Ballyknockan Heritage & Community Group
Newsletter February 1998/ meeting report.
Ballyknockan Granite Festival
Due to the great success of the festival over the last two years it is intended to hold another this year .The dates will be the weekend of September 18th,19th,20th . It is intended to include a commemoration of the bicentenary of the rebellion of 1798 in some way during the festival.
The purpose of our meeting on the 12 Feb. 1998 was to provide all with an opportunity to meet local representatives and discuss with them a number of issues of local concern. The current situation as regards domestic water supply quality being the main focus.
Water Supply
In July 1997 it was announced that a grant of £75,000 has been approved for a new water supply for Ballyknockan, with a further £25,000 from the County Council, making a total of £100,000 available for the scheme. Test drilling has been carried out in the mean time and plans drawn up. The plans have now gone to tender for collection point, water treatment, and 50,000 gallon storage. There will be a 6 week response time to the tenders at which time the scheme should commence depending on availability of contractors.
Ballyknockan Granite Festival September 12-14 1997
By Maura Cullen
courtesy of Vallymount Parish Newsletter
It was a beautiful September evening in Ballyknockan when the Ballymore Brass & Reed Band arrived in the village. They struck up "Let Erin remember the days of Yore" and marched out from Cullen’s yard, down the village road, then left to the famous gable wall of Widow Biddy Mulvey’s house, followed by the local residents and local children swinging their arms in imitation of the bass drummer. The gable is all that remains of the widow’s house, and it was recently restored and made safe by the Foster family, to whom we are grateful.
The occasion was the beginning of Ballyknockan Heritage, and it entailed the unveiling of the restored gable wall by Donal McEvoy, and its blessing by our local Parish Priest FR. Cantwell. The gable incorporates what the original newspaper account of 1888 called the ‘Date Stone’, Which still reads
"The Emergency Land Grabber defeated here 1888. God save Ireland"
Rosie O’Reilly gave the history of the little house and its date stone, Fr. Cantwell added some interesting detail of the installation of the Widow Mulvey when her little house was rebuilt on a snowy day, Monday February 6th, 1888. The unveiling and blessing concluded with a decade of the Rosary led by Fr. Cantwell, and the playing of the National Anthem by the brass band.
To me this was the highlight of the Heritage weekend, and I would like to thank the Foster family for helping to make it such a memorable evening. There was , to my mind, something sacred about it.
The Ceremony
The ceremony over, all went to the Ballyknockan Inn Where Tommy Cullen W.C.C launched Seamus O’Maitiu’s book ‘Ballyknockan a Wicklow Stonecutters’ Village’.
On Saturday morning there were lectures in the Ballyknockan Inn, given by Paddy Rowe on Stonecutting and on stone walls by Paddy McAfee.
In the afternoon Adults went on a tour of Christy and Billy McEvoy’s quarry while children enjoyed themselves in Seamus & Grainne O’Maitiu’s farm, which proved to be very enjoyable.
On Sunday morning at 11:00 Bishop Eamonn Walsh joined us to celebrate Mass with Fr. Cantwell, offered for all deceased Ballyknockan stone workers and their Families. Our Choir excelled and sang to music especially written for the Ignatius Rice celebrations which took place earlier this year. Bishop Walsh said the choir was excellent and ambitious. During his homily Bishop Walsh told us that he first became familiar with granite when he was Chaplain in Arbour Hill Prison, Dublin . He said there was a message to be learnt from that, because man never looses his creative ability, as even in prison the prisoners found ways to cut and trim granite stones. During Mass Seamus O’Maitiu presented Bishop Walsh and Fr. Cantwell with copies of his book on Ballyknockan. That same morning prayers were offered in Mary’s C. of I. Church, Blessington, for all former quarry owners and workers.
In the afternoon there was a display of Set Dancing and Irish Dancing at the Ballyknockan Inn, where local musicians especially Dave Brown, Patsy Flannagan and Niamh Garvey gave a hand.
The sports event of the week took place with a Tug O’ War, organized by Valleymount Tug O’ War Team , which took place in Myles Cullen’s field….and we thank Myles for that facility. John Doherty and Ron White presented two lovely plaques to the winning teams. A great day was had by all. A raffle was later held in the Ballyknockan Inn for prizes made locally. Audrey Walker won first prize, a lovely sundial; Henry Ward won second prize, a granite trough, Trish Carroll won 3rd, a granite bird bath, and a willow basket woven by Grainne O’Maitiu was won by Carrols of Ballymore Eustace.
Our Heritage Committee would like to thank everyone who helped with the organization of this second Ballyknockan Heritage Festival, and all who in one way or another participated in making it such an enjoyable success.