The following excerpt from Slater's Directory 1894 gives and interesting description of the village at that time:

“Butler's Bridge, a village in the parish of Castletarra, Barony of Loughtee Upper, in the county and union of Cavan, 2 ½ miles south-west from Ballyhaise railway station. The area comprises 18 acres; the population in 1891 was 94.

Post Office – Mary Fitzpatrick, postmistress. Letters through Cavan. Deliveries, 8.10 a.m. & 1 p.m; dispatches, 9.55 a.m. & 4.35 p.m. The nearest money order & telegraphic office is at Ballyhaise. Catholic Church, Butler's Bridge. Constabulary Station, W. J. Quin, constable.

Commercial

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  Fitzpatrick Mary, grocer
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  Gilcreest J & Co, grocers & drapers
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  Mulligan John, grocer
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  Reilly John, shoemaker
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  Sadler Robert, smith & carpenter
• 
  
  Smith Terence, grocer

Farmer

• 
  
  Tilson Thomas

Five years earlier the following is recorded in the Public house registers in Co. Cavan

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  1886 - Licensed Party James Gilcrest - Owners Reps of P Smith Dec, Belturbet
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  1886 - Licensed Party Rose Mulligan - Owners Earl of Lanesborough, Lanesborough
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  1886 - Licensed Party John O Donnel - Owners Lord of Lanesborough, Belturbet
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  Only 2 are recorded in 1931
• 
  
  James Donohoe - Derragarra
• 
  
  Patrick Reilly - Butlersbridge (Terence Smyth)

One can see villagers had a good choice in shops. Later there were three public houses, each of which sold a selection of groceries, feed stuffs, bluestone and whitestone for spraying potatoes, paraffin oil for lamps, etc.

There was Danny Smith's who hailed from Corriga, Crosskeys, later his son Con’s, now Agatha's public house beside the hall. A previous owner was Mr. John Bartley, grandfather of Noel and Vincent; before that by a Miss Cosgrave, a niece of the previous owner John Mulligan. It was here in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s that many local lads, myself included, emptied washed and cleaned the used half-pint bottles of stout in preparation for bottling. This process involved the release of stout by a tap from a large, raised barrel into a small, enamel vessel from which the empty bottles were filled through four nozzles with a tray underneath to collect the overflow. The bottles were then corked and labeled by a senior worker, in my time, shop manager Eamon Reilly from Keeney, who then placed the bottles into six dozen trays. These were then stacked, stored and drawn upon for use in date order. Danny was a quiet, humorous and generous man and usually paid a half crown for the work. Bottling was discontinued in the mid 1960’s. Other jobs in the house involved the weighing and filling of bags of tea and sugar. In later years we were entrusted in the task of feeding and walking of Con’s greyhounds, usually down the Clones road. There was seldom either an idle or a dull moment.

An interesting account of life during Mr. Bartley's period of ownership was re-counted by Sean Young in the recent publication of "BEHEY SOCIAL CLUB" page 59 in relation to the tradition of card playing.

The game was held in Johnny Bartley's pub which was located on the site now occupied by Agatha Smith's at the present roundabout in the "Bridge". The pub was a single storey thatched building which had a great big open hearth fire. The mode of transport there was by pony and trap.............Bob the pony, trotted along at a steady pace but showed a much greater enthusiasm for his job on the way home. He would often have a full passenger list of 4 adults plus 1 young fellow......... Lighting on the trap was of the token variety and consisted of a carriage lamp on either side powered by a standard candle. It provided little light for navigation but oncoming traffic of which there was very little could see there was some conveyance approaching and it also satisfied the requirements of the law.

