Clonmel
Encyclopedia
Clonmel is the county town
of South Tipperary
in Ireland
. It is the largest town in the county. While the borough had a population of 15,482 in 2006, another 17,008 people were in the rural hinterland. The town is noted in Irish history for its resistance to the Cromwellian army which sacked both Drogheda
and Wexford
. It is in the former barony
of Iffa and Offa East
.
of the Irish name Cluain Meala meaning honey meadow or honey vale. It is not clearly known when it got this name and many suppose that it come from fertility of soil and richness of country in which it is situated.
.One of the former entry points into the town is now the site of the 'West Gate', a 19th century reconstruction of an older structure. There were originally three gates in the walled town, North, East and West - with the South being protected by the river Suir and the Comeragh Mountains
. The 'West Gate' is now an open arched entrance on to O'Connell street, the main street of the town.
, Clonmel became a Free Borough
on 5 July 1608, and the Mayor and officers of the town were granted power to "name, elect and constitute one Swordbearer and three Sergeants-at-Mace". The present sword and two silver maces date only from Cromwellian times. The sword, of Toledo
manufacture, was donated by Sir Thomas Stanley in 1656 and displays the Arms and motto of the town. The larger mace is stamped 1663.
, who is infamous in Ireland, laid siege to Clonmel
in May 1650 during his campaign in Ireland
. The walls were eventually breached, but Hugh Dubh O'Neill
, the commander of the town's garrison, inflicted heavy losses on the New Model Army
when they tried to storm the breach. That night, O'Neill, deciding that further resistance was hopeless due to a lack of ammunition, led his soldiers and camp followers out of the town under cover of darkness. The story is told that Cromwell became suspicious of O'Neill's desperate situation when a silver bullet was discharged by the townspeople at his troops outside the walls. The following morning, 18 May 1650, mayor John White was able to surrender the town on good terms as Cromwell was still unaware of the garrison's escape just hours before. Although feeling deceived, he did not put the inhabitants 'to the sword' as occurred elsewhere.
in 1848, the captured leaders of the Young Irelanders were brought to Clonmel for trial. The event was followed with great interest internationally and for its duration brought journalists from around the country and Britain to the overcrowded courthouse. Standing in the dock in the image opposite are Thomas Francis Meagher
, Terence MacManus
and Patrick O'Donoghue
. Their co-defendant, William Smith O'Brien
was also sentenced to be hanged, drawn and quartered
, the last occasions such a sentence was handed down in Ireland. When delivering the guilty verdict, the foreman of the Grand Jury, R.M. Southcote Mansergh, great grandfather of the academic Nicholas Mansergh
stated:
The sentences of O'Brien and other members of the Irish Confederation
were eventually commuted to transportation
for life to Van Diemen's Land
.
A conspiracy to rescue the prisoners on 8 November led by John O'Leary and Philip Gray
was betrayed, and resulted in the arrest at 'The Wilderness' of seventeen armed rebels led by Gray.
in 1912 by James Connolly
, James Larkin
and William O'Brien
as the political wing of the Irish Trade Union Congress
.
, Kilkenny
, Sligo
and Wexford
. Unlike Sligo and Drogheda, Clonmel does not use a ward system. Clonmel Borough Council has 12 elected representatives (councillors). Elections to the council take place every 5 years. A mayor is elected by the councillors every year; the incumbent is Cllr. Darren Ryan, a member of the Labour
party. A voting pact exists which rotates the mayoral office between Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil
, Labour and the sole independent councillor Niall J Dennehy.
which elects three TD
s to Dáil Eireann (the Irish Parliament). The three TDs who won seats in the Dáil following the 2011 General Election were Tom Hayes ( Fine Gael) who has served in the post since 2001, Mattie McGrath
(now an Independent) and Séamus Healy
(Workers and Unemployed Action Group), who regained the seat that he lost to Fianna Fáil's Martin Mansergh
in the 2007 election.
. In 1896, a smaller section south of the river was transferred from County Waterford
to the county of Tipperary (South Riding) and given to the borough. The lower Suir valley is surrounded by the Comeragh Mountains
to the south with Slievenamon
northeast of the town.
floods the local area after very heavy rainfalls in the up-river catchment area of 2,173 km2. The Office of Public Works
(OPW) completed and installed a Flood Forecasting System which was used for the flood events of January 2008 and January 2009. The flooding of January 2009 was a 1 in 5 year event. The flood of 2004 was the worst since the 1940s. Phase 1 of the Clonmel Flood Defence (planned to cope with a 100-year flood
) started in 2007. It was scheduled to be completed by late 2009. Phases two and three are scheduled for completion by 2011/2012. The flood defence consists of demountable barriers, walls and earth banks. By mid-2009, flooding occurred at the Gashouse Bridge , Coleville Road, Davis Rd.,the Quays and the Old Bridge. Clonmel is not tidal as the tide turns above the Miloko
chocolate crumb factory in Carrick-on-Suir
. Flood waters spill onto the land above Miloko on the County Waterford
side of the river.
and Boston Scientific
, both of which
manufacture implantable devices. Bulmers
cider
, also known as Magners outside of Ireland, is brewed in a complex two kilometres east of the town, and the extensive orchards serving the brewery can be seen from the road when approaching Clonmel from that direction.
Print
Clonmel is home to four newspapers, two broadsheet
s and two tabloid free sheet.
