South Kilkenny Historical Society looks ahead to leacture on John McShain

This year began, for the South Kilkenny Historical Society, with a lecture by Donal Cadogan ‘Some Interesting South Kilkenny Lives’.

This lecture was based on Donal’s book 99 Lives Kilkenny Connections. During the lecture Donal examined the lives of James O’Donnell – An original All Black, May Langrishe – An Amazon, Nicholas Denn – A Mexican alcalde, Lady Caroline Lamb – A woman with a burning passion, Antoine Walsh – a dealer in human misery, Ellen Tremaye – a very modern person, and John Power – the Grey Wolf of Chicago.

The society also held its Annual General Meeting recently, where a successful 2024 was reviewed and plans for this year outlined. Elected: chairman, Eddie Synnott; vice-chairperson, Katherine Grant; secretary, Brigid Barron; treasurer, Michael Power. Committee: Val Atkins, Dermot Aylward, Joe Freyne, Orla O’Shea, Mary Ryan and Richard Walsh.

The next society lecture takes place on Friday night (February 28). Alice O’Neill McLoughlin will speak on ‘John McShain – the man who built Washington from a South Kilkenny viewpoint’.

John McShain was born on December 21, 1896, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. His father founded a successful construction company, which he took over at the age of 21, following his father’s death, in 1919.

Under John’s control the company became one of the leading construction companies in the US, and from the 1930s to the 1960s worked on more than 100 buildings in Washington DC, including the Pentagon, the Jefferson Memorial, the John F Kennedy Centre for the Performing Arts, the Library of Congress annex, Washington National Airport, the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception and the reconstruction (1949-1952) of the White House.

He became a wealthy man and started the John McShain Charities as his philanthropy arm, bought the Barclay Hotel in Philadelphia and became part owner of the Skyscraper By the Sea in Atlantic City, New Jersey. In 1952 he established the Barclay Stable and expanded its operations to Ireland in 1955.

McShain’s colt Ballymoss won the Irish Derby and St Leger Stakes in 1957 before adding both the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes and Coronation Cup the following year, when he was voted 1958 European Horse of the Year.
In 1956 he bought Kenmare House, together with 25,000 acres in Killarney. Five years later he sold the house and most of the estate to the Irish state. In July 2011, Leo Varadkar, then Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport announced a €7 million restoration plan, and in 2018 his nieces and nephew attended the grand opening of the new Killarney House National Park dedication ceremony.

Alice O’Neill McLoughlin is a native of Tinneranny, Rosbercon, New Ross. In 1978, then an eighteen year old, Alice was the recipient of a scholarship from the McShain Foundation. This enabled her to travel to Pennsylvania where she graduated, four years later, with an honours degree in English and Psychology. She went on to post-graduate study in Villanova University and completed a Masters in Counselling and Human Relations, through the altruism of her benefactor, John McShain.

The lecture will be held in the Parish Hall, Mullinavat (opposite St Beacon’s Church), starting at 8pm and all are welcome to attend.
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