THE GLOBE INN

I am starting at the Dublin Street end; and going back to the early 18th century. There is a record that in 1735 Jonathan Watson who signed his name with a “cross" leased a holding in “Moysless Lane" to Arthur Hunt, a British soldier in Col. Fitzwil1iam’s Regiment of Foot. This holding was said to be part of Robert Edward's plot. Mr. Watson was the proprietor of the “Globe Inn," one of the oldest inns in the town. This inn was the site of Miss McElwee’s and Mr. Cunningham's in Dublin Street which was originally one house. Miss McElwee’s property also extends down Browne Street to Mr. Tierney’s house. The plaque on the gable wall of No.15 Dublin Street bears the date: 1776 Hunt Street, so that for a period of over ‘half a century the Hunt family owned this -property which I think was extensive.

The property, with lands in Graigue, were bought “under degree of court” by William Finn, Tanner, Coal Market, when the third generation of Hunts was sold up for debts. This Arthur Hunt had got himself into the hands of Dublin money lenders and the King’s Chief Remembrancer took over. I do not know the date that Hunt was dispossessed, but it was before 1805 when William Finn made his will disposing of "the property.

Mr. Tierney’s and Mr. Hartnett’s were originally one house. It was built on the site of a ruin by Mr. Ryan, a retired member of the R.I.C. Mr. John Curran was the stone mason.

Mrs. Kavanagh’s was occupied by a Mrs. White who was a dressmaker, and later by Miss Cahill, also a. dressmaker.

Guard King's, this house was for a number of years the residence of the Ministers at Browne Street attached to the Methodist Church in Charlotte Street before the new church was built on the Athy Road, and opened in 1898.  Afterwards a Mrs. Smyth had what in those days was called an “eating house,” the forerunner of the restaurant.

Coleman's Garage was the out-ofiicers and livery stables attached to her house where country people stabled their ponies or horses and cars. Brennan’s slaughter yard was a house occupied by James Keating. He was the father of Michael and John Keating. Michael had a victualling business in Dublin Street (now Miss Breen’s). John owned the house that is now Governey’s Boot Depot. He made soap, tallow and dip candles which succeeded the old rush lights.

DR. JAMES KEEFFE

Bishop Keeffe lived in Mr. J. McDonald’s house when he came. to Carlow from Tullow.

Dr. James Keefe was the son of Edmund Keeffe of Currane in the parish of Borris. He was. born in the year 1702 and went at an early age to Paris where he distinguished himself at his studies. He took his Doctor of Divinity at the Sorbonne.

He was Parish Priest of Tullow and was consecrated Bishop in Wexford in 1752. Dr. Keeffe was living in Tullow, but having failed to get a site for a Diocesan College there, he came to Carlow and got a lease for a four-acre field from Mr. William Fishbourne. He took up his residence in this house and started the building of the College in 1782. The lay-out of Dr. Keeffe’s house was on the ground floor to the left of the hall- door was the kitchen; on the right, a sitting- room; over this room was the B1shop’s bedroom; over the kitchen were two small rooms. The front room was the Bishops Oratory, and the other was for his house-keeper.

Dr. O’Keeffe died on the 18th September, 1787, at the age of 85 years.

A faithful servant who had long attended him had hidden £5 from his master to purchase a coffin and shroud for him when he should be laid in the tomb.

These five pounds defrayed the funeral expenses of the Bishop.

His obsequies were celebrated in the old penal chapel, the site of which was between the College junior football pitch and corner of College Street (then Mass House Lane) and Dublin Road. The funeral Office was attended by seven Bishops and two Archbishops. In the Diocesan Visitation Journal of Dr. Patrick Joseph Plunkett, Bishop of Meath, the following entry appears: 19th September, 1787: I set out from Kilkenny to Carlow. where, on the 20th, I assisted at the funeral Office of Dr. Keeffe of Kildare who died on Tuesday, 18th, a model of disinterestedness and piety."

