Part 1: Clonakilty's Oldest Civic Buildings

By Con O'Neill 

What is the oldest building in Clonakilty? It’s an impossible question to answer for certain. A line from Only Fools & Horses comes to mind when local road sweeper, Trigger, is in the pub celebrating after being given a medal for using the same brush for 20 years when he says:

 

“mind you, the broom has had 17 new heads and 14 new handles”.

The only difference for the buildings that we are about to discuss is that they are at least likely to incorporate elements of the early structure.

In the first of several articles, we will identify the oldest Civic building. Later we are going to suggest a number of possibilities for the oldest residence/town house, the oldest structures including bridges, water pumps and walls and finally the origin of trees planted around the town.

 

Civic Building

The oldest Civic Building in the town is the old Market House (also known as the Old Town Hall) set back from the road on McCurtain Hill which likely started construction in 1696 although wasn’t finished until at least the mid-18^th century. The area in front of the Market House was known as ‘Market Place’ up to the early 19^th century.

 

Earliest References

The earliest reference to a Market House in Clonakilty is not contemporary being written over 130 years after the events being described. Charles Smith writing in 1774 records how in 1642, after the ‘Irish’ had taken the town:

 

“the English returned to Cloghnakilty time enough, to relieve a great number of men, women and children, who were imprisoned in the market house, in order to be burned by the Irish, as a bonfire for joy of the easy victory they promised over the rest of lord Forbe’s party”

 

The events of 1642 were the subject of much religious commentary and propaganda on both sides at this time. In 1842, O’Neill Daunt, a leader of the Repeal movement, used a platform erected in front of the Market House, to inform more than ’30,000’ people gathered how:

“Captain Forbes, one of Cromwell's canting, hypocritical vagabond, who came from Bandon and spared neither man, woman and child, and boasted about knocking out the brains of 17 Roman Catholic Infants. Such was his religious zeal”

 

Contemporary References

Contemporary accounts for an early Market House in Clonakilty do exist. The Corporation Books record an agreement to build a Market House in 1696. Later, in 1706, Robert Travers promised that if appointed Sovereign, that he would

“finish that part of the market house that is now lathed inside, glaze and hang up the bells”.

A letter in 1741 to Henry Boyle, later First Earl of Shannon, who had recently purchased the town records that the building of the Market House had been suspended for lack of funds and asks if he wishes to contribute.

The building extant today, is likely the building started in 1696. It was likely originally a standalone building and only later did other buildings spring up around it. Local lore records an early road running from McCurtain Hill, behind the Market House to Pearse Street. This may suggest an open market area surrounding the entire Market House.

In July 1847, a soup kitchen established here as famine relief. A rush for food saw the military intervene and arrest 67 people. The event resulted in a riot, when later that evening, the assembled crowd attempted to free the people from the bridewell but on failing they returned to the market house, climbed to the top and pulled down the clock.

 

Conclusion

By the early 19^th century, the building was no longer large enough to accommodate the town’s markets with a Linen Hall built on Connolly Street and a Fish Market and Meat Shambles constructed at the site of the old Fire Station on Kent Street. It continued as a Civic Building for the Clonakilty Corporation and later Town Commissioners and Council until modern times.

The building had become dilapidated in the 1980s and restoration works were undertaken. The Clock, torn down in 1847, was restored to the building. During the works, a basement level was uncovered but was infilled at the time. Interestingly, part of the basement now forms part of the ground floor of no. 2 Pearse Street (Clon Tackle). It is still possible to partially walk under the Market House.

 

Another Candidate

Clonakilty Garda Barracks, on McCurtain Hill, was originally constructed as a 3 storey building in the mid-eighteenth century. It was burnt in 1921 and rebuilt in 1926 as a two storey structure. With a similar footprint, it likely still contains the outer fabric of the eighteenth century building.

Reports from the House of Commons record that the Barracks had to be rebuilt in 1755 by Arthur Jones Nevill (Surveyor General of Ireland 1743– 52) and Thomas Eyre (engineer and Surveyor General of Ireland 1752–63).

A floorplan, dated to 1885, records the accommodation at the time. The building was segregated into two units which may reflect the fact that it was able to hold two companies of foot soldiers by 1810.

The larger western side was the District Inspectors property and included a separate entrance from McCurtain Hill. The Inspector's ground floor comprised a Drawing Room, Dining Room, Store Room and Kitchen. The first floor and second floor contained three bedrooms each with a W.C. also located on the second floor.

The eastern side is described as the ‘General Barrack’. On ground floor was a Day Room, Kitchen and Pantry. The first floor had a Constables quarter which comprised a self contained room, possibly a setting room, with a bedroom behind. It also included two further bedrooms and a sitting room. The second floor included a quarter for a ‘Married Man’ which had a room and a bedroom similar to a constable on the first floor. There were two further rooms which are recorded as a dormitory for 10 men.

Outside, to the north, was a coach house, stable yard, stable, two coal stores, various pits, washroom and two cells. To the front was a guard room at the entrance, a large well which included steps down to it and a parade yard.

 

Further Reading

For more information see article by Con O’Neill titled ‘Sanitation and Infrastructural Developments Under The Corporation Of The Borough Of Cloughnakilty, 1613–1840’ in Volume 3 of the Clonakilty Historical and Archaeological Journal which is for sale online at Coolim Books or in store in Clonakilty at Kerr’s Bookshop and Couglan’s Bookshop.

For more information on barracks see article by Clíodhna O'Leary titled 'Historical Ramblings on Clonakilty' from Volume 1 of the Clonakilty Historical and Archaeological Journal which can be downloaded from the Duchas Clonakilty Heritage Website.

 

About the Author

Con spent 5 years working with Irish IT firm First Derivatives which included stints in Moscow, Dubai, Stockholm and Dublin. While working in First Derivatives, Con studied an MSc Real Estate from the University College of Estate Management in Reading which he graduated from in 2017.

He joined the team at Sherry FitzGerald O’Neill in January 2018 working in all aspects of the business from residential and commercial lettings and sales to marketing and social media.

Con has a keen interest in local history being a contributor to the Clonakilty Historical Journal while also giving occasional historical talks, walking and cycling tours.

We hold records of the occupiers of buildings in Clonakilty, Rosscarbery, Skibbereen, Baltimore, Castletownshend, Ballydehob, Schull and Bantry from 1859 through to the 1970s. If you are interested in the history of a particular building, please get in contact and we will see if we can help.