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Community Historian Brendan Matthews, Stamullen Meath, Drogheda (2026)

12/01/2026

Community Historian Brendan Matthews. “The C**k of Gormanston”. Article on the right regarding a Planning Application for an extension to the former and renowned C**k Tavern Public House in Gormanston ; this particular planning application which was made back in the month of January in 1990; 36-years-ago this very month. The photo on the left, taken by Brendan Matthews in the spring of 2025 depicting the same old, but now closed up and delapidated, C**k Tavern Pub. The following is an extract taken from the very lengthy Poem titled “The C**k of Gormanstown” which was written in the early years of the 20th century.
I`am a simple Carter and I`m always on the road
My destination Drogheda either with or for my load
I stop to take refreshments every morning going down
In that place of peace and plenty called the C**k of Gormanstown.
"When I enter in this tavern I greet, "Good morning boys"
The worthy 'P***y Rooney is the first to meet my eyes
And he seated on the `furrum' as he lowers the porter down
A regular brewery advertisement for the C**k of Gormanstown.
Beside this drinker seated on a `Casey-Connolly` barrel
Sits that fluent gifted speaker known as `Abbela McArdle
And he stating Erin`s sufferings since the cruel British Crown
Had its name engraved on Erin and the C**k of Gormanstown.
At my elbow near the window stands a lad called Lanky Dan
And the dark-eyed Spaniard `Hammey` with the drunkard T. Kinnane
I knew they wanted liquor for they never bought a round
From the time that I did enter in the C**k of Gormanstown.
There is one I nigh forgot him though I bear him no regard
He`s that famous stocking hosier known as John George Appleyard
His terrific oaths and language would hell`s arches tumble down
He`d mesmerise the devil in the C**k of Gormanstown.
There Tom Caffrey and the `Skinim` with John Tynan “Bye-the bye`
They were seated on the `furrum` and the matter did enjoy
But at last they grew uneasy and they wore a rueful frown
For their pints were getting empty in the C**k of Gormanstown.
“So I ordered beauteous Lena for to get them all a gill
And with some rare agility this maid began to fill
I slapped out on the counter a ready new half crown
For which I was applauded in the C**k of Gormanstown”

11/01/2026

Community Historian Brendan Matthews. “Times Past”. Image depicts an Advert for a position of a Foreman Fitter at the local Sullivan Engineering Plant at Stamullen village dating back to the month of January in 1978. Inset can be seen the late Johnny and Joe Sullivan who were the back-bone of this extremely successful Engineering Plant at Stamullen for many a long year employing dozens of people from across the greater North-East area. A one-time great local industry and a great boost to the local economy of times past. The advert for a Foreman Fitter which appeared in the Regional Press 48-years-ago this very month.

10/01/2026

Community Historian Brendan Matthews. “Hidden Gems”. Photo by Brendan Matthews depicts the beehive-shaped stone monuments which are located on a raised earthen platform overlooking the north-bound carriageway on the M1 Motorway just before exiting at Junction 7 at the City North Hotel. The beautiful beehive-shaped monuments is the work of the renowned artists Robert McColgan and Irene Benner and their work was commissioned by Fingal County Council as part of the Motorway Art that was undertaken around the turn of the New Millennium to coincide of what was then known locally as the `Balbriggan By-pass`. The artwork represents two local archaeological sites & monuments that are both situated along the coast at Bremore in Fingal just to the north of Balbriggan town. Firstly, the five stone monuments, as depicted by the two great artists, represent the five ancient Burial Tombs that are located in the vicinity of Bremore Head overlooking the Irish Sea between Gormanston and Balbriggan. The Tombs, pre-dating the great Tombs of the Boyne Valley ,were constructed by our Neolithic ancestors who first landed along the shores of north Fingal and along the Delvin Estuary in east Meath more than five-thousand-years-ago. Secondly, this particular artwork also represents five Beehives which are associated with Saint Molaga who came from Wales in the seventh century and set up his Monastery at Bremore. Saint Molaga is reputed to have been the first Christian Monk to have introduced Beekeeping to Ireland and hence the beehive-shaped monuments as displayed in the M1 Motorway artwork. The monuments took just over two years to construct with the greatest detail being afforded to their construction. The beehive-shaped stonework is constructed in the corbel fashion with each stone laid having been first intricately hand cut and set in place so that it interlocks, projects and also rests on the stone below making the whole structure very solid. The local place-name within the townland of Bremore where St. Molaga first established his Monastery in the 7th century, is recorded under the wonderful name as “Lambeecher” meaning the “Church or place of the Beekeeper”. Researched & Written by Community Historian Brendan Matthews.©2026

