Dermot Edwards (b. 1930)

Track 1: Dermot Edwards discusses his home in Lismore, which was also the residence of his Godfrey grandmother, his mother and his two aunts. Track 2: Dermot Edwards recalls his Godfrey ancestry, and his father Dick Edwards who was an assistant agent for the Devonshires of Lismore Castle in 1924, when he met his future wife. Track 3: The Edwards family is discussed, as is their employment on Lord Boyne’s estate in Shropshire, where Dermot Edwards spent most of his childhood. Track 4: The regular visits to Kilcolman Abbey during his childhood are recalled by Dermot Edwards, and it was here that he heard the announcement on the wireless of the declaration of war in 1939. Track 5: Sir John Godfrey, uncle of Dermot Edwards, and his wife Lady Ellie Godfrey, are recalled, and the great difficulty in getting a buyer for the estate in the 1930s and early 1940s, which became necessary due to the large debt which existed. In 1943 their eldest daughter Phyllis Godfrey took over the estate. Track 6: The challenges Phyllis Godfrey faced in running the estate are recalled by Dermot Edwards. Track 7: The two Godfrey aunts of Dermot Edwards who lived at Kilcolman were avid gardeners, who would help with gardening in other Kerry estates. Track 8: Callinafercy House in Miltown, which was leased to the Leeson Marshall family is recalled. Also remembered is May Ruth, one of the Leeson Marshall family of Callinafercy. Track 9: Dermot Edwards describes his house in Lismore, Co. Waterford, in which he has resided for 30 years. Track 10: The Wyndham Act of 1903 and its affects is discussed, in particular with regard to the family at Kilcolman Abbey. The work of the Land Commission is also discussed. Track 11: Dermot Edwards reads from letters written by his Godfrey grandfather who was an engineer employed by the Devonshire Estate at Lismore. In the 1920s he came to Kerry to improve the infrastructure of Kilcolman Estate. Track 12: Phyllis Godfrey who ran Kilcolman Abbey alone until it became uninhabitable, is remembered by Dermot Edwards. Track 13: The character of Phyllis Godfrey, her hobbies, her cars and her interest are discussed. Track 14: Dermot Edwards describes the Edwards and Godfrey family portraits which hang in his house in Lismore. Track 15: Dermot Edwards’ Godfrey grandmother moved to Lismore from Kilcolman in the 1940s, and she is recalled by her grandson. Track 16: Stories from the Godfrey family from the 1800s, including the origin of the ‘marble lady’, and stories of survival during the Troubles are recalled.