The Nationalist
, founded in 1890, is a Clonmel based broadsheet newspaper that appears weekly, covering both Clonmel town and South Tipperary. It has a circulation of 14,375. It was formed to represent the views of the nationalist community in Tipperary, which led to the first editor been jailed under the Coercion Act on charges that he had intimidated a cattle dealer for taking a farm from which tenants had been evicted. It is now run by Johnston Press
. Also owned by Johnston Press is the tabloid free sheet, South Tipp Today. It was founded in 1995 and is delivered free to residents in the town and the surrounding area. It is supported by advertising revenue.
The Premier People launched in Clonmel in October 2010. It is a weekly [tabloid] free sheet with a focus on news, local notes and sports and is published on Tuesday evenings. It is delivered door to door in Clonmel and to all shops in South Tipperary. It was founded by Ann Commins, who co-founded South Tipp Today in 1995.
The Sporting Press is published and printed in Clonmel, it covers news related to the greyhound community in Ireland. It has a circulation of 7,500.
from the Stone Age
to the present. It is also host to many special exhibitions each year. It is the first custom built county museum in Ireland.
The Main Guard was a civic building until 1810 when it was converted to shops. During recent restoration, some of its sandstone columns were found to have been 'reclaimed' from the now demolished abbey of Inislounaght
at Marlfield
. It has been used in the past as an office to collect tolls, duties and customs dues, a place for civic gatherings and as a court. It now houses an exhibition showing the historic development of Clonmel, including a model of the town as it appeared in the 13th century.
The South Tipperary Arts Centre http://www.southtipparts.com/ opened in 1996. The centres program mixtures arts and cultural events. It hosts 12 exhibitions per year and presents a classical music season in Spring and Autumn. It holds a number of adult and child based art and music course during the course of the year. It is also home to several groups who meet there in an informal setting, including a local writer's guild.
The Omniplex
, with five screens and located on Kickham Street, is the town's only remaining cinema. Several other cinemas formerly operated in the town including the Ritz, which opened in 1940 and was located on the site of the present Credit Union
. The first cinema in the town opened in January 1913 as the Clonmel Cinema Theatre, soon to be re-named the Clonmel Electric Picture Palace. It was located at the rear of No. 35 Gladstone Street. It was soon followed by John Magner's Theatre at the Mall, which burned to the ground in 1919, to be re-built in 1921 with an increased capacity of over a thousand seats. It was eventually named the Regal Theatre and remodeled as a 850-seat theatre ,which finally closed in 2001. It was in the Regal Theatre where the tenor Frank Patterson
made his stage debut. The Oisin, in O'Connell Street, was of a similar scale and was also built in 1921. It was on the site of the present day Heatons
but burned to the ground in 1965. The last film to be shown there was A Patch of Blue
.
For nine days from the first week-end of July, the town hosts the annual Clonmel Junction Festival
. It consists of a mix of street theatre
, rock
, traditional and world music
. Several international acts visit the festival each year. In the last few years, young local bands have also had an opportunity to showcase their talents. Children from local schools and community groups
are encouraged to participate with support from local artists.
Clonmel is home to the International Film Festival Ireland, which focuses on independent films. Its inaugural event was during September 2009 and ran for five days. It has become an annual event, with the third festival planned for September 2011. The 2010 event expanded to included a Youth Film Festival, that showcased locally made short films.
(literally translating as 'Clonmel band') was founded in 1971. Originally a brass band, Banna Chluain Meala later developed as a brass and reed band, which included concert, marching and fieldshow performances. The band also has a colour guard section which enhances marching and fieldshow performances. The total complement of the band has ranged from 100 to 150 members throughout the years. The band has travelled widely abroad to the United Kingdom, Holland and France and represented Ireland at an International Festival in Cheb in the Czech Republic in 2004 to celebrate the new entrants to the European Union. Banna Chluain Meala is one of Ireland's most honoured bands. They hold concert band championship titles on national and international levels. As a marching band they have had unparalleled success nationally, being crowned IMBA Irish champions in the highest division on eleven occasions (1991, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011). They have also had success abroad, most notably as Open Class champions at the British Youth Band Championships at Wembley in 1994.
Clonmel has hosted the Irish traditional music festival, the Fleadh Cheoil
, on five occasions from 1992-94 inclusive, and again in 2003 and 2004. Indeed, the pubs of Clonmel are still excellent hosts of Irish traditional music sessions, the best of these being in Liam Dalys Bar on O' Connell Street every Friday night. Other traditional music sessions are held in Bakers Bar(Parnell Street, Monday night), The Post House(Gladstone St., Wednesday night) and the Railway Bar(Wednesday & Saturday nights).
One of the better known songs concerning Clonmel is The Gaol of Clúain Meala written by a Cork man, Jeremiah Joseph Callanan
at the turn of the 19th century. It was revived by the celebrated balladeer Luke Kelly
in the 1960s.
Clonmel bands include, Let's Run to the Philosophers, Responsible Looking Freaks, Broken Glass on Broadway, Crow Black Chicken & Radio Caroline.
s written in the English language, tells the story of 'Merinda' from High Street, Clonmel and a Williamite
officer stationed in the town during the Jacobite war.
