On this Day. From Ballyshannon to China a Never Forgotten Event

Fr. Tierney Park on the right , the Workhouse in the centre, and Munday's field on the left.

On this day, 28th February, 90 years ago, Ballyshannon was totally gripped by a story unfolding in far off China. This blog tells the story and has a very rare image with Ballyshannon links to an event in China still remembered in Ballyshannon today. 

The name of Fr. Tierney is still remembered by the Aodh Ruadh G.A.A. club in Ballyshannon who have named their main playing field in his memory. 

At St. Joseph’s Church nearby a commemorative stone records details of his life which was erected by Fr. Munster during his period as curate at St. Joseph's Church on the Rock. Inside the church is a photograph of Fr. Tierney and two framed newspaper articles from “The Donegal Vindicator”  which I donated recounting his  captivity in China. 

 • Fr.Cornelius Tierney was a native of Clones in Co. Monaghan. In 1911 he was appointed curate at St. Joseph’s Church on the Rock, where he was to serve until 1917. Fr. Tierney was the first priest to reside in the present parochial house which still stands above the football field. He was active in supporting Gaelic games and the Gaelic League. Fr. Tierney regularly gave Irish classes in the Rock Hall in the 1916 period

. • At the age of 45, Fr. Tierney had a strong urge to join the Maynooth Missions to China. After some soul searching he travelled to the Columban Mission House in Hangyang, Hupeh in China. He proceeded to learn the language and began the challenging work of spreading the Gospel.

 • Fr. Tierney paid a brief visit to Ballyshannon in 1927 and Bridget Kelly of West Rock, recalled his visit to the local primary school where she was a student. Her mother also told her that in his years as a curate on the Rock, Fr. Tierney was a familiar figure as he cycled to the homes of parishoners

 • On his return to China in 1928 he was put in charge of the mission at Kien Chang in Kiangsi. There was much unrest in China and Communist resistance was prevalent in Fr. Tierney’s region. Fr. Tierney wrote many letters during his years in China and his final letter, on the 1st November 1930, was to Dr. Mulhern, Bishop of Dromore, who had been parish priest in Bundoran with Fr. Tierney as his curate in St. Joseph’s Ballyshannon. He expressed concern about the unrest in China and indicated that the situation was difficult where he was. 

Fr. Tierney served in the Rock Church before
volunteering for China.

Fr. Tierney Captured and died in China

Two weeks after he wrote this letter Fr. Tierney was captured by Communists. His capture is recorded in a letter written by Fr. John Kerr from Kien Chang on Monday 24th November 1930: 

" He was captured on Friday morning, November 14th, at about 6 a.m. at my mission station, Shang Tang Hsu, about 50 li (17 miles) from Kien Chang. He had come to me, some days before, to oversee the building of a house for me, as previously I had been living in the sacristy. ------- The bandits arrived in the early hours of the morning, and lay outside the town to wait for dawn. When they heard the Catholic Church bell ring for Fr. Tierney’s mass they drew up and surrounded the place. At the last minute, a Catholic rushed in to tell the priest to fly. Fr. Tierney was just saying his prayers in preparation for mass. He jumped up from where he was kneeling, snatched his hat and rushed for the door. But it was too late: there was no escape. He was seized by two Communists just about ten yards from the door".

 • Fr. Tierney was held for ransom by the communists and he was treated harshly. During his captivity he was able to correspond with his colleagues in Latin. The final letter recorded from captivity was received in early December 1930 and in it he expressed thanks for medicines, bread, milk, coffee and clothes which his fellow priests had sent.

• According to reliable sources he was released from captivity but was recaptured by bandits. From fellow prisoners it was revealed that Fr. Tierney died on the evening of Saturday February 28th 1931 about 2 p.m. and was buried the same evening about 4 p.m. Finally after lengthy negotiations his remains were exhumed and brought to the city of Kien Chang (Maynooth Mission Headquarters, Province of Kiangsi). He was buried after High Mass on Wednesday 1st April 1931. 

Official Opening of Fr. Tierney Park 9th May 1954 

It was fitting that the Aodh Ruadh Club in Ballyshannon perpetuated the courage of this martyr priest by naming the Fr. Tierney Park in his memory. Fr. Tierney had been a great supporter of Gaelic Games and Irish culture. At the official opening, Canon Mc Quaid of Bundoran, assisted by Fr. Mc Elroy of St. Joseph’s Church blessed the new football field. The official opening saw a match between Donegal and Armagh with Donegal winning on a score line of 1-6 to 0-5.

