Clogheen, Cahir - Book of County Tipperary, 1889

Population 1,209 in 1881—Trout-fishing.

Clogheen, in the barony of Iffa and Offa west, is 7 miles, Irish, south of Cahir, and less than 12 miles south-west of Clonmel. A small part of the town is in the parish of Tullaghorton, and the rest in Shanrahan. The situation is exceedingly beautiful in the valley of the River Tar, which is joined here by the Duag on the way to the Suir, both affording good sport for the angler. All the roads entering Clogheen present opportunities for the enjoyment of charming scenery. There are numerous plantations, which are most effective in emphasizing the attractive features of the Knockmealdown Mountains.

The houses of Clogheen, for the most part, are well built, and many of those devoted to business are tastefully fitted, and heavily stocked with merchandize. The district contains a considerable amount of good land, and in favourable times the farmers are well-to-do. Oats and potatoes are the principal crops raised. Dairying is carried on to a large extent. Every Saturday a market is held for butter and eggs, but it is small in comparison to what it was some years ago. The market house was destroyed by fire, and has not been rebuilt. A fair is held on the third Monday of every month for pigs. The cattle fairs, once first-rate, failed through the competition of those held at Clonmel, Cahir and Mitchelstown. Influences of a similar nature affected the prosperity of the weekly market.

Within forty years four flour mills were worked with success in the town and neighborhood. Now only one is kept going. Fifty years ago Clogheen had a brewery, but it likewise failed. Nearly a hundred years ago a silver mine was profitably worked for a time in the townland of Castle Grace. Why it was abandoned does not appear. The Knockmealdown Mountains are supposed to be rich in iron ore. At present woollens are manufactured here on a modest scale, by Mr. Michael Lonergan. The industry was begun by his late father some twenty years since, and has a promising future. Lord Lismore is the principal landlord of Clogheen and district. Shanbally Castle, less than three miles, Irish, from town, belonging to Lord Lismore, is one of the finest residences in the county.

In the absence of a governmental system an effort is made to keep Clogheen abreast of the methods of modern civilization. Lamps have been erected in the streets by the business people, and are lighted, cleansed and repaired at their expense. Mr. Edmond Riordan, and Mr. Geoffrey Prendergast act as a committee of collection, etc. The streets are repaired by the Grand Jury, and the Guardians of the Clogheen Union attend to the sanitary requirements. There are barracks for soldiers, with accommodation for a captain, two lieutenants and fifty men, but they have not been occupied for over five years.

The Catholic and Protestant churches are handsome edifices. A Convent of Mercy, under the jurisdiction of Cahir, has been built over four years, at a cost of something more than £2,000. There are fourteen Sisters in community. The duties include attendance in the Union hospital, and the teaching of two National schools.

For over three years a Gaelic Athletic Association, affiliated with the main body as the “Clogheen White Boys,” has been the medium of much wholesome amusement to the youth of the town. Dr. W. F. Fenton is president, Mr. Thos. L. Morrissey, captain, and Mr. M. F. Lonergan, secretary.

To the tourist, Clogheen is a stopping place of much interest. One day may be very agreeably spent in exploration among the mountain passes. Between the mountains, at a distance of about a mile and a half from the town, there is a lake nearly a mile round, and fully a hundred feet deep in the centre. This is called Bay Lough, and many stories of the supernatural order are told of it by the peasantry. Roads for vehicular traffic lead through the entire range of mountains, and one in particular, called the “Cork-screw,” is carried to the highest peak. Pic-nic and excursion parties from Clonmel and elsewhere come here very frequently in summer. The grave of Major Henry Eeles, a student of electricity, occupies the summit of one of the peaks.

Castle Grace, a picturesque ruin, is in the grounds of Mr. Samuel R. Grubb, J.P., within two miles, Irish, of Clogheen. The original structure was quite extensive, and was defended by four towers, one at each corner. There are remains of three, but one of these is a mere fragment. The space enclosed by walls measures over 100 feet from east to west and about 90 feet from north to south. Two of the walls, those at the north and east sides, appear to have been battered away. They are replaced by modern masonry. As seen from the Clonmel road, all the scars of time are hidden under a great mat of ivy. Castle Grace is said to have been built at an early period by the family whose name it continues to bear.