Thomas Smyth's business known as “Tommy's” (previously Janey’s) was in the family for generations. His grandfather Terence Smith owned the premises and Janey his daughter married Thomas Smyth, from Cavan Town, an electrician by occupation. Apart from the bar and grocery, this house provided an essential service for owners of the newly developing radio. The 'wireless', as it was then called, was most commonly powered by a two volt wet battery. When the battery needed to be charged it would be left in at Smyth's to be charged for about two days at a cost of approximately an old shilling. It was a fairly elaborate job to have a radio installed in those early days. The radio was usually fixed in one spot in the house normally in the kitchen, with a 30 ft pole outside connecting the aerial to the house chimney, down to the kitchen area. With the advent of rural electrification in the 1950s, the wireless began to disappear. Up until 1955 when the electricity was brought to the country everyone used Tilley lamp and Hurricane lamps for light. These were powered by paraffin oil. Cooking was done on the solid fuel ‘range’ or by prima stove. Everyone took the electricity when it came around the village. The creamery premises were the first to be connected. Tommy Myles brought the ESB poles to the various sites. It eventually made a great improvement in the quality of life, especially in housing and in farming and eventually in time to business and industry. In addition to the usual bar and grocery items available for sale were Yachtman’s, Mick McQuaid’s and Walnut plug tobacco sold in two ounce cuts from a pound weight bar; the long forgotten Kerry Blue, Gold Flake, Albany and Woodbine cigarettes; bottled beers such as Cairnes, Time, Phoenix and a German lager called Patz. This house also bottled it’s own Guinness and, of course, had it’s own label. Janey and Thomas' sons Tommie and Terry ran the business until lately when it was sold. It is now known as the “Highball”. There is a record in the 1821 census of a Hugh Brady aged twenty-four, an Inn Keeper with his mother Mary aged 53, and his brother James aged 15. In Griffiths valuation (mid 1850s) Hugh had property valued 20 pounds in Kilnaglare and Butlersbridge. The family of Hugh Brady was associated with these premises until at least September 1876 when his application for renewal of a publicans license was refused by Cavan petty sessions. Ref http://www.irelandoldnews.com/Cavan/1876/SEP.html . An earlier newpaper extract confirms that his wife had died on the 22nd April 1847. He bought property in Drumahurk for a Fr Hugh Brady's brother John. (Information from Bernard Brady Drumahurk and Charles McCourt Drummany, to very rev. Terence P. Cunningham D.C.L. Breifni (1973-75) page 509)



On the same side of the street beside the chapel garden there has been a confectionery and grocery shop for many years, at present operated by Paddy and Patricia Foynes and known as 'Foynes'. Previously Martin and Geraldine Fitzpatrick had run it. Martin's mother Annie (nee O'Rourke) married Sean Fitzpatrick and ran 'Annie's' as it was known for many years. Before Annie it was owned until 1960 by her parents Kate and Patrick O'Rourke who previously had a smaller grocer shop in the front room of their home (now Brian McEntee’s shop). Kate and her daughter, Annie, also were the chapel sextons. Some children would wait and watch for Annie to go to ring the bell as in her absence her mother, Kate, would serve extra generous helpings, especially of anacide sweets, usually served in a homemade, cone shaped paper bag. Annie’s son, Vincent Fitzpatrick, continues the family tradition of chapel sexton that first began in approximately 1912 when the parish curate Fr. Martin Comey asked Kate to undertake the work. The previous owners were Jimmy Murphy and his wife Cissie (nee Leddy). Albert and Lottie Dunn, together with their two sons Bob and Hubert kept the business there before the Murphys. Mrs. Minnie McDonald recalled that a Miss Mitchell owned this shop at some stage in the past and this lady also did some dressmaking. The 1901 and 1911 Census confirms that Anna Marie Mitchell age 37 was both a shopkeeper and dressmaker and that her mother Mary S. Mitchell in 1901 was living there with her.

The chapel garden is next to this shop. Mrs. Katheen Duffy recalls that as a child there were several flower beds in this garden. The children of the village were allocated specified beds to tend under the supervision of Mrs. Katie Brady, who lived where Harry and Lizzie Condell now reside. Mrs. Brady, originally from Lurgan, Virginia, was married to a Philip Brady who lived and farmed the land where the Myles family later occupied at Innishbeg.