09/01/2026

Community Historian Brendan Matthews. “Local Sporting & Community Legends”. Image, extracted from the old Drogheda Argus Newspaper, depicts an advert for a local Gaelic Football Match at Termonfeckin back in the first week of December 1886. At an Executive meeting of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA), held in Thurles County Tipperary in September 1886, two Drogheda delegates who attended the meeting expressed their concerns about the games not being extended to the counties of the north and the Drogheda men, not only flew the flag of the Boyne-siders but, were also greatly responsible for the initial extension of the Gaelic games into the Province of Ulster. The delegates who attended the meeting were Francis Wade and James Weldon and the first thing Mr. Weldon spoke about at the meeting was the inconvenience of delegates coming from the Boyneside all the way to Thurles and he asked the Executive to consider holding future meetings nearer Dublin. Mr. Francis Wade then proposed that, `Ulster should be given two vice-presidents and as Drogheda was the gap of the North and the first to take up the Gaelic cause, he would move that it be given one of the vice-presidents and that Alderman Mangan, who was the most popular man in that part of the country, be elected to the honorary position of vice-president. The people in the North and in the district that he represented were of the opinion that you here in the South want to keep the Gaelic Association amongst yourselves and that you did not wish to give the North a look in at all. By giving two vice-presidents to Ulster it would show that you were not actuated by selfish motives and it would be a strong inducement to Ulster to join the association`. Mr. Bracken, a member of the Executive, denied this statement by Wade, saying that, `When they started the association in the South, Ulster refused to join and not only did they stand idly by, but sneered at the movement and under that circumstances he would oppose the election of the vice-president for Ulster`. Mr. J. O`Crowley, another member of the Executive, took exception to the remark made by Mr. Bracken, stating that, `As far as Drogheda was concerned, they had joined the association in early 1885. Drogheda had taken up the movement earnestly and never in any town in the South did he see so much enthusiasm displayed for the success of the Gaelic as that which he witnessed amongst the people of Drogheda`. James Weldon said that, `It was all very well for Mr. Bracken to talk of the great headway that had been made in the South; they had matters there pretty much their own way. They had no enemy to fight in the South, as they had in the North and they had many difficulties to contend with in Drogheda. The Gaelic association never intended that it should be a provincial association and to make it a national association, they should endeavour to win over Ulster; it was a country worth fighting for (hear, hear). There was as good Irishmen in Ulster as in any part of the country. He believed that if the vice-presidents were elected for Ulster it would be the means of bringing all Ulster into the association`. Mr. O`Crowley said that; `The men of Drogheda had firmly planted the association along the Boyne and that the movement in Drogheda was making gigantic strides in the North, while the fact that two delegates had come all the way from the Boyne-side to attend the convention was a strong argument that the people of Drogheda had thrown themselves heart and soul into the movement`. Several other delegates then expressed themselves in favour of conceding two vice-presidents to Ulster; however, the proposal was then deferred until the annual general meeting at the end of the year. As a result of this meeting, the seeds of the G.A.A. had now been planted in Ulster, but what would have happened if the two Gallant Drogheda men hadn’t made that faithful trip to Thurles in the month of September back in 1886 and stated the case for their fellow countrymen in the North?: the meeting of which took place 140-years-ago this coming autumn. Researched, written & compiled by Community Historian Brendan Matthews. ©2026

