Turlough B. O Bryen (1853-1928), The Bee Man from Co. Clare
Posted: Sun Oct 07, 2018 10:09 am
One of the functions of the Congested Districts Board was to assist agriculture ‘by encouraging and developing knowledge of practical and scientific agriculture and by improvement of the breed of livestock and poultry’. One of the instructors engaged by the Board was Turlough O Bryen, whose expertise was in beekeeping. He came to be known, all over Ireland, as “The Bee Man from Co. Clare”, and is always mentioned in articles on the history of beekeeping in Ireland. One article says, “The Congested Districts Board employed a number of beekeeping instructors, the most famous of which was undoubtedly Turlough O'Bryen (The Beeman from the Co. Clare). He was renowned for his knowledge and enthusiasm. Turlough traveled incredible distances on a bicycle in all weathers to help beekeepers across Ireland. Turlough was a member of the Irish Beekeepers Association and for a time was the chairman” (https://www.irishbeekeepersassociation. ... -past.html)
Turlough belonged to the a branch of the O’Briens, the O’Briens of Glencolumbkille: http://landedestates.nuigalway.ie:8080/ ... sp?id=2139
His death was registered in Corofin in 1928: Turlough Butler O’Bryen, Inchiquin, Gentleman, aged 75; informant: Mary O’Bryen, wife (irishgenealogy.ie). He was born in 1853, but I have found no record of his birth. I see there’s a book on him by James K Watson (1995) and I hope to get a read of it soon. Maybe someone has already read it and can give some more on the Bee Man. I would like to know about his early history and how he came by his knowledge of beekeeping.
In the meantime there’s excellent information on the O Bryens in The Parish of Kilkeedy compiled by Frank Brew (p 112). In writing about Kells Cottage (in the townland of Kells), Brew says that it was an old picturesque homestead, one storey, T shaped, thatched, with an orchard behind. There’s a modern house there now: “The place has long connections with the O’Brien family…. Conor O’Brien who died in 1753 belonged to the Ennistymon branch of the family and spent some time serving in the French army. He married Winifred Crean whose uncle Sir Walter Blake of east Galway provided her with a dowry of three farms and the castle of Glencolmcille. His two grandsons were Terence of Glencolmcille who died in 1850, and Conor of Poplar near Lake Inchiquin who died in 1849. Terence had seven sons, one of whom, Murtagh, was an Inspector in the R.I.C. and his grandson was Turlough Butler O’Bryen who was well known in Clare and Galway as a beekeeking instructor with the Congested Districts Board”.
Brew goes on to explain that the O’Bryens who lived in Kells (in 1901 there are 3 households) were descendants of Conor O’Bryen of Poplar and he gives some information on these, eg. Marianne O’Bryen married Hewitt Bridgeman who then moved from Teernea to one of the O’Bryen houses in Kells, ie. Kells House in the west of the townland. Brew references The O’Briens of Glencolmcille by P.I.D. O’Brien in The Irish Genealogist.
The 1911 census shows Turlough Butler O’Bryen living in Trafalgar Terrace, Dublin, aged 57, Instructor in Agriculture, along with his wife, Mary, his sister Elizabeth (whose religion is Church of Ireland) and Julia Roe, servant. Turlough and Mary are married 11 years, but have no children.
That 1911 census shows Albert and George O’Bryen living Lickaun (Templemaley). They belong to a family of O’Bryens who lived in Clonroad, Ennis (In 1901 they go by “O’Bryan”). They are among the children of Cornelius O’Bryen and Catherine Faulkner. I think this family may be connected to the Glencolumbkille O’Bryens – the Carran baptisms have one entry: 1864: Francis Albert Charles O’Bryen to Connor O’Bryen and Cate Faulkner, Glan; sponsors: Turlough Thos O’Bryan, Maryann O’Brien.
Turlough Butler O’Bryen laid claim to the Earldom of Thomond and the title of “The O’Brien”. This claim went all the way to the House of Lords, who decided against him and in favour of the O’Briens of Dromoland. The Glencolumbkille O Bryens were Catholic – they had chosen to stay with the old religion at some point in their history – maybe that was a mistake. Turlough died in Inchiquin – a fitting place, I suppose. His title was to be "The Bee Man from Co. Clare" - much more memorable than any other.
Sheila
Turlough belonged to the a branch of the O’Briens, the O’Briens of Glencolumbkille: http://landedestates.nuigalway.ie:8080/ ... sp?id=2139
His death was registered in Corofin in 1928: Turlough Butler O’Bryen, Inchiquin, Gentleman, aged 75; informant: Mary O’Bryen, wife (irishgenealogy.ie). He was born in 1853, but I have found no record of his birth. I see there’s a book on him by James K Watson (1995) and I hope to get a read of it soon. Maybe someone has already read it and can give some more on the Bee Man. I would like to know about his early history and how he came by his knowledge of beekeeping.
In the meantime there’s excellent information on the O Bryens in The Parish of Kilkeedy compiled by Frank Brew (p 112). In writing about Kells Cottage (in the townland of Kells), Brew says that it was an old picturesque homestead, one storey, T shaped, thatched, with an orchard behind. There’s a modern house there now: “The place has long connections with the O’Brien family…. Conor O’Brien who died in 1753 belonged to the Ennistymon branch of the family and spent some time serving in the French army. He married Winifred Crean whose uncle Sir Walter Blake of east Galway provided her with a dowry of three farms and the castle of Glencolmcille. His two grandsons were Terence of Glencolmcille who died in 1850, and Conor of Poplar near Lake Inchiquin who died in 1849. Terence had seven sons, one of whom, Murtagh, was an Inspector in the R.I.C. and his grandson was Turlough Butler O’Bryen who was well known in Clare and Galway as a beekeeking instructor with the Congested Districts Board”.
Brew goes on to explain that the O’Bryens who lived in Kells (in 1901 there are 3 households) were descendants of Conor O’Bryen of Poplar and he gives some information on these, eg. Marianne O’Bryen married Hewitt Bridgeman who then moved from Teernea to one of the O’Bryen houses in Kells, ie. Kells House in the west of the townland. Brew references The O’Briens of Glencolmcille by P.I.D. O’Brien in The Irish Genealogist.
The 1911 census shows Turlough Butler O’Bryen living in Trafalgar Terrace, Dublin, aged 57, Instructor in Agriculture, along with his wife, Mary, his sister Elizabeth (whose religion is Church of Ireland) and Julia Roe, servant. Turlough and Mary are married 11 years, but have no children.
That 1911 census shows Albert and George O’Bryen living Lickaun (Templemaley). They belong to a family of O’Bryens who lived in Clonroad, Ennis (In 1901 they go by “O’Bryan”). They are among the children of Cornelius O’Bryen and Catherine Faulkner. I think this family may be connected to the Glencolumbkille O’Bryens – the Carran baptisms have one entry: 1864: Francis Albert Charles O’Bryen to Connor O’Bryen and Cate Faulkner, Glan; sponsors: Turlough Thos O’Bryan, Maryann O’Brien.
Turlough Butler O’Bryen laid claim to the Earldom of Thomond and the title of “The O’Brien”. This claim went all the way to the House of Lords, who decided against him and in favour of the O’Briens of Dromoland. The Glencolumbkille O Bryens were Catholic – they had chosen to stay with the old religion at some point in their history – maybe that was a mistake. Turlough died in Inchiquin – a fitting place, I suppose. His title was to be "The Bee Man from Co. Clare" - much more memorable than any other.
Sheila