Connorree or Conary same place depends whose doing the writing. Connorree is the name of a district, mine, mountain in Co. Wicklow, overlooking the sea, about three miles from Ovoca or Avoca once again depends on whose doing the writing. A church was built at Conary in 1859 for the benefit of the men who worked in the Cronebane. Tigroney and Connorree Mines. Those employed in Ballygahan and Ballymurtagh attended the parish church in Avoca, on the opposite side of the river. When you look at the Conary Church building of 1859, very little remains with the exception of the Bell which was made in Dublin. Conary mine was started by Joseph Sakeld in the year 1832. These five mines used to give employment to something like 2,000 men, but in 1892 it was written that there was no more than forty hands engaged at Tigroney. Tigroney mine produced Sulphur and Copper, and Silver had been found in Connorree and Cronebane, the latter giving to the church a memento of fathfulness from the miners as written on a Flagon of Silver uses in Avoca church for Holy Communion was the following inscription*The Produce of Cronebane Mines and gift ye gentleman of ye company of ye said mines, to ye Parish Church of Castlemacdam, ASD 1753"- I saw not a sign of this flagon within the NEW church whilst I was researching there. In fact when I queried it I was given a blank stare. Connorree Mine is the most elevated in position standing above Cronebane on the summit of one of the bleakest and most unprotected mountains in the country. It has been idle for some time, now, and all the well to do people have gone elsewhere. * Noted Miners dispersed from Avoca in c1854 going to Cumberland and many coming on here to mines in Australia. Preachers Book dated March 2nd 1892- he complains of the weather and coldness within the church and the none attendance of parishioners then states " Church closed for repairs; with God's help this will be done" great to say the next report said, 7/11/1892:- Church Consecrated and re-opened, Thank God But in the closing of the Church for repairs it wasnt repaired it was re-built. A gentleman named Mr Fuller, the Diocescan Architect, in his report stated 31/3/1892, *After an experience of nearly thirty years, during which time I have carried out Church works, in every county in Ireland, except two, I can say that with the exception of a case in Co Mayo, I never met a worse one than Conary." How do you get to Conary- well through the town of Avoca and past the Roman Catholic church and on up the hill, follow the signs will get you there. And although I can give you more on the area like everything within this area, the focal point is its Church and church hall. One of the most disputed things you will learn about Saint Batholomews Church Conary is that Percy French ( Irish Song Writer) was not married there in the 1890's, and neither was anyone elses ancestors, it wasnt licenced for marriages to begin with, it simply was only a chapel of ease and marriages were not able to be performed there until 1996, but strangely enough, burials could be done from the church as it has a graveyard, Headstones available ( thanks to Daz and others) and also baptisms were performed there. Children baptised there had surnames of * Baptisms in my files 1-Mates ( Father a 2 families ) 2-Tuke ( Father a miner and farmer 2 families) 3-Bury ( Father a Carpenter) 4- Correll ( Father a farmer) 5-Glanville ( Mine Captain) 6-Culbert ) Labourer) 7-Taylor ( Labourer) 8-Tracey ( Timber man in mines at Connorree) 9-Ashford ( Farmer) 10- Booth ( Farmer) 11-Applebey ( Farmer) 12-Robinson ( Rector) 13-Rogers ( Land Steward) 14-Woolmington ( Farmer) 15- Williams ( Farmer) 16-Whitney ( School teacher and Gardener) 17 -Forcuis (Steward) 18-Bradshaw ( Farmer) 19-Wilson - (Teacher) 20-Cross-Farmer 21-Fanning ( Steward) 22-Dorran ( Farmer) 23-Farr- (Farmer) 24-Hudson ( Farmer) Cheers Cara

Thanks for all that info Cara- it was certainly bleak when we got there last June- I have never got so wet so quickly in all my life and then steamed when the sun came out on the track down to Cronebane. Reading your mail brings it all to life. A tough life for those working- and praying- there. Carol On Tue, May 26, 2009 at 7:52 AM, Cara_Links <[email protected]> wrote: > Connorree or Conary same place depends whose doing the writing. > Connorree is the name of a district, mine, mountain in Co. Wicklow, > overlooking the sea, about three miles from Ovoca or Avoca once again > depends on whose doing the writing. >