My Clonmel

Clonmel in 1889

Taken from "My Clonmel Scrapbook"

CLONMEL is situated in the Suir Valley, bordering the County Waterford, 112 miles south-west from Dublin, 28 and 1/4  miles west by north from Waterford, 48 and 1/4 miles south-east from Limerick, and 86 miles north by east from Cork.

These distances are by rail, and are calculated by English miles. Before the opening of the Southern Railway from Thurles, 25 and 1/2 miles in length, passengers to Dublin had to go by way of Limerick Junction, 22 and 1/2 miles of a round. Direct communication was established within the last ten years.
The scenery immediately surrounding Clonmel, and for miles in every direction, is exceedingly beautiful. At the southern side of the river the Waterford Hills rise to heights from which many varied and pleasing views are obtained.   Among these the town itself first catches the eye of the stranger. The outlines are marked here and there by church spires of graceful proportions, the cupola of the Main Guard, the tower of the West Gate, and private dwellings in the midst of tastefully planted grounds.   Three islands, one with handsome residences and gardens, are included in the prospect, in addition to four bridges, two of them narrow and quaint.   Another view from the hills, at a distance of a mile and a half, in the Waterford direction, presents charming effects produced by the windings of the Suir, the mountain of Slievenamon to the north, and the splendid open country for miles towards Cashel.


  •  The principal thoroughfare of Clonmel begins at Barrack-street, and runs for about an English mile parallel with the river, taking in Parnell-street, Dublin-street, Main-street, Irishtown and Upper Irishtown. Gladstone-street is an important centre connecting the Main-street with the Railway station. The houses for the greater part are well built, and many of those devoted to business have quite a metropolitan appearance. In window dressing and interior appoint-ments the drapers and cabinet makers rival those in the same lines at Cork, Waterford and Limerick. The same remarks apply with equal force to the wholesale and retail grocery warehouses. Clonmel is the depot of supply for a first-rate farming country. It has good general markets every Saturday, and fairs that are reckoned among the best in Ireland. The manufacturing enterprises are not extensive, but within a few years have been increased. These are represented by a brewery, a woollen factory, tanneries, a boot factory, carriage factories, corn, oatmeal and flour mills, agricultural implement, mineral water, and cabinet works.


Clonmel is a garrison town, the head of a district, and is headquarters for two militia regiments. Socially it has many attractions, including numerous societies for mental and physical culture.
Although there are two Ridings, the capital of the South still has the lion's share of the public institutions. Assizes are held twice a year, and Sessions of the County Court once in three months. Clonmel has the only gaol in the county, although not long ago the other populous towns were each similarly provided. The County Lunatic Asylum is also here.

 

 

BEFORE AND SINCE THE ENGLISH CONNECTION.



Clonmel originally formed part of the territory of the Southern Decies, which, according to Keating, stretched from the Suir southward to the sea.   The Decies were princes of the posterity of FIACHA SUIDHE, and lived in a palace, the site of which is included in the demesne of Marlfield, less than two miles, Irish, from Clonmel. Very little is known as to the rise and progress of the town prior to the twelfth century. A charter to the inhabitants, granted by James I in 1609, ascribes the foundation to the English, but historians are of opinion that it had an existence before the Danes first landed in Ireland (794). The name is derived from CLUAIN MEALA, meadow of honey, the description given by the natives to the fertile valley here when it was only a pasturage for flocks and herds.


Clonmel seems to have been identified with the English Government of the County Tipperary from the twelfth century. The descendants of Theobald Walter, appointed Chief Butler of Ireland by Henry II, had much to do with its growth and prosperity at various periods down to the time of Charles II, when James, Duke of Ormonde, greatest of their number, reached the zenith of power and influence.


In the reign of Edward I (1272-1307) the first charter of incorporation was granted.   Edward II gave it a charter with increased powers, and Edward III gave a charter to James Butler, whom he had created Earl of Ormonde in 1328.   Charters were also given by James I, James II, and William III.   King William's charter simply confirmed the provisions of the charter of James I.   As a walled town, " surrounded with towers, castles and fortresses," Clonmel, according to this charter, had " performed laudable services" for many " Kings of England against rebels, robbers, and republican enemies."   In SMITH'S ANNALS reference is made to the surrender of the town to the Earl of Kildare, Lord Deputy of Ireland, in 1516.   The siege was an outcome of the long-existing feud between the powerful houses of Kildare and Ormonde.   Gerald, eighth Earl, by a family alliance, endeavoured to restore harmony, but the truce was of short duration, and the enmity springing up afresh, was continued until, in the reign of Henry VIII, the Kildares were swept away.


