Tinryland Audio Guide

The Tin Ryland Audio Guide, Introduction Welcome to Tin Ryland, a picturesque townland and village in the rich agricultural lands of North County Carlo. Located on a natural height with charming views of rolling fields, this peaceful landscape has attracted settlers for millennia. Recent archaeological excavations, as part of the nearby M9 motorway construction project, discovered ephemeral traces of these past communities. The oldest of these dates back over six and a half thousand years to the Mesolithic or Middle Stone Age. This was the time when some of the first people hunted, fished and gathered on the island of Ireland. Evidence of these early people is hard to uncover, but on the Tin Ryland stretch of the motorway, archaeologists discovered the delicate remains of hazelnut shells they had cooked and stone tools they fashioned from flint and chert. Further archaeological excavations revealed a continuity of human activity in the area, including Neolithic pits, Bronze Age circular structures and possibly the beginnings of a flat cemetery. All of these fascinating discoveries revealed that this rolling landscape has been a great place to live and farm for centuries. Throughout the guide, we will hear more stories about those who called Tin Ryland and the surrounding townlands home. This includes a Neolithic adult who was discovered during agricultural works and soldiers who fought in bloody wars and rebellions in Ireland and America. We will also hear about a famous monastery that influenced the spread of Christianity to Luxembourg and the Netherlands. We will discover where Walt Disney's ancestors are buried and hear about Tin Ryland's interesting connection to the electrification of Ireland. As we travel through the landscape and through time, please note that not all sites mentioned are accessible to the public as they are located on private land. To begin, make your way to St Joseph's Church in Tin Ryland and take a seat while we start our story of Tin Ryland back in the midst of time in the Stone Age. The ancient stories of Tin Ryland, it was around 1943 when two local farmers uncovered one of the most important archaeological sites in the area. They had been plowing a field in Lincolntown when they hit a huge rock. To prevent further damage to their machinery, they moved the rock and much to their surprise discovered an ancient human skeleton. Archaeologists were called and the site was carefully excavated, revealing a polygonal stone-lined grave. Within the grave was a stone axe, decorated pottery, and the skeletal remains of an adult male. This skeleton belonged to an older man who lived during the Neolithic or New Stone Age, a time period which dates from approximately 4,000 BC to 2,500 BC. Archaeologists noticed that his skull had suffered severe damage consistent with being hit with the stone axe, perhaps suggesting a violent end to his life. Those who laid him to rest sealed the tomb with two capstones and a mound of soil, preserving the site for over 5,600 years. Most Neolithic tombs contain communal cremated burials. However, this tomb held an individual who had not been cremated. This was unique and changed our understanding of Neolithic burial practices. Similar graves have now been discovered across Ireland and are known as Lincolntown burials, named after this site. Following the excavation, the contents of this ancient grave were removed to the National Museum of Ireland at Kil'dea Street, where they are now on display. Lincolntown once again became an important burial place thousands of years later. In the same field as the Neolithic grave, other remains of a historic church and graveyard. This ruined church still retains some of its original features, including a small window and a piscina, a basin where priests wash their communion vessels. The church also once contained a large cut stone holy water font, which can now be seen outside St Joseph's church in Tin Rhyland. This is not the only ecclesiastical site in the area. Around four kilometers south-west are the remains of the Great Monastic Center of Ramechi, believed to date back over 1,400 years to at least the 7th century, little remains of this historic site. All that is visible are the ruins of the later Galogen graveyard and an impressive reconstructed early medieval stone cross. This cross is very similar to another found two kilometers south-east in nearby Nerni, a former ecclesiastical site that was founded by Saint Abdon in the 5th century. But Ramechi and Nerni were not the only early centers of Christianity and County Carlo at this time. Not far from Ramechi, where Saint Lazarian's Church of Ireland Cathedral now stands, was the site of a church founded by Saint Gobbon in AD 632. Around the same time in the 7th century, Ramechi was a hive of activity. Monks, mainly from the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Northumbria, worked and studied here. They were under the command of Egbert, an Anglo-Saxon monk who was highly praised by the venerable bead. After surviving a terrible plague that hit Ramechi, Egbert wished to thank God by spreading the Christian faith to Europe. However, divine intervention in the form of prophetic dreams stopped him. So he chose another monk from Ramechi named Uigbert to go to the northern coasts of Germany and the Netherlands, then known as Frisia. Uigbert spent two years there without success and returned to Carlo. Fearing failure, Egbert sent another Northumbrian monk named Villeboard to finish the job. Villeboard had studied at Ramechi for 12 years and was delighted with this great honor. He left Carlo with