The Last Traditional Blacksmith
Florence O'Sullivan.
Photo courtesy of "The Anvil Bar" in Boolteens, County Kerry, Florence's townland of birth and occupation.
(1)Florence O'Sullivan - Blacksmith
(1)Florence O'Sullivan was Born in 1932 In Boolteens, Castlemaine, County Kerry, Ireland, to (2)patrick O'Sullivan and (3)Mary McCarthy.
in the year Of Florence's Birth, Dáil Éireann was dissolved by the Governor-General, James McNeill, bringing ten years of "Cumann Na NGaedheal" rule to an end; The Irish Free State General Election resulted in the formation of the first "Fianna Fáil" government under Éamon de Valera, whose first action was to release twenty three political prisoners and lift the ban on a number of activist organisations, such as "the irish republican army". This in turn sparked the formation of the "Army Comrades Association", otherwise known as The "blueshirts", which provided protection for certain political groups from intimidation and attacks by the IRA. The "Blueshirts" eventually amalgamated into the political party "Fine Gael"; Amelia Earhart became the first female pilot to make a solo, nonstop flight across the Atlantic Ocean, landing outside derry in northern ireland; A machine designed to split atoms was successfully tested by irish physicist dr. ernest walton and his british colleague, Dr. john cockcroft; an anglo-irish trade war began and lasted six years; "the voice of ireland", was the first sound film to be made in ireland.
(1)Florence was the fifth generation of blacksmiths in his family, his great grandfather, also Florence, was probably the person who established the forge in castledrum during the early 1870s. He would most likely have left school at an early age to go and work with his father in the forge, which was situated by the side of the house. It is said that Florence was often saddened by the decline of the trade from which he "and all before him had made a good living" and that, he being the last, the trade would vanish with him when he died. Florence never married, and he apparently had no great desires to travel too far from his village. Somebody once said "Shoeing horses, repairing trailers and farm equipment meant that the music of the forge rang out through the village from early morning to late on summer evenings".
Boolteens, County Kerry.
Florence shoeing Freddie, circa 1979.
Florence at work, circa June 2006.
Florence in his forge, circa 2015.
Florence being filmed at work.
Florence at work
Circa 2017
Florence's forge in Boolteens
Florence once said: "I'm The Fourth Generation Of Blacksmith Here Now And The Last. I Don't Know How Many More Years I'll Stick At It But I Don't Know Anything Else. They Tell Me To Slow Down But It's Hard To Change The Habit Of A Lifetime. Originally My Father's Family Would Have Come From The Dingle Direction But My Great Grandfather Built The Forge Here Around 1870. I Started Helping My Father Patrick At The Work When I Was thirteen And A Half And He Passed Away In 1955. I Suppose I Fell Into It But There Was Nothing Else I Wanted To Do. Four Of My Uncles Were Blacksmiths So It Was The Family Trade And Sure The Forge Is Built Onto The Side Of The House Here. It Was Always Good To Us And We Were Never Short Thank God. I Used To Love Shoeing The Horses Most, Only Once Ever Did I Get A Kick. I Remember It Was A Stallion And I Had A Dead Leg For 11 Weeks But There Was No Long-Term Injury. I Was Very Light On My Feet You See And So Avoided Kicks. When I Was Young You'd Wake Up In The Morning And There Would Be Farmers Outside The Door With Their Horses Waiting To Be Shod And To Have Their Donkey And Horses' Carts Mended. We Did The Banding For The Wheels. I Did A Lot Of Welding In The Fire. The Noise Of The Blacksmith At Work And The Smell Of The Fire In The Forge Filled The Air; It Was Something Else On A Busy Day. There Was A Lovely Atmosphere, People Chatting Away And Local News Being Shared, It Was The Way Rural Ireland Was Then…But It's All Changed In Recent Years. In Recent Years I'd Do Jobs For People From Far And Wide. There Are Very Few Of The Old Blacksmiths Still Around, It's A Real Shame But That's The Way Ireland Had Gone. People Are Less Willing To Repair Things. Instead Buy New And A Lot Can Weld Themselves. Mostly Now I Work On A Lot Of Troughs For Sheep And Cattle, Make Tongs And Pokers For The Fire, The Occasional Gate And The Frames Of Doors. There's A Great Peace In The Work And I Take Great Pride In Everything I Make. I Took No Notice Of The Hard Work And Long Days Over The Years. As I Get Older I Feel It Now, But I Find It Hard To Stay Out Of The Forge – There's Was Something To Be Tipping Away At. I've Brothers And Sisters Living Away, With One Brother A Priest In America, But I Never Felt The Urge To Travel Far From Castlemaine. I Was Only Ever Abroad Once, To Lourdes. I Never Married So There's No One To Continue On The Work After I Leave This House. It's Sad It Will Be The End Of A Long Line Of Blacksmiths, But What Can You Do Only Work Away Each Day And Enjoy The Job You Have."
