The Hurleys of Strand House
A Clonakilty Family: the Hurleys of Strand House
Lecture by
Deirdre Clenet (née Hurley)
The Parish Centre, Clonakilty
8 pm Thursday Nov 28th 2019
This is the story of three generations of the Hurley family of Clonakilty: Charles Anthony Hurley, who introduced the pasteurisation of milk to Co. Cork in the early1950s and was the founder of the Clona Milk company; his father, Jerome Hurley, a pig breeder and pig buyer, whose specialised pig feed was so successful that it attracted the attention of the newly established Dept. of Agriculture and who later owned the majority shares of Deasy & Company, the historic brewery of Clonakilty; his grandfather, Tom Hurley, who ran a bakery, grocery shop and flour and seed depot in the town in 1850, who played an active part in the United Irish League of Clonakilty and was a brother of Tim Hurley, who gallantly resisted the eviction of his family from Castleview Mills in 1886.
Deirdre Clenet (néeHurley), the daughter of Charles Anthony Hurley grew up in Strand House, the Hurley family home purchased by her grandfather in1906. She attended the Sacred Heart Secondary School in Clonakilty and after graduating from UCC, began her career in biochemical research in the US. Moving to London with her family in the 1970s, she campaigned actively for the conservation of natural habitats and joined Civic Trust London which promotes the conservation of historic buildings. She published ‘Handbook of Community Initiatives: Amenity in Action’ and co-authored ‘Nature Conservation in the London Borough of Croydon’.
Deirdre will use her family archive of photographs, documents and press cuttings to explore the lives of her father, grandfather and great-grandfather.
New Mayor of Clonakilty
PHOTO: Newly installed Mayor of Clonakilty, Michael O’ Neill, Jnr., at last Thursday evenings public ceremony, with his fellow Mayors in front for the next five years. From left: Chris Hinchy, (2023-'24); Anthony McDermott, (2021-'22); current Deputy Mayor Pádraig O' Reilly, (2020-’21) and Paddy McCarthy, (2022-'23). At back, the four now retired Mayors who had served along with Anthony McDermott over the last five years, from left: Colette Twomey; Gretta O’ Donovan; John M. Loughnan and Cionnaith Ó Súilleabháin. (Photo: Anna Groniecka Photography)
Michael O’ Neill, Jnr., was installed as the new "Mayor of Clonakilty" at a pleasant public ceremony at Asna Square last Thursday 6th June. In glorious sunshine, and with a large crowd assembled, the outgoing Mayor, Gretta O' Donovan, led her four colleagues - Deputy Mayor Colette Twomey, Cionnaith Ó Súilleabháin, Anthony McDermott and John Loughnan from O' Donovan's Hotel and arrived to great applause at Asna Square.
A few minutes later, the Mayor asked people to welcome the members of the newly-elected Mayoral Council for the coming five years. They too arrived from O' Donovan's Hotel, and were led by the incoming Mayor Michael O' Neill and his colleagues in order of election - Deputy Mayor Pádraig O' Reilly, Paddy McCarthy and Chris Hinchy. There was great applause too for them and they shook hands with the outgoing Mayors and stood beside them under the chestnut tree.