knightstown

SS Granuaile--between 1895-1915 was operated by the Congested Districts Board

In a letter to "Granny" published on The Childrens's Page of Weekly Irish Times on Saturday 30 June 1906, 14-year-old Mary Howe of Caherciveen writes of her family's outing to Valencia;

A regatta is held every year in Valencia Harbour. There is always a great gathering of people and excitement at it. I, with the rest of our family, go to it every year and you may be quite sure that we come home pleased with our day’s outing. We had the pleasure of seeing the Secretary for Ireland at Reenard Point the other evening. He came in the steamer Granuaile. A large number of the townspeople came down and told him their wants. He came up from the point that evening in his motor car, and passed through the town.

For her letter Mary won one of the 3 "Granny's Hampers" awarded that week for the best letters.

Mr French was upstairs in the Royal Valentia Hotel - see streetview - www.google.com.au/maps/@51.9262146,-10.2876545,3a,75y,80.... Not sure if these are earlier or later - catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000041644 catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000320504 catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000333259

Amazing number (31) of "Valentia Hotel" photos inside and outside in the NLI catalogue - catalogue.nli.ie/Search/Results?lookfor=valentia+hotel&am...

There seems to have been an inclination at one time for using T for the town/port and C for the island.

After the crew had been rescued by the Tenedos they were transferred to a local motor boat and landed at Valentia, Valencia Island.

(Shields Daily News - Saturday 22 July 1939)

Rev G L Swain. M.A, to the Rectory of Valentia, Valencia Island

(Hampshire Advertiser - Saturday 18 August 1906)

FLOWER SHOW AT VALENTIA: The first Flower Show ever held in Valencia Island ...

(Kerry Evening Post. - Saturday 27 August 1892) Presumably the writers assume that because there are 2 spellings, each must refer to a different entity. But mostly they are randomly interchangeable

RECREATION HALL FOR VALENTIA ISLAND. Last week a large and representative meeting of the people of Valencia Island

(Kerry Evening Post. - Wednesday 11 April 1906)

25" OSI Streetview

50 years or so after this one:

A Mr Michael Kenna would have been station master at the time. www.flickr.com/photos/be216cd1/7653446174/in/photolist-cE...

There's a description of the last day of the railway here under "Caherciveen Closure." "The 39½ mile branch line from Farranfore to Valentia Harbour - one of the most scenic lines in Ireland - was closed to all traffic on and from February 1. As January 31 was a Sunday the last trains ran on Saturday, January 30, a day on which the Kerry weather, true to form, provided rain almost without a break throughout the day"

The location is Renard Point. The Royal Hotel and other buildings in Knightstown, Valentia are to be seen across the harbour. A famous restaurant and bar are at The Point today and a fish processing plant. A modern ferry runs to Valentia on a constant basis during daylight in the summer. The Royal Hotel in Valentia is still in business and thriving. There are now plans afoot to create a cycleway where the trains once ran.

Looks like the clock tower is being built. When did that happen? See also reverse view -

www.buildingsofireland.ie/niah/search.jsp?type=record&... says that the clock tower was built built c. 1880.

Streetview

I never realized it is red! In 2014 via RoystonVasey, who gives a little more history... "This Town Clock structure was built in the late 1800’s. The lower section original housed the scales for the weighbridge outside on the left. Initially there was just the lower section but the Knight of Kerry decided to make the building more aesthetically acceptable by adding the upper Clock Tower including a four faced clock. Unfortunately, the clock was put out of commission in 1922 by some Free State Soldiers or so the story goes. Like all stopped clocks, it remained an eternal liar up until 1990 when it was restored to full working order..."

"First established in the 1830s, the Royal Hotel Valentia has played host to two future Kings of England in its time and took the name ‘Royal’ after a visit from Queen Victoria’s son, Price Arthur at the end of the 19th century. " From the Hotel's website - royalvalentia.ie/hotel/ , which also includes a similar view which another site dates as 1904 - www.rareirishstuff.com/kerry/royal-hotel-valentia-valenci... Edit - the image is this one - catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000320496