Aghowle - Where The Divil Ate The Tinker

Published in December 2017 by Margaret Connolly, with foreword by Ken Hannigan.

Margaret grew up on a small farm in the townland of Aghowle which lies about 4 miles west of the Village of Ashford, on the slopes of Carrick Mountain. This book tells the story of the families who farmed in this area and the life they shared. Using historical documents and recorded memories this book documents the history of the townland and the surrounding areas over four centuries from the 17th century up to the early 1970s, when the close-knit farming community that lived in the townland disappeared in less than a generation. Stories are told of local legends, traditions and lore, good and bad landlords, famine, eviction and forced emigration, impacts on the townland of events in the wider world such as the 1798 Rebellion, the Land League, and two World Wars.

The 10 farmhouses in Aghowle that were still occupied in 1901 are presented in detail, and the succession of families occupying each house are traced through the generations detailing their lives in the valley– good times, hard times, happiness and tragedy – and in many cases their departures and what became of their worldwide descendants afterwards.

Whilst the book is set in Wicklow, the lifestyles depicted and stories told reflect the history of anyone whose origins lie in any small rural townland anywhere in Ireland.

 

Aghowle – Where The Divil Ate The Tinker is currently available from the following bookshops:

Bridge Street books in Wicklow Town, Easons in Arklow,

Dubray in Bray, The Village book shop in Greystones,

The Blessington Book Store, and Barker and Jones Naas,

Also available from the following local shops:

Ann Duffy Florist Newtownmountkennedy, McCoy’s shop Laragh,

The Green Room Roundwood, Chester Beatty’s Ashford,

or directly from Margaret Connolly at applefield_info@yahoo.com

 

 

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