(1)Florence O'Sullivan Died On 27th Dec 2022 In St. Columbanus Nursing Home, Killarney, County Kerry, Ireland. He was interred in St. Gobnait’s Church Graveyard, Keel, County Kerry, on 31st Dec 2022.
Excerpt of a tribute to Florence in "The Irish Independent" newspaper:
"The light from his forge was a lighthouse in our village"
"...As his funeral cortege stopped a final time outside his forge in Boolteens Village, his niece struck the anvil in honour of her uncle. It marked a fitting tribute to a man who made music from the anvil all his life, the ping of hammer on iron, a bell toll in Boolteens for generations where Florence's death has left a deep void. The many warm tributes to a man who laboured doing what he loved reflect his prolific legacy as the last blacksmith of his family and of Boolteens. Many a barefoot horse and donkey stood still by Florence's side. Shoeing these animals was his favourite job, as was banding wheels for carts and many other tasks that brought people to Boolteens to exchange their stories with Florence, a perk he thoroughly enjoyed. The forge and its associated sounds came to represent the pulse of the village and Sensing this history, the O'Connor family changed their business premises name from "the mall inn" to "The Anvil Bar", in homage to Florence's work, which was carried out in the forge directly across the road. Florence would begin work most mornings at around 6:30am.
Liz O'Connor said: "It was strange at first to hear an angle grinder or the noise of the hammer on the anvil every morning between 6am and 6:30am. We got used to it, and every morning we looked out the window to see if Florence had the forge door open. The horses and donkeys came to be shod, farmers came with trailers to be fixed, pikes and shovels to be mended and feeding troughs to be made. Florence loved people and the people loved him. As he said himself: "there was always company in the forge". He was a true gentleman; hardworking, generous, kind, welcoming and a great neighbour who was always willing to help. he also loved to tell anyone who was interested the history of his life's work. It never mattered to him if there was two or twenty-two people, everyone was welcome. Seeing Florence at work and hearing his story, he would light up the fire and many a picture was taken beside Florence and his anvil. It just feels like the heart of the village is gone now that Florence has passed on."
Such was the popularity and distinctiveness of Florence's work that visitors to Boolteens were frequently taken to see him. The doors of his forge opened like a history book to reveal a skill and way of life in decline.
Florence's popularity and penchant for photographs is corroborated by local TD Brendan Griffin. Brendan recalls visits to the forge as a child with his father. The clamour of the busy forge, coupled with his father and Florence in deep conversation, remain a vivid memory for Brendan.
"I'm sure pictures of Florence are hanging on walls from Berlin to Boston. So many tourists stopped there over the decades to have pictures taken with him," Brendan said. "There was always something very distinctive about the place: the fire, the noise, and the smell. I grew up in the area and I remember the countless times I'd pass the forge and see Florence shoeing a horse, taking photos, and chatting. It was one of the last working forges in Ireland. He was such an easy-going man who had a lovely way about him. He was hugely respected within our community and by everyone far and wide. It's sad to see the forge go, but I guess change is the only constant."
Lifelong friend of Florence, Willie Murphy of Murphy's Bar in Boolteens, described him as "an outstanding individual".
"I knew him since I was knee-high to a grasshopper. He was a pillar of the community, a gentleman and a people's man. He wasn't just a neighbour, he was also a great friend," said Willie. "He was extremely passionate about what he did. You would always know when he was around as you would hear the beat of the anvil. The light from the fire, and when he was welding, was like a lighthouse in the village. He was a tourist attraction, you could approach him about anything."
Lastly, Willie not only reflects on Florence's death as the loss of someone close, but also a loss to life in Boolteens and its proud rural tradition.
"A part of the area has died with Florence. People like him, and their contribution to village life, can't ever be replaced."
-------------------------
His Ancestry
Parents
(2)patrick O'Sullivan (blacksmith) was Born on 10th Mar 1900 In Castledrum, kilgarrylander, County Kerry, Ireland, to (4)patrick O'Sullivan (blacksmith)and (5)Anne O'Sullivan.
