Great Dungarvan Characters

John Wall

June 1893
I never saw Wall weigh a firkin

Richard.J.Ussher, JP Cappagh House had been appointed Butter Taster for life by the Dungarvan Town Commissioners in 1874. He appointed John Wall as Deputy Butter Taster to oversee the butter market in 1881. Wall was paid £75 a year.

E.O'Shea - The butter market is the ratepayers principle means of income.

M.J.Casey - I never saw Wall weigh a firkin.

J.Cullinane - Why not lock the door and let no one in. The market was not paying.

Mar 1895
Wall was doing this out of spite

Dungarvan Board of Guardians

Letter received from John Wall, Dungarvan, stating that a member of the Board of Guardians, John Curran, was involved in a contract for straw. Wall had tendered for the contract and had offered the lowest tender, but the contract went to Miss O'Brien of Ballymacart. This straw was really supplied by John Curran. Michael J.Casey said Wall had lost the milk contract that year and his butter salary was not paid and he was doing this out of spite.

A majority of the Guardians then voted for a sworn enquiry.

John Curran denounced Guardians who posed as Nationalists upholding British law, which was meant to oppress and crush the people of this town.

Richard Ussher said he didn't think it was a compliment to say that if Home Rule became a fact that they would ignore the passing of laws to prevent wrong doing at public boards.

Mar 1895
Another contract supplied by a Guardian

John Wall wrote to the Guardians to say that bacon supplied to the Workhouse by Ellen Walsh was really supplied by Michael J.Casey. The contact was for £2 3s 4d.

Guardians voted for a sworn enquiry.

May 1896
I say the people will rise up and hurl you from this room

(The Commissioners complained that Wall's salary (£50) was greater than the revenue from the butter market, so they closed the council butter premises and refused to pay Wall's salary. The butter market moved to R.A.Merry's where to the Commissioner's chagrin it was a great success.)

James F.Ryan - Is there any hope of getting our butter market out of Merry's store and getting it back to our place ?

Captain Richard Curran - We could not pay an impossible salary.

John Scanlan - The butter market is gone and the town is ruined...It is a great shame that the Board is ruled by the two Currans and Casey.

Ryan - They are not going to wipe out men of intelligence here...My God, your private vengeance will ruin the town.

Ryan (to John Curran) - I say the people will rise up and hurl you from this room on account of the butter market - sending it down amongst a lot of Methodists and psalm singers at the end of the street (applause). Now let any man get up and contradict me.

May 1897
Manure seized

Bailiffs, acting for John Wall, who was owed £12 10s wages by the Town Commissioners, seized manure that was about to be auctioned by the Commissioners at their depot.

Aug 1922
He would not submit to the IRA

An exciting incident and one which threatened tragic circumstances occurred at Dungarvan on Monday. It appears that some members of the IRA stationed at Dungarvan barracks called at the residence of Mr John Wall, for the purposes of taking way whatever bicycles he had on his premises...The IRA men entered on the premises and while searching the house, Mr Wall succeeded in locking two of them in a room. He then procured his loaded guns, both double barrels, and went outside the door on armed guard. Soon three lorries of the IRA came to the vicinity of the place and in military action took up positions. Mr Wall meanwhile guarded the front of his house while his son guarded the door. The IRA approached and called on Mr Wall to submit. He refused to do so. A large crowd gathered around the place. The military advanced and some alert people called on the priest and Rev. Father Hearn came on the scene as well as Mr M.J.Casey and Dr Hacket. It is said but for the intervention of Father Hearn there would have been bloodshed for one of the IRA had his revolver presented at Mr Wall ready to fire, while Mr Wall had him covered with his gun. Father Hearn rushed between them, and with some dissuasion no shots were fired, but the military arrested Mr Wall and his son and had them taken to the barracks. With them went Mr Casey and Dr Hackett and after about half an hours detention they were released and returned home. Numbers of bicycles, as well as motor cycles and motor cars, have been commandeered in the town and taken to the barracks.