Community Historian Brendan Matthews

16/03/2025

Community Historian Brendan Matthews. “Saint Patrick and Saint Sheelah”. Photo, by Brendan Matthews, depicts the table-top grave-stone-slab at Stamullen Graveyard of Father Patrick Ennis, Parish Priest at Stamullen, 1779 – 1814. A very old custom that was once carried on across Ireland was that of St. Sheelah`s Day, which was celebrated on March 18th, the day after St. Patrick`s Day. In folklore tales, Sheelah was supposed to have been either the wife or the mother of St. Patrick and apparently she was scorned by the people in honour of Patrick and so in the lead up to St. Patrick`s Day she sends bitter winds and often snow in our direction so as to ruin the day for Patrick. A book that was written and published in 2004 titled `Sheela-na-gigs- Unravelling an Enigma` mentions that the Irish emigrants to Newfoundland in the early 19th century and before the famine, celebrated St. Sheelah`s Day on March 18th when they drowned the shamrock from the day before by drinking large amounts of whiskey and drowning the shamrock in the last glass of the day. The book, which was written by Barbara Freitag also records: `that the celebration of St. Sheelah`s day had all but died out in Ireland by the later 18th or very early 19th century`. However, a Drogheda Argus newspaper obituary, following the death of local highwayman, Michael Collier (The Robber) and referring to the year 1813, recorded that; `some of the inhabitants of Stamullen who were celebrating St. Sheelah`s Day by indulging in large amounts of whiskey when the then parish priest of Stamullen, Father Ennis went and broke up, what he termed as, `a pagan indulgence`. Among the folk who were celebrating St Sheelah in the old village of Stamullen on that faithful day in 1813 was the infamous Michael Collier, alias `Collier the Robber`. A few short words were exchanged between Fr. Ennis, Parish Priest of Stamullen and Collier whereby the Priest informed the infamous highwayman `that he would be better off clearing out of Stamullen and from this illegal drinking den as the military were not too far off in search of him`. Father Ennis remained as Parish priest of Stamullen until his demise which took place during the month of October in 1814; this was a period when the infamous local Highwayman was at the height of his notoriety. Today, it is all but impossible to try and find anyone who has ever heard of celebrating St. Sheelah`s Day in Stamullen; indeed, the writer of the book on the enigmas of the Sheela-na-Gig stated that the tale of celebrating St. Sheelah`s Day on March 18th had;`All but died out across the country with an exception in a small part of the west`. So, with the terrible bitterly cold north-east winds that are often experienced around St. Patrick`s Day, it looks as though St. Sheelah may be sending these bitter winds and sleet in our direction to spoil the day of our National Apostle and of course the ancient Pattern Festival Day at Stamullen, where it is recorded within the Book of Armagh that Saint Patrick had actually established an Early Christian Church in the Valley of the Delvin River and had baptised Benignus who then became his successor at Armagh. Researched, written & compiled by Community Historian Brendan Matthews.

11/03/2025

Community Historian Brendan Matthews. Advert for taking passenger/emigrants from Drogheda to Canada in May 1827. This particular ship was returning from Canada with a large quantity of timber for Messrs. Smith & Smyth`s of Custom House Quay. Therefore, the passenger/emigrants who sailed to Canada on this vessel were also used, on the outward sailing as Human- Ballast!
Drogheda History & Heritage Walking Tours 2025.
Led by Community Historian Brendan Matthews.
Experience the fascinating Tales & Wonders of Drogheda`s Storied Past & Hidden Gems of more than eight-hundred years as you walk the streets & lanes along the majestic River Boyne. From the establishment of the town in the late 12th century when there were two completely Independent Towns, one on either side of the River and how the two sides united under one Mayor in the early 15th century. Hear the history of the closing of the Catholic Monasteries and Chapels in Drogheda in the mid 16th century and how the town suffered during the 17th century when Drogheda was under siege by Irish Rebel Forces which was followed by the attack on the town by Oliver Cromwell and his Puritan Army. Hear the tragic tale of the arrest, trial & subsequent Ex*****on of our Martyred Primate, Saint Oliver Plunkett and the harsh Penal Laws which followed in the later 17th century. View the numerous Sites & Monuments across the old town including the magnificent 18th century Georgian Architectural Buildings & listen to the great tales of Industrial Drogheda of the 19th and 20th century. For further information contact Community Historian Brendan Matthews at 086-2260158 or by e mail to [email protected] or log onto https://www.facebook.com/p/Community-Historian-Brendan-Matthews-100063634567817/

08/03/2025

The new roles include Psychiatric Nurses, Clinical Psychologists, Occupational Therapists andHealthcare Assistants.