During the reign of George II. Clogheen secured prominence in the eyes of those charged with the government of the country. It was supposed to be a centre of Whiteboyism, in furtherance of a plot “to bring in the French and the Pretender.” The Rev. Nicholas Sheehy, then parish priest, having been educated in France, and being exceedingly popular with the people, early in his career became an object of suspicion. About the same time the peasantry had been assembling in force in various parts of Munster with the result that enclosures of commons set up by landlords, had been thrown down. The Marquis of Drogheda, at the head of a body of troops, marched to Clogheen, and made it head-quarters. Father Sheehy was arrested in 1763, on a charge of having enrolled and drilled Whiteboys. He was acquitted, but re-arrested. A man named Bridge, one of the witnesses, had disappeared, and other witnesses were found to sustain a charge of murder against the priest. After an imprisonment of almost a year, he was tried at Clonmel, March 12th, 1765, found guilty, and put to death, in the thirty-eighth year of his age. Edward Sheehy, his cousin, and two farmers named Buxton and Farrell, on the same evidence, met a similar fate two months afterward.

Auctioneer: Denis B. O’Brien

Bakers: Jas. Kent. See also Grocers

Bank, Provincial: Geo. Ramage, manager; Wm. Sutherland, act.

Builder and Saw Mill: JohnWard

Catholic Ch.: Rev. F. Meany, P.P., Rev. T. M‘Grath, Adm., Rev. P. Coffey, C.C., Rev. W. Quealy, C.C.

Church of Ireland: Rev. W. H. Oswald, Rector, Rev. Arthur Graham, Curate

Coal merchants: John Brown, M. J. Cashin, W. Luby, Edmond Riordan, J. Ward

Corn merchants: M. J. Cashin, S. Grubb and Sons, Dl. O’Brien, Dd. Slattery

Dispensary: Dr. Wm. F. Fenton

Drapers: Walter Barry, Jas. Collins

Emigration agents: M. J. Cashin, W. P. Hackett, Denis Lonergan

Fancy goods: Thos. O’Brien

Grocers marked thus (*) sell spirits, thus (†) hardware, thus (‡) seeds, thus (§) timber, thus (‖) are bakers: Jas Ahearn†‡, John Brown*†‖, Mark J. Cashin*†‡§‖, Thos. Condon*‖, Mrs. D. Delany, Ml. Donovan*, Wm. P. Hackett*†, Julia Kelly*‖, Wm. Leeper, Wm. Luby*§, Ml. Moloney*, J. W. Morrisroe*, Pat Coleman, Phil. Norris*, John O’Brien†‖, Edmd. Riordan†‡‖§, Mrs. M. Russell,* John Sheehan, Dd. Slattery,*†‡§, Michl. Troy, John Ward*†§‖, Mrs. M. Wise, William Condon*

Hardware, Walter Barry, see also Grocers

Hotel proprietors: P. M‘Craith, J. W. Morrisroe, J. Ward

Millers: Sl. Grubb and Sons

Petty Sessions: 2nd Thursday every month, G. Prendergast, clerk

Post Master: Denis Lonergan

R.I.C.: Denis Carroll, sergt.

National League: Thos. L. Morrissey, secretary

Saddler: Dd. Slattery

School, National: Jas. Consedine, Denis Lonergan, Convent of Mercy; Parochial, Miss G. Mason

Seeds: see Grocers

Spirit retailer: John Keating, see also Grocers

Stationer and news agent: Miss Johanna Jackson

UNION.

