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You are > Home > The talk around Bree Hill
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Thursday, December 24, 2009
The talk around Bree Hill
IT IS an open secret that The Parish Journal was a Kilmore invention, and no doubt, I will be catching up with the latest edition from the vibrant South Wexford parish in the next week or so, however, like all bright ideas, others have latched onto the idea and the 14th Bree Parish Journal has presented itself for review.
Bree's Journal appears bi-annually and, perhaps, that explains its bulky A4 format. There is no shortage of reading for the locals over Christmas.
The emphasis is on local organisations and activities, and in that regard, it is lighter on historical articles, the kind that makes the publication attractive to readers and collectors from outside the parish, however, there is an historic content that is most interesting and worthwhile.
The work is edited by Clare and Jim Doyle, and while personally I am not directly involved, I have fulfilled my regional interest by supplying a few articles, one on the bridges along the River Boro and another recalling the burning of historic Wilton Castle in 1923.
Naturally, I am not going to review my own articles, but I can recommend Jim Doyle's revisit of the 1807 famous pistol duel between two of the greatest landlords in the county, Alcock against Colclough, both men of power and influence, Alcock of Wilton Castle and Colclough of Tintern Abbey.
The duel had its origins in an election and bitter rivalry between the two men. Within an hour of Colclough's death, Alcock and Ram were declared winners of the election.
Alcock fled the country for a while afterwards; however he did return and stood trial for murder. Happily for him, it took the jury just five minutes to return a verdict of not guilty.
The famous Schools Folklore Collection from seven decades ago is the source of a number of essays on the travelling folk.
One source recorded; "They have no particular place of living, but they go about in caravans and donkeys carts. They make tin cans, gallons, tea drawers, quarts etc. and they sell them to the people. The people do not like to see them coming to the house."
Very Rev. John Canon Scallan was appointed curate at Galbally in 1840, twenty-two years later be was elevated to the position of parish priest of Bree and he remained there until his death on August 16th 1985.
What is amazing is that Fr. Scallan, who was a native of Ballyvaloo in the Barony of Ballaghkeen, spent his entire priestly ministry in Bree Parish. Fr. Scallan held a passion for music which is the kernel of this article.
Tom McDonald of Clonroche, who contributes a fascinating story about the ancient days of the game of hurling, also provides some insight into the life and times of Tom Whitney of Merton.
The article revolves around correspondence with a contemporary newspaper, but it gives a small insight into the type of person that Whitney was.
Sinéad Power from Ballybuckley presented a thesis entitled, "Social and economic change and continuity in Co. Wexford from 1930-1980", it is published for the first time and is a useful commentary on alternative enterprises and supplementary income.
"Many men supplemented the household income by shooting rabbits and wildfowl and by going freshwater fishing and using the catches either for home consumption or for sale."
But not all the tales of endeavour and greatness belong to the past. There is the remarkable Nim Dunne who has been rowing the rivers of the country and beyond for forty years and he is still part of a winning team.
There is a well presented and illustrated piece by Séamus Moriarty in conversation with local doctor, Jutta O'Meara, whose parents were Romanians of German extraction and her early links with this country dates to 1953 when her father came to work at the Faber-Castell pencil manufacturing concern at Fermoy in Co. Cork.
This is a fine publication with plenty of local news and photographs and it will be in great demand locally.
Bree Parish Journal, No. 14, 2008 & 2009 Reviewed, edited by Clare and Jim Doyle, 116 pages, lavishly illustrated, available in shops locally, retail price €8. ISSN 1649-458X
A number of other local publications have also appeared in time for the Christmas market, and two of them, while original, will have limited appeal in my opinion.
I am happy to be proved wrong because I believe that every author who has put time and energy into a book has made an immense contribution to literature and deserve recognition and success.
Barry Wadding of Mulgannon, Wexford, has compiled 'The Model Dictionary of Wexford Slang', which is fascinating for locals and a good laugh here and there too, but, outside of Wexford it could be presented in Chinese.
I wish Barry the best, but slang can only be entertaining when it is understood and I feel that the accent is needed to go with it.
The 'scalders' from Enniscorthy wouldn't buy it because they wouldn't understand it, and they are the most intelligent people on the planet if the celebrated Colm Tóibin is to be believed!
The book does serve a useful purpose in capturing in print the slang words of the Wexford area as many may be lost from the local dialect altogether in the distant future, yet the publication will preserve them.
It is ideal bedtime fodder for the 'not too serious' reader and retailing at €9.99 in the leading Wexford bookshops should assist in boosting the sales for those who prefer something different. Margaret Gilbert from the Monaseed area, and her brother, Tom Burnell, have compiled a fine book called 'The Wexford War Dead', a record of those who paid the ultimate price during the 1914-'18 war, commonly known as the Great War.
It is a publication of record and descendants of those mentioned will be pleased to read the name in a record that serves as a monument to their memory.
These names were forgotten and families have put so much time and research into finding out more, now it is all between two covers.
I don't have any detail as to the price or availability, perhaps, the publishers would let me know and I'll revisit the subject again in a few weeks time. Books that are photographic in content are always popular, particularly if they are well presented.
Paddy Kenny has produced a lovely book of more than 190 pages called, 'Portraits of Wexford and the South East', comprising of landscapes from Wexford and Wicklow, and while I haven't seen it yet, it received a nice review in this newspaper last week and the picture of Clonegal Bridge is a wonderful example of a camera well used.
Clearly, Paddy has a keen eye for a well framed scene and since he has been photographing the county's landscape all his life, this could be the ideal Christmas gift.
The ISSN Number
I had an interesting query from a reader. She wanted to know what is the meaning of the ISSN details that are usually given at the end of a book review.
Well the ISSN number is the abbreviation for International Standard Serial Number and is useful for the purpose of tracing a publication.
The reason that I quote it here is because the IN OUR TIME column is published weekly on the worldwide web and it makes it easier for somebody reading THE ECHO in Britain, the United States, Australia or other parts of the world to source a book.
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