Count John McCormack. Illustration by Derry Dillon, extracted from Past Tracks (2021).

The stories of a Victoria Cross winning drummer boy, a world heavyweight boxing champ, a deadly hurricane, the Earls of Athlone, Count John McCormack, and a brilliant bandmaster who performed at the inauguration of six US presidents. Extracted from Past Tracks.

*****

AN UNFORGETTABLE NIGHT

The Night of the Big Wind in 1839 was the most powerful hurricane to hit Ireland in recorded human memory. The elderly Lord Castlemaine was fastening his bedroom shutters at Moydrum Castle, just east of Athlone, when the storm blew the windows open and hurled him ‘so violently upon his back that he instantly expired’. His brother-in-law, the Earl of Clancarty, lost nearly 20,000 trees from his estate in nearby Ballinasloe that same night. Now a ruin, Moydrum Castle appeared on the cover of U2‘s 1984 album, The Unforgettable Fire. 

THE DRUMMER BOY

Thomas Flynn of Athlone was a 15-year-old drummer boy when he won a Victoria Cross for bravery during the ‘Indian Mutiny’, or the Indian War of Independence, of 1857. Sadly, his later career was not so successful. He was sentenced to military detention 14 times, notching up almost 600 days, before being discharged. He moved to America, settling in Pennsylvania with a wife and children. By 1880, he was in England, working as a navvy on the railways. Returning to Ireland, alone and bankrupt, he died in the Athlone Workhouse in 1892, aged 50. He was buried in Cornamagh Cemetery. He remains the joint-youngest VC winner to date.

BARE-KNUCKLE CHAMP

Athlone was the birthplace of Jimmy Elliott, a notoriously aggressive bare-knuckle boxer who was world heavyweight champion from 1865 to 1868. Elliott’s life plunged into disaster when he was sentenced to 16 years in a Philadelphia jail for assault and highway robbery. He was later shot dead in Chicago. Athlone was also the birthplace of Catherine Kelly, mother to John L. Sullivan, the ‘Boston Strong Boy’. He was the last bare-knuckle heavyweight champion in the US, as well as one of its first glove boxing champs. He was also world champion in 1888 and the first American athlete to earn over $1 million.

THE EARLS OF ATHLONE

The first Earl of Athlone was Godard de Ginkell, the Dutch general who led William of Orange’s forces to victory over the Jacobites in Athlone in 1691. The title died out in the 1840s but was renewed in 1890 as a junior title for Prince Eddy, heir to the British throne. When the prince died during an influenza pandemic in 1891, the title again ceased to exist. It was created a third time in 1917 for Prince Alexander of Teck, who served as Britain’s Governor-General of South Africa in the 1920s. His wife, Alice, Countess of Athlone, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria, was the longest-lived British princess in history, dying aged 97 in 1981.

FATHER OF THE AMERICAN BAND

Patrick Sarsfield Gilmore was once the most famous entertainer in the USA. Born in Ballygar in 1829, he spent six years studying music in Athlone before emigrating to Boston aged 20. He excelled as a bandmaster, composer, conductor and showman. His band performed at the inauguration of six US presidents, as well as the ceremony to open the Statue of Liberty. He also organised some of the biggest musical festivals the world had yet seen and wrote the anti-war ballad ‘When Johnny Comes Marching Home’, arguably the most famous song of the US Civil War. His funeral in 1892 was among the biggest in New York history.

THE SINGING COUNT

Recorded by Count John McCormack, ‘It’s a Long Way to Tipperary’ and ‘Keep the Home Fires Burning’ are two of the best-known songs of the First World War. This brilliant tenor was born in Athlone in 1884. His parents worked at the Athlone Woollen Mills, where his father was the foreman. As a boy, John sang in the choir of St Peter’s Church, Athlone. Following operatic training in Milan, he launched a hugely successful career which reached an apex in 1932 when he performed at the Eucharistic Congress in Dublin. Record sales made him a multi-millionaire and a global star. He was appointed a Papal Count by Pope Pius XI in 1928, in recognition of his work for Catholic charities.

*****

BAILE ÁTHA LUAIN (Translations by Jack O’Driscoll)

OÍCHE NACH nDÉANFAR DEARMAD UIRTHI GO DEO

Ar Oíche na Gaoithe Móire in 1839 tháinig an spéirling ba chumhachtaí a tháinig chun na hÉireann de réir chuimhne na ndaoine. Bhí Tiarna Castlemaine, a bhí ina sheanaois ag an am, ag dúnadh chomhlaí a sheomra codlata ag Caisleán Mhaigh Droma, díreach soir ó Bhaile Átha Luain, nuair a shéid an stoirm na fuinneoga isteach agus caitheadh é ‘chomh tréan sin ar a dhroim is go bhfuair sé bás ar an toirt‘. Chaill a dheartháir céile, Iarla Clancarty, beagnach 20,000 crann ar a eastát i mBéal Átha na Sluaighe in aice láithreach an oíche chéanna. Níl ach fothrach ann anois ach bhí Caisleán Mhaigh Droma le feiceáil ar chlúdach an albaim a chuir U2 amach in 1984, The Unforgettable Fire.