Dr. Keeffe expressed the desire that his remains be interred in the “Graves” amidst the poor for whom he had lived and with whom, after his death, he desired to be associate.

Dr. Doyle (J.K.L.) from whose “Diocesan Book” these extracts are quoted, had the plot enclosed and a memorial raised to his memory. Dr. Keeffe made his will when he was over 80 years.

William Finn, Tanner, Coal Market, in his will and codicils, 1805-1812, mentions “The house in Cuckoo Lane lately held by Thomas Crosby as well as five other houses and their tenants, Garrett Wall, William Hughes, Jos. Crawley, Banks and Farrell.

We know that Bishop Keeffe[MB1]  lived in Browne Street, so Thomas Crosby must have been a friend and near neighbour.

A FOWL MARKET

Mr. J. Parker’s and vacant premises next door. These two houses were the property of Mr. Valentine Farrell, poulterer and licensed game dealer. In those days a fowl market was held in Carlow on two days in the week, Monday and Thursday, and there was lively competition among the buyers and sellers. I am told Mr. Farrell's premises was a hive of industry at Christmas with the women wearing large “praskeens" or sack aprons plucking turkeys, geese and other poultry for the festive season under the glare of naptha lights (no gas or electric lights then).

Mr. Farrell was grandfather of Mr. John Slater, Mayor of Kilkenny, and Mr. Frank Slater who followed his grandfather’s business and also had other business concerns in Carlow.

Mr. Joe Moore’s was originally the gate- way entrance to out-offices and yard of vacant premises. Mr. Issac Langrell who lived at Fairymount had the contract to supply post cars to the Carlow Post Office. Cars went to Ballickmoyler and The Rushes, Crettyard, Tullow and Coolkenno. He rented these out- offices and yard and used them as stables for horses and cars.

SHILLING A WEEK

Mr. P. D’Arcy’s was Mrs. Fennell’s, who had what I referred to earlier as an “eating house.” Mrs. Cunningham's was occupied by Mr. Greene, a travelling draper of the Jewish fraternity who was the first (I am told) to introduce the “shilling a week” to the town. Mrs. Kearney’s was occupied by Mr. Byrne who was a dairy man. The cows were put out in the summer on land at Mortarstown.

The milking bawn rail is still there. Mrs. Byrne was a relative of Mrs. Kearney.

ST. PATRICK’S FLATS

These are large Georgian houses with three stories over basement. In the Carlow Morning Post, 1817, the following advertisement appeared: Classical and Mercanter Academy, Browne Street, Carlow, opened on Monday, 17th December, 1817, by Mr. M. Ryan, late Professor of Mathematics, Geography, etc., for several years in St. Patrick’s College.

Course includes Greek, Latin, French, English History, Mythology and use of the Globes—a well-regulated English education comprising Spelling, Reading, Writing, Arithmetic, Competition, Book-keeping and Mathematics.

Terms: Boarders, 25 gns. per annum, and 3 gns. entrance fee, washing included, to be paid half-yearly in advance.

Day Scholars learned languages £1. 2s. 9d. quarter; entrance fee, do.

Geography, Book -keeping, Competition and Mathematics, 16/3d. quarter, and as entrance, English spelling, reading, writing, arithmetic, 11/4½d. quarter; entrance, do.

Mr. Ryan would also receive four parlour boarders at 30 gns. per annum and 3 gns. entrance fee, washing included, to be paid half-yearly in advance.

Vacation, only one in the year, commencing 12th July, ending 1st August.

SCRAGGS ACADEMY

Mr. Ryan’s Academy was the first house on the corner of Browne Street and College Street. Mr. Ryan’s ownership did not last long, for in 1822, Messrs. J. and M. K. Scraggs, M.A., F.C.D., took over. They taught the same subjects, but with this difference, there was only the one fee for all subjects, viz., £1. 14s. 1½d. per quarter and £1 2s. 9d. entrance.

