THE COTTAGE

St Kieran’s some years ago

St Kieran’s in recent times

Located about a mile from Killybegs on the Donegal Road, St Kieran’s Cottage is a notable landmark on the left, just past the Little Cells Park. Currently, local contractor John Cunningham is undertaking its reconstruction. Once completed, the cottage will complement the neatness of the Park, and significantly improve the approach to the town, which is much needed.  

EDMOND RYAN

A son of a former Mayor of Limerick, Edmond Ryan named the cottage St Kieran’s when he resided there at the end of the 19^th century.  Following an earlier visit to Killybegs, he married local girl Ellen Jane McLoone. She was the eldest daughter of the wealthy and notorious Neil, the man who would go on to build the Royal Bay View Hotel.  But Edmond and Ellen Jane were not the first occupants of the cottage.

Ellen Jane and Edmond Ryan

THE RYANS OF LIMERICK

Edmond Ryan visited Killybegs and (a) fell in love with, or (b) was matched with Ellen Jane McLoone.  Ellen’s father was the most prominent merchant in Killybegs at that time.  The McLoone family lived in the premises now known as Sweet News.  Considering Neil’s fearsome reputation as disputatious and litigious, it would be odds-on that Ellen Jane fell under option (b) above.  The fact that Neil McLoone had to keep his six daughters in style might also have contributed to Ellen Jane’s fate. The extent of Neil McLoone’s influence is indicated by the fact that family photographs, including the one of Ellen Jane and Edmond above, were taken in Killybegs by the photographer of the famous William Lawrence company.

Edmond Ryan’s father moved in the upper levels of Limerick society, had been a former Mayor of City, and was reputed to be connected with the titled classes.  When his son Edmond was born, the Corporation of Limerick presented him with a solid silver table centre piece, incorporating a tiny silver cradle. 

Silver Christening Bowl incorporating a tiny cradle, presented on Edmond’s birth. (Photo courtesy of Limerick Museum)

Edmond and Ellen Jane McLoone were married in St Mary’s church in August 1884, she being 24 years of age, and he 26.  It was a ‘high society’ wedding.  (Killybegs high society – that is).  It was a social occasion not to be missed – whether you were invited or not. 

MOVING INTO THE COTTAGE

The newly married couple moved into St Kieran’s cottage some years after this.  In the eleventh year of the marriage Ellen Jane gave birth to a son in 1895, named Edmond Kieran after his father – he became known as Kieran in Killybegs. Edmond senior’s eccentric behaviour soon attracted local attention, with numerous tales depicting him as a foolish clown. There were many tales of his eccentricity, but no doubt these stories were much exaggerated by the local wags. It was said that he would often imagine himself as a priest, and had a habit of going into neighbours’ houses to say ‘Mass’.   Despite his devout religiosity and peculiar habits, Edmond saw himself as a leading citizen of Killybegs, attending public meetings where he always offered his opinion.   He was a popular choice for performing at concerts, where he entertained the audience with a first class singing voice, and his skill with musical instruments. 

For example, a concert was given in Killybegs in 1893 by the officers and men of the British gunboat Amelia, anchored in the harbour.  (See a note on the Amelia at the end).  At this concert Edmond demonstrated his extensive vocal range.  He ‘brought the house down’ when he sang the ‘Low-backed Car’, and in response to an encore he sang ‘Pat Molloy’. On another more solemn occasion –  the funeral of Mary Murrin of Bruckless (of the former Mary Murrin’s premises) in 1907- Edmond, accompanied by his young son, Kieran, in the church choir, played the harmonium and sang The Dead March from Saul.  He enacted the same performance at the funeral Mass of Mary’s husband, Joe, in 1903.

Of Edmond’s wife, Ellen Jane, very little can be said; she seemed to have lived a retiring life in her little cottage at Lough Head.  Eddie himself died in mysterious circumstances in Travers’s Hotel in Donegal town in 1928 where he had been staying for ten days.  He was found lying on the floor of his bedroom in the hotel, having suffered a heart attack.  Why he was staying there for that period was never made public.  He had received Holy Communion at first Mass in St Patrick’s church in the town on that morning, and had attended the eleven o’clock Mass also. 

JOSEPHINE McLOONE

Ellen Jane’s youngest sister, Josephine, who was known as ‘Josie’, married John Cleary, an engineer, in Dublin, in 1905.  Nothing is known of John Cleary except that he was a nephew of Janet Gunn, the wife of Captain John Gunn, of Killybegs. You will already know that Captain Gunn was sometime Divisional Commander of Coastguards for the Killybegs District, and resided in ‘The Moorings’, Church Road.