From the war of the Catholic Confederation (1641) to the beheading of Charles I, Clonmel was garrisoned for the King, acting under the directions of James, Earl of Ormonde, then in command of the English forces. When Charles II was proclaimed King, in 1649, it gave in its adhesion to him. In the new order of things the enemies of 1841 became allies against the power of the Puritan Parliament. The last act of Owen Roe O'Neill, who died from poison, 6th Nov., 1649, was to direct his nephew, Hugh O'Neill, to march to Munster and form a junction with the forces of the Earl of Ormonde against the common enemy.

 

He arrived in Clonmel in time for the siege of Oliver Cromwell, and it is recorded that the resistance here was the most stubborn of any that had been encountered in the nine months' campaign of the victorious general. O'Neill had brought the remnant of his uncle's army, about 1,200 all told, to reinforce the royal garrison. It is estimated that fully 2,000 of the Cromwellians were killed in the first attempt to gain an entry into the] town. For two months the defence was maintained. All hope of relief having been exhausted, the garrison got away to Waterford unobserved. Thereupon the inhabitants surrendered on conditions which were considered honourable, and which were kept by the Cromwellians notwithstanding the circumstances.


A garrison was maintained for the Commonwealth until its waning power under Richard Cromwell revived the energies of the Royalists. The restoration of Charles II, May 23rd, 1660, found it in possession of his friends.
During the revolution, 1688-90, Clonmel was held for James II. Six weeks after the defeat at the Boyne, it surrendered to the forces of William III.


 

 

GOVERNMENTAL SYSTEM, CORPORATION PROPERTY, WATER SUPPLY, FIRE BRIGADE, TOWN HALL, BOROUGH CEMETERY. LOANS, &C.


The charter granted by James I, and confirmed by William III, was the one in use down to the passage of the Act for the Reform of Irish Corporations, 1841-2. The James charter grants " to the Portrieve, Provost, Burgesses and community of the town of Clonmel, the suburbs of same, and whole extent of land and water within the ancient limits of the counties of the liberties of Tipperary and Waterford, the right to be forever called the free borough of Clonmel." It provides for " one body incorporate consisting of the mayor, two bailiffs, free burgesses and community." In addition to the mayor and bailiffs there were to be seventeen free burgesses.

 

The election of mayor was to take place yearly on the feast day of John the Baptist. Power is given to the mayor, with the consent of the burgesses, to appoint a deputy, who during his absence may exercise " all his powers." Provision is also made for the appointment by the mayor and burgesses of " a proper man, learned in the laws, to be recorder," a clerk of the Tholsel, one swordbearer, three sergeants of the mace, and other inferior officers, ministers, etc. The mayor and recorder were created justices of the peace. The Act of 1841-2 did away with the bailiffs and recorder.

The Act for the watching, lighting and cleansing of Corporate towns, passed in 1828, was adopted by the Corporation. A Night Watch system was organized under this Act, and maintained until Clonmel came under the provisions of the Towns' Improvement Act, 1854-5.   In 1856-7 the Constabulary took over the beat duty of the Night Watch, but after a while gave it up and ever since have done patrol duty only.

 

Clonmel continues to enjoy its corporate rights as defined in 1841-2, the mayor, aldermen and councillors becoming, on occasion, the chairman and Town Commissioners. A Court of Conscience is held by the Mayor every Wednesday for recovery of debts as high as two pounds. He sits on fair and market days to hear disputes, and presides at the Town Commissioners' Court, and Borough Magistrates' Court, every Wednesday. The mayor is now elected by the Council annually on 1st of December, and takes office on the 1st of January. Councillors are elected for three years and Aldermen for six years. An election is held annually on the 25th of November. Eldest sons, sons-in-law, and appren¬tices of freemen are admitted to freedom of the borough on application to mayor.


A handsome civic chain " was originated and presented to the Council in the name of the subscribers thereto, on the 23rd December, 1872, by Aid. H. O'Connell Hackett, Mayor."   The links are in the form of horse-shoes, fastened by shamrocks. In the centre is a chaste enamelled pendant, representing the arms of the town, with inscription.   Each link, which costs about £5, is added annually at the close of the term of office. John Hackett was the first mayor after the passage of the Corporation Reform Act. His name appears upon a link with the date of the Mayoralty, 1843.

Continued from previous column

The mayors represented by links from that time down to the present were:

Dr. Edward Phelan, 1844-1847-1853 ;

Ald. Chas. Bianconi, 1845.   He was an enterprising Italian, who made a fortune by establishing mail and passenger car services in the south of Ireland, with headquarters at Clonmel.