 A Local   G.A.A. Anecdote

An interesting anecdote concerning Major Myles, a local businessman, and Fr. Tierney, curate on the Rock, occurred in 1914. Major Myles was walking up the Rock Road, prior to the outbreak of World War One, when he met Fr. Tierney near St. Joseph’s Church. Major Myles seemed to be in a melancholy mood and Fr. Tierney asked him what was bothering him. His reply was that he had enlisted in the army to fight in the First World War, and he feared that he might not return to Ballyshannon. Fr. Tierney assured him that he would be alright and years later when the local G.A.A club were building the Fr. Tierney Park, Major Myles subscribed generously to Mick Melly for the Park Development, no doubt remembering his conversation many years previously. 

Fr. Cornelius Tierney is not buried at St. Joseph’s but is interred in China where he died as a missionary priest spreading the gospel message. His memory will live on for generations of Gaelic football players in Fr. Tierney Park and for the local community at St. Joseph’s Church where his memorial is located.

Memorial to Fr. Tierney at St. Joseph's Church

Limited edition quality hardback with dust jacket as above available in A Novel Idea and Local Hands Ballyshannon and Four Masters Bookshop Donegal Town. 

Also available signed copies, and inscriptions, for postage or collection from anthonyrbegley@hotmail.com

Topics include: How to go about Tracing your Roots/The first settlers in the area/ Newly researched history of the town of Ballyshannon and the townlands in Kilbarron and Mágh Éne parishes/ Records of the first travellers and tourists to Ballyshannon, Bundoran, Belleek, Rossnowlagh and Ballintra/An aerial guide to place names along the Erne from Ballyshannon to the Bar/Flora and Fauna of the area/  5  Members of Parliament from Ballyshannon/ A history of buildings and housing estates in the locality/Graveyard Inscriptions from the Abbey graveyard, St. Joseph’s and St. Anne’s /Rolling back the years with many memories of the Great Famine, Independence struggle, hydro-electric scheme, Gaelic games, boxing, handball, Boy Scouts, soccer, mummers, characters, organisations, folklore and lots more.

From Lover's Walk in Ballyshannon to The Fairy Bridges in Bundoran

This is a visual blog with 6  old local photos  but be prepared to be surprised.  The first image is of the beach in Bundoran  from a postcard in 1905 but have a close look at the second image which is supposed to be of  the same photo. They say the camera never lies but  can you spot changes in this and the other photos. In the Ballyshannon image Lover's Walk I believe was a movable location but perhaps someone can identify it?

Spot the differences in the 2 photos of the Fairy Bridges below.

Limited edition quality hardback with dust jacket as above available in A Novel Idea and Local Hands Ballyshannon and Four Masters Bookshop Donegal Town. 

Also available signed copies, and inscriptions, for postage or collection from anthonyrbegley@hotmail.com

Topics include: How to go about Tracing your Roots/The first settlers in the area/ Newly researched history of the town of Ballyshannon and the townlands in Kilbarron and Mágh Éne parishes/ Records of the first travellers and tourists to Ballyshannon, Bundoran, Belleek, Rossnowlagh and Ballintra/An aerial guide to place names along the Erne from Ballyshannon to the Bar/Flora and Fauna of the area/  5  Members of Parliament from Ballyshannon/ A history of buildings and housing estates in the locality/Graveyard Inscriptions from the Abbey graveyard, St. Joseph’s and St. Anne’s /Rolling back the years with many memories of the Great Famine, Independence struggle, hydro-electric scheme, Gaelic games, boxing, handball, Boy Scouts, soccer, mummers, characters, organisations, folklore and lots more.

On this Day. Ballyshannon Remembers and Names 19 Girls shipped to Sydney Australia

Mr. Robert Owen- Jones of the Australian Embassy laying a wreath, on behalf of the Australian
   people, at the Orphan Girls Memorial in Ballyshannon along with local historian Anthony Begley. 