08/01/2026

Community Historian Brendan Matthews. “Anseo”. Image depicts a plan of the Millmount Barracks complex dating to the year 1900. This coming April 2026 will see the release for the first time of the 1926 Census Returns in, what was then, the First Census undertaken by the New Irish Free State Government. However, prior to 1926, a population census of Ireland undertaken by the British Government in 1901 and 1911 recorded the following families who resided in the area known as Barrack Lane in Drogheda, which also included the British Army Military Barracks at Millmount. Eliza Montgomery a 46 year old widow with 5 children. Catherine Fitzgerald aged 40 and also a widow with 5 children. Anne Carton, yet another widow, aged 40 with 6 children, three of whom were Millworkers. Anne Tracy aged 48, again a widow with 1 son. She was employed as a Milliner. Thomas Callaghan aged 40, a Baker with 2 children. He was a widower. John McAleer, a 45 year old Blacksmith with a wife and 6 children. John Maguire, a 41 year old Carpenter, married with 4 children. Patrick Sheridan aged 36; he was employed as a Sawyer and he had a wife and 5 children. John English, an Engine driver with the G.N.R. Rudolph Allpore, a 38 year old Army Sergeant, with a wife and 2 daughters. Patrick Lennon, a 55 year old Army pensioner from Armagh, with a wife and 2 daughters. Other families who resided along Barrack Lane included, Sarsfield, Mooney, Matthews, Nolan, Markey, Donnelly, Carlan and also a Margaret Healy, who was recorded as being employed as a Linen winder. Also during this period in 1901, the Millmount Barracks was vacant, except for that of a caretaker Sergeant named Edward Sharpe, aged 40, who was from England. He resided at the Barracks with his wife. The 1911 census shows that there was 101 officers residing at Millmount Barracks; ranging in age from 17 years to 48, with the average age being 18. 97 of the officers were Roman Catholic, with over 90% given their origin of birth as Ireland and coming from counties such as, Louth, Meath, Dublin, Kildare, Offaly, Laois and Tipperary. Trades and professions of the officers included, Shoemakers, Painters, Musicians, Tailors, Grocers, Barmen, Carpenters, Dairymen, Van drivers, Messengers and Labourers. Five of the Military Officers were married and they also lived within the Barracks with their families. Other families who resided in Barrack Lane in 1911 included, John Corrigan, a Lead miner, aged 28. Eliza Waters, a 64 year old Linen winder. Mary Clerkin, a 42 year old Dressmaker and her sister Kate, who was a 40 year old Weaver. James Nolan, a Slater, aged 39. He lived with his wife and 7 children. Mary-Ann Sarsfield aged 35, who was recorded as being a Preparing worker. She had 8 children; one of whom was a 16 year old messenger while the rest were at school or in infancy. Joseph Larkin, a 41 year old Railway Engine driver. Henry Breen a 41 year old Plasterer, with a wife and 6 children. Mary Casey, a 40 year old Dressmaker. Other family names included, Kinsella, Short, Martin, Hammill, Campbell, Markey, Lennon and Callaghan. An interesting observation between the 1901 and 1911 census is that, in many instances, the ages of one or both parents, or head of the family, had increased by more than 10 years during this 10 year period. The reason for this was that, the British government had introduced the old age pension in the year 1908 and so to qualify, perhaps a little earlier than they should have, the people added on a few years to their age for the 1911 census. The Census Returns of Barrack Lane in Drogheda from 1901 & 1911 compiled by Community Historian Brendan Matthews.©2026

