Shades of
"Hanging-Gale B"...
(Front page headline).
Nationalist, October 27th 1951.
Anne Doyle's House.
Three hundred years ago you would
have found a family of Doyles living in the parish of Ballon. Anne
Doyle, a frail old lady of 70 years, is the sole descendant
of that ancient family living in the district to-day. Her
friends think of her as the wretched queen of an unfortunate
tragedy.
Seven years ago she handed over one
acre of her four-acre holding to Carlow County Council in
return for a promise that they would build her a house
there. She occupied the house for a few brief days, but on
October 10th the bailiff and his men put her and her
belongings on the side of the road. For generations the
Doyles of Rathrush lived in a thatched cottage on four
acres, from which they won a bare existence.
Long after her brothers, now dead,
had married and left, Anne and her sister Mary lived on in
the home, which was already showing signs of age. When Mary
died, Anne on the advice of neighbours made a statue acre
over to the County Council, believing that they would build
her a cottage. The plot was fenced off, but the war halted
all building. For seven years she paid the rent of the plot,
and was the acknowledged tenant.
Meanwhile she had left the decaying
homestead and went to lodge with neighbours. At last the
builders arrived and week by week she saw the house she
believed to be hers take shape. Then came the blow. When the
cottage was complete, the Authorities decreed that it would
not go to her. Exasperated, the old woman took up
unauthorised occupation.
The Law held that she had no legal
claim on the house, an Ejectment Order followed, and on the
10th October she watched her belongings being carried to the
roadside. The County Council Secretary, Mr. P.A. Lawler
outlined the official view to our reporter.
Miss Doyle and her sister were alive
when the Council first said they would build the cottage,
and had it been built right away, they would have been
appointed tenants. Mary Doyle has since died, however, and
Anne is alone, and instead the house will go to a married
man with several children.