Raymond Chandler
's 1939 novel The Big Sleep
, features Rusty Regan as a main character: "A big curly-headed Irishman from Clonmel, with sad eyes and a smile as wide as Wilshire Boulevard."
visit to Ireland. In their centenary year, 1992, they hosted London Irish RFC
against Shannon RFC
in a memorable game played at the club grounds.
circles for being the home of the annual National Hare Coursing
Meeting in early February. Included in this event is the prestigious Ladies’ International Open Meeting and the coursing derby. At this time each year, Clonmel's population is swollen by a large influx of sports people from Ireland, the UK, and from as far afield as Australia, New Zealand, the United States and the Middle East.
Also at this time many people come to make plain their objections to what they see as appalling cruelty.
village.
Flooding has become a perennial problem, especially noticeable in recent years. The flow becomes so fast that rowing in January is not possible on this part of the Suir. Within a 25-mile radius there are two locations where the club can still train satisfactorily, Cappoquin
and Fiddown
.
CRC has a newly constructed, purpose built boat house since 1979, with boat storage on the ground floor. Upstairs are two squash
courts, a function hall and dressing rooms. Currently one squash court is being used as the gym.
In the new millennium, the club's veterans are still competing strongly. Women's rowing in Clonmel has developed culminating in Junior Women's 'double scull' and Junior women's 'eight' championship wins in 2003 and 2005.
. The project, outsourced to 'Conservation | Letterfrack', took several years of meticulous cleaning, treatment and repair and the 38 ft./11.6m timber boat is now on permanent display in the County Museum, Clonmel.
(GAA) clubs such as Clonmel Commercials
Gaelic Football Club (football
|). Affiliated to the GAA in 1934, Commercials have enjoyed frequent success in all grades of football since. It has won South and County titles in all grades including 21 senior divisional titles and 14 senior county titles.St. Mary's Hurling Club is a hurling club in the town which recently set up its camogie club.(hurling
and camogie
). Clonmel Óg
the most recently established GAA club in the town was set up in 1984 and it competes in the senior division after only twenty seven years after being formed. Moyle Rovers GAA
club is just outside the town.
. The campus is located along the Clonmel Inner Relief Road, but it is proposed that it will move to a new location in the near future.
to Dublin M8 motorway
, while eastbound it links the town with Kilkenny
via the N76
.
Clonmel railway station
opened 1 May 1852. Today, there are four trains daily to Waterford
and four to Limerick Junction
which has main-line connections to Dublin.
The River Suir had been made navigable to Clonmel from 1760 when completion of the River Suir Navigation in the 19th century allowed large vessels to reach the town's quays. Charles Bianconi
, onetime mayor
of Clonmel, ran his pioneering public transport
system of horse-drawn carriages from Clonmel.
with several places:
County town
A county town is a county's administrative centre in the United Kingdom or Ireland. County towns are usually the location of administrative or judicial functions, or established over time as the de facto main town of a county. The concept of a county town eventually became detached from its...
of South Tipperary
South Tipperary
South Tipperary is a county in Ireland. It is part of the South-East Region and is also located in the province of Munster. It is named after the town of Tipperary and consists of 52% of the land area of the traditional county of Tipperary. The county was established in 1898 and has had a county...
in Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
. It is the largest town in the county. While the borough had a population of 15,482 in 2006, another 17,008 people were in the rural hinterland. The town is noted in Irish history for its resistance to the Cromwellian army which sacked both Drogheda
Drogheda
Drogheda is an industrial and port town in County Louth on the east coast of Ireland, 56 km north of Dublin. It is the last bridging point on the River Boyne before it enters the Irish Sea....
and Wexford
Wexford
Wexford is the county town of County Wexford, Ireland. It is situated near the southeastern corner of Ireland, close to Rosslare Europort. The town is connected to Dublin via the M11/N11 National Primary Route, and the national rail network...
. It is in the former barony
Barony (Ireland)
In Ireland, a barony is a historical subdivision of a county. They were created, like the counties, in the centuries after the Norman invasion, and were analogous to the hundreds into which the counties of England were divided. In early use they were also called cantreds...
of Iffa and Offa East
Iffa and Offa East
Iffa and Offa East is one of the baronies of Ireland, an historical geographical unit of land. Its chief town is Clonmel...
.
Etymology
The name Clonmel is derived from the anglicisationAnglicisation
Anglicisation, or anglicization , is the process of converting verbal or written elements of any other language into a form that is more comprehensible to an English speaker, or, more generally, of altering something such that it becomes English in form or character.The term most often refers to...
of the Irish name Cluain Meala meaning honey meadow or honey vale. It is not clearly known when it got this name and many suppose that it come from fertility of soil and richness of country in which it is situated.
Town walls
Clonmel grew significantly in medieval times, and many remainders of this period can be found in the town. A small section of the town walls remain in place near Old St. Mary's Church . This building is one of the main architectural features of the town. It was originally built in the 13th century or earlier but has been reconstructed or renovated on numerous occasions. The church was fortified early in its history, the town being strategically important, initially for the Earls of Ormonde, and later the Earl of Kildare. Some fortified parts of the church were destroyed or damaged during the Cromwellian occupationCromwellian conquest of Ireland
The Cromwellian conquest of Ireland refers to the conquest of Ireland by the forces of the English Parliament, led by Oliver Cromwell during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. Cromwell landed in Ireland with his New Model Army on behalf of England's Rump Parliament in 1649...
