Clonmel Industry

In 1667, the plan of Sir Peter Pett for introducing the woollen manufacture into Ireland was carried into effect by the Duke of Ormonde, then Lord-Lieutenant; and, in order to provide a sufficient number of workmen, 500 families of the Walloons were invited over from Canterbury to settle here. The manufacture continued to flourish for some time, but at length fell into decay, in consequence of the prohibitory statutes passed by the English parliament soon after the Revolution, and is at present nearly extinct. A factory for weaving cotton has been established by Mr. Malcomson, which at present affords employment to 150 girls; he has also an extensive cotton-factory at Portlaw, in the county of Waterford. A very extensive trade is carried on in grain and other agricultural produce of the district, principally with the Liverpool and Manchester markets; great quantities of bacon are also cured and sent to London and the channel ports. There are two very large ale and porter breweries in the town; and at Marlfield, about a mile distant, is a distillery for whiskey upon a very extensive scale. The Excise duties collected within this district, in 1835, amounted to £75,520. 16.

The only mineral production in the neighbourhood which forms an article of commerce is slate, of good quality, found at Glenpatrick and worked by the Irish Mining Company. Though not a sea-port, the town, from its situation at the head of the Suir navigation, is the medium through which the corn and provision export trade is carried on between the southern and eastern portions of this large county and England. There are generally about 120 lighters, of from 20 to 50 tons burden, employed in the trade of this place; and several hundred carriers are engaged during winter on the roads communicating with Clonmel and the principal towns within 40 miles round: a considerable portion of the trade of Waterford also passes through the town.

In the year ending April 30th, 1832, not less than 230,543 cwt. of flour, 28,678 barrels of wheat, 19,445 barrels of oats, 3878 barrels of barley, 21,559 cwt. of butter, 2769 cwt. of lard, and 63,751 flitches of bacon, besides smaller quantities not enumerated, were sent for exportation.

The navigation of the Suir was formerly very imperfect: in 1765, a parliamentary grant was obtained to form a towing-path, by which the passage of the boats has been greatly accelerated. The river is still in many places so shallow that, in dry seasons, the navigation is much impeded. An act has recently been obtained for its improvement; and it is proposed to form a railroad between Carrick, where a basin is intended to be formed, and Limerick, thereby opening a communication between the Suir and the Shannon. There is a salmon fishery in the river, the quays of which are spacious and commodious, extending from the central bridge along the north side. The Bank of Ireland, the Provincial Bank, the Agricultural and Commercial Bank, and the National Bank of Ireland, have branch establishments here. The market days, under the charter of the 6th of James I., are Tuesday and Saturday; and fairs are held on May 5th and Nov. 5th, and also on the first Wednesday in every month (except May and November), for the sale of cattle, sheep, horses, and pigs, and on the preceding day for pigs only. The butter market is a spacious building, provided with suitable offices for the inspector and others; all butter, whether for home consumption or exportation must be weighed and duly entered: there are also convenient shambles and a large potatoe market. The post is daily; the revenue of which, for 1835, was about £3000. The royal mail and day car establishment, under the direction of its proprietor, Mr. Bianconi (to whose enterprising exertions the south of Ireland is so much indebted for the establishment of public cars), is in this town. A chief constabulary police station has been established here.