Pages past: copper mining in Westmeath (and other stories)

Freeman’s Journal

February 19, 1824

"In no country in Europe, perhaps, is there a greater abundance of minerals than in Ireland; in none, certainly, are they so generally diffused, or in equal variety," stated the intro to a story entitled ‘Irish Mines and Collieries’ carried in the Freeman’s Journal of February 19, 1824.

The item went on to report that gold could be found in Wicklow; silver near Kilross in Sligo, also in Cavan as well as near both Edenderry and Nenagh.

Copper, it continued, "is found in eighteen different counties and occasionally in different parts of the same county", and Westmeath was listed as one of the 18 counties.

Westmeath also featured on the list of eighteen counties where lead could be found, and it was among 15 where there were coal deposits.

It was also the source, the report stated, of marble of a "handsome yellow and dove colour".

Kerry Evening Post

February 15, 1834

Following eight years of legal action over his will, the charities that were to benefit from the bequests of the late Lord Netterville – who owned extensive lands in Westmeath – were listed in the Kerry Evening Post of February 15, 1834.

Stated the report: "The charities are very extensive and will consist of an institution for widows and orphans, and a public school to be established on his Lordship’s estate at Dowth in the county of Meath, near Drogheda; for which purpose his Lordship has devised in fee sixty acres of land and a dwelling house and offices; and a dispensary to be established in premises bequeathed by him at Blackhall Street and Queen Street, Dublin; and Sunday daily schools to be established at Islandbridge, Dublin and Ballymore, county of Westmeath, on his lordship’s estates. The funds bequeathed for the purposes of the said several charities amount to £14,000 besides a sum of £1,500, the produce of timber cut and disposed of on the land, in the county of Westmeath, since his lordship’s decease."

Freeman’s Journal

February 15, 1844

As if insolvency that landed him in Mullingar Gaol wasn’t bad enough, an unfortunate man by the name of Michael Magrath told the Insolvent Debtors Court that he had then been scammed by a fake lawyer whom he paid to try to have himself released on bail.

The case before the Insolvent Debtors court was brought by Mr Magrath’s new lawyer, a Mr Power, who sought a conditional order for an attachment against a Patrick Nolan who had, he said, "represented himself as an attorney of that honourable court and practised as such, notwithstanding that he was not duly qualified".

In evidence, Magrath said that in October 1843 he was jailed over a debt of £11 2s 4d. While in prison, Patrick Nolan called on him, representing himself as an attorney, so Magrath gave him "every farthing" he had, which amounted to 15s – but Nolan did nothing, with the result that Magrath wound up detained "for several months". The court granted Nolan – "a man of low stature and high complexion"- a week to draw up an affidavit in his own defence.

Leinster Express

February 13, 1864

The frightening experience of a man named Patrick Smith, of Milltown, Westmeath, was described in The Leinster Express of February 13, 1864. The account revealed that on the Monday of that week, three shots were fired through Smith’s window, although, happily, no one was injured: "The next morning he found a threatening notice posted on his door, warning him on pain of death to surrender a farm from which a former tenant was evicted."

The Nation

February 7, 1874

The Nation newspaper stated gleefully that among the most gratifying incidents of the parliamentary election then taking place was that "Captain Coercion Greville – late Groom-in-waiting; now Lord of the Treasury – is to be ignominiously kicked out of the representation of gallant Westmeath".

That anticipated result, which indeed come to pass, the paper attributed to the actions of the Catholic clergy of "that persecuted" county, who had met on January 31 and voted no confidence in the sitting Liberal MP, the Hon AW Greville, and recommended that the voters of Westmeath support, instead, the Home Rule candidates PJ Smyth and the Right Hon Lord Robert Montagu, and also, that a committee be formed to raise funds to cover Smyth’s election expenses.

The Nation

February 1884

The Nation quoted a recent item from the Westmeath Examiner on the subject of Irish manufacturers. In it, the Examiner stated that it was glad to see that among the list of persons who were selling Messrs McMahon and Twohill’s Irish-made felt and silk hats were those of Mrs Byrne, Earl Street, and Mr P Keelan, Greville Street, Mullingar. In Moate, they were being sold by Mr Bernard Kearney. Athlone, Longford and Granard also had agents for the hats.

The report continued: "Under this heading, we might also draw attention to our report of this week’s meeting of the Mullingar branch of the National League, where patterns of tweed manufactured in the county Westmeath were inspected by the members of the branch and considered of good quality. We would advise the different branches of the League in the county to encourage as far as they can this industry which hitherto was but little known."

Westmeath Examiner

February 10, 1894

In February 1894, the famous row that saw the then Bishop of Meath, Most Rev Dr Nulty, make it an excommunicable offence for people to read the Westmeath Examiner was at its height. The issue of February 10, 1894 saw Westmeath Examiner editor, John P Hayden, strongly criticise the bishop over his "fierce malevolence" and lack of scruples. It also revealed that as part of the dispute a Westmeath Examiner journalist had been excluded from the February monthly meeting of the Mullingar Town Commissioners – despite having just three days earlier been invited to attend. The report stated that the reporter attended, but found the gate locked and the caretaker on guard inside. Wrote Mr Hayden: "This hall is vested in the bishop and his lordship exercises a certain amount of censorship over those who enter its sacred precincts. Our reporter was informed by the caretaker – an employee of the bishop – that he was ‘instructed by Father Drum to keep the gate locked in order to exclude him, no matter what the consequences’."

Mr Hayden was most unimpressed, stating that "for a startling example of arrogance and intolerance the action stands out prominently".

He went on to say it was "rather a sad instance of the manner in which the priests would use national power if they possessed it, and [would] act as a danger signal to many interested in the country’s future."

Westmeath Examiner

February 6, 1894

The Westmeath Examiner columnist Snapper Up recounted how the previous week at the local court a case had occurred, which, he said, gave food for reflection.

Before the magistrates Mr P D Sullivan and Mr G A Hyde appeared "a respectable woman" who was, Snapper Up wrote, "lately bereft of her breadwinner".

The woman had seven children to look after and was before the court applying to have three of those sent to an industrial school to learn a trade. She said she would look after – and it was presumed – work for the support of the other four.

Snapper Up wrote that the magistrates responded that according to the law, if one of the children was guilty of any petty larceny or other offence, they could be sent to an industrial school.

But though the case appeared, he continued, a perfectly reasonable one for assistance, "the children being honest", could not be sent to the industrial school.

Consequently, the magistrates had to refuse. Snapper Up observed that an alternative was that the family could be supported to go into the workhouse "instead of an honourable trade".

"Put children in the workhouse and they’re apt to turn out useless and are likely as well to have a hankering after idleness for the rest of their lives. Put them in an industrial school and they will learn trades and will afterwards be able to earn honest and respectable livings," he wrote.

He bemoaned the fact that the law provided so amply for the making of paupers but provided so badly for the relief of industrious but overburdened parents who wished to see their children made useful.