Over the bridge in the townland of Derragarra was another pub, owned up until about 1925 by a James Gilcreest. Around this time the business was taken over by his nephews James and Michael Donohoe. On the night of Thursday, 26th May 1956 these premises were swept by a disastrous fire, which originated in the shop part of the premises. As a result of the fire brigade's efforts, the meal store and a portion of the private dwelling on the north side with its bay window overlooking the river was saved. Andy McEntee recorded, in his account of the event in his 1991 book “Memories”, that the rest of the building was destroyed in just two hours. According to locals, James had gone for a walk and on his return tried to gain access to the burning premises. After the fire the building lay unattended for a short period. In 1957 Packie Keogh of Pullamore, Cavan, bought it for £300. Two years later, in October 1959, Harry O'Connell, an architect from Dundalk, practising in Cavan, purchased the property as a private dwelling for £675. He carried out extensive repairs and in early July 1967 reopened the licensed premises trading as “The Derragarra Inn”. In October 1969, John and Angela Clancy, returned emigrants from the USA, bought the premises for £15,000. John, who originated from Ballyconnell, sold the property in 1992 for € 420,000 to the McKenna family from Emyvale, Co. Monaghan. This family continue to trade successfully to this day in the premises. In the booklet about the Derragarra Inn and Cavan produced by John Clancy, it is mentioned that a John Mulligan operated a public house from the Derragarra premises and also a local post office under the same roof. Apparently a law was enacted which forbade the post office to be located in licensed premises and so the post office was transferred elsewhere. This information concurs with the 1881 Slater's Directory of business in the various towns of Ireland, which records that a John Mulligan was in fact the postmaster in Butlersbridge in that year.

If we go back over the bridge to the Farrell family home, there in the front garden is the lovely monkey-puzzle tree, planted in the mid 1930s, held by Tony while planted by his late mother, Maggie (nee Sheridan). This family also ran a hackney service with two black cars, an Austin and a Dodge. Senator Cole of Cloverhill and Eugene Leddy of Ceilí Band fame were regular customers. They also sold a variety of clothes and footwear, sourced mainly in London and Glasgow, at Fair day markets as far away as Letterkenny, but usually at fairs in Ballinamore, Mohill, Carrickmacross, Ballybay, Arva and Belturbet among other places. Anthony Farrell Snr. with his sons Anthony Jnr., Gerard and Brendan were all involved in the business. The late Gerard’s son Patrick still continues the business up to the present day. In addition, they had two petrol pumps in operation from the mid 1930s, stocking the “Shamrock” brand originally, which was then replaced by a brand called “Lobitos”. Pumps were open all day until 11.30 at night. The Farrell girls, Vera, Pauline and the late Gertie together with their brother Tony were all very talented Irish dancers. This family between them won several All Ireland and Ulster titles in Irish dancing. Tony performed at concerts in the local hall, flanked by Gertie and Vera. Tragically Pauline died aged 26 years of age.

Just a few doors on the northern side of Farrells was Seamus Lane’s Post Office. We have previously referred to the development of the Postal service in the area. We know from the 1911 Census returns, that this premises was the Post Office since 1911. In fact the 1911 Census records a Patrick Markey aged 54 as sub Postmaster. He was born in Co. Monaghan. His wife Mary Jane succeeded him on the 5th. November 912. Mrs. Markey was succeeded by Miss Ellen Brogan (later Mrs. Lane) whose son Seamus Lane succeeded her in May 1955. Seamus served his time in a shop in Carrickmacross. So far, we cannot find a connection between the Brogan and Markey families – if indeed there is one at all. Anyone who can confirm previous locations of post office premises elsewhere, please contact us. Post Office business continued in this building until Seamus died in 1981. The business continues to thrive next door under Postmistress Mrs. Anna Farrell.

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Just beside McEntee's present day butcher shop was the Sheridan family home. In the late 1920's early 30's a sister of John Sheridan, Mary Sheridan had a small grocery, confectionery shop. This closed in the mid to late 1930's.

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Two doors up from where Brian McEntee has his butcher shop at present, i.e. where Tony and Marie Reilly live, was once also a butcher shop. It was owned and operated for many years by Bene Tracey, who came from the Cootehill area. Next-door was Bartley's shop, which was run very successfully, by Mrs. Bartley and her family for many years. This shop was the sole news agency for the village, with the three daily papers sold there. For many years, however, The Irish Press was for sale only in the Foynes family home. Apparently when “The Press” was first published in 1931, none of the village shops at that time would sell it, and so the Foynes family obliged. This continued until soon after the end of World War II, in 1945 when Bartley's stocked it.

