In December 1701 the slave ship, “Amity”, owned by the Royal African Company and bound from Guinea to London was blown off course in a severe Atlantic storm and ended up being wrecked off the Seven Heads at Dunworley

The “Amity” was a large ship, believed to have been ninety-feet in length. She was carrying a cargo of ivory and a hardwood from the African Padauk tree known as camm-wood. She struck a reef in Dunworley Bay, the ship was pounded by the relentless Atlantic storm until she broke up and all hands on board, bar one negro cabin boy, were lost.

It is not know how many crew were on board the vessel, but a ship of that size would normally have had fifty crew to man the vessel. The only name known was that of the captain whose surname was Phaxton.

Amity wreck

A Long Road Home

When Courtmacsherry and Barryroe History Group compiled the list of servicemen from the parish of Barryroe who died in service during World War One, Daniel Sullivan from Ballinluhig was the only one of the twenty-nine commemorated who had died while serving with the American forces.

Daniel Sullivan was born on January 1, 1894, son of William and Mary Sullivan, nee Kirby, Ballinluhig, Butlerstown.

He had six siblings, Willie, Margaret, Julia, Patrick, Michael and John. Rather unusually for a large family, Daniel was the only one of the six Sullivans to emigrate.  It has not been possible to identify Daniel Sullivan on passenger lists of Irish migrants to the U.S. but it is likely to have occurred after he reached the age of sixteen, in 1909.

When Daniel Sullivan emigrated, while there were political tensions in Europe, he could not have imagined the turn his life would take and that the United States would become a participant in a war that would engulf the world and that he would be conscripted to serve in the army of the country to which he sailed with such hope for a life more prosperous than Ireland could offer him.

Notwithstanding these details about his early life, Daniel Sullivan’s closest relative, Mary Fleming, daughter of his brother Patrick, had little detail about his life in America, service in the army and the circumstances of his death. Persistent enquiries have now uncovered answers to some of those questions.

Private Daniel Sullivan - United States Army - World War One

Southern Star: 26 November 1938

Lislevane sea-captain: Impressive Scenes at Funeral in China

Native People in Tears

The unwonted sight of a large body of Chinese in tears at a European’s funeral was witnessed in Hong Kong towards the end of last September. The occasion was the obsequies of Captain Michael McCarthy, Skipper of a South China river steamer, who was born at Butlerstown, Lislevane. A people’s gratitude for unfailing kindness, lavish generosity and practical interest in their spiritual and temporal welfare was the impelling motive in this impressive tribute.

'Pekin' an example Chinese Paddlesteamer from the period

Comprising mostly of English ex-navy men, the Coastguard service in Ireland was established in 1818

Ireland was an unpopular posting for Coastguard personnel.  Accommodation was considered poor and stations were isolated while education and employment opportunities for sons and daughters were limited. Very few Irishmen joined the Coastguard.

The Coastguard acted as a reserve for the navy, protected the Revenue’s interests and defended the coast by being active against smugglers; ensuring that wrecks were not illegally plundered and assisting the police in discovering illicit stills.  None of these activities endeared the Coastguard to the local population.

Courtmacsherry Coastguard Station

by Mary Sheehy - O'Shea

The ditty said ‘all to one side like the town of Courtmac’ but up to the 1960s, coming into the village from Timoleague, it wasn’t like that at all.

In Sebera, all the houses were on the seashore side.  The railway closed in 1961.  At some stage the residents, or what remained of them, were relocated to St. Joseph’s Place and the houses were demolished.

That part of the village is now referred to as Siberia, but having gone to the local National School, which was between Upper and Lower Sebera, I never heard it referred to, alluded to or called anything other than Sebera, pronounced Sibeire.   I knew the place and the people, but how reliable my memories are, we shall see.

Memories of a Courtmacsherry Childhood

The practice of creating Cillíní burial sites in West Cork arose from a combination of social, religious, and economic factors

In past times many families could not afford formal burials in consecrated ground, particularly for children who died at a young age. As a result, these small, informal burial sites sprang up, often located near churches or in remote rural areas. In Barryroe, the seventeen known cillíní serve as poignant reminders of the hardships faced by families during times of high infant mortality.

Here is a video of the Cillín at Donaghmore, Lislevane

The Cillín at Donaghmore

John Cohalan

John Cohalan owned a small holding in Courtmacsherry before he left for the United States at the height of the famine in 1848.  His wife, Catherine McCarthy, had already died and John Cohalan was accompanied to America by his three young daughters and his son, Timothy, who was twelve years old.

It is worth noting that Catherine McCarthy’s family already had a notable connection with the United States.  She was the daughter of Captain Eugene McCarthy who had served as an aide-de-camp to the Marquis de la Lafayette during the American Revolution.  Eugene McCarthy had returned to Ireland after the Revolution.

The Cohalan family first settled in Pierrepoint in upstate New York but by 1849 they had moved to Middletown, Orange County, a town in the Hudson Valley.  John Cohalan, according to the 1861 Census did not remarry and had begun trading as a grocer.

Timothy Eugene Cohalan

Timothy, son of John Cohalan, became involved in the building trade and also established a very successful glass business.  Timothy Eugene Cohalan died 8 December 1909. The following obituary published in the Southern Star gives a comprehensive outline of his life and career.

Southern Star 1 January 1910

Famous Courtmacsherry Man
His death in America
The late Timothy Eugene Cohalan
Sketch of his Career

Patrick Keohane - Antarctic Explorer 1910-1913

The Polar Expedition with Captain Robert Scott

Patrick Keohane joined the Royal Navy in 1895. at the age of sixteen.  He began his career as a Boy – Third Class , progressed to Ordinary Seaman, then Able Seaman and at the age of twenty-eight was promoted to Chief Petty Officer, the highest rank a non-commissioned man could attain.  Having previously served under Lt. Teddy Evans, who was Scott’s second in command for the Antarctic expedition of 1910 Keohane applied to be included and was successful.

With fellow Corkmen, Robert Forde of Kilmurray, Mortimer McCarthy of Kinsale and Kerryman, Tom Crean of Annascaul, Patrick Keohane formed the backbone of brawn and practical skills without which no expedition could succeed. Carpentry, rope and leather work, dog and pony husbandry, sheer physical strength and endurance were their stock in trade.  These hardy sailors had to rely on superhuman grit and determination, overcome psychological and physical challengers and horrific weather conditions in the world’s most inhospitable environment – the Antarctic.

Patrick Keohane - Antarctic Explorer 1910-1913

Timothy Keohane Coxswain - Courtmacsherry Lifeboat 1901-1924

Timothy Keohane’s Role on 7 May 1915

The Courtmacsherry Lifeboat, Kezia Gwilt, was based at Barry’s Point, several miles from the village of Courtmacsherry.  The crew were drawn from the hamlets, called Barry’s Point and Coolbawn, situated at either side of the beach known as Blind Strand.

The Stephens class self-righting lifeboat Kezia Gwilt was 37.5 feet (11.4 metres) long.  She was powered by 12 oars and sails.  She was stationed at Barry’s Point.  On 7 May 1915, Coxswain Timothy Keohane was on Coastwatch for the British Government on the brow of Barry’s Point. The following is the interview he gave some time after the events of 7 May to The Southern Star.

The Kezia Gwilt - 7 May 1915