House No

Name

Relationship

Age

Occupation

Status

Years Married

1

Thomas McDonald

Head of Family

48yrs

Grocer Dealer Provision.

Single

Thomas McDonald, in 1911 rented what is now The High Trees in Arles, and a farm of land from Patrick Hanlon. I remember going there for messages during 1926 to 1929. As far as I can remember, he sold everything and spent the money on plenty of the drink.  Some time during the First World War, he borrowed money and purchased the shop including quite a big farm, but hard times came and the bank took over the farm and left him in the shop. The farm, which extended from the monument to Fr Killian's house, was divided up by the Land Commission in 1939. Fr Killian got the field called the Cupoge, which later became the site for Arles new school and Garda Station. Tom McDonald died sometime in the early thirties and the pub and shop remained closed except for one day in the year, when it opened to keep the licence active. In 1939 Mr Kehoe came in and reopened the grocery and pub now occupied by Mr Kennedy.

2

Patrick Brennan

Head of Household

48yrs

Agriculture Labour

Married

Married 27 years

Mary Ryan and daughter lived nearly opposite the old school masters house in a very poor thatched mud house. I am sure she was nearer 41 than 31 in 1911. I remember her as an old lady using a walking stick to walk. I think there are still relatives of her, living in Arles.

More Scully’s - four children, never married, lived in a house on the right going down the Arles Rd between Tom Brophy's and Moran’s. They were all slightly gullible. Brian and family lived there from the early forties to …?

The house has been empty since 2000. Teresa Scully, a strange woman; very poor lived there on her own., died 1940. She kept a lot of goats and numerous cats inside or outside. Most children were frightened of her appearance. Her answer to her poverty was to go out very early in the morning with her can and fill it with milk from any cow, in any field. When she was discovered, she moved to a different field. That went on and off for years, the guards watching, caught her in the act, took her to court, bound her over to keep the Peace.

Most people were outraged and farmers even left cans of milk on her doorstep.

Nobody agreed that it was necessary to make her go to court.

P. S.

I remember going to her funeral, Fr Killian was waiting at the Chapel gate, as there was no alter boy present, he asked me to take the part. That was my very last experience as an alter boy. A lot of people came because of the court case. Ah it never should have been.

Fr Murray is buried in Arles. I heard my mother taking about Fr Boland, he transferred to another parish.

Note, both PP and CC lived in the one house. I wonder who lived in Rathtillig House, 1911.

Note the Discrepancy in age: March 31st 1901 Census.

Thomas Nolan Aged 42 RC, School Teacher Arles School Address: Ashfield.

Kate Nolan Aged 35 School Teacher Arles School Address: Ashfield.

Thomas Nolan was a Doonane school teacher before moving to Arles. My Father who left Arles School in 1901 often talked about him.

This family lived up a laneway on the left just before you come to Malone’s.

Note James 54, Angela 43, married 22 yrs (had 15 children) 9 living, and the Priest said " go home woman, don't upset your husband and do your duty".

Four of them went to America, never returned. Patrick married and lived in Rossena had two children, Tom & Christine neither of them married. Both dead.

Tom was the very last of the Hayden’s. I used to go and see him every year at his house in Clopook. He still owns the farm in Arles, which includes the cover. The old house is still there covered in bushes, you have a photo of Tom at Marten Redmond’s funereal, Tom died last year (2005). He told me, he did not have a near relation to leave his two farms to. He lived on his own in a very run down house with no heating and clutter everywhere, but he was very happy and content.

I remember old Bill Kelly and Sarah very well; he was one of the few people to drive a car in the early thirties, a kind of gentleman farmer.  When they died, Larry Brophy purchased the farm for his son Tom. The entrance to the farm in my time was a laneway from Officer Brennan's house.  The farm servants Willie and Mary Tunstead came from Maidenhead. (Never married).

Liza Lawler died 1934. If you went down the monument, turn left; her house was the second on the right. Ned Moran1936, became the new owner, he emigrated to Luton with family in? 1960. Joe Murphy from down the road married with one child purchased the farm and house and went to live there. He died 1972.

His wife sold the whole lot to Mr Graham of Tolerton. Mrs Graham now retired was a school teacher in Ballylinan.

James White lived in that house at the top of the monument. He was found guilty in court of burning down Tom McDonald's shop, causing much damage to stock in drinking room. He was ordered to leave the area forever.

He returned only once to be buried in Arles.