In the irish census of 31st mar 1901, (2)patrick is at home in castledrum with his parents and three siblings; Florence, Katie, and Mary. His aunt, Nellie O'Sullivan, is also with them, along with two house servants. His father, (4)patrick, is listed as a blacksmith. their home was a 2nd class house. it had stone walls, a thatched roof, two rooms, and three front windows. The house stood on the land of daniel murphy.
In the irish census of 2nd Apr 1911, the family had moved to a different house in boolteens, in the same parish of kilgarrylander. here, (2)patrick is at home with his parents and eight siblings; Florence, Katie, Mary, annie, jeremiah, james, justin, and margaret. at the age of eleven, He was still at school. His father, (4)patrick, is listed as a blacksmith, along with his older brother, Florence. their home was a 2nd class house. it had stone walls, a slate roof, six rooms, and five front windows. The only outbuilding listed is a forge.
(2)patrick married (3)Mary McCarthy on 28th Apr 1931 in the church of st. gobnait, keel, kilgarrylander, County kerry.
(2)patrick and (3)Mary At Least six Known Children: 1)Eileen – Born in County kerry, ireland. 2)John (msgr.) – Born in County kerry, ireland. 3)patrick – Born in County kerry, ireland. 4)(1)Florence (blacksmith). 5)dermot - born circa 1935 in county kerry. he married bridie griffin and they had at least six known children: gerard, joseph, john, maura, karena, and derry. dermot died on 12th dec 2023 in university hospital tralee, county kerry. he was interred on the 16th dec in st. gobnait's church graveyard, keel. 6)anne - born circa 1935 in county kerry. she died before 2022.
(2)patrick would have started his blacksmithing career at a young age. most likely at twelve or thirteen. He would have joined his father and older brother, Florence, in the forge. his father Bought another forge in Churchill, Fenit, on 8th feb 1919, for Florence (pictured at bottom of page) to run, so the boolteens one would have been left to the two paddys.
(2)patrick O'Sullivan died on 24th jun 1955 in boolteens, kilgarrylander, county kerry. the cause of death was coronary thrombosis.
------------------------
(3)Mary McCarthy was born circa 1904 in Kilgarrylander, County Kerry, to (6)Patrick McCarthy and (7)Ellen Corcoran. Mary died on 19th apr 1974 in boolteens, kilgarrylander, county kerry. the cause of death was coronary thrombosis.
------------------------
Grandparents
(4)Patrick O'Sullivan (blacksmith) was born on 4th Feb 1867 in boolteens, kilgarrylander, County Kerry, to (8)Florence O'Sullivan (blacksmith) and (9)Catherine McCarthy. (4)Patrick would have started his blacksmithing career at around eleven or twelve years of age. he would have been very familiar with the workings of the forge by the time he started and, being the only son, would probably have been expected to take over the business from his father.
He married (5)Anne O'Sullivan on 3rd feb 1894 in the roman catholic church of kiltallagh, County Kerry.
(4)patrick and (5)Anne had At Least nine Known Children: 1)Florence (blacksmith) – Born 8th feb 1895 in castledrum, kilgarrylander, County kerry. he died on 3rd jun 1966 in churchill, fenit, county kerry. apparently, He called into the forge to light his pipe and sat beside the hearth, where he passed away peacefully. 2)Catherine – Born on 14th jan 1897 in castledrum, kilgarrylander. 3)Mary – Born on 9th apr 1898 in castledrum, kilgarrylander. 4)(2)patrick. 5)Annie - born on 18th sep 1903 in boolteens, kilgarrylander. 6)jeremiah - born on 4th apr 1905 in boolteens, kilgarrylander. 7)james - born on 15th aug 1906 in boolteens, kilgarrylander. 8)justin - born on 3rd apr 1908 in boolteens, kilgarrylander. 9)margaret - born on 24th feb 1910 in boolteens, kilgarrylander.
(4)Patrick O'Sullivan (blacksmith) died on 24th sep 1941 in boolteens, kilgarrylander, county kerry.
(5)anne O'Sullivan was born circa 1868 in County Kerry, to denis O'Sullivan. Denis was a farmer. anne died on 23rd may 1945 in boolteens, kilgarrylander, county kerry. cause of death was "senile decay".
------------------------
(6)Patrick McCarthy was Born on during july of 1860 in castledrum, kilgarrylander, county kerry, to john mcCarthy and julia foley. he was baptised on 22nd jul 1860 in castledrum, kilgarrylander.
he married (7)ellen corcoran on 14th feb 1893 in the roman catholic church of keel, County kerry.
