Owen O'Connell

Owen is listed as 14 and a scholar on the 1911 Census and living with his family in Gleann. 

Owen O'Connell, son of Michael & Elizabeth,  went to De La Salle Waterford  from 1906-08 to study towards becoming a National School Teacher. His results from his 2 years studying are here.

In the 1911 census I found him living at Carrowcrory, Templevanny between Castlebaldwin and Ballymote 

Owen was Principal of High Park NS from 1913  until his death on 8th July 1948.

Before he built the house at Toberpatrick, buying the land off the Barrett family, he lived with the Kilpatricks in Carrownree.

Indeed he had an appearance in court with his address as Carrownree in 1914  for failing to have a light on his bicycle at Carrownaboll and was fined  1 Shilling and 1 Shilling & 6 pence costs.

There was also another charge of unlawful assembly in 1919 with several others. However the charges against him were dropped and the case proceeded with the other defendants. According to a passage in Michael Farry's book Sligo 1914-1921 A chronicle of Conflict:

Another long running land saga in County Sligo was that of the Dunmoran ranch where a farm owned by Robert Hillas Williams was the subject of a campaign to have it divided among small holders in the vicinity. A large meeting was held there on Sunday May 29th . A crowd of about 200 marched past the farm and held a meeting nearby. Six of those who were involved in that meeting were arrested and charged with unlawful assembly on Thursday June 26th . One of the accused told the court that he had been out for a stroll and got caught up in the meeting. He was discharged. The others were ordered to give bail to be of good behaviour. 

It was also said that he was involved in the burning of the Coastguard Station in Derk in July 1920 ( P Kearins had his thoughts on that !! ) 

I have been searching some of the records of the Military Archives for coverage of that burning but haven't found anything yet. Indeed Owen isnt mentioned in any of the statements and reports that I read from the Military archives from the witnesses and respondents from Sligo. 

He married Belinda Clare O'Brien, niece of Annie & Pat Gillooly in Carrownaboll on November 1922 and the next chapter began.