The Times, 1 Feb 1911: Car Accident

A sad end to a case which had been before Mr. Justice Kenny and a jury in Dublin was announced today at the sitting of the court.  The plaintiff, Mr. Andrew Phillips, a New York business man, who was in Ireland last autumn on a holiday, brought an action for damages against Mr. Reginald Leyland, of the Rifle Brigade, who is now stationed in Dublin.  In September the Plaintiff and Defendant were driving in motor cars near Navan, County Meath. In turning a sharp corner the cars, which were going in opposite directions, came into collision with the result that Mr. Phillips was thrown on the road and received serious injuries.

When Mr. Justice Kenny took his seat on the bench he announced that the plaintiff had died suddenly during the night and therefore that the case was at an end.  He expressed sympathy with the plaintiff's son.

The Times, 1 Aug 1913: Fire

A fire at a private house at Navan represented a loss of £35,000...

The Times, 4 July 1913: Illegal betting

At the Navan Petty Sessions yesterday the owner of a Public House, Mrs. Doran was charged with having allowed it to be used for betting and her son with having acted as an asistant.

The magistrate imposed a fine of £10 in the case of Mrs. Doran who ordered her licence to be endorsed. The son was fined £50.

Church of Ireland Gazette, 22 June 1917: Presentation to to Mrs. R.J. Merrin.

On Thursday afternoon, 14th June, at Greenmount, Navan, Mrs. Merrin, widow of the late Rev. R. J. Merrin, late Rector of Navan, was presented with an Address from members of the congregation of Navan Parish.  The funds of the presentation were applied to erect a very handsome headstone over the grave of the late Mr. Merrin.  The address was read by Mr. Kersteman, and Mr. R. Butler paid an elequent tribute to the late Rector and Mrs Merrin. Those present were then entertained to tea by the Committee.

The Times, 31 May 1926: Cockfighting

The Civic Guards at Navan, County Meath were puzzled on Thursday night by the arrival of a number of motorists, all strange to the district who sought to be directed to the village of Swords, in Co. Dublin.  Suspicion was aroused, and four of the guards, disguising themselves in civilian clothes, discovered that a cock-fight on a large scale had been arranged for Friday morning at a lonely spot on the border of the two counties.  When the guards arrived at the place at 8-30 am they found an assembly of about 500 people.  One round of the fight had been finished, and the meeting was waiting for the next brace of birds when the guards announced themselves and the crowd scatterted.

It is alleged that the spectators  included three members of the Free State Parliament.  Cock fighting is a favourite, though strictly illegal pastime in the North of Ireland, but no fight on a similar scale to that of last Friday has been attempted near Dublin, in recent years.

7 August 1913: Japanese Man Murdered

A murder of the Japanese valet who was employed at Clifton Lodge, (on the road between Athboy and Trim) County Meath has led to two arrested in Dublin.  The valet, Saltoi Kopnishi, disappeared on the morning of July 27.  His body was found in a field not far from his employer’s residence on August 1.  He had been shot through the head.  The men who have been arrested are named Farrell, father and son.  One of them, it is said, had been a gardener for a time at Clifton Lodge.  They were taken to Navan yesterday by an escort of the Royal Irish Constabulary, and it is under stood that when formal evidence had been taken a remand would be asked for.

Senator John Gilroy (Labour) solves mystery of 100-year-old murder

By Sean O’Riordan

Thursday, July 18, 2013

The Cork-based politician spent years researching the murder of 31-year-old Sanotic Koniste, a Japanese man shot dead on the Clifton Lodge Estate in Athboy, Co Meath, on Jul 27, 1913.

Mr Gilroy, who was born in Athboy, was fascinated by the story of Koniste who became manservant to the estate’s playboy multimillionaire owner John Morgan Mordecai Jones. Koniste travelled the world with his master, including to Kenya where Jones owned 100,000 acres of land.

When they returned to Athboy, people mistakenly believed Koniste had wrestled a lion while in Kenya.

"The poachers in Athboy were terrified of him as a result of this legend and Koniste never dispelled the myth," Mr Gilroy said. "A year before he was killed he came across five poachers on the estate and took them on. They beat him several times but he kept coming back at them."

Four days before Koniste was murdered, Jones died of malaria.  "Koniste was left temporarily in charge, but a row ensued between him and the gardener Peter Farrell Sr who threatened to kill Koniste.  Therefore, after his death the RIC arrested Peter and his three sons who were in their 20s.  They weren’t charged and the locals always maintained his killers were poachers."

Mr Gilroy pursued the poachers line and was able to get it corroborated that the killer was Jack Connell, 41, who lived in the nearby village of Kildalkey. "He lived with his mother and was an agricultural labourer known for poaching rabbits.  He killed the Japanese man in a blind panic," Mr Gilroy said.

The man who confirmed the identity of the killer is a grandson of another poacher who was with Connell on the night.  "I gave him my word that I wouldn’t publish the name of this man," Mr Gilroy added.

This story appeared in the printed version of the Irish Examiner, Thursday, 18 July 2013

The Church of Ireland Gazette, 4 November 1921: County Meath Protestant Orphan Society

The annual meeting of the Meath Protestant Orphan Society was held on October 25th at Bishopcourt, Navan, by kind permission of the Most Rev, the Bishop of Meath and the Hon. Mrs. Plunkett.  There was a good attendance of friends and supporters of the Society.  The Bishop took the chair, and gave a most interesting account of the work of the Society since its foundation at the disestablishment of the Church.  He suggested that the clergy of the county shoud try and interest children of their parishes in the orphans, and get them to take collecting cards.  The Treasurer (Mr. Nicholson) stated that the subscriptions were slightly more than last year, but that there would only be a small credit balance after paying expenses up to November 1st.  The Rev. L. Coulter read the report, the adoption of which was proposed by Admiral Craig Waller, and seconded by the Hon. Mrs. Plunkett.  Other resolution were proposed by Canon Darling, Bective and Mr. Coghill, and seconded by Rev. G. R. Wynne and Lady Everard.  The meeting closed with the National Anthem and Benediction.