Somer's Fort, Coolroe
[graphic]
| Main Creator: | |
|---|---|
| Contributors: | |
| In collection: | The Lawrence Photograph Collection |
| Format: | Photo |
| Published / Created: |
[between 1880-1900].
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| Subjects: | |
| Notes: | Additional information about this photograph is available on the National Library of Ireland's Flickr Commons photostream http://www.flickr.com/photos/nlireland/36430468606/ Robert French was the chief photographer responsible for photographing three quarters of the Lawrence Collection. For more information, see the Dictionary of Irish Biography: http://dib.cambridge.org/viewReadPage.do?articleId=a3369 Physical description: 1 photographic negative glass 16.5 x 21.5 cm. Geographic Coverage: County Wexford, Province of Leinster, Ireland. Caption on glassplate reads: Somer's Fort. Coolroe. 2491. W. L. more |
An eviction or rather a destruction at Somers Fort, Coolroe. When I first saw the title I thought of a military fort in the fastnesses of Donegal but looking at the construction of this substantial farmhouse and the challenges it imposed on the attackers it is easy to see why it was called a "Fort"! Wexford is not one of the counties that has featured much here for evictions which leads me to believe that this may be an exception. Certainly Mr. French was there and got lots of shots of the action!
Based on researches by BeachcomberAustralia (who points us to contemporary accounts of the events at Coolroe), and location hunting by O Mac, we're able to confidently date and map this image. As with other images in the 'eviction' series, what we see here are the defences taken to prevent the tenants from being forcibly removed. The article which BeachcomberAustralia links gives us the names of the defenders and other protagonists. Seemingly the homestead is still known as Somer's Fort, and was seemingly converted to holiday rental accomodation at some point.....
Photographer: Robert French
Collection: Lawrence Photograph Collection
Date: Catalogue range c.1880-1900. Likely August 1888.
NLI Ref: L_ROY_02491
You can also view this image, and many thousands of others, on the NLI’s catalogue at catalogue.nli.ie
Tags:
Robert French, William Lawrence, Lawrence Collection, Lawrence Photographic Studio, Glass Negative, National Library of Ireland, Eviction, Somers Fort, Coolroe, Co. Wexford, RIC, Royal Irish Constabulary, Bailiffs, slated roof, bayonet, Hermit of Coolroe, Land War, County Wexford, Location identified, James Somers, Plan of Campaign, Lawrence Photograph Collection
Comments
CASSIDY PHOTOGRAPHY
A sad day.
Posted: 10.08.2017
i-lenticularis (NO GRAPHICS)
What a sad indictment on capitalism (or absentee landlords, or both).
Posted: 10.08.2017
derangedlemur
What amazes me is how long we took to outlaw ground rent. Maybe you should have published more of these pictures sooner. Still, at least we're better than the neighbours, who are only considering outlawing it now.
Posted: 10.08.2017
ɹǝqɯoɔɥɔɐǝq
Oh dear - it is eviction time again. Sad and fascinating at the same time.
1888 according to this Trove find about the landlord, Mr James E. Byrne, "The Hermit of Coolroe", who died in 1898. -
trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/211842833
WEXFORD. Death of the " Hermit of Coolroe." — Mr. James E. Byrne, better known as the " Hermit of Coolroe," died on Tuesday, Feb. 22 [1898], at Rosemount, outside New Ross. He was a bachelor, and had attained to nearly 90 years of. age. He was a most remarkable old man, who possessed an extraordinary amount of obstinacy and determination. He inherited the Coolroe Estate in South Wexford, and in the year '88 gained an unenviable notoriety by the wholesale eviction of his tenants, who were driven; by inability to pay exorbitant rents, to adopt the Plan of Campaign. One of the tenants' houses, known as "Somers' Fort," was fortified and defended by twelve armed men, but after a long struggle, and chiefly through the agency of the battering ram, it was taken. All attempts at reconciliation or reinstatement were unavailing so far as the landlord was concerned, and the tenants are still at the back of the ditches.