  • Dr. O'Brien Mahony, 1854 ;
  • John Bagwell, M.P., 1857 ;
  • Wm. L. Hackett, T.C.D., 1859-1862 ;
  • Francis Ryan, 1861 ;
  • Michael Guiry, 1863 ;
  • Wm. L. Byrne, 1868;
  • Thomas Cantwell, 1869 ;
  • Ald. H. O'Connell Hackett, 1872.  
  • Four links record the Mayoralty years of Ald. Edward Cantwell, 1873-1874-1880-1881-2;
  • Ald. E. Woods, 1875 ;
  • Denis P. O'Mahony, 1878 ;
  • Ald. Edward C. Hackett, 1883 ;
  • Benjamin Wright, 1886 ;
  • Edward Murphy, 1888.
  • Ald. Thomas J. Condon, M.P., became Mayor in 1889;
  • 1890, T. J. Condon;
  • 1891, T. J. Condon ;
  • 1892, James Byrne ;
  • 1893, Jas. Lonergan;
  • 1894, James Lonergan;
  • 1895, Edward Cantwell;
  • 1896, Patrick Nugent;
  • 1897, Edward Burke, Solicitor ;
  • 1898, Patrick Nugent ;
  • 1899, Edward Murphy;
  • 1900, Thos. J. Condon;
  • 1901, Thos. J. Condon;
  • 1902, Thos. J. Condon;
  • 1903, Thomas Morrissey;
  • 1904, Thomas Morrissey;
  • 1905, Thomas Skehan;
  • 1906, Thomas Skehan;
  • 1907, Thos. J. Condon;
  • 1908, James Cahill;
  • 1909, James Cahill;
  • 1910, Jas. Meehan ;
  • 1911, James Meehan;
  • 1912, James Meehan;
  • 1913, Thos. Fitzgibbon;
  • 1914, Thos. Fitzgibbon;
  • 1915, T. J. Condon ;
  • 1916, T. J. Condon ;
  • 1917, P. O'H. Peters;
  • 1918, P. O'H. Peters ;
  • 1919, D. F. O'Meara;
  • 1920, D. F. O'Meara;
  • 1921, F. Drohan;
  • 1922, F. Drohan ;
  • 1923, F. Drohan.

The salary is one hundred guineas.


Clonmel elected two members of the Irish Parliament down to the Legislative Union with Great Britain, 1801. It had one member in the Imperial Parliament from the Union until the disfranchisement of the borough by the Redistribution of Seats Act, 1885. Arthur, Count Moore, was the last M.P.


In order to maintain the fortifications of Clonmel, and that the inhabitants might continue to perform " laudable services" for the kings of England, the town and suburbs, and estates in the liberties of Tipperary and Waterford, were granted by charter to the Corporation. The Church livings within the jurisdiction were in its gift. From time to time the town property was deeded away, in what circumstances is not known, as the available books of the Corporation show no minutes of proceedings earlier than 1744. In 1889 the rental from the estates, consisting of 4,800 Irish acres, was only £570 6s. 8d.


The valuation of property within the borough in 1888, was £16,434. Of this amount £1,127 belonged to the Government. The rates struck for 1889 were, borough 25. 6d., burial 2d., Towns' Improvement gd. in £. In 1879 the borough was separated from the county. Prior to that date the work of street cleaning, repairing, etc., was done by the county and paid for by Grand Jury presentments. In 1888, £726 was expended in repairs of streets, flagging, etc. For the same period £450 for lighting, cleansing and maintaining 167 public lamps.


All the streets had sewerage connections with a main which discharges into the river. Water for domestic and all other purposes is procured from town pumps. In May, 1889, a motion by Mr. Peter Collins, T.C., to secure a high pressure water supply, was defeated at a meeting of the Corporation, by a vote of ten to four.
The men who are engaged in street cleaning act as a Fire Brigade, with Mr. S. A. Brunicardi as superintendent." For such work they are paid one shilling per hour. A manual engine, by Merryweather, and a fire escape, are maintained by the Corporation. Water is procured from the pumps and the river.


Within ten years a considerable amount of money has been expended in substantial improvements by the Corporation. Among these was a handsome Town Hall, built in 1881. It is situated in Parnell-street, and cost £6,000. A borough cemetery (St. Patrick's), for all denominations, containing eight statute acres, was opened in 1886. It is situated on the Carrick-on-Suir road, one mile, Irish, from town, and contains two handsome mortuary chapels. The total amount expended upon it was £3,300. At present (1889) the Corporation owes the Board of Works on foot of three loans a little over £9,000. Repayment is by instalment, with interest at 31/2-4 and 41/2 per cent. The Loans referred to above have been paid off.

