HISTORY SPECIAL: The Big Wind - extreme flooding, strong winds and damage done across Offaly

THE recent extreme weather and flooding prompted me to look at some reports in the past of such freak weather conditions.
The floods of 1787 and the Great Wind of 6–7 January 1839 (Oíche na Gaoithe Móire) come to mind. Both events have been commented on by the Birr historian Thomas Lalor Cooke (died 1869). Cooke was fond of writing to the press, usually anonymously, but at the same time leaving enough clues to know that he was the author. His first book on the town of Birr published anonymously 200 years ago this year is a good example of that.
In the second edition of Cooke’s history published in 1875, six years after his death, Cooke wrote for the planned update that there was about 1620, a bridge over the Camcor River, leading into the town at the end of Castle Street, near the castle. This bridge, Cooke said, crossed the river opposite to the old church, where the distillery yard was in later days later the Williams Waller maltings, and led from Brendan's Well, which was close to the river on the opposite side ; and from Killeen and Croghan in Tipperary, by a now long unused and closed up road.
This old bridge was swept away by a flood in 1787, but some remains of it were to be seen in late years. There was also a wooden trough formerly across the river here, which conveyed water, raised by a wheel worked by the river, from Brendan's Well to a cistern which stood where the distillery yard was afterwards.
A contemporary report in the Dublin press confirms what Cooke recorded:
The oldest inhabitant does not remember to have seen anything in the least degree to equal the extent of the flooding owing to the late heavy rains. It is said that the bridge at Banagher has been destroyed.
On Sunday it commenced a violent and continuous rain which did not abate until the following night. This flood prevailed all over Ireland and did great destruction to life and property.

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The night of the Big Wind in Birr, 1839

This year 2026 marks the bi-centenary of the first issue of The Picture of Parsonstown (Dublin, 1826) by the Birr solicitor Thomas Lalor Cooke. Cooke wrote of the effect of the storm in Birr as in an unattributed article on 10 January 1839 in the Dublin Evening Post.3 The style and his inclusion of his own house and its telescope was typical of Cooke.

“Birr, 9th January – This town was visited on the night of Sunday and morning of Monday last by the most awful tempest that has, perhaps, over occurred in Ireland. The wind blew during the hurricane S.W. by W., and the barometer, so early as seven o’clock in the evening, indicated the approaching convulsion.
While I was at dinner my attention was drawn to this most useful philosophical instrument by one of my children, who asked me if we were going to have a storm as the quicksilver had suddenly sunk.
Upon looking at an excellent mountain barometer, which, in the middle of the day stood at 29.1 inches, I found that it had descended to 28.65 inches. It afterwards, as the wind sprung up, full to 28.5 inches, which was the lowest point I observed during the tempest.
It is remarkable that about six weeks ago the same barometer sunk so low as 28.1 when the gale was comparatively mild.
From the hour of eleven to half past two in the morning the wind blew with terrific violence. It would be impossible in the space of a letter to enumerate all the damage done by it in this and the neighbouring towns.
The roofs of several houses in Birr have been blown in, and chimneys and walls levelled; and a great and many, under the kindness of Providence, have been the hair-breadth escapes of the inhabitants.
The Military barracks here, as well as other houses were much injured and a gr
eat number of houses stripped. The very large telescope, constructed by Lord Oxmantown, which with its carriage weighs about five tons, was lifted off its platform and carried a short distance, but very fortunately owing to the small surface it presented to the gale, this [example] of the Noble Lord’s great science, ingenuity and perseverance, escaped from any serious injury.
Mr Cooke’s dwelling-house and offices were almost totally laid bare and the dome (weighing about 7 cwt) which covered a reflecting telescope on it small tower, was lifted up with its wall plate, and carried off into the adjoining plot. The telescope itself escaped uninjured.
Some of the spires which crowned the buttresses of the Roman Catholic Church here were blown down; but the lofty spire over the principal entrance remains uninjured to testify to the ability of Mr. Mullins the eminent architect who planned it.
Lead, tiles chimney pots, glass, trees, hay and shrubs, on the following morning lay scattered in one common chaos around the town. However, we have providentially escaped with thrifting damage when compared with other neighbouring towns.
At Ballyloughlnane, about a mile hence, a boy was killed and another so dreadfully wounded that he cannot survive. Two ladies have been killed at Kinnitty, and one at Lettybrook the seat of Captain Drought.
Many houses have been destroyed by fire and the storm at Banagher; more have been levelled at Frankford; a person has been killed at Ballycowen.
A large portion of Athlone, Kilbeggan and Loughrea are levelled or have been burned. About half-past two o’clock the barometer began to indicate a cessation of the hurricane.
Its ascent was so rapid that it could be almost seen ascending, and soon after stopped its rapid career.
The day before Cooke’s letter appeared the Freeman’s Journal reported: That Mr. P. Dillon, Coroner for [north] Kings Co. came to Tullamore to hold inquests on the bodies of persons killed in consequence of the recent storm. Several houses in Clara were burned and several lives have been lost there. Many houses were also burned in Kilbeggan and a vast portion of the timber in the neighbourhood has been blown down.
This included extensive woods at Charleville, Tullamore. The new Mercy convent in Tullamore at Bury Quay/Convent Road, then in course of construction, was also damaged, but soon repaired by the patron Michael Molloy, the distiller.

Next instalment: Three deaths in Kinnitty due to the Great Wind of 6-7 January 1839

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