Hutt Valley Irish Society

The Irish Press

Ná bíodh do theanga faoi do chrios.

(Don't keep your tongue under your belt)

July 2026

CULTURAL FESTIVAL IN UPPER HUTT

Do you remember how much fun the Cultural Festival at Brewtown was last year? The Management Committee were delighted at how many people visited the event.

So we’re doing it again this year! And we’d like to make it BIGGER and BETTER than 2025.

Planning is already underway, with the date settled upon of 12 September, but we’d love input from other people.

We’re already making plans for :

Traditional DANCING EXHIBITIONS

Help with Tracing family origins and GENEALOGY

Giving GAELIC GAMES a go

Learn how to make Soda Bread

Live music from ever-popular HVIS ‘house-band’ SHINDIG

A traditional CEILI for all to join in & enjoy

Young IRISH SINGERS to entertain and entrance

Justin Reed’S UKELELE BAND will showcase their talents

And of course there’ll also be FOOD & DRINK to keep you fuelled!

And FACE PAINTING, CRAFTS, GAMES galore to keep the kids entertained!

But if you’ve got ideas for other activities, or want to help out, send Darren a message.

We’ll also need volunteers to help with tasks like putting up advertising signs around the Valley. If you’ve got a fence facing a well-used road – get in touch!

And if you think you’d like to ‘lend a hand’, send Darren a message or text him on 021 02932131.

MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE, 2026-27

There were just a few changes to the personnel on the Management Committee after the recent AGM.

President: Darren McClure, Secretary: Shirley Duffy, Treasurer: Kathryn Gahan, Committee: Bryan Mulligan, John O'Toole, Mel Hargaden, Joe Brophy, Kieran Hegarty, Maureen Walsh.

CENSUS OF IRELAND

For family historians, one of the recent landmark events was the release of data from Ireland’s 1926 Census. I’ve mentioned it before, but I thought I’d take my family, and illustrate what sort of information you can discover – you may be surprised!

My family lived on a Townland called Regaskin in Co Cavan. In 1926 there were 4 people called Mulligan in the area. The head of the family was 73 year-old Francis, his wife (aged 62) called Sophia, their son Frank (i.e. Francis, aged 27), and & Francis’ 66 year-old sister, called Sophia.

So we have, living in the same house, two males called Francis (father & son) and 2 females called Sophia – sisters-in-law. As it happens, these names go back at least a generation. Francis & his sister Sophia were children of Francis Mulligan and his wife Sophia Humphrys, who married in 1847. That marriage also produced a James and a Margaret Mulligan, who in the 1870s migrated to and settled in New Zealand – my family!

My records indicate the Francis & Sophia who completed the 1926 Return were married in 1889. They had 9 children, but only 1 of them was living ‘at home’ by 1926. And that was Francis, who was working on the family farm.

What the search I did (for surname Mulligan) doesn’t show is that there were 2 other males who were part of the household – Michael (44) & John (15) Houston. John was single (probably Michael’s son) but Michael was married. However, I haven’t yet identified his wife, who may have died.

The Houston’s are listed as “Servants” to explain their relationship to the Head of Household, although their “Occupation” is given as “Farm Labourer”.

The “Farm” the 4 males worked on seems to have been reasonably substantial. It is listed as being “60 statute acres”, and supported 6 individuals (and possibly more).

The farm is still in the family.

Family lore suggests that the Francis (‘Frank’) who took over the farm after his father’s death wasn’t a particularly successful farm manager. In due course he gave over running the farm to his brother George, who I met when I visited the family in 1995. One of George’s sons, Alec, still runs the farm today, although he’s in his 80s.

One final, intriguing note. The Mulligan family have long been members of the Church of Ireland, attending that church in Ballyhaise. However, the 1926 Census indicates that the 2 Houston males were Catholic. Oddly, to my mind, the Mulligans are listed as belonging to “Christian Church”! Perhaps this is an early indicator of demographic changes which were to re-shape the Republic over the next 50-70 years.

I have given this little dissertation not because I think anyone is especially interested in my family, but because I think there are likely to be people who were unaware of just how much information Ireland’s approach to Census records can provide. Ireland is unusual in preserving, and publishing, the original returns, and the great benefit is that careful examination of them can reveal data which helps, particularly outsiders, understand some of the changes through which Ireland has gone over the course of the last century.

Why not have a look for them and see what else you can discover?

CAPITAL IRISH

Two of our members are amongst the presenters of this regular radio show – Alice Paul and Finbarr Murray. And HVIS is one of the regular sponsors.

Their half-hour show is broadcast each Sunday at mid-day.

If you’ve never heard it, you can hear the most recent episodes, or look back over their previous shows.

You might be surprised by what you find!

BOOK CLUB

The Book Club is holding its next meeting on Thursday 13 August, from 7.30 pm. Their selection is The Magician by Colm Toibin. If you’re interested in joining the group, or maybe starting your own, get a copy of the book to read, and just turn up to their session.

Mark Your Diaries
NOW !

COMINGS & GOINGS

Murray Hill & Elaine McAlister are off to see family in Ireland, and northern Germany at the end of the month. Safe travels!

MEMBERSHIP SUBSCRIPTIONS 2026-2027

Membership subscriptions are now due. Our thanks to those who’ve already paid their Subscription. If you haven’t paid yet, NOW is a good time to renew your membership for the financial year beginning 1 April 2026:

1. See the website for Subscription rates
2. Make payments by DIRECT CREDIT to account number 06-0529-0416815-00. (Use your family name as the reference (or your phone number if you have to use numbers)
3. Tell us you’ve paid by completing the Renewal Form.

You’re of course welcome to invite friends to the Club, but when you do, why not suggest they join up? Especially if they are more or less ‘regular’ visitors. We have forms at the Club for new members, and the subscription rates are LOW! And remember: an AUTOMATIC PAYMENT is Easy as …!

HV FOOD BANK

I have a challenge for you: when you prepare your contribution to our next Pot Luck Dinner, add to it a contribution for the Food Bank.

You decide what to include, drop it in the marked box at the Club – we’ll deliver it!

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

HVIS runs on the efforts of VOLUNTEERS. So we’re always looking for people to help out.

Could you help out on the Management Committee? All positions from President to Committee Members are up for election at the AGM in June. Give it some thought!

What about helping behind the Bar? We have a small group of volunteers, but “the more the merrier”! There is plenty of scope to help, especially Fridays, & Functions.

Let us know how you can help.

1947 ALL-IRELAND FOOTBALL FINAL

This Final, played between CAVAN & KERRY, is the only one to have been played outside Ireland. It was played at the Polo Grounds in New York City, on 14 September 1947.

The decision to play the Final in New York met 2 main criteria: to build support for the code within the large Irish-American community there, and to observe the centenary of the Great Famine, which caused mass Irish emigration to the U.S.

Around 30,000 people attended the final. They watched as, after a slow start, Cavan fought back to lead 2–5 to 2–4 at the break, and then went on to win by four points 2-11 to 2-7.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1947_All-Ireland_Senior_Football_Championship_final

COUNTY GAZETTEER

Vital stats for each Irish County

County: Tipperary / Contae Thiobraid Árann
Province: Munster
County town: Nenagh / Clonmel
Area: 1,662 sq mi (4,305 km2) (Rank: 6th)
Highest elevation (Galtymore): 3,012 ft (918 m)
Population (2022): 167,895 (Rank: 12th)
Nickname: (The Premier County)
Website: Tipperary County Council; Visit Tipperary