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Facts and Events
| Name |
John SPILLANE |
| Gender |
Male |
| Marriage |
|
to Unknown |
"Birch Hill (Cnor Beithe) between Garrycloyne and Waterloo, was the cradle of
the clan. They had a farm there until dispossessed, apparently around the
1840's. But it is not certain that David Spillane was reared on that farm, more
likely it belonged to an uncle of his. There was (and is?) a Spillane family
living the Ringaskiddy district and Uncle David believes that they are the
dispossessed Birchhillers, who moved down there. One was a David Spillane who
was killed accidentally on the quay at Ringaskiddy as the ferry came in from
Cobh. The farm then went to his brother Connie Spillane who sold it. There was
a Michael Spillane who died in that district about 1975 aged 92. He was married
to a Kidney woman from Shambaily. Jer Spillane was a Yank who paid a visit to
Blarney some time 1900-1905. He was a superintendent on the Colorado Railways
had never married and offered to take Uncle David back to the States with him.
(David's Dad said no.) Jer was talking about trying to buy back the old place
on Birch Hill but nothing came of it. Jer had been in a boarding school in his
youth but at the age of 15 had to be withdrawn and taken to the States. Uncle
David believes that Jer was reared on the Birch Hill Farm (thus a nephew of
David Spillane) and that this happened when the family was dispossessed.
Peg Spillane is another (more remote) figure is family memory. She was killed
with a stone in a faction-fight (which fact is supposed to be recorded on her
gravestone in Grenagh). Uncle David would make her an aunt or else a first
cousin of David Spillane. No definite memory survives of where David Spillane
lived or what he worked at but presumably he lived in Blarney village and
worked in the Factory. My mother remembered Nora Ryan being still alive about
1902-1905. Uncle David heard of a Jimme Ryan who was probably a brother of
hers. Uncle David also believes that Nora was a cousin of Hannah Murphy, who
was married to Neal Murphy, the blacksmith ("Ned the Smith") of Coulowen.
Hannah had a brother Danny ("Danny Noble") and a sister Maggie. Maggie married
a Michael Ryan a carpenter from Courtbrack. His brother Dick had a farm there.
So maybe Nora was of the Courtbrack clan and the above Maggie-Michael match was
between 3rd cousins?" - David Spillane
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