John Ross Lonergan, clerk; Jno. Tierney, master; Susan E. Steele, matron; Dr. Rd. Walsh, medical officer; Rev. Thos. M‘Grath, Adm. C. chaplain; Rev. W. H. Oswald, C. I. chaplain

Elected Guardians—Rt. O’Shea, J. E. Walsh, Dd. Russell, Wm. Galvin, Patk. O’Donnell, Wm. O’Loughnan, P. J. Brodrick, Ml. Cashin, Edmond Clancy, Ml. J. Tobin, Jno. Heffernan, Jno. Egan, Jno. Walsh, Lce. Foley, Wm. Jones, Jas. Prendergast

Ex-officio Guardians—Earl of Clonmell, Viscount Lismore, Geo. K. Massy-Dawson, Rd. Bagwell, Jno. R. Mulcahy, Jas. P. Mulcahy, Jno. Mulcahy, Edwin Taylor, J. G. Fennell, Hy. L. Grubb, Sl. R. Grubb, Natl. Buckley, J. J. Shee, Rt. K. Prendergast, Wm. Rochfort, L. Fennell. F. W. Law

Patk. O’Donnell, Clonmore, Cahir, chairman; John E. Walsh, Kilgrogymore, Ardfinare, vice-chairman; John M‘Grath, Clogheenapshogue, Cahir, deputy vice-chairman

Board meets every Tuesday

Victualler: Dl. O’Brien

Woollen manufacturer: Michl. Lonergan

FARMERS AND RESIDENTS.

Ahearne, James, Ballyboy E

Ahearn, Mrs., Canroe

Anglim, Patrick, Drumlummin

Barrett, John, Ballyboy E

Brien Patrick, Graigue

Casey, Eugene, Garrymore

Cashin, Michl., Shanrahan

Clohessy, James, Inchnamuck

Clohessy, John, Shanrahan

Condon, John, Garrymore

Condon, John, jun., Garrymore

Cahill, James, Rearoe

Connors, James, Garrymore

Connors, Michl., Garrymore

Conway, James, Garrymore

Coughlan, Michl., Shanrahan

Coughlan, Mrs., Flemingstown

Devereaux, Thos., Shanrahan

Dunlay, Patk., Carriganroe

Dunn, Wm., Flemingstown

English, James, Ballynomasna

English, Edmd., Carrigmore

Fennell, Llewellyn, Clogheen

Galvin, Wm., Shanbally

Gorman, David, Ballyboy W

Gorman, Denis, Cranna

Grubb, Fredk., Coolville

Grubb, Henry S. (J.P.) Clashleigh

Grubb, Sl. Rd. (J.P.) Castlegrace

Hanrihan, Jas., Castlegrace

Hanrihan, John, Castlegrace

Hanrihan, Thos., Castlegrace

Heffernan, Michl., Kilballyboy

Heffernan, Michael, Kilroe

Hennessy, David, Gortacullen

Hickey, James, Shanrahan

Hyland, Wm., Curraghcloney

Hyland, Wm., Shanbally

Keane, Daniel, Killeaton

Keating, Miss E., Castlegrace

Keating, Maurice, Castlegrace

Keating, Wm., Glencallaghan

Lonergan, James, Ballyboy W

Luddy, John, Shanrahan

M‘Carthy, Patrick, Drumlummin

Mahony, James, Ballyverassa

Mahony, Mrs. Carriganroe

Meehan, Thomas, Drumlummin

Miles, Michael, Graigue

Moran, William, Ballyboy E

Murphy, Thomas, Graigue

Prendergast, Jas., Bohernagore E

Prendergast, P., Bohernagore W

Prendergast, T., Bohernagore W

Roche, Thomas, Kilballyboy

Ryan, Edward, Shanrahan

Ryan, Miss Mary, Clogheen

Ryan, Patrick, Ballinhalla

Ryan, John, Ballynomasna

Taylor, Edwin (J.P.), Parson’s Green, Ballyboy W

White, John, Ballyboy West

Walshe, John, Ballyverassa

Walshe, Rd., Clogheen

Walsh, John, Ballynomasna

Walsh, John, Coolbawn

Walsh. Ptk., Castle Grace