eleven other monks in AD 690. His mission was dangerous. Since the fall of the Roman Empire, the light of Christianity in Europe had all but been extinguished. Paganism was widespread, but Villeboard's mission was a success. He established a cathedral in Utrecht in the Netherlands and for his excellent work was ordained Archbishop of Utrecht by Pope Sergio I in AD 695. Later, Villeboard founded a significant monastery in Ektanach, Luxembourg, which contained a world famous cryptorium. One manuscript written here was the calendar of Villeboard, which is believed to contain St. Villeboard's signature. If true, then this is the oldest known example of an English signature in existence. Due to his foundations in Utrecht and Ektanach, St. Villeboard became the first apostle of the Netherlands and the patron saint of Luxembourg. Whilst his feast day in Ireland is November the 7th, he is celebrated annually in Luxembourg with Tuesday. Thousands of pilgrims gather for mass in Ektanach's Basilica and prepare for the hopping procession or the wrong procession. The dancers line up in rows dressed in white and black or blue with a white hankerchief in their hands. They pay homage to St. Villeboard by skipping and hopping through the streets to the beat of the wrong procession melody, which you can hear now. Afterwards, they gather in the Basilica to walk past St. Villeboard's tomb. You can learn more about St. Villeboard and his connection to Carlo in the Carlo County Museum. St. Joseph's Catholic Church For centuries, Catholicism was severely repressed under the harsh penal laws. However, the level at which these laws were enforced varied from place to place and from century to century. Towards the beginning of the 19th century, the laws began to relax, and in 1819, 10 years before Catholic emancipation, Tin Ryland had its very own Catholic church. Interestingly, this was not the first Catholic church built on this site. Before the present building, there was a small makeshift Catholic chapel. Those who attended this chapel blessed themselves using stone holy water fonts which date back to 1787. These water fonts have been preserved and are still used by the modern congregation as they enter and leave the church. The present St. Joseph's church was refurbished in the 1970s, and much of its interior dates to this time, including the Blessed Sacrament Chapel. Inside this chapel are two small decorated windows that depict the fall and the redemption. The former portrays the story of Adam and Eve, with the snake and the forbidden fruit. The latter represents the Paschal Lamb, and Christ as the Redeemer. These beautiful pieces were created by stained glass artist Helen Maloney. She was the niece of Kevin Barry, an IRA volunteer who was executed at the age of 18 for his part in the war of independence, and the sister-in-law of the poet Patrick Kathner. Her impressive work, which can be enjoyed in churches across Ireland, earned her a place in Azdona, an academy that honors artists who have made an outstanding contribution to the creative arts in Ireland. Along the central aisle, there are more beautiful stained glass windows dating back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries. One depicts the holy family and is a memorial to Thomas Kiel of nearby Park, his wife Alice, and his brother, Brevard Lieutenant Colonel Miles Kiel, a captivating character who fought in numerous battles. Miles left Ireland in 1860 and became a commissioned second lieutenant in the Irish battalion of the Papal Army. He fought for the unification of Italy and was awarded medals of distinction for his service by Pope Pius IX. Miles then traveled to America, where he joined the Union Army and fought in the American Civil War. He was present at over 80 engagements, including the famous Battle of Gettysburg. Miles took leave after this and briefly returned home to Carlo before rejoining the army in America. He went to fight with General Custer of the United States Army at the Battle of Little Big Horn, also known as the Battle of the Greasy Grass, on the 25th of June 1876. This battle was between the Likotasou, Northern Cheyenne, and a rapahoe indigenous American tribes and the US Army. Miles and his men fought hard, but were killed trying to reach Custer's last stand. Even like many of the other Union soldiers, Miles' body was found intact with no evidence of mutilation. This was thought to be a mark of respect from the indigenous American warriors. Miles' injured horse, Comanche, was the only living creature found on the battlefield. Instead of being put down, the US Army rescued Comanche and looked after him for years until his death in 1891. After his death, the horse was stuffed and displayed at the University of Kansas. Both Comanche and Miles' kill remain significant figures in US military history. The Irish tune Gary Owen is believed to have been introduced to the US cavalry by Miles and is still used by them to this day. His name is forever inscribed on the monument of the battlefield of Little Big Horn and a fort pairs his name in Montana. He is also memorialised on a monument in Lachlan Bridge where he was born and here at St. Joseph's Church. Outside the church, in the encompassing grounds, are further features of note. Here the entrance is an impressive stone baptismal font that originally came from the church in Lincolnstown, which was mentioned earlier. The church grounds also contain a number of well-tended graves that memorialise those who previously lived in Tin Rhyland over the centuries, including Father Colin. He had been the parish priest until he was killed in an unfortunate