Mr. Scraggs had his private residence on the Athy Road, (Park’s house), at least he was living there in 1838. They also owned a row of two-roomed thatched houses in the Potato Market area which was known as “Scraggs Alley”.

A Mr. Costello also had an evening school in Browne Street. William Farrell in his journal “Carlow in '98” states that he and Peter Ivers attended the best English School that was in the town, the Master of which was Mr. Banks. “He taught Reading, Writing, Arithmetic and Book-keeping, nothing else. In the Carlow Homing Post, 18th February, 1818, the following advertisement appears: “To be let for one life and 31 years--houses in Browne Street wherein Miss Banks formerly resided.” Was she his daughter or sister? I mentioned earlier that Miss Banks was a tenant of William Finn (Tanner) and he called the Street “Cuckoo Lane."

I do not know who were the tenants in the intervening years until 1887 when both houses were opened as an educational establishment under the superintendence of the President and Professors of St. Patrick's College. It was called “St. Lazerian’s Classical and English Seminary.” The Rev. E. W. Burke was the director. I do not know when this Academy closed. It was open at the time of Bishop Comerford’s death in 1895. The Students walked in the funeral procession. Afterwards the second house from College Street became the College Laundry, and Misses Hannah and Maria Nolan lived in the first house and managed the Laundry. Their mother was housekeeper in the College.

Miss Taylor succeeded them. Miss Annie Murphy, one of our members, also lived with her sister in this house. Mr. D. Carbery bought the premises in the early 1930’s and reconstructed them into the present St. Patrick’s Flats.

HIGH CONSTABLE OF CARLOW

In my search for information the names of the following appear as having resided in Browne Street in 1824. Richard Byrn, Surgeon. A descendant of his, Rev. Mr. Byrn, was Rector of Kilternan, Co. Dublin, in the 1920’s. Arthur Reed, he was a surgeon to the Infirmary and to the Carlow Militia. Singleton Walker, Attorney, and James Holland, High Constable of Carlow, but I regret I have been unable to find out which of the houses they lived in.

Crossing to the opposite side of the street to Nurse Glovers. This house was occupied by Miss Glover’s aunt, Mrs. McAssey, who had almost reached her 100th birthday when she died. Miss Bridget Kelly's and late Stan Cullen’s. This row of houses from Cullen’s round the corner to the last house facing the College gate were built by the Brown family, but were acquired at some time by Mr. Tracey of Tullow Street who owned the boot and leather shop (now Doran’s). Mr. Tracey’s daughters inherited the property, and on their deaths, it passed to their niece, Mrs. Doolan (nee Carroll).

CARLOW LITTLE THEATRE

This Georgian house was the Old Dispensary and probably the doctor's residence also.

In the voters’ list 1869-1871, William Prosser, pensioner, is listed as caretaker with use of kitchen, sitting-room, bedroom and out-offices, Carlow Board of Guardians Landlords. In what period the dispensary quitted the premises and moved to Church Street I do not know. It was occupied at different periods by different tenants until finally it was condemned as unfit for human habitation.

The Carlow Little Theatre Society was founded in 1945. The membership was then 30. The committee consists of six members elected annually, and three Trustees elected for life. The Trustees are Messrs. W. L. Duggan, Leo Murphy and T. Moran. The annual subscription was 5/-, but it was found that this amount was not sufficient to work on and it was raised to' 10/-. When this house was offered for sale as part of the estate of Miss Frances Byrne, the Society secured a bank overdraft for £150 and bought it. The members cleaned, repaired and furnished it themselves, had electric light installed and finally had the whole outside rough dashed in pale green with their motto over the door.

Their door knocker decorated the door of one of the Georgian houses a few doors away.