07/01/2026

Community Historian Brendan Matthews. “The uncrowned Queen of Ireland”. Image depicts a view of the old Bullring area of Drogheda during the late 19th century. It is Sunday morning, May 8th 1881 and the final touches are being put in place throughout the streets of Drogheda in preparation for the arrival of Miss Anna Parnell, President of the National Ladies Land League and sister of Charles Stuart Parnell. The principal streets were highly decorated with the flowers of early summer, while a large number of banners from the various guilds of the town were arched over the streets. Charles Stuart Parnell had advised his sister to set up the Ladies National Land League a couple of months earlier when he and his fellow members of the National Land League realised that their own movement was to be suppressed and imprisonment of the leading figures was imminent. By the time Miss Parnell arrived into Drogheda by train, the streets were thronged with thousands of people from the town and surrounding countryside of south Louth and east Meath to honour this great woman and to show their support for her fight against the unjust treatment of the labouring tenants of Ireland by an alien, colonial establishment and dominant Landlordism. Shortly before lunchtime Miss Parnell stepped off the train and was greeted by the people amidst loud cheering and applause. The West Gate, Greenhills, Julianstown and the Marsh Fife and Drum Bands were all in attendance and played a selection of Irish Airs. Miss. Kirk, president of the local Drogheda Ladies Land League then stepped forward and presented Miss. Parnell with a bouquet of flowers before the long procession left the railway station for West Street led by the various trade bodies with their beautiful banners, which were reported at the time to have been the `richest and most artistically painted in Ireland`. After Miss. Parnell had lunched at the White Horse Hotel she made her way among the ever-swelling crowd to the Mall on the North Quay. She had come to Drogheda to address a meeting of the executive of the ladies land league in Mayoralty House, but before going into the meeting she did address the huge crowd briefly and, in thanking the people of Drogheda for their support, she stated that she would be staying the night in Drogheda, as she was attending an eviction of a tenant family at Gormanston the next day. Among the local women who also attended the executive meeting were the Misses Johnson, Miss Malone, Mrs. Burke, the Misses Elcock, Miss Smith and Miss Tighe. Anna Parnell became such a driving force behind the Land League Movement, with strong militant tendencies, that by the end of the summer of 1881 the British Government began to panic and viewed the women as a threat in a growing rebellion in Ireland. Irish politicians also saw the ladies land league as a danger to their plans and after the `Kilmainham Treaty` Charles Stuart Parnell agreed to suppress the land league as a whole and in 1882 it was dissolved. Anna Parnell was furious with her brother in respect of this and they never spoke to each other again. She retreated to Cornwall and lived under an assumed name until her tragic death in 1911 in a swimming accident and her death went un-noticed amongst family members and the general public, due to her false identity. In 1904 she had written an account of what happened in 1881-82, which she titled, `The Great Sham`, in which she slammed the male leaguers of the movement and this manuscript lay undetected until 1986. Many of her brother’s close associates also secretly revealed that, `Anna Parnell would have worked the revolution to a much better conclusion than her brother`? We should, perhaps, never forget the `Uncrowned Queen of Ireland`. Researched & Written by Community Historian Brendan Matthews. ©2026.

