BALLINA IN THE PAST

BALLINA IN THE PAST

A

 VERY interesting article was published in July, 1915, in the “Ballina Herald” by a Ballina man who was resident in London for a number of years. In the article Mr. M. C. Walshe wrote: “Your sketch of Ballina in the past is one of extreme interest to those, who like myself, are native of the district, and have been absent from the country (except for short visits) for long years. It brings back to memory that which one must love to remember, and also to ones mind (if he is old enough) the days of trials and hardships, more than counterbalanced by recollection of our simple pastimes and pleasures.

  “Dealing with the population and industries of Ballina; even in my time there was a row of houses in Barnadarrig almost from Nelligan’s house (a house surrounded by a high wall and steps leading up to a door) on the town side of the Convent, to the lane referred to in your sketch, which I take it must be that as Barleys or Barneys Boreen.

  “It is true that whole streets, and portions of streets have disappeared. The many lanes running into what are now cultivated fields on the right side of Garden Street; others on the Killala Road show it.

  “Bunree, again, extended almost from the bridge to Ardnaree; many of the lane in Ardnaree have disappeared, while the latter pushed out towards Dunbar’s flax mills, while like Messrs. Gallagher’s mill and the Moy Fisheries, employed a considerable number of people, young and old. I had in my possession some old books having some reference to the Ham family which leads me to believe that the original Ham came from the west of England, though it may be first to Waterford. Whether that was so or not, he did establish a foundry and iron-works in Ballina.

  “There was also a brewery on the Ardnaree side of the bridge, I think it was known as Hearn’s Moy Brewery, but how long it was in existence I cannot say.

  “The Cobblers’ Row was quite an institution in those days, and was there when I left Ireland. One cheery old soul I can remember very well, Larry Mahody, better known to us boys as ‘smiling Larry’ on account of his kindly word and smile to all children.

  “The boot trade of the town was largely in the hands of about five men. Willie Onions of Bridge Street, was quite a character; another was john G. swift; we never could make out what the ‘G’ stood for, and we turned it into ‘Glogeria’ Swift. My spelling of Irish I am afraid is not good, but ‘Glogeria’ stands for fool or uncouth. Be that as it may, John was no fool.

  “Then there were two brothers named Hannan, one in King Street and the other in Knox Street, both fine specimens of manhood as you could find, gentlemanly, intelligent, and a credit to any town or country.

  “During my many years’ absence from Ireland, and the many people I have met, I have never been able to get rid of the impression made on my young mind by the merchant traders of Ballina, as I knew them. I thought there was no finer class of men to be found, and I think so still. Let me give a few of the names in my mind, those of the old school, but few, if any, are living now. There was John Rooney, M. Coen, J. Coolican, the two Bairds, R. Wilson, R. G. Baxter, P. Flanagan, Tom Muffeny, John Dillon, M. Byrne (two of them), John Mahon, and a score of others, all great men, and gentlemen. I thought then what a  splendid lot of men they were, and I think so now, morally and mentally, an when one considers the small opportunities they had in those days, they were men to be proud of.

  “The trade of the town was then on a large scale and flourishing, though however prosperous in the town, it benefited the countryman not at all. It was the day of the absentee, before the Land Acts and Purchase Acts; the fruit of the soil was not for them.

  “To the eternal credit of the merchant he never forgot his poor brother, he spent his profits freely in defence and for the advancement of the cause of the countrymen, and ungrudgingly, always with his cash, and often with his body.  “I have a clear recollection of the year 1895, when the wolf howled loudly at the poor man’s door; big hearted Father Pat Irwin passed the word to the shopkeepers, ‘Help and trust the poor and you will stay evictions’, and nobly they responded, every one of them, bit and small.

  “Things are different now, will they forget those who fought their battles in the past? Perhaps it is the nature of all of us to be selfish, but there are degrees of selfishness. The Irish farmer is certainly selfish in his prosperity, at least that is the opinion I have recently formed. It is, I suppose, the re-action from want to plenty. All re-actions are rather violent. I like to think of the old times, and ask you to accept this as my apology for troubling you with this screed. Times were hard and harsh in those days, but things have changed, and the young generation seems to have changed also; they have never felt the pinch of necessity of the past. First or second class tickets on an Atlantic greyhound now takes the place of the steerage in a coal hulk, or coffin ship, a bundle of hay, and a ten weeks’ voyage. For all their poverty they were great men then, nation makers all; will the new think as fondly and work as faithfully as the old to defend:

  “The altars we kneel at,

  “The homes of our sires,

against either Hun or Hessian? The need may be greater than some seem to think.

Faithfully yours, M. C. Walshe, London”.