Vincent Jnr. ran a traveling shop, starting in 1959 and replacing Golie Fitzpatrick from Kilnalack who had worked for the previsous 14 years in this capacity for Vincent Snr. The run went as far as Farnham, Milltown and Killeshandra. Tea, sugar, bread, butter and flour were sold, often in exchange for eggs which the Bartley family supplied in turn to Cootehill Co-op. When this Co-op closed eggs were supplied to Jim Caffery in Oldcastle -later Milbrook eggs. Prices of eggs varied from 1s 6d - 1s 9d in spring time - early summer to 4s 6d per dozen in autumn when supplies became scarce. Half pound of tea at the time was 3s 8d, 4Ib of sugar was 2s 6d and a pound of butter was 4s 3d.

At Christmas time each year Bartleys held an annual turkey market. In those days most farmers wives reared turkeys for much needed extra cash for themselves and their families at this time of year. Upto 2000 birds were bought on the one day event and the turkeys were in turn sold by Bartleys to the Woods family firm in Cootehill.

When Bartley's closed the news agency was transferred over to Annie's (now Paddy and Patricia Foynes shop)  – just across the street beside the chapel garden. Bartley's was previously occupied as a barrack for the Royal Irish Constabulary, also mentioned in Griffith's Valuations carried out in the 1850’s. I hope to have an article prepared on the Constabulary’s presence in our village as soon as possible.

On the site where the priest’s house now is situated on the Clones Road, was once a school-house (see Philip Smith’s article). This building was used as a forge afterwards for some time before it became the Cusack family home. The Sadler family who owned a great deal of property in the village ran this business. In the 1912 Ordinance Survey Map it is noted that a Smithy operated in the village right beside if not at the Sadler home – which is now owned by the Little family. It may be that the business was transferred from the Clones Road to here. The local forge and blacksmith also played a vital role in the community. Horses and donkeys were brought there to be shoed. The village blacksmith also made and repaired farm equipment, gates, railings, hinges, nails and many many other items. The red hot coals and flames fanned by the bellows, sometimes to more than 1500 degrees centigrade, would heat the metal which then was held with thongs and beaten into shape on the anvil to the required mould. The forge, we can well imagine, was a cosy and comfortable retreat in winter time, surely a place for villagers and farmers to gather.

The following selected verses from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s (1807-1882) poem ‘The Village Blacksmith’ probably describes the setting:

Week in, week out, from morn till night,

You can hear his bellows blow;

You can hear him swing his heavy sledge,

With measured beat and slow,

Like a sexton ringing the village bell,

When the evening sun is low.

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And children coming home from school

Look in at the open door;

They love to see the flaming forge,

And hear the bellows roar,

And catch the burning sparks that fly

Like chaff from a threshing-floor.

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Toiling, --rejoicing, --sorowing,

Onward through life he goes;

Each morning sees some task begin,

Each evening sees it close

Something attempted, something done,

Has earned a night’s repose.

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In a corner of the hall field there was also a black smiths forge run by William (Bill) Wilson, an uncle of Eugene Wilson. This business closed when Bill went of to fight in the first world war.


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In Plush where the Corrigan family now lives, formerly McLaughlin’s, lived the area’s most successful auctioneer/rate collector. This was around the early decades of the 1900’s. He sold houses, land, cows, horses and sold hay to the English, especially during World War 1 – (1914 – 1918). He was known as the ‘Blue R Hague otherwise known as ‘halfpenny’ Hague – a name he is supposed to have attained when as a rate-collector, he passed on with diligence an increase of an old 1/2d. in the rates to the local ratepayers. He was somewhat generous if not a bit unusual in his business method. It is said that when an auction was completed he would tot up the total of the sale due to the vendor and discharge the amount in full. He would in turn receive payment from or pursue the purchasers for funds over time. This account system ensured his popularity around the countryside, and he had a thriving business. He also owned the “Central Café” in the Main Street of Cavan Town located where Patsy Boyle’s Menswear shop is at present.

This property later became the home of Mr. McLaughlin creamery manager whose 2 children died tragically in the year 1950 (Kitsy Aug 1950 and Jackie Oct 1950). Mr. McLaughlin was a successful businessman as well as a creamery manager and his son Jackie according to locals was a considered an inventor/entrepreneur of his day. He had the capacity to convert old cars into tractors, charged wireless batteries, had electric to his house via a "wind catcher" system. In the area he was the first with everything. In the 1940's he built the garage premises located on the Staghall road outside Belturbet occupied at present by Hugh Fitzpatrick. Tragically he departed this world too early.