21/02/2025

Community Historian Brendan Matthews. "Times Past" Photo, taken sometime before 1925 depicts the medieval `Butter Gate` in Drogheda. The name `Butter Gate` is only first found in the 18th century in relation to this medieval structure. Prior to this it was known as `Castle Blackagh` and also `Blakes Gate` or `Blakes Tower`. Unfortunately most of this structure was demolished in the later 1950`s on the orders of the Drogheda Corporation and totally against the wishes of the likes of the renowned Artist and Drogheda native, Nano Reid, who said at the time that these medieval Walls & gates belongs to the people of Drogheda and that they should Not be demolished at will. Nano complained to the local Athorities and the local Drogheda Independent Newspaper that much concerning the destruction of the building that she was given the name `Butter Gate Reid` which was bestowed on her by her fellow artist of renown, the Belfast native Gerrard Dillon who had stayed with Reid at Drogheda many times from the later 1940`s.

18/02/2025

Community Historian Brendan Matthews History & Heritage Walk n Talks 2025.

26/01/2025

Community Historian Brendan Matthews. “Confined to Barracks”. Photo by Brendan Matthews taken earlier this afternoon, Sunday January 26th 2025 depicting a huge tree which toppled over during Storm Éowyn in the early hours of Friday morning last, January 24th. The strangest thing about this particular fallen tree is that it completely blocks the entrance road to the Military Army Barracks at the Camp Road in Gormanston. The small stone wall on the left defines the area of the old C**k Tavern Public House and car-park. As many of us would be aware there is a back entrance to and from the Camp at Irishtown, however it is bemusing, to say the least, to see the Main entrance to the Barracks still `cut-off` from the village of Gormanston and the adjacent main road leading to Balbriggan and the nearby M1 Motorway days after the storm had passed. Provides a humorous meaning to the phrase `Confined to Barracks`!

26/01/2025

Community Historian Brendan Matthews. “Old Days – Old Ways”. Photos, by Brendan Matthews , which were all taken back in 2018 depicting four images of what is called `street-furniture` which may be seen along certain streets & lanes in old Drogheda Town in relation to the History & Heritage of our `storied-past`. Top left depicts a mid to late 18th century foot/boot wipe at the front door of one of the lovely Georgian Houses in Fair Street, top right depicts a mid 19th century drain-cover at the North Strand in Drogheda carrying the makers name of Grendon`s of the South Quay, while the bottom left photograph depicts a later early 20th century and more decorative drain cover at the foot of Schoales Lane; this particular drain cover having also been made at the South Quay by the Drogheda Ironworks Co. Ltd. The photo on the bottom right depicts that of an original and very fine Lantern bracket dating to the mid. 18th century, this may be seen above a magnificent Georgian Door-case and fanlight at the north-western end of Fair Street. Note: most of this `street furniture` in relation to our Storied Past` of Drogheda is Not protected under any preservation laws and Can and Have disappeared out of sight over many years!

23/01/2025

Community Historian Brendan Matthews. “Mermaid on the River Boyne”. Photo by Brendan Matthews, taken in September of 2024 depicts the beautiful River Boyne Estuary. The following is a fascinating tale regarding the, apparent, sighting of a Mermaid on the Boyne; the article of which appeared in the pages of the Times Newspaper back in the month of August in 1824..`The declaration of Mr. George Hoey, Parish Clerk of Termonfeckin in the county of Louth and of Owen Maguire and of Patrick Taffe, of the same parish, who are all farmers, states that on Wednesday last, 18th August 1824, as they were on the sea shore on the lands of Meagh`s farm in the said parish, about half past three in the afternoon, the tide being nearly full in, they saw a mermaid (as they believe from having seen it described in books), of the full human size, swimming in the sea and directing its course towards the River Boyne; that it was only about fifteen perches from them and that they and several other persons saw it quite plainly and that they could not be mistaken: that its body was remarkably white with long arms which it frequently used to drive away the sea-gulls that were hovering overhead: that its hair was very dark and that its tail which it frequently showed when plunging, was of a dark colour and shaped like that of the tail of a fish. The body of the animal, which, from the waist upwards, was completely of the human form and size, was generally about three feet above the water. They state that they saw the mermaid for more than a quarter of an hour and when they were leaving the place it was still above the surface of the water. On Saturday, 21st August 1824, George Hoey, Owen Maguire and Patrick Taffe were questioned by the authorities and also by a reporter from the Drogheda Journal newspaper about the extraordinary appearance of this strange phenomenon on our coast and, as the Times newspaper reported that, `they received such satisfactory answers as to leave no doubt on our minds of its identity. `