06/01/2026

Community Historian Brendan Matthews. “Night of the Big Wind”. Image depicts a 19th century view of Saint Lawrence Gate, along with the humble but miserable cabins of the poor and the open drain and sewage system as seen from the Cord Road (Acknowledgement to the National Library of Ireland; Lawrence Collection of Photographs). On Sunday 6th January 1839 a strong wind began to whistle through the streets of Drogheda in the early afternoon which was accompanied by heavy rain. By 11pm on that Little Christmas Day (Nollaig na mban), a hurricane was lashing through the town which was to last until 6am the following morning. Almost every building within the town suffered some structural damage, with hundreds of houses having their roofs blown away, along with chimney stacks, slates and other debris toppling over onto the streets. Such was the damage caused to the roofs of the buildings and, it was recorded, that the Slaters of the district refused to work for less than ten shillings a day following the storm. In the suburbs of Drogheda many of the wretched cabins of the poor were burned as a result of tily lamps falling over and chimneys collapsing, setting the roof thatch ablaze. Amazingly, it was reported, that few of the ships on the Boyne River suffered any material damage, but there was grave concerns for those unfortunate enough to be out at sea. Large quantities of agricultural produce, such as flax, hay and corn were also blown away from their respective stack-yards in the vicinity of the town and scattered across the streets, roads and fields of the neighbourhood. The `Newry Lark` Mail-coach also had to return to Drogheda late on the Sunday evening having proceeded on it’s way to Dublin only to make it as far as Julianstown, where the road became impassable due to fallen trees on the road. The roof over the home of Mr. Robert Algar Esq. of Laurence’s St. came crashing in as the large chimney stack collapsed. At the time, Mr. Algar, his wife and two infant children, along with a nurse, were all huddled together in the nursery room and while the tall ceilings fell in around them, their cries for help were heard by people on the street, who placed their own lives at risk and brought the five occupants to safety. The roof of the Mayoralty House at the junction of North Quay and the Mall area was also extensively damaged as was the extensive stores of Mr. Ennis in Scholes`s lane, Mrs. McDonnell’s in West St., the County infirmary hospital at the West Gate, McCann’s mills on the Quays, the premises of Messrs. Smith & Smyth at Merchants Quay and the many flax, linen, cotton and other manufactories throughout the town were also badly damaged as a result of the horrific storm. Hundreds of mature trees were also destroyed in the Ballsgrove Demesne in Drogheda, while the damage estimated to have been caused on the Oldbridge Estate was put at a whopping £2000 and the structural damage to Beaulieu House was put at £500, along with hundreds of mature trees having been uprooted. Hundreds of mature trees were also blown down on the estate of Viscount Gormanston in east Meath. After the storm had abated on Monday 7th January, it was feared that the price of food, which had already been steadily increasing beyond the means of many, would now increase even further, due to the huge destruction of the agricultural crops which had been poorly stored in farm-yards. The hurricane had left untold damage, not only across Ireland, but also throughout much of Wales and England. In the years that followed, it was often believed that the demise and disappearance of many of the humble little cabins, which can be seen depicted on the earlier 1835/36 Ordnance Survey Maps, was due to the effects of the great famine of the later 1840`s and the `callous landlords` who evicted their tenants and although there is much truth in this; it must also be remembered that during the first week in January 1839, hundreds if not indeed thousands of humble little mud-cabin homesteads were wiped from the landscape during what became known as; `The Night of the big wind` which took place exactly 187-years-ago this very day. Researched & Written by Community Historian Brendan Matthews.©2026

05/01/2026

Community Historian Brendan Matthews. “Dirty Old Town”. Old image depicts that of the former Messrs. Smith & Smyth`s substantial Corn Mills at Merchants Quay in Drogheda which were established in the early to mid 1830`s. In August1842, an English Gentleman, by the name of William Makepiece Thackeray (He wrote Vanity Fair), made a visiting tour of Ireland and being well-known at the time for his anti-Irish sentiments, Thackeray made the following, not so much positive, observations of the old town by the Boyne`. As the coach arrives near Drogheda and in the boulevards of this town all resemblance to England is lost. Up hill and down we pass low rows of filthy cabins in dirty undulations. Parents are at the cabin doors dressing the hair of ragged children; shock-heads of girls peer out from the black circumference of smoke and children, inconceivably, filthy, yell wildly and vociferously as the coach passes by. One little ragged savage rushed furiously up the hill, speculating upon permission to put on the drag-chain at descending and hoping for a halfpenny reward. He put on the chain, but the guard did not give him a halfpenny. I flung him one and the boy rushed wildly after the carriage holding it up with joy. “The man inside has given me one” says he, holding it up exultingly to the guard. I flung out another (by the by and without any prejudice, the halfpence in Ireland are smaller than those of England), but when the child got this halfpenny, small as it was, it seemed to overpower him — the little man’s look of gratitude was worth a great deal more than the biggest penny ever struck. The town itself is smoky, dirty and lively. There was a great bustle in the black main street and several good shops; though some of the houses were in a half state of ruin and battered shutters closed many of the windows. The quays were grimy with the discharge of the coal vessels that lay alongside them and the numerous factories and chimneys were vomiting huge clouds of black smoke. Of one part of its manufactures every traveller must speak with gratitude – of the ale namely, which is as good as the best brewed in the sister kingdom. Drogheda ale is to be drunk all over Ireland in the bottled state: candour calls for the acknowledgement, that it is equally praiseworthy in draught. And while satisfying himself of this fact, the philosophic observer cannot but ask why ale should not be as good elsewhere as at Drogheda: is the water of the Boyne the only water in Ireland whereof ale can be made? Three boys were running past the Linen hall with a mouse tied to a string and a dog galloping after. Two little children were paddling down the street, one saying to the other, “Once I had a halfpenny and bought apples with it”. There is a very large and ugly Roman Catholic Chapel in the town and a smaller one of better construction: it was so crowded, however, although on a weekday, that we could not pass beyond the chapel yard; where were great crowds of people, some praying, some talking, some buying and selling. There were two or three stalls in the yard, presided over by old women, with a store of little brass crucifixes and beads for the faithful to purchase. By this time, that exceedingly slow coach, the Newry Lark, had arrived at that exceedingly filthy inn, where the mail had dropped us an hour before. An enormous Englishman was holding a vain combat of wit with a brawny grinning beggar-woman at the door. `There’s a clever gentleman”, says the beggar-woman; “sure he’ll give me something”. “How much should you like”? says the Englishman with playful jocularity. “Musha”, `says she, “many a littler man nor you has given me a shilling”.The coach drives away: the lady had clearly the best of the joking match: but I did not see, for all that, the Englishman gave her a single farthing`. William Makepiece Thackeray`s visit to Drogheda which took place during the month of August back in 1842. Compiled by Community Historian Brendan Matthews.

