Reminders of Peoples Past – 07 – Honorah Doyle

A wedding at Glengariff Historic Estate (Insert Honorah)

A family dynasty is another way we can remember our early settlers.  Such is the case with Honorah Doyle who migrated to Australia from Glengariff, a coastal dairy town in Co Cork, Ireland. It was her second husband, a Mr Mullins, who accompanied her to Australia on the ship “Ramsay” in 1875.  They settled in Oxley and then moved up to King’s Scrub in the Dayboro Valley where they established the family dairy farm in 1876. It remained as a dairy farm for over 100 years, before becoming a vineyard and winery in 1999, and evolving once more into the award winning Function venue it is today hosting events and weddings from all over the world.

Honorah, herself, was to live to be 114 and even at the age of 95 years she was still milking a herd of 40 cows by hand.

Glengariff Historic Estate is still owned and operated by the sixth generation of her descendants.

Moreton Bay History still open for business

Following on from my blog of last week (07.01.2017) entitled ‘Closure and Closure’ I have reached a compromise with the aid of the good folks at WordPress and am happy to relate that my website ‘Moreton Bay History’ (www.moretonbayhistory.com) will continue as before. I’ll keep on blogging, too, but probably not on a regular Saturday morning basis as I have been doing, because I am still resolved to pursue the writing of ‘the novel’.

Also, looking at the image I published last week of myself at the typewriter in 1970 reminds me of my muse at that time: my new brother in law, Patrick Vaughan, who wrote under the name of Bill Cody.

The Vaughan’s house at Dromagh, Co Cork, Ireland

Cody was a gifted writer with a wonderful grasp of words that were able to capture the personalities and events of his life in the Irish countryside. That’s his window on the upper floor of the Vaughan’s house at Dromagh. From here he could look out over the schoolyard next door and across the green fields that surrounded his house.

Regrettably many of his works were lost when they went missing after his death in 1986. However, the Irish Government did honour his memory when they erected this plaque in the fence outside his home:

Patrick Vaughan’s memorial.
It reads:
Birthplace of Patrick Vaughan “Bill Cody” Poet and Playwright
Born 1926 – died 1986

 

Weather or not in Ireland

Weather-wise, on a good day Ireland can be magical but on a bad one, it can be just as dreary as anywhere else! Fortunately for this visit, the weather Gods were merciful, and the rain held off for most of the week.

Phyllis walking down memory lane at Dromagh

Our purpose this visit was to spend time amongst our memories in the North Cork towns of Mallow and Kanturk. They did not disappoint.

Kanturk – off the beaten tourist track, but a nice base for our family explorations

When the sun did shine, we did the tourist thing and visited Killarney and in particular, Muckross House: still one of my favourite places on earth.

Muckross House at Killarney.

For me, it ranks with Stourhead, near Bath. (see blog of Bradford on Avon) for sheer grandeur.

The View from Muckross House

Tomorrow, we will have finished stitching together our patchwork of memories and will head back to Australia and our normal daily lives in the present tense.

Ireland from the air