horse riding accident in 1913. The national school to the south of the church was named in his honour. When ready, make your way to the parish hall at the north-eastern end of the church gates. Tin Rhyland Village Originally built as a boy's national school in 1835, the parish hall has been renovated and restored and is now used as a community space to host clubs, societies and events. A corresponding girl school, which no longer stands, was located on the southwestern side of the church gates. These separate schools were combined in the 1930s when the new Father Colin Memorial National School was built. The school, which has been extended over the years, is still in use and can be found south of the church. Former students of the old boys' school include Patrick Kane, the adjutant of the Carlo IRA Brigade. During the war of independence, he was responsible for the Brigade's secretive correspondence and intercepted private messages to and from the British army in Carlo's post office. Another former student was Paddy Dowling, one of the first people employed by the electricity supply board, or ESB. It was his job to connect the towns of Ireland to the new Shannon hydroelectric scheme at Arden Accrusher in County Claire. However, he also felt it was vitally important for Ireland's smaller villages to have access to electricity. As a local of Tin Ryland, Paddy used his connections to get electricity to the area, which was the first parish in Carlo to benefit from the scheme. From then on, his work spread across the country, and by 1980, over 99 percent of the population of Ireland had electricity. Because of his work, Paddy was known as the Apostle of Rural Electrification, and was voted Irish Person of the Century in 1999. He is commemorated here in Tin Ryland with a plaque on the external West wall of the parish hall. Across from the father-colon Memorial National School, you can find the village pump. Although Tin Ryland had electricity since 1946, some of the houses had no indoor plumbing until the 1970s. Instead, women and children queued here each day to gather water for drinking, cooking, and bathing. Parish pumps are often fondly remembered as great social places where neighbours met to chat and catch up. The old teacher's house stands to the north of the pump across from the church. This charming, two-story house was built in 1910 for the teachers of Tin Ryland National School. In the late 1800s, it was common for rural schools to provide rent-free houses for teachers as an incentive to move to rural areas. For years, Patrick Schein, who had taught in Tin Ryland since 1904, and his wife Sarah, who had been a teacher at Tin Ryland's girls' school, lived here and raised their children. To the north of the teacher's house across from the parish hall is an area that commemorates the centenary of the 1916 Easter Rising. A number of interpretation panels have been installed here that offer additional information about the area and a map of an extended Tin Ryland Heritage Trail. Once you have finished exploring the village, please make your way to our next stop, Clon Melch Graveyard. Clon Melch Graveyard A church has stood in Clon Melch since at least the 17th century, the rooms of which can still be seen to the north of the graveyard. Various mortuary monuments. can be found in the surrounding graveyard, including headstones, box tombs, urns and vaults. Three of these 18th century headstones belong to the Disney family, who were believed to be ancestors of the famous Walt Disney. He and his older brother Roy were motion picture producers who pioneered cartoon films and created cherished characters such as Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck. They found at the Walt Disney company, which produced childhood classics such as Snow White and the Seven Twarfs, Benocchio and Bambi. To this day, Disney is a household name and a multi-billion-dollar company. In the northeast corner of Plummelge Graveyard lies the underground tomb of the Butlis. They were an extremely wealthy family who owned vast estates across County Carlo. This tomb is believed to contain the ancestors of Pierce Butler. As a third son, he had to make his own way in the world, so he joined the British army at the age of 11. He fought against the French in America and quickly rose up the ranks to become a major. Pierce sought a wealthy bride in South Carolina and married Mary Middleton, a plantation aress and daughter of one of the state's largest slave dealers. This marriage made Pierce Butler one of the wealthiest men in the country. He owned many plantations and, unfortunately, many slaves, whom he was known to brand with his initials. With his wife's wealth, Pierce no longer needed his British army commission, so he sold it and joined the revolutionaries who sought American independence from Britain. When this was achieved, Pierce Butler was chosen as one of the leading men of South Carolina to examine, negotiate and sign the US Constitution in 1787. Other signatories of this important document include George Washington, Benjamin Franklin and Alexander Hamilton. When you have finished exploring Claude Melch Graveyard, make your way to the next stop, Saint Mary's Church of Ireland in Staples Town. On the way, you will pass the townland of Ballibar, where the renowned Ballibar or Carlo races were held. The racetrack, once considered the Cheltenham of Ireland, is long gone and located on private land. However, the stories live on, as you will hear in our next track. The Ballibar races. On a farm in Ballibar is a vast field around 40 acres in size. The sheer scale of the site and the unusually