1) In the middle of the 19th century the house known today as The Rocks of Bawn, was owned and occupied by John Plunkett, to whom a daughter Mary was born in 1860. Dan Sullivan, a retired R.I.C. man married Mary Plunkett about 1880 and during the following decade four children were born, Maggie, John, Catherine and Daniel, who later on attended Bawnboy National School. 2) At this time a new house was built on a piece of ground which had been in use as a pound. Today this house is the Post Office, and known as the Corner House. Bawnboy 1902 - Charlie Kearns, Sgt . McCaffrey and Mary McGinn The Cosgroves (McCuskers) of Camagh, Terry and William, bought John Plunkett's first house at this time and with the help of their sister Catherine, kept a pub and grocer's shop on the premises. Dan Sullivan and his family, with John Plunkett all moved to the Corner House where they too, had a shop and licensed premises. By 1894 John Plunkett and Dan Sullivan had died and Mary Sullivan was in charge of the Corner House pub. In the meantime, Catherine Cosgrove had married Jamesy McGriskin of Kiltyclogher, Co. Leitrim and their one and only child Maggie, was born in 1893. Jamesy died in the 1890s. At this time a young man from Co. Westmeath, William Mullally was serving his time as apprentice in Curry's bar and bakery in Swanlinbar. Towards the end of the century William Mullally bought the Corner House pub from Mary Sullivan. Mary and her family left Bawnboy at this time. William married Susan Blake of Derrylin, Co. Fermanagh and a new generation of Mullallys, Tommy, Molly, Etta and Ena made their appearance in the first decade of the 20th century. Across the street at the same time, Kate McGriskin with the help of a local young man, John McGinn was also doing a good trade. Mrs. McGriskin however, fell into bad health and died in January 1905. Her twelve-year-old daughter Maggie, was taken to relatives in Glangevlin on a cold January day in 1905. There was little comfort or shelter in the horse drawn vehicle as they made the journey, and Maggie contracted an illness from which she died. Terry and William Cosgrove were not so keen on continuing the licensed trade. It would be hard to follow in the footsteps of their sister, who had been very popular in Bawnboy. When William Mullally offered to buy the place a deal was made. The Mullallys and their young family now had two pubs facing each other in the same village, and with good management business was brisk. Bawnboy ca. 1910 - Miss Hunt Owendoon, on horseback. Tragedy struck the Mullally family when William aged forty-five died suddenly in 1915. Tommy, the eldest of the children was only a schoolboy at the time. Susan Mullally however, was a good manager. Reliable employees and daughters who were just becoming useful about the house were a great help. It was at this time that the Corner House was let to Tom Reilly (grandfather of Gerry O'Reilly, milk distributor, Belturbet), a native of Mohill. Tom had a pub and grocery there. Two children, Tom and Eileen were born there shortly after which their mother died. Tom's sister, Mary Anne Reilly came from Mohill to look after the children. It was in Bawnboy that Mary Anne Reilly met and married Andrew McPartlan, last Master of the Workhouse. At this time Tom Reilly bought a pub later known as Pee McKiernans, in Ballyconnell. In later years Tom junior lived in Belturbet and supplied milk and bread to the shops of West Cavan. Eileen married Dr. McQuade of Virginia, Co. Cavan. When Tom Reilly in 1923, moved from the Corner House to Ballyconnell he sub-let the premises in Bawnboy to his sister Mary Anne and her husband Andrew McPartlan. Tom was not entitled to sub-let and a successful legal action by Susan Mullally meant that the McPartlans had to leave the Corner House.
Meanwhile the Mullally family grew up. Molly became Mrs. Patrick Woods of Swanlinbar and the Woods family were Patsy (Mrs. Hughes), Fr. Thomas A., P.P. Glenfarne. Liam, RIP, Cora, Irish Sisters of Charity and Margo (Mrs. Godfrey). Etta married Frank Dolphin, Ballyconnell, and had family, Meda, RIP, Sister Angela, Olivia, and Frankie (Dublin). Ena remained single, worked at the family business for a long time in Bawnboy and finished her days in Swanlinbar. Tommy, a noted Templeport and Cavan County footballer married Peggy McDermott, Killashandra, a union which gave us Emmet, now residing in Greystones and Celine who became Mrs. Michael Hayes, Nenagh, Co. Tipperary. The Mullally family prospered in Bawnboy for two generations during which time they acquired several properties in Kilsob and Bawnboy, including Bawnboy Demesne. Tommy Mullally's parlour was one of the great meeting places of committees for the development of parochial and G.A.A. projects. The family retired from business in 1969, when Seán and Peggy O'Reilly then returned from U.S.A., took over the main pub for a little over three years. John McVitty bought the place in 1972 and named his pub 'The Goalpost' - the football was in his blood. He was followed in the mid-eighties by Noel Smith, who renovated and remodelled the premises before opening it as 'The Rocks of Bawn', in December 1985. McCluskey's and The Rocks of Bawn
Front:- Emmet Mullaly, Maureen McManus. Back:- Carmel Bannon, Paul McManus
Last update: 10 March, 2009 19:43 |