see his clubman score this vital goal that he got a heart attack and died. Go ndeana Dia trocaire ar a anam.

Tom toured the U.S.A, with the Tipperary team in 1964. Apart from the games they played, he has many fond memories of this tour including having lunch with the great Jack Dempsey, for many years heavyweight boxing champion of the world. He also met Robert Kennedy, Attorney General and brother of the much-loved John F. Kennedy.

Tom's work took him away from Killenaule and he hurled briefly for Eire Og Nenagh. He also played for Clare and Galway and won county championships in both counties, with Eire Og in Clare and with Liam Mellows in Galway. He played in two Kilkenny finals with "The Village" but lost both of them. He finished his hurling career back with his native Killenaule and now lives nearby in Clonmel.

Tom is also the proud possessor of 3 National League medals, 3 Oireachtas medals, 1 Railway cup medal, 1 St Brendan's Cup medal and he made a number of Wembley appearances with Tipperary.

He was undoubtedly one of the greatest over-head hurlers of his time. He was arguably the hardest hitter of a sliotar in hurling; his 21-yard frees were a sight to behold. I deem it an honour, a pleasure and a joy to have played with Tom. Guim slainte, saol fada, rath agus beannacht De ort, A Thomais.

Tom Ryan of Killenaule will be officially honoured by a Mayoral Reception at the Town Hall Clonmel on Friday 16th of June 2006. This is a fitting tribute to one of Tipperarys greatest hurling sons whom many hurling followers from the county were privileged to see and play with during a long and victorious hurling career.A report on this function will appear on the Killenaule website at a later date.