(6)patrick and (7)ellen had At Least five Known Children: 1)julia – Born on 6th jan 1894 in boolteens, kilgarrylander, County kerry. she was baptised on 7th jan 1894 in boolteens. 2)john – Born on 3rd jan 1895 in boolteens, kilgarrylander, and baptised on 5th jan 1895 in boolteens. 3)patrick – Born on 10th may 1897 in boolteens, kilgarrylander. he was baptised on 13th may 1897 in boolteens. 4)catherine - born on 16th jun 1900 in boolteens, kilgarrylander. she was baptised on 17th jun 1900 in boolteens. 5)(3)Mary.
(6)Patrick McCarthy died sometime after 1931.
(7)Ellen Corcoran was born on 18th Jul 1866 in boolteens, kilgarrylander, county kerry, to (10)patrick corcoran and catherine brien. she died on 22nd dec 1961 in boolteens, kilgarrylander. she was 95 years old.
------------------------
Great Grandparents
(8)Florence O'Sullivan (blacksmith) was born during jan of 1836 in ballynahow, dingle, county kerry, to (11)patrick O'Sullivan (blacksmith) and (12)Margaret Ash. He was baptised on 24th jan 1836 in boherbee, ballyferriter, county kerry.
(8)Florence would have learned the art of blacksmithing from his father, who was also a blacksmith. He would probably have left his schooling earlier to help with the trade.
In the 1853 griffith's valuation for Gransha Lower, Kiltallagh, County Kerry, (8)Florence is noted as renting a house, forge, and garden, from Francis Spring. he was raised with his siblings in the ballynaraha area, which is on the west coast of the dingle Peninsula in county kerry. it appears that they migrated further inland over the years, eventually ending up in the castlemaine area, where florence and his father worked the forge.
(8)Florence married (9)catherine mcCarthy on 13th feb 1866 in the roman catholic church of kiltallagh in County kerry.
catherine was born on 15th dec 1845 in gortnahulla, kilgarrylander, county kerry, to Justin McCarthy and Mary griffin. she had one known sibling, florence, who was born during aug of 1838.
(8)Florence O'Sullivan and (9)catherine mcCarthy had At Least ten Known Children: 1)(4)Patrick (blacksmith). 2)margaret – Born on 17th may 1868 in boolteens, kilgarrylander, kerry. she died in boolteens before 1879. 3)mary – Born on 13th jun 1869 in castledrum, kilgarrylander. 4)ellen - born on 23rd jul 1871 in boolteens, castledrum, kilgarrylander. 5)catherine - 8th sep 1872 in castledrum, kilgarrylander. she died in castledrum before 1876. 6)ann - born on 7th nov 1874 in castledrum, kilgarrylander. 7)catherine - born on 16th aug 1876 in castledrum, kilgarrylander. 8)margaret - born on 21st dec 1879 in Castledrum, kilgarrylander. 9)bridget - born on 19th feb 1882 in castledrum, kilgarrylander. 10)ellen - born on 4th aug 1885 in castledrum, kilgarrylander.
(9)catherine mcCarthy died on 23rd feb 1899 in castledrum, kilgarrylander, county kerry.
(8)Florence O'Sullivan (blacksmith) died on 23rd sep 1898 in castledrum, kilgarrylander, county kerry. his memorial headstone lies in keel burial ground, keel, county kerry. the headstone was erected by his 1st cousins, Florence and jeremiah O'Sullivan, sons of his uncle james. They had gone to montreal in canada and set up a joint blacksmithing business.
------------------------
(10)patrick corcoran was born on 13th mar 1826 in boolteens, kilgarrylander, county kerry, to cornelius corcoran and mary dowd.
he married catherine brien on 16th feb 1852 in Castlemaine Roman catholic church, county kerry.
(10)patrick and catherine had At Least seven Known Children: 1)mary - born on 19th dec 1852 in boolteens, kilgarrylander, county kerry. 2)honora – Born on 17th nov 1854 in boolteens, kilgarrylander, kerry. 3)cornelius – Born on 23rd dec 1855 in boolteens, kilgarrylander, kerry. 4)thomas - born on 12th aug 1858 in boolteens, kilgarrylander, kerry. 5)catherine - born on 11th nov 1860 in boolteens, kilgarrylander, kerry. 6)john - born on 15th feb 1863 in boolteens, kilgarrylander, kerry. 7)(7)Ellen.