.One of the former entry points into the town is now the site of the 'West Gate', a 19th century reconstruction of an older structure. There were originally three gates in the walled town, North, East and West - with the South being protected by the river Suir and the Comeragh Mountains
Comeragh Mountains
The Comeragh Mountains are a glaciated mountain range situated in the south east of Ireland in County Waterford. They are located between the town of Clonmel on the County Tipperary border and the villages of Kilrossanty and Kilmacthomas in County Waterford.The twelve mountains which form the...
. The 'West Gate' is now an open arched entrance on to O'Connell street, the main street of the town.
Corporation regalia
Under a charter granted by James I of EnglandJames I of England
James VI and I was King of Scots as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the English and Scottish crowns on 24 March 1603...
, Clonmel became a Free Borough
Borough
A borough is an administrative division in various countries. In principle, the term borough designates a self-governing township although, in practice, official use of the term varies widely....
on 5 July 1608, and the Mayor and officers of the town were granted power to "name, elect and constitute one Swordbearer and three Sergeants-at-Mace". The present sword and two silver maces date only from Cromwellian times. The sword, of Toledo
Toledo, Spain
Toledo's Alcázar became renowned in the 19th and 20th centuries as a military academy. At the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in 1936 its garrison was famously besieged by Republican forces.-Economy:...
manufacture, was donated by Sir Thomas Stanley in 1656 and displays the Arms and motto of the town. The larger mace is stamped 1663.
Cromwellian period
Oliver CromwellOliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
, who is infamous in Ireland, laid siege to Clonmel
Siege of Clonmel
The Siege of Clonmel took place in April – May 1650 during the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland when the town of Clonmel in County Tipperary was besieged by Oliver Cromwell’s New Model Army. Cromwell's 8,000 men eventually took the town from its 2,000 Irish defenders, but not before they...
in May 1650 during his campaign in Ireland
Cromwellian conquest of Ireland
The Cromwellian conquest of Ireland refers to the conquest of Ireland by the forces of the English Parliament, led by Oliver Cromwell during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. Cromwell landed in Ireland with his New Model Army on behalf of England's Rump Parliament in 1649...
. The walls were eventually breached, but Hugh Dubh O'Neill
Hugh Dubh O'Neill
Hugh Dubh O'Neill, 5th Earl of Tyrone was an Irish soldier of the seventeenth century. He is best known for his participation in the Irish Confederate Wars and in particular his defence of Clonmel in 1650.O'Neill was a member of the O'Neill dynasty, the leaders of which fled Ireland in the flight...
, the commander of the town's garrison, inflicted heavy losses on the New Model Army
New Model Army
The New Model Army of England was formed in 1645 by the Parliamentarians in the English Civil War, and was disbanded in 1660 after the Restoration...
when they tried to storm the breach. That night, O'Neill, deciding that further resistance was hopeless due to a lack of ammunition, led his soldiers and camp followers out of the town under cover of darkness. The story is told that Cromwell became suspicious of O'Neill's desperate situation when a silver bullet was discharged by the townspeople at his troops outside the walls. The following morning, 18 May 1650, mayor John White was able to surrender the town on good terms as Cromwell was still unaware of the garrison's escape just hours before. Although feeling deceived, he did not put the inhabitants 'to the sword' as occurred elsewhere.
19th century
Following the failed attempt at rebellion near BallingarryBallingarry
Ballingarry is a village in the barony of Slievardagh, South Tipperary in Ireland. It is also a parish in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly. The village is situated near the Kilkenny border on route R691. Ballingarry is located near Slievenamon.-Amenities:On the Main Street may be...
in 1848, the captured leaders of the Young Irelanders were brought to Clonmel for trial. The event was followed with great interest internationally and for its duration brought journalists from around the country and Britain to the overcrowded courthouse. Standing in the dock in the image opposite are Thomas Francis Meagher
Thomas Francis Meagher
-Young Ireland:Meagher returned to Ireland in 1843, with undecided plans for a career in the Austrian army, a tradition among a number of Irish families. In 1844 he traveled to Dublin with the intention of studying for the bar. He became involved in the Repeal Association, which worked for repeal...
, Terence MacManus
Terence MacManus
Terence Bellew MacManus was a radical Irish rebel who participated in the Young Irelander Rebellion of 1848. Sentenced to death for treason, he and several other participants were given commuted sentences in 1849 and transported for life to Van Diemen's Land in Australia...
and Patrick O'Donoghue
Patrick O'Donoghue (Young Irelander)
Patrick O'Donoghue , also known as Patrick O'Donohoe, from Clonegal, County Carlow, was an Irish Nationalist revolutionary and journalist, a member of the Young Ireland movement.-Young Irelander Rebellion:...
. Their co-defendant, William Smith O'Brien
William Smith O'Brien
William Smith O'Brien was an Irish Nationalist and Member of Parliament and leader of the Young Ireland movement. He was convicted of sedition for his part in the Young Irelander Rebellion of 1848, but his sentence of death was commuted to deportation to Van Diemen's Land. In 1854, he was...
was also sentenced to be hanged, drawn and quartered
Hanged, drawn and quartered
To be hanged, drawn and quartered was from 1351 a penalty in England for men convicted of high treason, although the ritual was first recorded during the reigns of King Henry III and his successor, Edward I...
