Turf Cutting - 24th July, 2005

On July 24th Walsh-Island celebrated the seventieth anniversary of the Irish Turf Cutting Championship on the bog in Monevane. Back in 1935 the first competition took place in Walsh-Island and the then Taoiseach, Eamon De Velera cut the first sod.

The event was organised by Richie Connor who started off the proceedings with a short history of the1935 event and got the two sets of teams going, most of whom never saw a slane let alone use one. But the craic was mighty and lots of cheating and skulduggery took place.

There was a few seasoned turf cutters there also to show the younger generation how it was done including the only woman to cut a couple of sods Beesie Connor, mother of the Connor clan. The youngest boy there catching the sods of turf was Colm Corcoran as his father P.J. cut them and his younger brother and sister, Eoin and Cara, helped to wheel out the barrows. There was a good crowd gathered despite the short notice and the weather. During the afternoon some bright spark decided that Rory Connolly was sweating a bit too much and needed a early dip in the bog hole but it did not go quite as planned because on his way down, he took Ronan Murphy with him.

Liam Corcoran was appointed chief cook for the day and was kept very busy at the B.BQ assisted by Terry Connolly. All in all the day was great fun and ended with a couple of songs from Christie Nolan and Bill Pilkilton who also recited the Angelus at 6 o'clock and then everyone headed home. Liam Corcoran had a bit of a problem when he found that barrows of turf had been mistakenly or otherwise spread all around his car making it very difficult for him to remove it but he took it all in the good humour it was meant to be.

..:: Click on each of the pictures for a better look ::..