Changes in Irish Street
Starting at the Boys’
National School, there was the ‘slip’, leading down to the
houses built on the lower level. There were four small thatched
houses, the first one having been converted into a forge
belonging to Martin Nolan. Later, when this was demolished, the
second house became a forge. This site s now occupied by a large
dwelling house.
Further down, ‘under the
wall’, was ‘Doyle’s Monumental Works’ where Pádraic Doyle’s
grandfather carried on stonecutting. Next door was Bob
(‘Darner’) Thorpe’s house, at the rear of which was a very
picturesque flower garden. Then there was the home of Johnny
Harris, a basket-maker. Coming down to the 1905 terraced
houses, the last one had a signboard which read ‘The
Graiguenamanagh Sack Hiring Co. Ltd.’ This is now Stevie Nolan’s
workshop, a saddler and craftsman who specializes in
manufacturing golf-bags.
Nolan’s (later Jordan’s)
butcher stall was next and a grocery shop later run by Pat
Dillon. Beside that was MacDonald’s shop (now ‘Urban Barbers’)
and the last shop, with its signboard facing the Market Square
was Ciss Bond’s public house. The signboard read ‘Murphy’s’.
This building was accidentally burned down and the rebuilt
building is now a butcher’s shop.
On the opposite side of
Irish Street, beginning at the Vocational College, erected in
what used to be the Gaelic park, or the ‘Football Field’, Bill
Bond had his saddlery workshop. A little further down was
another saddler, Sam Moorhead, and yet another after that, Mike
Wall’s. Mike Wall’s brother, Jim, carried on a shoe-repairing
business a few doors down. A Mrs Roberts, known as ‘Mother
Roberts’, used to sell soft drink which she produced on the
premises. Below that was ‘No. 4. John Wall Boots and Leather’
shop. St Aidan’s Hall, known as the Town Hall, was built in
1916. The Dispensary came next, now a private dwelling-house, ‘Bartrès’.
What is now the shop
known as ‘All Made in Ireland’ was originally ‘John Wall’s
Bakery, Delph and China Store’. ‘Mrs Quin’s Charity Shop’ was
once ‘The Commercial Hotel’ run by the Brennan family. ‘The
Peony Court’ restaurant was Mrs Bolger’s public house. Another
public house was run by the Misses Kinsella and, next door, a
pub and hardware shop, the last house in the block, was
O’Neill’s, later Ned
Connolly’s. It is now the ‘Pam L’ Boutique.