wide lane running alongside it hint that this is no typical farm. This was once the site of the Ballibar races, or the Carlo races, as it was also known. Standing here between 1760 and 1900, you would have heard the thunder of hooves as some of Ireland's finest horses competed in flat racing and the steeper chase. Horses competed here for the chance to win the prestigious Gold Cup, which often went to the local Cummins family. The powers of Carlo had a horse by the name of "Politan Boy", who competed and regularly won. This horse was so popular that a song was written about him, which began with the line "No more will see the gallant boy speed or Ballibar". Like many others, "Politan Boy" would have been cheered to victory by the tens of thousands of spectators who stood on the sandbar that had been constructed to provide an elevated view. While race officials watched anxiously from the stone standhouse at the side of the track, which still exists today. Outside the course were silk and broad cloth tents, where gambling games such as thimble rigging and roulette were played. There were performers and ballad singers, and the smell of cooked meat was in the air. You could also pick up fruit, vegetables and cheese from the cheese mongers, and even cigars from the cigar vendors who wandered around hawking their wares. It was such a lively and influential race course that the opening of the new Great Southern and Western railway line was completed early to accommodate race goers with a station built at Milford. The railway company even offered a special fare that gave any horses running at Ballibar a free return journey. However racing wasn't the only sporting event held in this field. In 1889, the first Carlo County Championship match was held here between Carlo and DeNore. These Gaelic football teams were so evenly matched that only one point was scored throughout the entire game. 11 years later, in 1900, the last race meeting was held in Ballibar. An attempt was made to restart the famous races again in 1919, but it was poorly timed. Ireland's war of independence had just begun, and there was little appetite to continue the races. Our next track is St Mary's Church of Ireland, Staples Town. St Mary's Church of Ireland, Staples Town. Welcome to the picturesque St Mary's Church in Staples Town. Built in 1821 in the charming Gothic revival style at a cost of £1,000. The interior of the churches decorated with fine stained glass windows and ornate memorials to past parishioners. Two young brothers, Captain Walter Philip Bagnell and his younger brother, Captain James Philip Bagnell, are among those commemorated here. They had both been in the British Army and were working thousands of miles away in India at the time of their deaths. Walter was 27 years old when he died in Madras in 1868, and James was only 21 when he died while working for the Indian telegraph in Pragrache a year later in 1869. St Mary's Church is surrounded by a small neat graveyard, within which there are a number of mortuary monuments, including a free-standing vaulted mausoleum to the Faulkner family. This family were connected to nearby Castle Town Castle, a late 19th century Gothic style mansion that incorporated an earlier 16th century towerhouse and 18th century manner. This estate was once briefly owned by Thomas Buckwaley, a notorious gambler, rake and member of the House of Commons. Beyond St Mary's graveyard in the fields to the north, is open farmland where a medieval village once stood. In the 1600s, this village contained numerous houses, lived in by Protestant tenants, whose professions included a minister, Miller, Inkeeper and a shoemaker. Sadly, that village is long gone, but the remains of some of the grand buildings associated with it, such as Staples Town Lodge, Staples Town House and Staples Town Turrets, are still visible. The latter was built around 1660 by Sir William Temple, the master of the roles in Ireland. He had a very impressive career as a member of Parliament, ambassador to the Hague, member of the Pripy Council and mediator in the marriage of Princess Anne in 1677. He also employed author and clergyman Jonathan Swift, who considered Temple a great mentor. Jonathan Swift went on to become Dean of St Patrick's Cathedral Dublin and is the famous author of Gulliver's Travels. When you are ready, return to Tin Reiland and stop at the 1798 memorial on the way into the village. Tin Reiland's 1798 memorial. On the outskirts of Tin Reiland Village stands a large carved stone commemorating those who fought and died in the 1798 rebellion. This uprising was organized by a secret organization of Protestants, Presbyterians and Catholics known as the United Irishmen. Inspired by the American and French revolutions, they put aside their religious differences to fight for an Irish Republic, free, from British rule. Many were attracted to this idea, including local Tin Ryland man Peter Ivers. He became a county organizer recruiting for the society and administering their sacred but illegal oath to those who wanted to join the fight for freedom. The crown authorities became aware of his activities and issued a warrant for his arrest. In March 1798, Ivers was tracked to a house in Dublin where a united Irishmen meeting was taking place. There, Ivers was arrested on charges of treason and imprisoned in Kalmanum jail. Typically, the punishment for treason would be a slow execution. However, Ivers was transported to Australia and was never heard of again. With the arrest of Ivers and many other leading united Irishmen from Lester, the 1798 rebellion was thrown into disarray. Despite this, the