19/01/2025

Community Historian, Brendan Matthews. “Dardistown Tower House”. Photo , taken back some years ago ,depicts Dardistown Tower House, which was constructed in the year 1465 by Thomas Cornwalshe who was related through marriage to the Talbot family of Malahide Castle. Tower Houses, such as this one at Dardistown, were constructed during the later 15th century under a grant of £10 to protect and safeguard the Pale, which covered an area, almost semi-circular in plan, roughly, from south Dublin across to Trim and then back into Dundalk with all the land within this area under control of the occupying Norman Lords. The Anglo-Norman families who undertook the building of such a structure were given a £10 grant and so the Tower Houses became known as the `£10 Castles`. After the death of Thomas Cornwalshe, Dardistown Tower House became the property of the Talbot`s of Malahide; members of which were in residence there by the year 1515. It remained in the ownership of the Talbots until 1690 when, after they had sided with the Catholic King James at the Battle of the Boyne, they lost their homestead and lands at Dardistown and the residence was confiscated and granted to the Osborne family, who of course, were on the side of the victorious King William. The Osborne family remained at Dardistown until 1970 when it was then taken over by the Armstrong family who remained there until 1987. The residence was subsequently purchased by the Allen family who still reside there today.

15/01/2025

Community Historian Brendan Matthews. "What Lies Beneath". Historian Brendan Matthews, Archaeologist Dr. Conor Brady and Geophysicist Kevin Barton, addressing the public at the great Earthen Mound at Millmount Drogheda in November 2013 prior to the Archaeological Remote Sensing Survey being undertaken.

13/01/2025

Community Historian, Brendan Matthews. `Local Sporting Heroes`. Photo depicts the renowned Irish Cycling Champion Ben McKenna. Ben McKenna was born in 1939, the son of Henry McKenna and Christina (Chrissie) Cooney, at Rath Lane, Cottage Hill Stamullen; the area of Rath Lane actually being in the county of Fingall some 2km on the southern side of the county boundary of Meath and the Delvin River. He had six siblings, Henry (Haddy), Oliver, Nula, Martin, Una and also another brother Patrick who died young. After attending primary school in Stamullen village he attended secondary education in Balbriggan and after leaving school Ben was employed at various different jobs including agriculture and delivering the post throughout the parish of Stamullen by bicycle including travelling up through the hills of Tiree and Harbourstown, more than five-hundred feet above sea level; perhaps an early indication of his cycling ability. After leaving their home at Rath Lane in Stamullen, Henry and Chrissie McKenna and family then moved to their new home at Moorechurch Cross in Julianstown. Ben Mckenna went on to become one of the founding members of St. Patrick’s East Meath cycling club in 1955; the site of the original club house being located at the former Kelly’s shop at Mosney Cross, later known as the shop and residence of Paddy and Maureen Matthews. In 1956 Ben partook in his first Ràs Tailteann along with another local man and neighbour the late Joe Reid from nearby Lisdornan and a year later he won his first stage in the same event and also doing extremely well in the General Classification of 1958. The first race in early March of 1959 saw Ben finishing first, a short wheel ahead of Jim Lawlor of Bohermeen Cycling Club in the Mick Beggan memorial trophy over a gruelling 30 mile race at Kentstown and in early July 1959 he was selected as Captain of a Meath Team to take part in the eight-day Ràs Tailteann along with Gerry Keogh, Macklin Gaffney, Willie Heasley and two of Gormanston`s finest cyclists, Larry Dunne and the great Paddy Roe. A Church-Gate collection throughout Co. Meath in, support of the team’s finances, raised £51 and this was topped by the Meath G.A.A Board with a further donation of £10. The Ràs Tailteann of 1959 began in Dublin on Sunday August 2nd covering just over 100 miles through Trim, Navan, Kells, Slane, Drogheda and finishing at Seatown Place in Dundalk. After a thrilling week’s racing, an accident and an untimely puncture, the `Gentle Ben`, as he was fondly known, won the coveted prize event at Dublin’s Phoenix Park on Sunday August 9th by a mere second or two to the overall enjoyment and honour of his huge contingent of supporters with bonfires having been lit on his return to Navan with the Meath team and to joyous celebrations back in his native Julianstown, Stamullen and Gormanston. By the end of 1959 Ben had yet another achievement under his belt; this time by becoming a member of An Garda Siochana where he went on to become a Sergeant based at Dublin Castle. He finished second in the Ràs Tailteann in 1961 and in September of 1962 he married the great love of his life Grace Bosonnet from nearby Balbriggan; the young married couple went on to reside at Palmerstown in Dublin where they raised their six children, Paul, Barry, Eoin, Brian, Grainne and Maeve. He again finished in second place in the Ràs Tailteann of 1964 and had continued success on the Irish racing circuit becoming a favourite household name throughout the whole country until he hung up his cycling shoes in 1977, however he was still very much involved in administration and training on the cycling circuit and with his native cycling club of St. Patrick’s in the Stamullen/Julianstown Parishes. It was while Ben was in the Garda training barracks of Templemore on the 26th March 1992 with his good friend, Garda Colleague and fellow cyclist John Caulfield, when he suddenly took ill and passed away at the young age of just 52 years; the news coming as a terrific blow to his loving wife and family, friends and colleagues and to the general public at large. He was laid to rest in Moorechurch cemetery just a few hundred meters from his former family home at Moorechurch Cross. The great Ben McKenna 1939 – 1992. Written and compiled by Community Historian Brendan Matthews.