IMPERIAL HOTEL

Miss Bolger’s was owned by Mr. Pat O'Toole and was known as the “Imperial Hotel.” In 1895 Mr. O’Toole put up for auction the “Imperial Hotel,” Carriage Mart and Old Dispensary house adjoining, all of which are held under lease for the lives of the Prince of Wales and the Dukes of Sax-Coburg-Gotha and Connaught and of the survivors and survivor of them at the almost nominal rent of £20 per annum on which the landlord allows half the Poor Rates.

The Imperial Hotel contains five bed- rooms, two large bar parlours, kitchen, garden, large yard and first class stabling accommodation. The Carriage Mart is let by vendor at 3/6 per week and old Dispensary house at 7/- per week. The old Dispensary house contains seven large rooms, kitchen and yard.

Mr. O’To0le was father of “Nipper” O'Toole who died a prisoner in Ballykinlar Camp, 7th February, 1921. He is buried in the Republican Plot, St. Mary’s Cemetery.

Mrs. Farrell was next tenant. She was daughter-in-law of old Val. Farrell (opposite side) and sister to Mr. Byrne who owned Pat Duggan’s, Dublin Street, and Bacon Curing Factory in Bridewell Lane (now Brennan’s).

Mrs. Farrell later married James Bolger, Turnerstown, Athy, and her daughter is now the owner.

CARLOW WORKMAN’S CLUB

This is the only one of the four large early Georgian double houses which has survived the ravages of time. The Carlow Workman’s Club was founded in 1899 and the first meeting of the newly elected committee was held in the present premises on the 9th April, 1899.

Mr. Thomas Little in the chair. Also present were: Messrs. Kellet, Delaney, Warren, Fenelon, McAssey, Sparks, Dwyer, Brennan, Dooley, Brophy, Ellis, Clifford, Comerford, Walsh, Quillan, Wetheral, Mulhall, Cullen and the three O’Hanrahan Brothers. Of the twenty-three who attended that first meeting, there is only one living, Mr. Thomas Little, Potato Market. Michael O’Hanrahan was executed as one of the Leaders after the Easter Week Rising, 1916.

It was decided at this meeting to purchase the following Club requisites: draught board and men, two packs of cards, one box dominoes (double set), card book and Secretary’s Account Book. It was also agreed to purchase two dozen chairs of Irish manufacture from Mr. Thomas Richards at 3/3 each.

Mr. Benjamin Coleman painted and papered the entire Club premises free of charge and was suitably thanked by the committee and members. Mrs. Kingsbury who lived nearby was appointed to look after and clean the premises at 3/6 per week.

At later meetings it was agreed to buy a Billiard Table for £68 5s. 0d., £45 0s. 0d. cash to be paid down, the balance in instalments.

Card playing was charged at one penny per sitting, only 15's and 25’s permitted.

Any member who broke any of the rules was expelled. The papers and magazines were sold by auction annually, a member of the committee being appointed to the post.

It was decided to purchase a lamp and bracket from Mr. Hennessy for £2 12s. 0d. and have it erected over the entrance, the name of the Club in English on one side and the equivalent in Irish on the opposite. During the War of Independence, the Club was used by the I.R.A. as a secret meeting place. Here plans were made and orders issued to members.

THE NATIONALIST

The house beside Workman’s Club. I can only go back to the year 1883 in connection with this house, but, of course, its history goes back much further to the 1700’s. I have tried to find out who built these four houses and who were the first tenants, but I have not been successful.

The first offices and printing works of the Nationalist were in this house. The Nationalist was founded in 1883 during the Land League days by the late Mr. Patrick Conlan who felt there was a great need of a local national weekly paper to offset the views of the conservative Sentinel.. During the bad years of 1888 and ’89 the tenants of Carlow, Kildare and Leix petitioned the landlords for a reduction of their rents.

They, the landlords, refused, like Shylock they demanded their “pound of flesh." Evictions followed, the worst area was Luggacurren, Leix.

