County of
Carlow c1820
- Historic Map Reprint of: Ireland Circa
1820.
- Originally issued by John Pinkerton in
the early 19th century.
- This large sheet map shows many small
place names not found on many modern maps.
Sent to me by Elaine
Neuhaus
CARLOW TOKENS
- Below
are three of the merchants tokens struck in Carlow in the
seventeenth century.
- (source: Carlow, The Manor & Town by
Thomas King)
-
CARLOW 1798
Although not generally welcomed in the county
or the garrison town of Carlow, there were approximately 11,000
members of the United Irishmen in the County by 1798. As part of
an overall strategy for a rising, Carlow town was attacked by
2,000 rebels on 25th May 1798. The plan was doomed to failure
because informers had made known the plot to the defenders of the
town. A small number of yeomen were placed at the entrance to the
town with orders to retreat on the appearance of the rebels. This
was to encourage the rebels to break ranks and drop their guard.
The plan worked, the rebel divisions advanced so rapidly that they
were a disordered mass by the time they entered Tullow Street and
the Potato Market, where the whole place seemed deserted. Elated
by what looked to be an easy victory they commenced cheering as a
signal for their friends to join them. The answer to the 'roar of
a thousand voices' was a tremendous volley of musketry from every
window and roof top. Surrounded on all sides 'the town became like
a slaughter house'. Every vantage point had been occupied in such
a way as to lure the rebels to their doom. Many lost their lives,
actual number is unknown. There were no fatalities recorded on the
side of the defenders. The dead were unceremoniously dumped in a
gravel pit, now know as the Croppies Grave in Graiguecullen.
The town was so gallantly defended by a small
party of the military, stationed in the barracks within the town,
that they were repulsed with very great loss; forty-eight men, and
several rebel officers were taken prisoners, and executed a few
days afterwards. In this attack, upwards of eighty houses were
burned to the ground. A handsome monument rises above the site of
an old sand pit where in the aftermath of the disastrous rising of
the United Irishmen in 1798, the bodies of 640 Carlow insurgents
were slaughtered and were then thrown into a gravel pit and
covered with quick lime in a mass grave at Graiguecullen. The
grave is now known as the "Croppies Grave". The monument stands as
testimony to those who gave their lives to further the cause of
freedom from a harsh regime.
Croppies was the name given to the United
Irishmen after the habit of cropping their hair to mark their
allegiance to the cause.
CARLOW POLITICAL
It is governed by a sovereign, and sends a
member to the Imperial parliament; its present representative is
Lord Charleville.
In 1824 the population of Carlow town was
about 10,080.
From 1854 the town was administered by town
commissioners. A
In 1898 the Local Government Act gave power
to elect representatives.
See also
CARLOW TOWN as described in Pigot & Co's Directory of 1824
CARLOW 1863
Tullow Street - 1863
- Click on the link above for more info on Tullow Street
Tullow Street has had a large number of shopkeepers over the
past hundred years or more.
CARLOW 1891
Carlow town was the first inland town
in the British Isles to receive the Electric Light. The power
for the town was generated by a dynamo situated at Burrin Bridge.
Carlow 1910/1911
The Shamrock 1910/1911
Dinny Mullane - Public House
Doyles of The Shamrock - Coach Works & Saw Mills. They
employed a wide variety of tradesmen including Carpenters, Painters, a
Groomsman, Rope Maker, Wheelwright, Blacksmiths, Locksmiths,
Whitesmith, Coach Builder, Nail Maker, Glazier, Tin Plate worker,
Cooper, Cabinetmaker, Joiner, Engraver, Whipmaker, Tanner, Wood
Turner, Baker, Chandler, Timberman, Stone Mason, Bookkeeper, Stone
Clever, House Servant, Porter a Barman and one Engineer.
Willie Mulhall - Bicycles & Hardware (This building dates back
to 1697 when Thomas Spaight built an inn on the site, known as 'Ye signe of ye Tea Kettle'. It then became
Victoria Hotel and in
1894 it was known as Ogle's Hotel. Today it is known as 'Paul's
Bookshop'.
MARKET CROSS
Governey's on the corner of Castle Street
and Market Cross dealer in Boots and Shoes.
Market Cross got its name form the large market that used to
be held there every day, all classes of goods such as butchers,
fishmongers, locksmiths, drapers etc, could be purchased from dealers
who set up their stalls along the street. It is thought that
this market replaced the famous market that used to be held at the
"Carlow Wall" in a laneway that extended from beside the Little Owl
public house down to the Haymarket.
POTATO MARKET
In days gone by all
types of entertainment was provided in this part of the town.
Caravans lit up with oil lamps would display Punch & Judy shows,
Waxworks, Menageries, Sylvester Bros and Purcells Theatre etc.
Edwin Boake recalled a story of a travelling 'American Dentist' named
Sequoi, who set up business in a beautifully decorated caravan.
he would have music playing so the customers would not hear the cries
of his patients. He extracted teeth free of charge but each
customer had to buy a packet of Prairie flower and oil mixture which
was good for 'the pains'. Pat Kerrigan, a dentist living in
Montgomery Street did not like this kind of opposition and ran Sequoi
out of town with a pea-gun.
Potato Market was also
the scene of many Political meetings. We are very fortunate to
have a well preserved movie film of Jphn Dillon, M.P. addressing a
Home Rule rally in 1913. Others who spoke have down through the
years included W.T. Cosgrave, Big Jim Larkin, Sean Lemass and 'Dev',
(Eamon de Valera).
It is recalled that for Dev's meeting the crowd filled Potato Market
and extended up as far as Lennons Corner. Potato Market was also
where Thomas Little lived - Bandmaster, founder, organiser, chairman,
secretary and member of various clubs and organisations too numerous
to mention.
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