04/01/2026

Community Historian Brendan Matthews. “May Day–May Day”. Photo image on the left depicts the Goodwill Merchant Ship before she was lost to the Sea off Scotland back in January of 1976, while the image on the right is the Ship`s Bell which was recovered from the wreck and can now be seen in the Shetland Museum. (Photos Courtesy and with acknowledgement to scottishshipwrecks.com). On Sunday January 18th 1976, a 499 ton Cargo Ship named the “Goodwill Merchant” was travelling from Grangemouth to the island of Lerwick off the Scottish Coast carrying a consignment of cars, Lorries and kit houses. The ship was just under 60 meters long by just under 11 meters in width and it was first launched in September 1962; this ship was under the Order of A.C. Hoff of Rotterdam from its initial launch until it fell victim to the North Sea in 1976. There was eight crewmen on board, including two Drogheda men, Stephen Fleming from Beaulieu and Peter Sheridan from James St., who also had family connections in Baltray. A third man on board who also resided in Drogheda, was Peter van Strien, who was originally from Holland and who was also the ship’s chief engineer. The remainder of the crew was made up of three Dutchmen, a Portuguese and an African.The Goodwill Merchant was due to dock at Lerwick around midnight and as it slowly made its way around the North Sea on that Sunday evening, all the crew were below deck resting except the captain, who was on the bridge navigating the vessel. Stephen Fleming awoke from his sleep around 11.30pm and he heard the engine of the ship still rumbling along, so he thought that, perhaps there may be a delay in docking at Lerwick, so he went back to sleep. The next thing he and the rest of the crew knew was that, there was a terrific noise on board and the ship was swaying from side to side. The crew scrambled up onto the deck and were horrified to find that the captain was lying on the deck, presumably after suffering a blackout while the vessel was now grinding the atrocious rocks off the Shetlands. One of the crewmen immediately went to the ships log book, which is normally filled in every half an hour or so, to determine where exactly their position was, but he overlooked the fact that, the ship’s captain had last entered their position shortly after 11.30pm and it was now 3am., with the ship drifting more than 30 miles off course on automatic pilot. The crew member then sent out a “May Day” call to the coastguard, but incorrectly giving their position from the last log book reading, resulting in the rescue teams searching in the wrong location. By the time the crew realised their mistake, radio contact had been lost. The ship and its crew took a battering for a further seven hours and at around 10am, they heard a message from the radio announcing that the search for them was now to be abandoned. However, just before 11am, a British Airways helicopter appeared from nowhere above their stricken vessel; the rescue crew having decided to sweep across the area one more time before ending their search. The helicopter eventually winched all eight crewmen to safety and within hours of their rescue the ship and all its cargo had sank. I met and worked alongside Stephen Fleming back in the early years of this New Millennium and this was the first time I had ever heard of this extraordinary tale. I remember Stephen telling me back then that, at the time he was a member of the crew on the Goodwill Merchant Ship on that fateful night, he remembered stating at the time the boat was sinking and before he was rescued, he told one of his fellow crew members: “If I ever stand on land again, I’ll get down on my Knees and kiss it and I’ll never return to the sea again”. Stephen did duly return to land and he did kiss it; however he also duly returned to the sea and worked for British and Irish Ferries for a further 20 years until he finally retired from the sea in the mid. 1990`s., with his most frightening experience of his sea-faring career behind him and today he resides at Killineer just to the north of old Drogheda Town. The sinking of the Goodwill Merchant Cargo Ship which went down in January of 1976; fifty-years-ago this very month. Researched & Written by Community Historian Brendan Matthews and was first published by the Drogheda Independent back in 2006 ©.