Mr. Conlan took up the cause of the evicted tenants and wrote about their sufferings in his paper in January and February,1889. He was arrested on a charge of seditious writing and tried at Carlow Petty Sessions, 23rd March, 1889.

He refused to give bail and was sentenced to two months’ imprisonment and was lodged in Kilkenny Jail. Mr. Conlan was released from jail on the 20th May, 1889. The Mayor of Kilkenny escorted him to the station.

There was a big crowd waiting at Bagenalstown station where an address of welcome was read.

He was met on the arrival of the train at Carlow station by the new Carlow-Graigue Brass Band, headed by the banner of the Bennekerry and Tinryland National League, and escorted to his residence in Brown Street Where he addressed his supporters.

On the following Sunday, 26th May, Mr. Conlan was entertained to a banquet in Tynan’s Hotel (now Ritz Cinema). The chair was occupied by Rev. Fr. Kavanagh, Adm., Vice-Chairman, Mr. Thomas Keogh, Park.

Covers were laid for seventy guests. Some very fine songs were given during the evening to intersperse the speeches. The accompaniments were played by Professor McAlinden, organist to Carlow Cathedral.

Later, the Commercial Club had their first rooms in this house.

The Club had an excellent billiard room with billiard and bagatelle table and a reading room.

CYCLING CLUB

The Carlow Wanderers Cycling Club held meetings here, their colours were black and amber. The Cumann-na-mBan also met in a room in this house before they had to move about during the War of Independence.

Below I give the names of officers of the Carlow Wanderers Cycling Club, 1894.

Captain, N. P. Roche; Sub. Captain, James Oliver; Treasurer, John Doyle; Hon. Secretary, Daniel Fenlon. Committee: S. Freeman, Robert Gough, Michael P. Tynan, T. Byrne, Ben. Coleman, J. McDonald.

Afternoon and evening runs were held by the Club to various beauty spots in and around Carlow and County, a favourite Sunday outing was to Poolaphouca.

No. 11 Browne Street. This house was the residence of James Comerford, father of Most Rev. Dr. M. Comerford. He was a native of Bunclody, but there is a probability that the Bunclody Comerford’s sprung from Co. Carlow. In the early time we find the name in the following passage in a "History of Carlow.”

Carlow, 18th January, 1636. — “The Earl of Ormonde, Lady Elizabeth, his wife, and Thomas Comerford were seized of the Castle of Clonmore with appurtenances in the tenth year of the reign of Charles I.”

At a later date this house was occupied by the Mullins family. Martin was a boot and shoe repairer. Mr. Mullins (his father) won £100 in a raffle that was run in connection with a bazaar held in Carlow in 1895 for the renovation of the Cathedral.

THE BROWNES OF BROWNE STREET

Last house on corner of Browne Street and Charlotte Street. This house, I am told, was the town house of the Browne’s of Browne’s Hill. Of this family Brewer writes: “The line of this Browne family settled at this place (Browne’s Hill) derives from the House of Rokewood Hall, Abbess Roding and Weald Hall in Essex.

“In the year 1650 Robert, second son of John Browne, Esq., of Wickham and Abbess Roding, passed into Ireland and his descendant purchased the estates.”

In the reign of Charles II (1660-1685) a new charter was granted to the town of Carlow, and in 1675 this Robert Browne was appointed to be the first modern sovereign of the borough of Carlow, he had been the last Portreeve under the old charter. His son, John Browne, married about 1680 Mary, daughter of Robert Jennings of Kilkea Castle, Co. Kildare. Their son, William Browne, settled at Browne's Hill. He married Elizabeth, daughter of John Clayton, Dean of Kildare.

Mr. Browne died in 1772, aged 88, and was succeeded by his son, Robert Browne, who married 27th March, 1762, Eleanor, daughter of Raymond Morris, M.P. for Dublin.