, the last occasions such a sentence was handed down in Ireland. When delivering the guilty verdict, the foreman of the Grand Jury, R.M. Southcote Mansergh, great grandfather of the academic Nicholas Mansergh
Nicholas Mansergh
Philip Nicholas Seton Mansergh, was a distinguished historian of Ireland and the British Commonwealth.-Early life and education:...
stated:
We earnestly recommend the prisoner to the merciful consideration of the Government, being unanimously of opinion that for many reasons his life should be spared.
The sentences of O'Brien and other members of the Irish Confederation
Irish Confederation
The Irish Confederation was an Irish nationalist independence movement, established on 13 January 1847 by members of the Young Ireland movement who had seceded from Daniel O'Connell's Repeal Association. Historian T. W...
were eventually commuted to transportation
Penal transportation
Transportation or penal transportation is the deporting of convicted criminals to a penal colony. Examples include transportation by France to Devil's Island and by the UK to its colonies in the Americas, from the 1610s through the American Revolution in the 1770s, and then to Australia between...
for life to Van Diemen's Land
Van Diemen's Land
Van Diemen's Land was the original name used by most Europeans for the island of Tasmania, now part of Australia. The Dutch explorer Abel Tasman was the first European to land on the shores of Tasmania...
.
A conspiracy to rescue the prisoners on 8 November led by John O'Leary and Philip Gray
Philip Gray
Philip Gray was an Irish republican, revolutionary and a member of the Irish Confederation. He took part in the Risings of 1848 and 1849 along with James Fintan Lalor and both James Stephens and John O'Mahony, who would go on to establish the Irish Republican Brotherhood in Ireland and the Fenian...
was betrayed, and resulted in the arrest at 'The Wilderness' of seventeen armed rebels led by Gray.
20th century
Clonmel was the location of the foundation of the Labour PartyLabour Party (Ireland)
The Labour Party is a social-democratic political party in the Republic of Ireland. The Labour Party was founded in 1912 in Clonmel, County Tipperary, by James Connolly, James Larkin and William X. O'Brien as the political wing of the Irish Trade Union Congress. Unlike the other main Irish...
in 1912 by James Connolly
James Connolly
James Connolly was an Irish republican and socialist leader. He was born in the Cowgate area of Edinburgh, Scotland, to Irish immigrant parents and spoke with a Scottish accent throughout his life. He left school for working life at the age of 11, but became one of the leading Marxist theorists of...
, James Larkin
James Larkin
James Larkin was an Irish trade union leader and socialist activist, born to Irish parents in Liverpool, England. He and his family later moved to a small cottage in Burren, southern County Down. Growing up in poverty, he received little formal education and began working in a variety of jobs...
and William O'Brien
William O'Brien
William O'Brien was an Irish nationalist, journalist, agrarian agitator, social revolutionary, politician, party leader, newspaper publisher, author and Member of Parliament in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...
as the political wing of the Irish Trade Union Congress
Irish Trade Union Congress
The Irish Trade Union Congress was a union federation covering the island of Ireland.Until 1894, representatives of Irish trade unions attended the British Trades Union Congress. However, many felt that they had little impact on the British body, and decided to form their own federation. This...
.
Government
| Party | Seats | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Workers and Unemployed Action Group | 5 | +1 |
| Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál... |
2 | -1 |
| Fine Gael Fine Gael Fine Gael is a centre-right to centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland. It is the single largest party in Ireland in the Oireachtas, in local government, and in terms of Members of the European Parliament. The party has a membership of over 35,000... |
2 | = |
| Labour Party Labour Party (Ireland) The Labour Party is a social-democratic political party in the Republic of Ireland. The Labour Party was founded in 1912 in Clonmel, County Tipperary, by James Connolly, James Larkin and William X. O'Brien as the political wing of the Irish Trade Union Congress. Unlike the other main Irish... |
2 | = |
| Independent Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do... |
1 | = |
Local
Under the provisions of the Local Government Act (2001) the Borough Council was given a status in law that is equivalent to that of town councils that would previously have been styled as "urban district councils". Clonmel is one of five Borough Councils in Ireland; the others are DroghedaDrogheda
Drogheda is an industrial and port town in County Louth on the east coast of Ireland, 56 km north of Dublin. It is the last bridging point on the River Boyne before it enters the Irish Sea....
, Kilkenny
Kilkenny
Kilkenny is a city and is the county town of the eponymous County Kilkenny in Ireland. It is situated on both banks of the River Nore in the province of Leinster, in the south-east of Ireland...
, Sligo
Sligo
Sligo is the county town of County Sligo in Ireland. The town is a borough and has a charter and a town mayor. It is sometimes referred to as a city, and sometimes as a town, and is the second largest urban area in Connacht...
and Wexford
Wexford
Wexford is the county town of County Wexford, Ireland. It is situated near the southeastern corner of Ireland, close to Rosslare Europort. The town is connected to Dublin via the M11/N11 National Primary Route, and the national rail network...
. Unlike Sligo and Drogheda, Clonmel does not use a ward system. Clonmel Borough Council has 12 elected representatives (councillors). Elections to the council take place every 5 years. A mayor is elected by the councillors every year; the incumbent is Cllr. Darren Ryan, a member of the Labour
Labour Party (Ireland)
The Labour Party is a social-democratic political party in the Republic of Ireland. The Labour Party was founded in 1912 in Clonmel, County Tipperary, by James Connolly, James Larkin and William X. O'Brien as the political wing of the Irish Trade Union Congress. Unlike the other main Irish...
party. A voting pact exists which rotates the mayoral office between Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál...
