queenscounty

Looks like the village pump has pumped off, commemorated by a white dot roundabout and a metal cover over the plumbing - Streetview - maps.app.goo.gl/xEEj7YP9W4xucTRc7

Reverse view in 1911 via Mr Eason. NB cross pieces on the telegraph poles, hinting that today's photo might be earlier than 1911 -

Looks like the pump (or something) was still there in 1955, when Monkey swung by - See megazoom - catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000733704

Via Trove from 1912 ...

WANTED - A WIFE. Much amusement was created at the Mountmellick Board of Guardians by a labourer named O'Neill applying for a wife. "She need not," he wrote, "be handsome, but homely and hard-working, as beauty is only skin deep, and anyone so gifted, especially one of the female class, spends too much time at the looking glass during the day and neglects her household duties. She must he a good plain cook. With a Mountmellick labourer's wage it is very little she will have to do in the pastry line, which make those tight-laced, hobble-skirted ladies of the present day suffer so much from indigestion and corns. I would like her to be a good singer - or able to play some musical instrument — a mouth-organ or a melodian." The chairman said the lad who wrote that letter needed little assistance in selecting a wife.

See - trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/175231371

William Scully, Draper, Farmer and Canal Agent.. www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Queen_s_Co_/Mou...

Flickr is sometimes Dunamazing! In 2016 via Fergal Gleeson

Photo of an old print Dunamase castle plate 1 of 3 Antique copper line engraved print By Hooper and Newton for Francis GROSE (c.1731 . .1791) for The Antiquities of Ireland (2 vols., 1st in 1791) Pub. by Mr. Hooper, Sep 17 1794 So, published after his death

Here is the original engraving in the book online. The text ftartf a few pagef before - archive.org/details/GroseFTheAntiquitiesOfIrelandVol21795... And a link to a hi-res version of the image - ia800804.us.archive.org/BookReader/BookReaderImages.php?z...

Those look like cattle in the right foreground, but it's an enchanted ass you'd have to watch out for. If the Kerry Evening Post of Wednesday 11 June 1845 is to believed, (it mentions a policeman called Fox, after all) or rather if Michael Tynan, the defendant in a court case is to be believed, then there's a lot more going on at the Rock of Dunamase than is mentioned in the wikipedia article. The account of the proceedings begins as follows

MARYBORO’ PETTY SESSIONS-Tuesday THE ENCHANTED ASS OF DUNAMASE. Sub-constable Joseph Fox summoned Michael Tynan for allowing his ass to roam at large about the roads in the vicinity of the ruins of the feudal fortress of Dunamase. Tynan was frequently warned about the animal, but without any effect. Fined 6d. and costs. Tynan, having heard their worships’ adjudication "looked unutterable things.” He was desired go down; and not allow the animal to roam at large any more ; for if again summoned, the penalty would be heavier. He should keep his ass well spancilled.

That's when it gets weird. The defendant then goes on to explain why his ass is enchanted, recounting an incident involving (amongst many other things):

- buried gold beneath the ruins, - a ghost "the white lady", - a verse predicting death (our 2nd in 2 days) but which rhymes "death" with "beneath" - a dramatis personae of Mick Hackett, Jack Robinson, Paddy Mara, Mick Reilly and Micky Hegarty. And a quart bottle of whiskey.

A transcript of the complete article can be found here [BTW I couldn't help noticing that in the next case reported John Burke was fined (also 6d and costs) for "allowing one of his pigs to rusticate on the highway".] PS "Spancil" is a new word to me. I'm going to use it at every opportunity today, should any ass-hobbling work come my way.

From 2012, my home county. www.flickr.com/photos/brendan_doyle/albums/72157631694155856

this rocks it is so cool because it is old newspaper