Guys Directory of 1886 – Desertserges, County Cork

Post office and parish, situate south side of the Bandon river, 4m west of Bandon.  Population of parish 2659.  Desertserges is so called from being the hermitage of Serghus, a disciple of St Colman, who had a church dedicated to him in the townland of Kilcolman, which has since disappeared.  A great part of parish  consists of rough pasture and bog; land generally cold, but in some places moderately fertile.  Numerous forts scattered over the parish; one, the most extensive and in best preservation, surrounded by earthworks and fosses, stands on the lands of Kilmoylerane.  In the north eastern part of the parish are traces of the old church of Garryvoe.  The remains of Derry castle form an interesting ruin, and several upright stones called gollanes are scattered through the parish.  A pagan burial ground exists on the top of Keel hill.  At Currane is a very powerful chalybeate spring, the waters of which contain large quantities of sulphur and iron held in solution by carbonic acid gas

Postal address – Desertserges, bandon.  Ballineen 2m.  nearest money order and telegraph office

Postmaster – J Smyth

Conveyances – Desert a station Cork & Bandon Ry; three trains daily

Poor Law – Union of Bandon; Dispensary and registration district of Murragh (pop of dist 4,180) including electoral divisions of Bengour, Boulteen, Cashel, Murragh and Teadies

Med officer and Regr – Dr Orpen Beamish, Enniskean

Petty Sessions: District of Ballineen

Constabulary district of Dunmanway; sub district of Ballineen

Gentry and Clergy

Beamish Richard, Desert cottage

Crowley Rev John, CC

Jagoe Samuel, Farrannasheshery

Lamb Rev Walter, AM, rec, Kilcolman Park

Longfield Gen John, Kilcolman House

Longfield William, JP, Church Hill,

Moore Joseph, Mount Beamish

Schools

National, Kilcolman.  Head teacher – John Deasy

National, Maulnarouga.  Head teacher – Richard Patterson

Ch. E. Society.  Master – D J. McCarthy

Principal Farmers

Parish Desertserges

Bateman John, Maulnarouga

Beamish John, Cashelmore

Beamish William, Maulbrack

Bennett Abraham, Killeen

Bird Edward, Knocknagallagh

Bryan Daniel, Breaghna

Buttimer John, Kilcolman

Buttimer Thomas, Knocks

Canniff Daniel, Cappa

Canniff Timothy, Cappaknockane

Clarke James, Castlederry

Coffey Timothy, Knockmacool

Coghlan John, Knocknanuss

Collins James, Willsgrove

Combes John, Kilmoylerane South

Crowley John, Carhoovauler

Crowley Timothy, Knocknagallagh

Daunt Benjamin, Willsgrove

Daunt William Gash, Kill South

Donovan David, Killeen

Donovan John Jun, Killeen

Donovan John, Knocknanuss

Donovan Patrick, Derrymeeleemn

Dullea Charles, Maulnarouga

Dullea Maurice, Kilmoylerane

Dwyer Daniel, Maulbrack

Flynn John, Cashel

Flynn John, Tullymurrihy

Flynn Patrick, Cashelmore

Flynn Patrick, Tullymurrihy

Giles John, Kill

Good John, Ballyvoige

Good William, Cappa

Joyce James, Cashelbeg

Long John, Aghyohill

Long Timothy, Coxestown

McCarthy C, Maulnarougga

McCarthy Denis, Kilcolman

McGivern Patrick, Lisnacunna

Madden John, Kill

Mahony Cornelius, Currane

Moore Henry, Maulbrack

Murphy John, Knocknanuss

Nicholson Joseph, Kilrush

O’Regan Jeremiah, Kilcolman

Ottley George, Kill

Perrott John, Coxestown

Perrott John, Lisbehegh

Poole John, Maulbrack

Ryan Denis, Knocknagallagh

Sealy Thomas, Kilcolman

Shorten John, Derrymeeleen

Slyne Heremiah, Ardkitt

Smyth James, Cappa

Smyth Joseph, Maulnarouga south

Sullivan David, Cashelmore

Sullivan John, Aghyohil

Sullivan John, Carrigroe

Sullivan John, Farrannasheshery

Sullivan John, Kilcolman

Walsh James, Kilnameela

Walsh David, Aghyohilmore

White Edward, Carhoovauler

Wolfe Benjamin, Kilcolman

Wood John, Kilnameela

Wood Ralph, Maulbrack

Wood William, Ballyvoige