On this Day 13th February we remember and name 19 Orphan Girls aged 14-18 from Ballyshannon, Belleek Mulleek and Kinlough areas who were shipped to Australia. In these challenging times it is worth remembering these girls who faced enormous difficulties, but survived and contributed to Australian society. Can you help to find any relations in the areas above? The Australian Embassy in Dublin visited Ballyshannon to lay a wreath and thank the local community for remembering the girls . They are remembered at the Famine Orphan Girls Memorial, the only one of its kind in Ireland, beside the Workhouse in Ballyshannon. They landed in Sydney on this day 13th February.

Why were 19 girls shipped from Ballyshannon to Australia at the height of the Great Famine? A government scheme called the Earl Grey Scheme shipped 4,000 girls from Irish Workhouses to Australia to make up for a shortfall in Australia of female workers for domestic work and ultimately for marriage.

The 19 orphan girls had left Ballyshannon in November 1848 and made their way under supervision to Plymouth in England. There they joined up with some orphan girls from other Irish workhouses and made the long journey to Sydney in Australia on board a ship called “The Inchinnan.” The orphan girls landed in Sydney Harbour on 13th February 1849 after a journey of 106 days. 

19 Orphan girls from Ballyshannon landed in Sydney on 13th February and were placed in Hyde Park Barracks above.

Orphans from Ballyshannon workhouse, along with many of the others, were housed at the Female Immigrant Depot at Hyde Park Barracks at the top of Macquarie Street. The building had previously been a barracks for convicts and had been re-designated as an immigration depot. An orphan committee made up of various sections of the community in Sydney, were now responsible for the welfare of the girls, and they acted as a job placement agency where employers could come and  hire out the Ballyshannon girls. The girls would not have known anyone in Australia and were at the mercy of those who employed them.

Conditions of employment were set by the orphan committee with rates of pay defined by age, and in all cases, they were lower than the prevailing rate in Australia for female servants. This proved an added incentive to employers who had to be cleared by the orphan committee as being suitable employers for the girls. The committee could also give or withhold permission for an orphan to get married. 

Who were these girls and where were they from? Can you help?

 

The 19 girls were from The Ballyshannon area, Belleek and Mulleek areas in Fermanagh and Kinlough in Leitrim and were all inmates in Ballyshannon Workhouse. The girls from Ballyshannon below could be from any of the districts around the town.

Mary Allingham Belleek

Jane Carberry Ballyshannon

Jane Carleton Fermanagh

Ellen Feely Ballyshannon

Sally Lennon Belleek or Mulleek

Margaret  and Ann McBride sisters born in Ballyshannon and Belleek

Letitia and Mary McCrea sisters born in Ballyshannon and Fermanagh

Mary Ann and Sarah McDermott sisters Belleek and Ballyshannon 

Jane McGowan Kinlough

Mary McGowan Kinlough

Mary McGuire Mulleek Fermanagh

Ann Muldoon Mulleek fermanagh

Rose Reel U.S.A.

Ann Rooney Ballyshannon

Biddy Smith Ballyshannon

Margaret Sweeney Ballyshannon

Can you help? These girls would still have relatives in the areas listed above. Can you trace any connection? 

There have been lots of connections with relatives in Australia but so far none in the areas above. Further blogs will tell how the girls got on in Australia thanks to contacts with their descendants there.

Orphan Girls Memorial in Ballyshannon - the only one of its kind in Ireland 

Limited edition quality hardback with dust jacket as above available in A Novel Idea and Local Hands Ballyshannon and Four Masters Bookshop Donegal Town. 

Also available signed copies, and inscriptions, for postage or collection from anthonyrbegley@hotmail.com

Topics include: How to go about Tracing your Roots/The first settlers in the area/ Newly researched history of the town of Ballyshannon and the townlands in Kilbarron and Mágh Éne parishes/ Records of the first travellers and tourists to Ballyshannon, Bundoran, Belleek, Rossnowlagh and Ballintra/An aerial guide to place names along the Erne from Ballyshannon to the Bar/Flora and Fauna of the area/  5  Members of Parliament from Ballyshannon/ A history of buildings and housing estates in the locality/Graveyard Inscriptions from the Abbey graveyard, St. Joseph’s and St. Anne’s /Rolling back the years with many memories of the Great Famine, Independence struggle, hydro-electric scheme, Gaelic games, boxing, handball, Boy Scouts, soccer, mummers, characters, organisations, folklore and lots more.