A water supply has been provided at a cost of about £17,000. The Gas Works have been taken over by the Corporation at a cost of about £20,000, and 82 dwellings for the working classes has been erected at a cost of about £12,000. The latter are situated as follows :—

  • Old Bridge, 18 ;
  • Dillon Street, 7 ;
  • Rivers Street, 10;
  • Irishtown, 10;
  • James Street, 7;
  • Davis Road, 14;
  • Drill Field, Ardnagreine, 16;

totalling 82 dwellings in all.

 

CASTLES, WALLS AND GATES, OLD HOUSES, MAIN GUARD, &C.


Old St MarysA passage leads from these to a narrow tower at the outside of the main wall, to the rere.
An idea of the extent of fortified Clonmel may be formed from the position of the remaining wall and the location of the gates. The wall partly encloses the graveyard of St. Mary's Protestant Church, and is in a good state of preservation. It has the usual arched recesses, now employed for supporting memorial stones at graves. There are three towers. One of these was occupied as a dwelling by a sexton of St. Mary's for many years. The present sexton has chosen for his residence the smaller of the towers of St. Mary.

The existing town wall runs round to a point within a short distance of the West Gate, an illustration of which we give elsewhere. The West Gate of the present is a modern structure, the property of Lord Donoughmore. It was rebuilt on a larger scale in 1831. From the West Gate the wall was continued to the river, and thence along the bank to the South, or Water Gate, at the foot of Duncan-street. The wall ran from St. Mary's Church to the North Gate, which stood at the point where Gladstone-street joins Upper Gladstone-street. The East Gate stood where Parnell-street joins Dublin-street. The walls were repaired and fortifications strengthened in 1691.


One of the curious old houses yet habitable, is occupied as the private residence of Mr. Benjamin Wright, who was mayor in 1886, when the Corporation substituted the name of Parnell for Bagwell, and of Gladstone for Johnson, in renaming two of the leading thoroughfares. Mr. Wright's house is in Main-street, number 19. It is believed to have been used for quarters by the Cromwellian officers in 1650, and was also at one time a bishop's palace. A broad oak stairs is one of the attractive features. In 1880, while putting on a new roof, Mr. Wright discovered in the rafters, several letters bearing the signature of Oliver Cromwell.   They soon crumbled away.

The antiquity of the defence works of Clonmel is indicated in the charter granted by James I to the Corporation, 1609.   It states that the town " from the foundation," had been secured, and " on all sides surrounded with towers, castles, walls and fortresses," for the repairs of which the inhabitants have been at " great and heavy expense and labor."   The remnants of many ancient buildings exist in different parts of old Clonmel.   In the yards of several of the houses at both sides of the Main-street, the most interesting of these are to be found.   Some writers have fixed the site of the principal castle at the back of 75 Main-street, the business house of Alderman P. Nugent. In a small garden here, now belonging to Messrs. P. & T. Murphy, there is a piece of a tower about eighteen feet high.   It was once in possession of the Hackett family, and well decorated with mosses and shells for a tea-house.   Massive foundations in other parts of the premises of Messrs. Murphy, easily suggest the probable situation of a large castle with an outlet towards the river.   The character of the building at the opposite side of the street is not inconsistent with the opinion that it either formed part of the castle or had a connection with it.   This building is the warehouse of Messrs. Grubb & Sons.   The original walls are from four to five feet thick.   There are great cellars with communicating door-ways of cut stone.


The Main Guard, an illustration of which we also give, seems to have been built by the Corporation, from a design by Sir Christopher Wren, and for a long time was known as the Tholsel. It is situated at the eastern extremity of the Main-street, and was called the Main Guard because at one time the main guard of soldiers was on duty at this point of the town. At the south-west corner of Main-street, opposite, the old market stone remains. This was used for payments " on the nail." In June, 1774, the Corporation paid two sums of £31, and £4 4s. for repairs to the cupola, and the clock continues to be maintained by the same authority. The Deeds Committee of the Corporation, 1864, found that a head rent was paid out of the Tholsel from Mrs. Sylvia S. M'Swyny of Dublin, to Mr. John Bagwell of Marlfield, head landlord of the greater portion of the town. The Committee refers to the Corporate Inquiry, instituted by the Govern¬ment in 1833. Mr. David Malcomson, one of the witnesses then examined, testified that the Tholsel had been converted into three shops in or about the year 1810.


End.