Posted: 10.08.2017
ɹǝqɯoɔɥɔɐǝq
Full 1888 description - Read All About It ! - trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/226677328
This report includes all the names of the 12 defenders - trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/115458961
Posted: 10.08.2017
ɹǝqɯoɔɥɔɐǝq
It was 16 August 1888 according to this report - trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/115460340
Posted: 10.08.2017
ɹǝqɯoɔɥɔɐǝq
And this, which thinks 6 September - www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/5009221/4999277/5123504
Posted: 10.08.2017
sam2cents
It's a very important photo. I can't help but noticing one of the RIC has what looks like a short sword hanging on his belt, but maybe it's a truncheon in a peculiarly rigged belt. The really sad thing about all of this is that we seem to be heading that way again. There's a landlord class re-emerging in Ireland and they are treating people terribly and many laws seem to have crept in since the Celtic Tiger which are protecting them rather than the majority of the citizens of the nation. And a few too many journalists and politicians belong to their ranks. Not good. And that's why these photos are so important as records, to remind us what could happen again.
Posted: 10.08.2017
derangedlemur
Just in Werxford, there's three Coolroes. I was going to ask were we sure it was in Wexford but [https://www.flickr.com/photos/beachcomberaustralia] has answered that one. There's about another dozen Coolroes scattered around the country.
Posted: 10.08.2017
ɹǝqɯoɔɥɔɐǝq
[https://www.flickr.com/photos/8468254@N02] I am having no luck with finding the exact location. There were several outbuildings nearby as seen in catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000187738 , and one or other photo is back-to-front. Presumably it's not the 'big house' of James Byrne, the landlord.
GoogleMaps says - goo.gl/maps/rRvP5XZpZpA2
OSI says - maps.osi.ie/publicviewer/#V2,678576,613749,10,9
Anyone ... ?
Posted: 10.08.2017
derangedlemur
[https://www.flickr.com/photos/sam2cents] You're right - he does have a bayonet. It's pretty clear in the hyperzoom. He also has a pistol. The one is not so compatible with the other.
Posted: 10.08.2017
derangedlemur
[https://www.flickr.com/photos/beachcomberaustralia] Up at bay bridge, maybe? maps.osi.ie/publicviewer/#V2,705429,651925,11,9
Or here? maps.osi.ie/publicviewer/#V2,702103,650669,11,9, maps.osi.ie/publicviewer/#V2,703377,650907,11,7
There's lots of farmsteads around Coolroe wood
Posted: 10.08.2017
sam2cents
[https://www.flickr.com/photos/8468254@N02] Actually, it never occurred to me it was a bayonet... seems ridiculously obvious now. Well-spotted on the pistol.
Posted: 10.08.2017
O Mac
It was here.. maps.osi.ie/publicviewer/#V2,678195,613838,11,9 building layout on map can be seen clearly in catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000044252
Sign at entrance says " Somer's Fort Cottages"
www.google.ie/maps/@52.2715373,-6.8530101,3a,45.2y,197.43...
Follow the sign. :) www.google.ie/maps/@52.2516454,-6.8400379,3a,15y,281.97h,...
Posted: 10.08.2017
ofarrl
[https://www.flickr.com/photos/8468254@N02/] that's a handcuff case on the constable's belt not a pistol, the bayonet was referred to as a sword and at the time it would have been for the Snider carbine in use by the constabulary.
Posted: 10.08.2017
ɹǝqɯoɔɥɔɐǝq
[https://www.flickr.com/photos/91549360@N03] Brilliant as ever!
Is this a once-more-for-the-cameras re-enactment a few days or weeks later? In all the photos there is not much sign of 200 police, magistrates and bailiffs, a crowd of onlookers, the battering ram, smoke, fire etc. None of the chaos, confusion, and near comedy described vividly here - trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/226677328
Posted: 10.08.2017
National Library of Ireland on The Commons
Brilliant [https://www.flickr.com/photos/beachcomberaustralia], [https://www.flickr.com/photos/91549360@N03] and everyone. Delighted to be able to confidently update the map and date on this one! It looks like the signage which OMac followed was directing us to the holiday cottages that were developed from the outbuildings in the companion photos! Great to see these buildings weren't completely demolished by the battering-rams we've seen before!
Posted: 10.08.2017