Kalo-United Irishmen rose on the 25th of May under the command of a young brokemaker named Mick Hayden. He had taken over the leadership following the arrest of Ivers and continued the plan to assault on Kalo Town. Hundreds gathered with pikes, pitchforks, and anything else that could be considered a weapon. But it was all to come to a tragic end. According to Elizabeth Peelew, who had been in Kalo that fateful day, the crown forces had intercepted a rebel's message. Two men in the area had the same name. One was a rebel, the other a loyalist. A secret message had been sent to the rebel but was accidentally given to the loyalist who tipped off the garrison. The united Irishmen's pikes and pitchforks were no match for the crown's broadsords and guns and they were swiftly beaten. What came next horrified the residents of Kalo. There was a great slaughter of the rebels and anyone suspected of helping them. Houses were ransacked and heads were put on spikes near the jail. The bodies of the united Irishmen, who were known as croppy boys because of their short cropped hairstyles, which numbered over 600, were dumped in an old sand pit in Kalo Town, now known as croppy's grave. Everyone was on edge in the aftermath of the 1798 rebellion. A tale remembered from Tin Ryland recalls how so-riched butler of Gary Hundon suspected his farm steward Phil Kennedy of being a united Irishman. He called Kennedy into his house and handed him a written note that he was to deliver to the nearby garrison. When the authorities opened this note, they saw Butler's message that read, "Hang this man." And so Kennedy was duly executed. Letters from the executed Phil Kennedy to his previous employer, Sam Faulkner of Castle Town Castle, are still in existence. They detail the day-to-day activities on the estate and can be read in the National Library of Ireland. When you are ready, return to Tin Ryland to hear the concluding tracks. Tin Ryland today. We hope you've enjoyed discovering the rich and varied history of Tin Ryland and its surrounding townlands. The area has witnessed many trials and tribulations throughout the millennia. From the impressive 5,600-year-old Lincolnstown burial to the Bloody Rebellion of 1798. In the 19th and 20th centuries, the village was transformed by the construction of communal centers such as St. Joseph's Church, Father Colin Memorial National School, and the parish hall, which are still in use today. Nowadays, the village of Tin Ryland is home to over 300 people and maintains a strong community spirit. A large and enduring part of that is the significant role sports have played in the area, particularly the local Gaelic football club. Founded in 1888, the club played its first recorded match against Lockham Bridge in 1889 and has gone on to win many accolades, including 15 senior football championships. It now boasts enviable pitches and clubhouse facilities which continue to play a significant role in community life. Other sports are also practiced in the area, including handball and athletics. Over the years, Tin Ryland has hosted Lenster and National Cross Country events as well as the annual Rockford Roof tile race. This passion for running has produced many successful athletes in track, field, road running, and cross-country for Tin Ryland. Conclusion, if you have time and would like to discover more, we recommend making the short drive to Carlo Town. Here, you can visit a number of interesting sites, including the ruins of Carlo Castle and the Cropby's Grave, where those brave men of the 1798 rebellion are buried. Close by is Carlo County Museum, where you can discover more information on St. Billy Board, the M9 excavations, Clonnell's Church and Miles Kill. The latter's pipe is displayed here, as is information on his grantees, Nurse Margaret Kill, the first civilian fatality of the 1916 Easter Rising. A short drive east of the town will bring you to Browns Hill, Dolman. This is believed to be Ireland's largest neolithic portal tomb, with a capstone that weighs an excess of 100 tons. Go for something a bit closer to Tin Ryland, we recommend visiting the remains of the 18th century Milford Mill, which is a pleasant stop on the banks of the River Barrow. Here, you can also see an example of the historic Carlo fence. These ornamental fences are unique to the county and are made from granite. Local stone mason have expertly carved this exceedingly hard stone into long rectangular lintels that rest on short upright stones. These upright stones have a V-shaped notch cut into them, which the edge of the lintel sits into. There are no ties or screws involved. Wherever you choose to explore next, we hope you have enjoyed your time in Tin Ryland and will stop by again soon. Until then, we say, "Slong a foe," or "Goodbye for now." The Tin Ryland Audio Guide was produced by a barter heritage on behalf of Tin Ryland Heritage Group. The project was supported by the Heritage Council under the Community Heritage Grand Scheme 2024. We would like to thank the local community for all their kind help and support throughout this project. We would also like to sincerely thank the Luxembourg Embassy and start marketing Ectonach for providing the music for the "wrong procession," which can be heard in this guide. The script was written by Tara Ophala and Rochean Burke of a Barter Heritage. The script was edited by Rochean Burke and narration was by Gerry O'Brien. The guide was produced in Bluebird Studios with sound engineer, Declan Lonegan and producer Tara Ophala. If you would like to hear similar audio guides from other heritage sites around Ireland, please visit aboutheritage.ie.