(10)patrick corcoran died on 5th oct 1888 in boolteens, kilgarrylander, county kerry. cause of death was "chronic pneumonia".
catherine brien died on 9th dec 1905 in boolteens, kilgarrylander, county kerry. cause of death was "senile decay".
------------------------
2nd Great Grandparents
(11)patrick O'Sullivan (blacksmith) was born circa 1793 in county kerry, ireland. his parents are as of yet undiscovered, but it's highly probable that his father's name was florence, as this was the name of Patrick's only son. Florence may well have also been a blacksmith. it's also not known when Patrick became a blacksmith, but according to tradition if his father before him had the skill, he would have Started when he was Around eleven or twelve years old. he may even have learned the skill from a nearby relative, or simply decided to take up the trade.
(11)patrick married (12)margaret ash on 23th feb 1830 in ballyferriter, County kerry.
(12)margaret was born on 4th sep 1806 in ballyarkane, kilgarrylander, county kerry, to thomas ash and johanna sheehan. she had one known sibling, james.
(11)patrick and (12)margaret had at least five known children: 1)mary - born during aug of 1832 in Ballynaraha, Dunquinn, County Kerry. she was baptised on 12th aug 1832 in ballyferriter, county kerry, and died before 1841. 2)(8)Florence. 3)catherine – Born during aug of 1838 in Ballynaraha, Dunquinn, County Kerry. she was baptised on 12th aug 1838 in ballyferriter, county kerry. 4)mary - born during jan of 1841 in Ballynaraha, Dunquinn, County Kerry. she was baptised on on 14th jan 1841 in ballyferriter, county kerry. 5)bridget - born during jun of 1843 in Ballynaraha, Dunquinn, County Kerry. she was baptised on 21st jun 1843 in ballyferriter, county kerry.
(11)patrick O'Sullivan (blacksmith) died on 29th may 1878 in castledrum, kilgarrylander, county kerry. cause of death was "renal disease".
(12)Margaret Ash died sometime before 1878.
------------------------
3rd Great Grandparents
(13)Florence O'Sullivan was more than likely born in county kerry, circa 1770s, and probably on the western dingle peninsula. The name of his wife is as of yet unknown.
During the decade Of Florence's Birth: Legislation was passed allowing Irish Catholics to lease bog-land; tension in the American colonies between the colonists and the English crown eventually led to the outbreak of armed hostilities, which led to the outbreak of the American War of Independence. To assist with the war effort, English troops were removed from Ireland and dispatched to America. With the removal of English troops from Ireland the fear of invasion increased amongst Protestants in Ireland so a Volunteer force was formed to guard against such a possibility. This quickly grew in popularity and within a short period of time some 40,000 Volunteers had been enlisted; A Relief Act was passed by the Irish parliament which lifted restrictions on Catholics inheriting land and their ability to secure long-term leases; the composer Ludwig van beethoven was born; captain james cook claimed the east coast of australia for great britain; a famine killed hundreds of thousands in the czech lands.
Florence and his wife had at least three known children: 1)james - born circa 1790 in the west of county kerry. he died on 18th jul 1845 in keel, kilgarrylander, county kerry. his memorial headstone is in Keel Burial Ground, Keel, kilgarrylander. his sons, florence and jeremiah, had the headstone erected. Florence was born circa 1815. he went to Canada around 1858 to join his brother, Jeremiah, where They set up a joint Farrier business in the East End of Montreal. he married honora fitzgerald and was listed in "Lovell's Directory of Montreal" as a blacksmith until at least 1881. he died on 30th jan 1908 in montreal, canada, and is interred in Cimetière Notre-Dame-des-Neiges, Montreal. Jeremiah was born circa 1821. he went to Canada circa 1853/4 and set up a Farrier business in the East End of Montreal. he married johanna. His brother, Florence, joined him later and they worked in the blacksmithing business together. he was listed in "Lovell's Directory of Montreal" as a blacksmith until at least 1891. 2)(11)patrick. 3)Margaret.
(13)Florence O'Sullivan may well have been a blacksmith because two of his sons immigrated to canada as blacksmiths.
Obituary of Florence O'Sullivan (b.1815) in Montreal, Canada.
The memorial headstone in Keel burial ground
Possible site of O'Sullivan's forge in Castlemaine in 1853
The forge in Churchill village, Glebe, County Kerry.
Florence O'Sullivan (blacksmith) 1895-1966, brother of (2)Patrick O'Sullivan (blacksmith)
------------------------