01/01/2025

Community Historian Brendan Matthews. "Hidden Gem". Photo by Brendan Matthews depicts a beautiful stone constructed underpass at the foot of Stubb`s Hill on the Beamore Road into Drogheda.

22/10/2024

Community Historian, Brendan Matthews. “Gormanston Train Crash Anniversary”. Photo taken from the front page of the Drogheda Independent Newspaper of October 25th 1974, depicting the horrific train crash which took place at Gormanston on October 21st 1974. On the morning of October 21st back in 1974, there was a horrific train smash at Gormanston Railway Station in which two people lost their lives and more than twenty-five people were injured, with twelve of the injured having been removed to hospital. The train crash happened at around 7.40am, just after it had become daylight, on Monday October 21st 1974 as a result of what was called a `run-away` train from Connolly Station in Dublin which had travelled northwards towards Gormanston ploughing into a stationary train on the northern line at Gormanston before it jack-knifed across the tracks and ploughed into another passenger train on the up-line to Dublin which had arrived in at the Gormanston Station heading south towards the Capital. The two young people who lost their lives in that train crash at Gormanston on Monday October 21st 1974 were both in their early 20`s and were named as Anne Campbell of St. Ultan`s in Laytown and Michael O` Reilly who was from Scarlet Street in Drogheda. On October 29th 1974, just over a week after the train smash at Gormanston, the then Minister for Transport and Power ordered an Inquiry into what happened at the east Meath Train Station. The Report was duly published in January of 1976. This Inquiry, covering just 27-pages in length, referred to those who lost their lives on page one, paragraph No. 4 of the Inquiry thus: `It is regretted that as a result of the accident two people were killed and about 26 passengers were injured; three C.I.E. employees (the guards of the three trains), were also injured, while 12 of the more seriously injured were also removed to hospital`. Remembering the Horrific train smash at Gormanston which resulted in the tragic deaths of Anne Campbell of Laytown and Michael O` Reilly of Drogheda which occurred 50-years-ago this week.

20/10/2024

Community Historian Brendan Matthews. Walk n Talk Bank Holiday Monday October 28th 2024 starting at the car park d Hotel Drogheda at 2.15pm

18/09/2024

Presentation Talk by Brendan Matthews on "The Life and Times and Demise of Jennie Hodgers, alias Albert Casjier" at the Barbican Centre, William Street Drogheda, on Thursday evening, September 19th from 8 until 9pm. Log onto boynevalleytrails.ie to purchase tickets and further information

Evening Lecture: The Life and Times of Jenny Hodgers (alias Albert Cashier)By Kelly-Louise Foley / June 25, 2024 Evening Lecture: The Life and Times of Jenny Hodgers (alias Albert Cashier) by 290 290 people viewed this event. Tickets Via Eventbrite-Click here. Welcome to the Boyne Valley Trails Sept...

17/09/2024

Community Historian and Boyne Valley Trails guide Brendan Matthews has been researching the life of Jenny Hodgers (alias Albert Cashier) from Clogherhead for many years, contacting family members and tracing eye-witness accounts of her life in Clogherhead before leaving dressed as a teenage boy, assuming a new identity and seeking adventure amidst the American Civil War.
In this special evening Presentation Talk, Brendan follows the early life of this girl at Clogherhead before she began her adventurous life as a Union Army Soldier in America and the kind-hearted Irish Priest, who was the only person to communicate with her and who revealed who she was in her former life and the great compassion and understanding he showed as he befriended this remarkable woman. Tickets for this special Presentation can be obtained by visiting Boyne Valley Trails September Walking Festival.

16/09/2024

"Drogheda & the Wars of the three Kingdoms" Ireland`s bloodiest century. Brendan Matthews will Present this Walk n Talk on both Wednesday September 18th and also on Saturday September 21st beginning at the Courtyard at Millmount Museum at 11am and finishing in the town centre area around 12.30pm. Part of the Boyne Valley Trails September Walking Festival of 2024; click on the link below to book tickets and/or for further information.

12/09/2024

Sunday next September 15th Walking Tour with Brendan Matthews beginning at 2.30pm Church of Ireland gates (Gerrard`s) on Mary Street. Click on the link below for further details and/or to Book tickets for this event.

The Unification of the Two Medieval Towns of Drogheda 1412By Kelly-Louise Foley / June 25, 2024 The Unification of the Two Medieval Towns of Drogheda 1412 by 233 233 people viewed this event. Tickets Via Eventbrite-click here. Welcome to the Boyne Valley Trails September Walking Festival. Presented....