10 February-Agnes Mary Clerke

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Agnes Mary Clerke was an astronomer and writer who was a native of Co Cork, Ireland. The author of several books and reviews, she played a major role in bringing astronomy and astrophysics to the public during the Victorian era. The Clerke Crater on the moon is named in her honour. The crater is located near the landing site of the Apollo 17 Lunar mission.

Agnes Mary Clerke was born in Skibbereen, Co Cork in 1842. She was educated at home by her parents. Her father, who had taken courses in astronomy, owned a 4” telescope. From a young age Agnes regularly observed Saturn’s rings and Jupiter’s moons using her father’s telescope.

Having studied advanced mathematics, physics and astronomy, Agnes moved to Florence, Italy. She lived there for ten years studying science and languages. In 1877 she moved to London where she lived until her death in 1907. She published her best known book ‘A Popular History of Astronomy during the Nineteenth Century’. She wrote several other books and contributed articles to Encyclopaedia Britannica and the Catholic Encyclopaedia.

Agnes Mary Clerke, astronomer and writer, was born in Skibereen, Co Cork, Ireland, in the year 1842 On This Day.

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Hector Macpherson

21 April-Kilkenny Workhouse

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In common with towns and cities throughout Great Britain and Ireland workhouses were established in Kilkenny City and Carlow town in the early 1840’s. The Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834 established workhouses in England and Wales. The Act with modifications was introduced in Ireland in 1838 ‘for the more effectual Relief of the Destitute Poor in Ireland’.

Workhouses had existed throughout Great Britain and Ireland prior to 1834 but on a much smaller scale and in a less organised manner. In 1837 George Nicholls was sent to Ireland to see how the British system could be made to work in Ireland. He spent just six weeks in Ireland visiting towns and cities throughout the country, including Carlow and Kilkenny. Daniel O’Connell was derisory about the survey carried out by Nicholls and said ‘He calculated everything and was accurate in nothing.’

The recommendations of Nicholls were accepted by the government in London. Despite vigorous opposition from Irish MPs, of all shades of opinion, the bill introducing the workhouse system to Ireland was passed on July 31st 1838. Work on building the workhouses began immediately and 123 had been built by 1845.

However by 1846 the workhouses that were open were only half full. This was because of difficulties in collecting the money from the rate payers to run the system. There was also a reluctance by people to enter the harsh environment of the workhouse. In order to deter people who were poor but able bodied, conditions for those did enter the workhouse were often miserable. Conditions for people inside the workhouse could never to be better than those enjoyed by people on the outside.

Inside the workhouse men and women had separate accommodation. This divided families. Sleeping areas were cramped, beds were uncomfortable and ventilation and sanitation were poor. Diet was poor and inmates, though often malnourished and in poor health, had to work. Women generally did the domestic work and men were usually involved in growing vegetables or breaking stones.

Each workhouse did have schools for boys and girls and some medical assistance was provided. Overcrowding, hunger and disease particularly during and after the famine led to a very high mortality rate among the inmates. The workhouse system with some modifications continued in operation in Ireland up to 1923. Some were destroyed during the war of independence or as in the case of Carlow were occupied by the military. Others became homes for the elderly and a few became local hospitals.

The workhouse in Kilkenny city, which was located close to the railway station, received its first admissions in the year 1842 On This Day.

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Workhouse

Photo by Internet Archive Book Images

Image from page 108 of “The Industries of Dublin. Historical, statistical, biographical. An account of the leading business men, commercial interests, wealth and growth” (1887)

30 August-Michael and John Banim

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Michael and John Banim were writers who were natives of Kilkenny City, Ireland. During their lifetimes the brothers collaborated in many published works including ‘Tales of The O Hara Family’. For Michael writing was a part time occupation but John became a fulltime author.

Michael Banim was born on August 5th 1796 and his brother John was born April 3rd 1798. They were both educated at the English Academy in Kilkenny and later at Kilkenny College. Michael then began training in law but left at the age of sixteen to work in his father’s business. John showed a talent for art and went to Dublin to study the subject at the Royal Dublin Society Metropolitan College of Art.

Having completed his studies John returned to Kilkenny where he became a teacher of drawing and art. He fell in love with a seventeen year old girl called Anne who was one of his pupils. However the girl’s parents objected and removed the girl from Kilkenny. Her death a few months later had a strong mental and physical effect on Banim. He stopped teaching art and began writing for the Leinster Gazette of which he eventually became editor.

In 1820 John Banim moved to Dublin where he worked as a writer contributing to several Dublin newspapers. In 1821 he published a play called Damon and Pythias. The play became a success and was produced the Theatre Royal in Dublin and the Covent Garden in London. He returned to Kilkenny where he married Ellen Ruth and made plans with his brother Michael to write books which would be illustrative of Irish life.

John Banim then moved to London where he wrote for magazines and the stage. The Banim brothers began writing the material on which they had agreed and sent each other their completed works for correction and criticism. They published the first series of ‘Tales, by the O’Hara Family’ in April 1825. The publication was a success. John Banim later published other works but his health was deteriorating and in 1829 he moved to France on the advice of his doctors.

He continued to write but his health did not improve and he got into financial difficulties. A campaign, which was led by The Times newspaper, was conducted to help him financially. The campaign raised enough money in England and Ireland to ensure his financial security. He returned to Ireland and was granted a pension. He lived for the remainder of his life in Windgap near Kilkenny city where died at the age of forty-four.

Michael Banim stayed in Kilkenny most of his life where he served as Postmaster. He was also elected as Mayor of Kilkenny and continued writing following the death of his brother. He retired and in 1873 moved to Booterstown in Dublin where he died a year later at the age of 78.

John Banim died in the year 1842 and his brother Michael died in the year 1874 On This Day.

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Image from page 9 of “The life of John Banim, the Irish novelist, author of “Damon and Pythias”, &c. and one of the writers of “Tales by the O’Hara family”. With extracts from his correspondence, general and literary” (1857) by Internet Archive Book Images on 1857-01-01 00:00:00