In Drumsilla, Charlie Leddy’s shop was probably one of the best known and successful shops in the county of Cavan. Charlie worked first in Nahilla creamery and next in Butlersbridge creamery. He then entered the world of commerce before the Second World War when he started a bicycle sale and repair business beside his home. He and his family have lived there for generations. During the war he had an extensive fish supply business, providing the Dublin market with a variety of fish including eel. These fish were caught in the many lakes and rivers all over the county. It was imperative that the fresh fish be brought to the railway station for the earliest train to Dublin where they were then sold on the fish market to merchants who subsequently exported the produce to feed the Allied Forces. Transport was greatly restricted at that time due to petrol rationing. A special permit had to be obtained from the Department for petrol and this was generally reserved for doctors, priests, clergy and others who might need cars for emergencies. This did not deter Charlie’s efforts. According to his son Cathal, Charlie had his motor adapted to run on both gas and petrol with the gas cylinders placed under the bonnet as a decoy for the petrol which was bought on the black market. Charlie’s resourcefulness and ingenuity ensured that, despite the rationing, he always had enough petrol as the need arose.

After the war Charlie embarked on a new enterprise of selling second-hand clothes and footwear mainly sourced from Glasgow. His life-time friend and near neighbour P. (Peter) Leddy worked with him at fairs all over Co. Cavan and the surrounding Counties. Charlie was a very good businessman and this together with his warm and winning personality ensured that the best pitches in each town were reserved for him. Eventually in the mid 1960’s, the advent of the marts replaced the fairs. The business then took off from his home with new stock predominantly sold. Charlie with Gretta his wife, their family of five and neighbour P dealt with the many customers that came from near and far. The ladies were catered for downstairs by Gretta and the men on the first floor. Charlie’s son, Cathal, related one of his father’s favourite anecdotes: “A Northern Irish businessman purchased a complete outfit of suit, shirt, tie, socks and shoes. After payment he inquired if there was a place where he could take a bath. Charlie made the necessary arrangements, after which the gentleman reappeared in the new outfit with the old gear rolled up under his arm and he then departed.”

Charlie died in 1985 and he was predeceased by his wife Gretta in 1975. Tragically, their son Michael who succeeded in the business died in 1986 following a motor accident.

The shop in Drumsilla closed and is now used by Charlie’s son Cathal, as a supply store and offices for his successful “Sally West” chain of ladies fashion outlets.


In Hackelty there was a grocery shop. It was owned and run by Lily Donohoe and was situated nearby the O’Hare family home. By all accounts it did a thriving business until, I understand, around the 1950’s. The property, unfortunately, is now lying in decay.

Spud Donohoe a brother of Lily Donohoe mentioned above penned the following poem that we have been fortunate to retrieve.

ooh come all you jolly sportsmen

that are fond of taken game

and till I relate and truly state

of how I did the same

the latest catch that I have made

has surely crowned my bag

it is a prize this time me boyz

a boly mountain stag

it was on the 4th of August 19 hundred and 4

that I spied this lovely damsel trippen round by Annagh's shores

i bung me favourite cock stick that I cut at James McGlinn's

and say's I me boy I'll change your step before you to Donohoe's whins

I slipped down from the garden and I met him at the lough

and the first shot with me bit of oak I knocked an ankler off

the next shot was a fancy stone I hurled him there and then

and lit upon his carcas like a cock upon a hen

oh then commenced the struggle

the odds was give and take

Robby whacked him like a kettle drum from his rump upto his beak

at lenght he got a homer in right fair upon his middle

the deer looked at him and stuttered out you're Lademan or the devil

I was now upon a message from Lord Farnham to King May

but had I known you hung out here I would have come some other way

the struggle it continued as they both lay on the sod

and his hooves Robby bound together with the whangs out of his clogs

Ahh Robby you have won this fight before my blood is spilled

come on ye boy and tell to me about all the game you've killed

well I took scores of hares and rabbits and otters only too

the wild duck and widgen, the best that ever flew

the diver and baldy that flyed down from sweet kilmore

their wings they don't avail them much, when they light near Annagh's shore

I am a lucky poucher the neighbours all allow

for when the pork was at its height I nailed a corry sow

I never use a double barrell, for a single I don't care

I always use this cocks stick or a little wire snare