, Labour and the sole independent councillor Niall J Dennehy.
National
Clonmel belongs to the Tipperary South constituencyTipperary South (Dáil Éireann constituency)
Tipperary South is a parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas. The constituency elects 3 deputies...
which elects three TD
TD
TD may stand for:* Atlantis European Airways IATA designator* MG TD Midget, a car manufactured in the United Kingdom between 1950 and 1953* TD, an ITU prefix assigned to Guatemala * T.D...
s to Dáil Eireann (the Irish Parliament). The three TDs who won seats in the Dáil following the 2011 General Election were Tom Hayes ( Fine Gael) who has served in the post since 2001, Mattie McGrath
Mattie McGrath
Mattie McGrath is an Irish politician. He is currently a Teachta Dála for the Tipperary South constituency. He was elected as a Fianna Fáil TD at the 2007 general election.-Political career:...
(now an Independent) and Séamus Healy
Séamus Healy
Séamus Healy is an Irish politician. He has been a Teachta Dála for Tipperary South since the general election in February 2011,having previously held the seat from 2000 to 2007....
(Workers and Unemployed Action Group), who regained the seat that he lost to Fianna Fáil's Martin Mansergh
Martin Mansergh
Martin Mansergh is a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician and historian. He was a Teachta Dála for the Tipperary South constituency from May 2007 until his defeat at the general election in February 2011. He was previously a senator from 2002 to 2007.He has played a leading role in formulating...
in the 2007 election.
Geography
The town covers a land area of approximately 50km2. It lies mainly on the northern bank of the River SuirRiver Suir
The River Suir is a river in Ireland that flows into the Atlantic Ocean near Waterford after a distance of .Popular with anglers, it holds plentiful reserves of brown trout...
. In 1896, a smaller section south of the river was transferred from County Waterford
County Waterford
*Abbeyside, Affane, Aglish, Annestown, An Rinn, Ardmore*Ballinacourty, Ballinameela, Ballinamult, Ballinroad, Ballybeg, Ballybricken, Ballyduff Lower, Ballyduff Upper, Ballydurn, Ballygunner, Ballylaneen, Ballymacarbry, Ballymacart, Ballynaneashagh, Ballysaggart, Ballytruckle, Bilberry, Bunmahon,...
to the county of Tipperary (South Riding) and given to the borough. The lower Suir valley is surrounded by the Comeragh Mountains
Comeragh Mountains
The Comeragh Mountains are a glaciated mountain range situated in the south east of Ireland in County Waterford. They are located between the town of Clonmel on the County Tipperary border and the villages of Kilrossanty and Kilmacthomas in County Waterford.The twelve mountains which form the...
to the south with Slievenamon
Slievenamon
Slievenamon is a mountain in County Tipperary in the province of Munster in Ireland. It stands at 721 m . It is located in the south of the county, near the town of Clonmel...
northeast of the town.
Climate
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average daily maximum temperature (°C) | 8 | 8 | 10 | 13 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 14 | 10 | 8 | 14 | |
| Average daily minimum temperature (°C) | 3 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 7 | |
| Mean total rainfall (cm) | 5.34 | 4.29 | 3.84 | 3.98 | 3.40 | 3.72 | 3.38 | 4.22 | 4.33 | 6.35 | 5.07 | 5.03 | 52.95 | |
| Source: MSN Weather | ||||||||||||||
Flood defenses
The River SuirRiver Suir
The River Suir is a river in Ireland that flows into the Atlantic Ocean near Waterford after a distance of .Popular with anglers, it holds plentiful reserves of brown trout...
floods the local area after very heavy rainfalls in the up-river catchment area of 2,173 km2. The Office of Public Works
Office of Public Works
The Office of Public Works is a State Agency of the Department of Finance in the Republic of Ireland...
(OPW) completed and installed a Flood Forecasting System which was used for the flood events of January 2008 and January 2009. The flooding of January 2009 was a 1 in 5 year event. The flood of 2004 was the worst since the 1940s. Phase 1 of the Clonmel Flood Defence (planned to cope with a 100-year flood
100-year flood
A one-hundred-year flood is calculated to be the level of flood water expected to be equaled or exceeded every 100 years on average. The 100-year flood is more accurately referred to as the 1% annual exceedance probability flood, since it is a flood that has a 1% chance of being equaled or exceeded...
) started in 2007. It was scheduled to be completed by late 2009. Phases two and three are scheduled for completion by 2011/2012. The flood defence consists of demountable barriers, walls and earth banks. By mid-2009, flooding occurred at the Gashouse Bridge , Coleville Road, Davis Rd.,the Quays and the Old Bridge. Clonmel is not tidal as the tide turns above the Miloko
Glanbia
Glanbia plc is an international nutritional solutions and cheese group, headquartered in Ireland. Glanbia is listed on the Irish and London Stock Exchange . The Group has four segments; US Cheese & Global Nutritionals, Dairy Ireland, Joint Ventures & Associates and Other Business...
chocolate crumb factory in Carrick-on-Suir
Carrick-on-Suir
Carrick-on-Suir is a town in South Tipperary in Ireland. As the name – meaning "the rock of the Suir" – suggests, the town is situated on the River Suir. The of the town gives the population as 5,906 and shows that it has grown by 5.7% since 2002...
