A COLLECTION OF REMINISCENCES OF LIFE AND TRADE IN BUNCLODY IN EARLIER TIMES
By Lucy Wall-Murphy

The Streams of Bunclody

Fairdays in Bunclody

Blackberry-picking

The Moss-House
and the Bridge Meadow

The Island Hunt and
 Golf Links

The Sawdust Stoves

The Corpus Christi Procession

The Beauties of Bunclody

The Pathway around by Carrhill

Trades and occupations in
Irish Street

The Well in the Wood

Changes in Irish Street


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.

  BACK