Following their marriage, Josie and John Cleary went to England where they ran a hotel in Bath.  The marriage was not a success, and Josie returned to Killybegs where she set up a millinery shop in the present Sweet News premises, her old home.  At this time she resided with her sister and nephew in St Kieran’s, Lough Head.   With advancing age and deteriorating eyesight Josie was committed to St Mary’s Home for the Blind and Partially Sighted, Dun Laoghaire, in 1953, and died there on May 3^rd, 1959.  

Josephine McLoone/Cleary

KIERAN RYAN

Josephine’s nephew Kieran was a popular figure about Killybegs for very many years, and although having an agreeable personality, exhibited some of the same traits as his father.  Naturally the local corner boys exaggerated whatever Kieran said, thereby making him out to be a simpleton, which he was not.

A small incident of the 1940s provided a wee story about Kieran.  As a child my parents bought me the Beano every week for I don’t know how long.  One day my mother, when we lived in Stonybatter, while down town shopping, she got the Beano to take home to me. This was bought in Mulhern’s newsagent’s shop on Elmwood Terrace. My regular readers will already know that Mr Mulhern wore his hummel doddies while behind the counter in his shop.  Unknown to herself my mother dropped the comic on the street, and went back to find it.  She found Kieran Ryan reading it outside the front door of Coanes’ Hotel (now Cope House), and he handed it over with a smile. Although the Beano was good fun for anyone, no adult in Killybegs would admit to reading it, but Kieran was so innocent that he did not care what people thought.  He was fond of playing chess, especially with Jack Kelly, N. T., something the same corner boys might struggle to accomplish.  The gentle Kieran died in St Joseph’s Home, Stranorlar in October 1971, aged 76.

A NOTE ON THE FAIAFANNON McCLOSKEYS

One other family is known to have lived in the cottage prior to the arrival of the Ryans. Francis McCloskey, an extensive sheep farmer, of Faiafannon House, resided there with his family.  Faiafannon is a townland which lies to the east of Killybegs, and the traveller must pass through it while going in the direction of the town reservoir.  The present Faiafannon House is not the original one; it was built by Michael Gallagher, a native of the place.

Francis McCloskey married Susan Kerrigan from Stranorlar in 1851. They had five children, starting in 1853: Ellen, Catherine, Joseph, Francis T. Kerrigan, and Dora. The mother died at the time Dora was born.  Francis married secondly Susan Brady of Killybegs, and a girl, Bella, was born to them. In 1870, Francis offered Faiafannon House for sale, and took up residence as a tenant in the cottage.  By 1878 Francis was dead and the tenancy passed to his widow, Susan.

Bella McCloskey, the youngest daughter of Francis and Susan (Brady), appears to have been born in the cottage.  She married James Murrin of Croaghlin in St Mary’s church, Killybegs, in 1894, and in 1897 became the mother of the Bridge Street publican, Jim Murrin. Jim, always prominent in the affairs of Killybegs, became the father of the late Co. Councillor and solicitor, Brendan.  Jim was born in January 1897, but his mother, Bella, died six weeks later at the age of 28.  Widower James Murrin married again, in July 1897 this time his bride was Mary Ann Conwell from the grocery shop where Hegartys’ Spar store is now located.  James and Mary Ann ran a public house on the corner of Old Bridge Street and Back Street.  Situated diagonally opposite Murrins’ pub stood Quigleys’ grocery shop, where Mary Ann’s sister, Lizzie, was the devoted wife of Dan Quigley, the proprietor of the shop, and pillar of Killybegs society.

OWEN’S BRAE

The brae leading up to Faiafannnon House is known as ‘Owen’s Brae’; the ‘Owen’s’ is pronounced locally as ‘Oin’s’, with a sound like ‘coins’. Owen McCloskey, the father of Francis, it was who most likely gave his name to ‘Owen’s Brae’ There was also an Owen McBrearty living in the area.  Francis McCloskey was the biggest farmer in the district, having held the entire townland of Crocknafeola under lease, as well as several other fields around and about Killybegs. 

THE GUNBOAT AMELIA

British gunboats were regular visitors to Killybegs throughout the nineteenth century, but by 1893 they were redundant.  The Amelia was launched in 1869, but she was first named HMS Hawk.  She was renamed Amelia in 1888, and again renamed HMS Colleen in 1905.  By the time of the First World War she was most likely a support ship for the submarine base in Killybegs harbour.  It was from the Colleen that engineman Robert Simpson, a native of Hull, was drowned in 1916.  He was interred in St John’s cemetery, Killybegs.