. Flood waters spill onto the land above Miloko on the County Waterford
County Waterford
*Abbeyside, Affane, Aglish, Annestown, An Rinn, Ardmore*Ballinacourty, Ballinameela, Ballinamult, Ballinroad, Ballybeg, Ballybricken, Ballyduff Lower, Ballyduff Upper, Ballydurn, Ballygunner, Ballylaneen, Ballymacarbry, Ballymacart, Ballynaneashagh, Ballysaggart, Ballytruckle, Bilberry, Bunmahon,...
side of the river.
Commerce
In recent times Clonmel has become the home to many large multi-national companies, particularly in the medical area. The two biggest medical companies in the town are AbbottAbbott Laboratories
Abbott Laboratories is an American-based global, diversified pharmaceuticals and health care products company. It has 90,000 employees and operates in over 130 countries. The company headquarters are in Abbott Park, North Chicago, Illinois. The company was founded by Chicago physician, Dr....
and Boston Scientific
Boston Scientific
The Boston Scientific Corporation , is a worldwide developer, manufacturer and marketer of medical devices whose products are used in a range of interventional medical specialties, including interventional cardiology, peripheral interventions, neuromodulation, neurovascular intervention,...
, both of which
manufacture implantable devices. Bulmers
Bulmers (Republic of Ireland)
Magners is a brand of cider produced in County Tipperary, in Ireland, by the C&C Group. The Magners product range includes the cider varieties: Magners Original, Magners Light, Magners Pear and Magners Berry. The cider was originally produced as "Bulmers" and continues to be sold under that name...
cider
Cider
Cider or cyder is a fermented alcoholic beverage made from apple juice. Cider varies in alcohol content from 2% abv to 8.5% abv or more in traditional English ciders. In some regions, such as Germany and America, cider may be termed "apple wine"...
, also known as Magners outside of Ireland, is brewed in a complex two kilometres east of the town, and the extensive orchards serving the brewery can be seen from the road when approaching Clonmel from that direction.
Radio
TippFm's main offices are located in Clonmel. In 2010, Tippfm had a reach of 44%, a drop of 8% from the previous year, having around 83,000 listeners listening each week. It broadcasts on 95.3fm, 97.1fm, 97.6 and 103.9.Broadsheet
Broadsheet is the largest of the various newspaper formats and is characterized by long vertical pages . The term derives from types of popular prints usually just of a single sheet, sold on the streets and containing various types of material, from ballads to political satire. The first broadsheet...
s and two tabloid free sheet.
The Nationalist
The Nationalist
The Nationalist is a newspaper based in Clonmel in South Tipperary, Ireland which was established in 1890.It is a broadsheet newspaper that appears weekly, covering news, events, and sport in both Clonmel town and South Tipperary...
, founded in 1890, is a Clonmel based broadsheet newspaper that appears weekly, covering both Clonmel town and South Tipperary. It has a circulation of 14,375. It was formed to represent the views of the nationalist community in Tipperary, which led to the first editor been jailed under the Coercion Act on charges that he had intimidated a cattle dealer for taking a farm from which tenants had been evicted. It is now run by Johnston Press
Johnston Press
Johnston Press plc is a newspaper publishing company headquartered in Edinburgh, Scotland. Its flagship titles are The Scotsman and the Yorkshire Post; it also operates many other newspapers around the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and the Isle of Man. It is the second-largest publisher...
. Also owned by Johnston Press is the tabloid free sheet, South Tipp Today. It was founded in 1995 and is delivered free to residents in the town and the surrounding area. It is supported by advertising revenue.
The Premier People launched in Clonmel in October 2010. It is a weekly [tabloid] free sheet with a focus on news, local notes and sports and is published on Tuesday evenings. It is delivered door to door in Clonmel and to all shops in South Tipperary. It was founded by Ann Commins, who co-founded South Tipp Today in 1995.
The Sporting Press is published and printed in Clonmel, it covers news related to the greyhound community in Ireland. It has a circulation of 7,500.
Museums
Tipperary County Museum tells the history of County TipperaryCounty Tipperary
County Tipperary is a county of Ireland. It is located in the province of Munster and is named after the town of Tipperary. The area of the county does not have a single local authority; local government is split between two authorities. In North Tipperary, part of the Mid-West Region, local...
from the Stone Age
Stone Age
The Stone Age is a broad prehistoric period, lasting about 2.5 million years , during which humans and their predecessor species in the genus Homo, as well as the earlier partly contemporary genera Australopithecus and Paranthropus, widely used exclusively stone as their hard material in the...
to the present. It is also host to many special exhibitions each year. It is the first custom built county museum in Ireland.
The Main Guard was a civic building until 1810 when it was converted to shops. During recent restoration, some of its sandstone columns were found to have been 'reclaimed' from the now demolished abbey of Inislounaght
Inislounaght Abbey
Inislounaght Abbey, , also referred to as Innislounaght, Inislounacht and De Surio, was a 12th century Cistercian settlement on the river Suir, near Clonmel in County Tipperary, Ireland...
at Marlfield
Marlfield, Clonmel
Marlfield is a village three kilometres west of Clonmel, County Tipperary, Ireland. It is within the townlands of Marlfield and Inishlounaght. It replaced an older settlement named Abbey, which had developed near the 12th century Cistercian community of Inislounaght Abbey.- Local industry...
