Engraving shown here is of Castle Fogarty taken from The Dublin Penny Journal, Vol.IV – dated: Feb.6th.1836. Text with this engraving reads:

Castle Fogarty, situated in the county of Tipperary, the seat of James Lenigan, Esq. (also called Lanigan) is one of the handsomest castellated houses in Ireland. Mr Lenigan is now the heir and representitive of the Milesian family of O’Fogarty, ancient lords of the territory of Elieogarty, now the barony of that name. This family suffered much for its attachment to the House of Stuart. Cornelius O’Fogarty was a captain in the army of King James the Second and distinguished himself in his service. This gentleman was an eminent musician and his harp resembles much that in the museum of Trinity College, erronously called the harp of Brien Boiromhe. (Also called Brian Boru, King of Munster )

When next you have some time to call your own, wend your way up the gravelled, peaceful driveway, which leads through St. Mary’s graveyard to St. Mary’s Famine Memorial Church, at the end of Church Lane, in Thurles, Co.Tipperary. Halfway up this drive, on your left hand side, an old black Victorian railing, surrounding a grave, catches your field of vision. Inside these railings, resting with others, lies the body of John Molloy.

His epitaph reads “late of Castle Fogarty who died at Ballycahill on June 28th 1872 aged 71 years”. Some of his descendants I am happy to relate, still reside in and contribute to our prosperous community to-day.
John Molloy, then 46 years old, was the first to notify his employer James Lenigan, then visiting Umberslade Hall, near Hockley Heath, Birmingham that evidence of the potato blight, which had decimated the potato crop in Ireland over the past year, had once more manifested itself on the potato crop in Ireland in 1847.
John, a respected farmer, with an expert knowledge of farming husbandry, found two potato stems, portraying specimens of Phytophthora Infestans (Blight) left at his home, by local farmers who greatly respected his superior knowledge in such matters.

John Molloy, who had that rare ability, in his letters, to paint pictures using words, writes to James Lenigan as follows.

Castle Fogarty, Thurles.
15th July, 1847.
My Dear Sir,
I did not intend writing to you until tomorrow, the 16th, the anniversary of the day on which the first symptoms of disease appeared on the potato stalks in this neighbourhood last year, and was certain of being able to give you a favourable report. But judge of my surprise when on coming home this evening after a day’s tour through the country in company with Mr.Labarte,  to find large specimens of the fatal disease from two different parts of the country, one from Cormacstown and the other from Drumeenaghlugh, left here for me. I examined them and found them to compare exactly with last year’s first symptoms in every way but that the spots this year are not so black or inky as last (I enclose a sample).

He continues: -

I went over my own this evening and upon close examination found many a bulb infected. I have only one consolation or hope now left and that is there are 4 stalks of mine that were similarly affected on the morning of the 10th June all but the epidermis, and have quite recovered the shock and are now quite healthy. A week will tell much. I have heard many other bad accounts this evening but will state nothing but what come under my own eye.

His great knowledge of the impoverished state of Tipperary and indeed Ireland as a whole permits him to accurately prophesy the immediate future in store for Irish men & women. In this letter he states: -

If the potato goes this year, Ireland will never, never recover.

History records 1847 as ‘Black 47′, so devastated was the potato crop and the Irish population, throughout the length and breath of Ireland that year. A section of his letter also gives us an idea of the poverty which then existed in this area of Tipperary following just one year of the famine. He writes:-

I had sold meadowing to the amount of £200 this time last year but I have not yet had a single application for a plot. I must keep on cutting. The weather for 4 days past was good and I tramped 19 cocks (in all now 28). It is now raining again. Hoping to be able to give you a good account still on this day or to-morrow week.

I remain my dear Sir,
Most respectfully,
Your obedient, humble servant.

John Molloy.

(The Joseph Moore Labarte, referred to here, was a barrister and British Government Inspector, appointed to Co Tipperary. He later was involved with the continued introduction of the Irish railway system in 1848.)

An original copy of a Memerandum of Agreement on behalf of The Great Southern and Western Railway and signed by Mr Joseph Moore Labarte can be seen at St. Marys Famine Museum, Thurles Co. Tipperary.