AN DRUMADÓIR BEAG

Ní raibh an drumadóir beag Thomas Flynn as Baile Átha Luain ach 15 bliana d’aois nuair a fuair sé an Chros Victeoiriach as a chrógacht le linn ‘Cheannairc na nIndiach’, nó Cogadh Saoirse na hIndia, in 1857. Ar an drochuair, níor éirigh chomh maith céanna leis ina dhiaidh sin. Gearradh coinneáil mhíleata air 14 huaire – beagnach 600 lá san iomlán – sular scaoileadh amach é. Bhog sé go Meiriceá agus chuaigh sé a chónaí in Pennsylvania lena bhean chéile agus a chlann. Faoin mbliain 1880 bhí sé ag obair i Sasana mar naibhí ar an iarnród. D’fhill sé ar Éirinn ina aonar agus gan phingin agus fuair sé bás i dteach na mbocht i mBaile Átha Luain in 1892 nuair a bhí sé 50 bliain d’aois. Cuireadh é i Reilig Chorr na mBeach. Tá sé ar an duine is óige a fuair an Chros Victeoiriach go dtí seo, in éineacht le daoine eile.

CURADH DORN-NOCHTA

I mBaile Átha Luain a rugadh Jimmy Elliott, dornálaí dorn-nochta a raibh cáil air as a ionsaitheacht agus a bhí ina churadh trom-mheáchain an domhain ó 1865 go 1868. Tharla cor tubaisteach ina shaol nuair a gearradh téarma príosúnachta 16 bliana in Philadelphia air as ionsaí agus gadaíocht mhórbhealaigh. Scaoileadh marbh é in Chicago ina dhiaidh sin. Is i mBaile Átha Luain freisin a rugadh Catherine Kelly, máthair John L. Sullivan, ar ar tugadh an ‘Boston Strong Boy‘. Ba é an curadh dorn-nochta deiridh sna Stáit Aontaithe é agus bhí sé ar dhuine de na chéad churaidh i ndornálaíocht le miotóga. Ba é curadh an domhain in 1888 é freisin, agus bhí sé ar an gcéad lúthchleasaí Meiriceánach a thuill os cionn $1 milliún.

IARLAÍ BHAILE ÁTHA AN RÍ

Ba é Godard de Ginkell céad Iarla Bhaile Átha Luain. Ba ghinearál de chuid na hÍsiltíre é a bhí i gceannas nuair a fuair na fórsaí Oráisteacha an ceann is fearr ar na Seacaibítigh i mBaile Átha Luain in 1691. Chuaigh an teideal in éag sna 1840idí ach athnuadh é in 1890 mar theideal sóisearach don Phrionsa Eddy, arbh é oidhre ríchathaoir na Breataine é. Nuair a fuair an prionsa bás le linn phaindéim an fhliú in 1891, chuaigh an teideal in éag arís. Cruthaíodh é den tríú huair in 1917 don Phrionsa Alexander de Teck a bhí ina Ghobharnóir Ginearálta na hAfraice Theas thar ceann na Breataine sna 1920idí. Ba é a bhean chéile, Alice, ar Chuntaois Bhaile Átha Luain agus gariníon na Banríona Victoria í, an banphrionsa Briotanach ab fhaide saol i stair na tíre nuair a fuair sí bás in 1981 in aois a 97.

ATHAIR AN BHANNA CEOIL MHEIRICEÁNAIGH

Bhí Patrick Sarsfield Gilmore ar an siamsóir ba cháiliúla in SAM tráth. Rugadh i mBéal Átha Ghártha in 1829 é. Chaith sé sé bliana ag déanamh staidéir ar cheol i mBaile Átha Luain sula ndeachaigh sé go Bostún ar imirce nuair a bhí sé 20 bliain d’aois. D’éirigh go han-mhaith leis mar bhannamháistir, mar chumadóir, mar stiúrthóir agus mar fhear seó. Chas a bhanna sé huaire ag an searmanas oirnithe le haghaidh uachtarán Mheiriceá, chomh maith leis an searmanas chun Dealbh na Saoirse a oscailt. Anuas air sin, d’eagraigh sé roinnt de na féilte ceoil ba mhó dá bhfacthas an tráth sin agus scríobh sé an bailéad frithchogaidh, ‘When Johnny Comes Marching Home‘, agus d’fhéadfaí a rá gurb é sin an t-amhrán is cáiliúla ó Chogadh Cathartha na Stát Aontaithe. Bhí a shochraid in 1892 ar cheann de na sochraidí ba mhó i stair Nua-Eabhrac.

AN CUNTA A CHANANN

Tá na hamhráin ‘It’s a Long Way to Tipperary’ agus ‘Keep the Home Fires Burning’, a chuir an Cunta John McCormack ar taifead, tá siad ar na hamhráin is fearr aithne ón gCéad Chogadh Domhanda. Rugadh an teanór sárchumasach seo i mBaile Átha Luain in 1884. D’oibrigh a thuismitheoirí i muileann olla an bhaile, áit a raibh a athair ina shaoiste. Nuair a bhí sé ina bhuachaill, chan John sa chór in Eaglais Naomh Peadar agus Pól, Baile Átha Luain. Tar éis dó dul faoi oiliúint sa cheoldrámaíocht i Milano, chuir sé tús le gairmréim an-rathúil arbh é a buaicphointe an uair ar chan sé ag an gComhdháil Eocairisteach i mBaile Átha Cliath in 1932. Thuill sé ór agus airgead as ceirníní a dhíol agus ba réalta dhomhanda é. Cheap an Pápa Pius XI ina Chunta é in 1928 mar aitheantas ar an obair a rinne sé ar son carthanachtaí Caitliceacha.