Arthur Young in his "Tour of Ireland” wrote: “July 8th, 1776: “Passed on to Mr. Browne at Browne's Hill. Tillage is very much increased here and almost entirely to the ‘Inland Premiums.’” Mr. Browne died January, 1816, aged 87 years and was succeeded by his son, William Browne, J.P. (custus Retolum), Co. Carlow M.P. for Portarlington.

He married first Lady Charlotte Burke, daughter of the Third Earl of Mayo.

It was in honour of this lady that Charlotte Street was named, before that I am told that it was merely referred to as “The Lane.” Lady Charlotte Browne died in 1806 and was buried in St. Mary’s Churchyard. He married secondly in 1815 Lady Letitia, daughter of Earl of Norbury, Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas in Ireland. (Lord Norbury, the Hanging Judge).

Mr. Browne died in 1840 and was succeeded by his eldest son, Robert Clayton Browne, M.A., J.P. Mr. Browne died in July, 1888, and was succeeded by his son, William.

NOTE: —PREMIUMS ON THE INLAND CARRIAGE OF CORN

An Act was passed by the Irish Parliament in 1757 which gave a bounty on the Inland Carriage of Corn from all parts of Ireland to Dublin.

The idea was to encourage tillage by bringing the Dublin Market to the farmer's door by paying the carriage at the public expense. The bounty, although it stimulated agriculture, was a heavy charge on the revenue, and was discontinued after 1796.

Clayton Browne Clayton. This gentleman assumed the additional name of Clayton by Royal Licence in 1889. He also built Barrack Street National School in 1867 as the Browne Memorial School.

CHARLOTTE STREET

As regards Charlotte Street, the buildings which go as far as the Bonne-Bouche were the stables and coach houses of the Browne house. There was also a right-of-way to all houses down to the house occupied by the Workman’s Club.

The entrance to the Society of Friends’ meeting house was also in Charlotte Street as also the Methodist Church, now Coleman’s Garage.

Mr. Piggotts. This large house, coming back to Browne Street again is situated on the corner of Browne Street and Charlotte Street. It has an unusual knocker on its hall door and was occupied by an old lady named Mrs. Austen.

In Kelly's lived Thomas Higgins, boot and shoe repairer, who for some unknown reason was called “Shiggins.”

Next house was Joe Piggot’s, bakers (also Walshes). Beside Piggot’s lived Mr. Connolly, an old man who was a Crimean veteran.

A BIBLIOPOLE

Next door there lived Mr. McKiernan, known as “Mac.” He bought, sold and exchanged books, mostly school books. When he lived in this house, he had a pony and cart and drove out the country doing business. I remember him when he was living in one room in the house next the Workman’s Club.

He was a venerable old man with a long white beard. Every fine day he would bring down the stairs to the street, two large cartwheel shaped bundles of books and carry them to the steps of the old Assembly Rooms in Dublin Street, where he displayed them for the benefit of the passers-by.

NOTE: —LORD NORBURY, THE HANGING JUDGE

He sat on the bench at the Carlow Assizes held in the old Sessions House (now Deighton Hall) in 1810-1811.

At each Session more than 20 people were sentenced to be hanged for sheep stealing.

“PAT THE BARBER”

Beside the gate entrance to what was Bourke’s yard (now 0liver’s) was a barber’s shop owned by Pat Kirwan, commonly known as “Pat the Barber.”

Next to Kirwan lived Bob Saunders who carried on one of the old trades of a wire-cutter. He made wire nails, calf-muzzles and wire cages for chimney pots.

The last two tall houses in Browne Street were Doyle’s and Mrs. Smyth’s who belonged to an old Carlow family.

Thus ends my story of Browne Street, and looking back I can almost see the carriages, link-boys, footmen, and all the pomp that was attached to the paying of “an afternoon call” in those far-off days.

A WORD OF THANKS

The Honorary Editors and the Committee of the Old Carlow Society wish to thank all who have contributed in any way to this issue of Carloviana. They are particularly indebted to the support of our advertisers without which it would not be possible to continue the publication of our Journal.