03/01/2026

Community Historian Brendan Matthews. “I can see the Lamplight”. Image depicting a view of Lawrence Street in the later 19th century with the Whitworth Hall on the left which was constructed in 1864/65. (Photo courtesy of the National Library of Ireland). At a meeting of the Drogheda Corporation back in the month of February 1897 it was disclosed that the Gas Company’s account for the past month was that of just over £64 but that the town was very poorly lighted up. Councillor Moore told the meeting that there was an application for lamps for the past six months and that the lamps were there but not yet erected and this fault was down to either the Engineer or the Gas Company. The meeting was also told that there was no mains laid to Beech-Grove, Ulster Lane and the Nun’s Walk, with the Nun’s Walk being the worst place in the town. Councillor Moore then stated that, `We (the Corporation), are going to receive a large amount of money in a few days and there is an idle mill at Slane where there is a continual flow of water. Let them take that mill and then all they would want is a water wheel to light the town by electricity for a small trifle`; to which councillor Callan quickly replied, `You would want the fall of Niagara for that`. However, the Mayor added that it was a `good suggestion` and he hoped that the press would take notice because it may be the only thing that would smarten up the Gas Company, as the mill could be `had for a song`. Mr. Moore also informed the meeting that the Gas Company were `killing people wholesale in West Street and that there was a lamp broken in Laurence Street and that the gas was out all night`. The Mayor then said that he would call upon the directors of the Gas Company to explain the situation. During the same week of February 1897, the annual concert of the `Oliver Plunkett Christy Minstrel Troupe` was performed at the Whitworth Hall, with the proceeds of the concert going towards a debt that was due on the new Temperance Hall in Fair Street. During the variety performance a couple of local songs were performed, one of which was, `The Corporation Lamps`, which was recorded as, `being presented in rare style by a Mr. E. Mckenna`. Following the rendition of the song, the packed audience was informed that, `The subject matter of this composition is well known in Drogheda, our city fathers who had a set-to recently with the contractors for the supply of a number of new lamps`; however, the majority of the audience appeared to be well aware, not only of the situation in town regarding the lamp-light, but also of the local song that was being performed in front of them as many of them joined in with the singing of the chorus. A second song that was performed at the concert was titled; “The Drogheda Corporation” and this included the following lines.
`Let us sing and join a chorus,
To the powers ruling o`er us,
To the fathers of our city,
Let us sing a joyful ditty;
They are men of weight and measure,
Every one a precious treasure,
In the local legislation,
Of the Drogheda Corporation.
Light the gas and build the bridges,
Pave the streets and smooth the ridges,
All we do is just perfection,
When we seek for re-election`.

Community Historian Brendan Matthews

12/01/2026

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