. It has been used in the past as an office to collect tolls, duties and customs dues, a place for civic gatherings and as a court. It now houses an exhibition showing the historic development of Clonmel, including a model of the town as it appeared in the 13th century.
The South Tipperary Arts Centre http://www.southtipparts.com/ opened in 1996. The centres program mixtures arts and cultural events. It hosts 12 exhibitions per year and presents a classical music season in Spring and Autumn. It holds a number of adult and child based art and music course during the course of the year. It is also home to several groups who meet there in an informal setting, including a local writer's guild.
Theatre and cinema
The White Memorial Theatre building is a former a Weslyan/Methodist Chapel. The building was purchased in 1975 by St. Mary's Choral Society, who put on an average of 2 shows a year in the building. The building also host shows by the Stage Craft Youth Theatre http://www.stagecraftyt.com/ group and special event during the year.The Omniplex
Ward Anderson
Ward Anderson is the largest cinema chain in Ireland. It operates cinemas throughout the Republic Of Ireland and Northern Ireland.The group is owned by its two founders, Leo Ward, and Kevin Anderson, and its different brands are managed by various members of their families...
, with five screens and located on Kickham Street, is the town's only remaining cinema. Several other cinemas formerly operated in the town including the Ritz, which opened in 1940 and was located on the site of the present Credit Union
Irish League of Credit Unions
The Irish League of Credit Unions is a trade association for credit unions in Ireland. It operates in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland...
. The first cinema in the town opened in January 1913 as the Clonmel Cinema Theatre, soon to be re-named the Clonmel Electric Picture Palace. It was located at the rear of No. 35 Gladstone Street. It was soon followed by John Magner's Theatre at the Mall, which burned to the ground in 1919, to be re-built in 1921 with an increased capacity of over a thousand seats. It was eventually named the Regal Theatre and remodeled as a 850-seat theatre ,which finally closed in 2001. It was in the Regal Theatre where the tenor Frank Patterson
Frank Patterson
Frank Patterson was an internationally renowned Irish tenor following in the tradition of singers such as Count John McCormack and Josef Locke. He was known as "Ireland's Golden Tenor".- Early life :...
made his stage debut. The Oisin, in O'Connell Street, was of a similar scale and was also built in 1921. It was on the site of the present day Heatons
Heatons
Heatons is an Irish department store. The store specialises in mens, womens and childrens clothing and homewares. They have 53 stores around Ireland, North and South. The store was established more than 60 years ago...
but burned to the ground in 1965. The last film to be shown there was A Patch of Blue
A Patch of Blue
A Patch of Blue is a 1965 American drama film directed by Guy Green about the relationship between a black man, Gordon , and a blind white female teenager, Selina , and the problems that plague their relationship when they fall in love in a racially divided America...
.
Festivals
Clonmel Junction Festival
Clonmel Junction Festival is an annual festival held in the town of Clonmel. The festival starts on the first week-end of July and runs for nine days...
. It consists of a mix of street theatre
Street theatre
Street theatre is a form of theatrical performance and presentation in outdoor public spaces without a specific paying audience. These spaces can be anywhere, including shopping centres, car parks, recreational reserves and street corners. They are especially seen in outdoor spaces where there are...
, rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
, traditional and world music
World music
World music is a term with widely varying definitions, often encompassing music which is primarily identified as another genre. This is evidenced by world music definitions such as "all of the music in the world" or "somebody else's local music"...
. Several international acts visit the festival each year. In the last few years, young local bands have also had an opportunity to showcase their talents. Children from local schools and community groups
Community organization
Community organizations are civil society non-profits that operate within a single local community. They are essentially a subset of the wider group of nonprofits. Like other nonprofits they are often run on a voluntary basis and are self funded...
are encouraged to participate with support from local artists.
Clonmel is home to the International Film Festival Ireland, which focuses on independent films. Its inaugural event was during September 2009 and ran for five days. It has become an annual event, with the third festival planned for September 2011. The 2010 event expanded to included a Youth Film Festival, that showcased locally made short films.
Music
Banna Chluain MealaBanna Chluain Meala
Banna Chluain Meala is an Irish marching band which was founded in 1971. Originally a brass band, Banna Chluain Meala later developed as a brass and reed band, which included concert, marching and fieldshow performances. The band also has a colour guard section which enhances marching and...
(literally translating as 'Clonmel band') was founded in 1971. Originally a brass band, Banna Chluain Meala later developed as a brass and reed band, which included concert, marching and fieldshow performances. The band also has a colour guard section which enhances marching and fieldshow performances. The total complement of the band has ranged from 100 to 150 members throughout the years. The band has travelled widely abroad to the United Kingdom, Holland and France and represented Ireland at an International Festival in Cheb in the Czech Republic in 2004 to celebrate the new entrants to the European Union. Banna Chluain Meala is one of Ireland's most honoured bands. They hold concert band championship titles on national and international levels. As a marching band they have had unparalleled success nationally, being crowned IMBA Irish champions in the highest division on eleven occasions (1991, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011). They have also had success abroad, most notably as Open Class champions at the British Youth Band Championships at Wembley in 1994.
Clonmel has hosted the Irish traditional music festival, the Fleadh Cheoil
Fleadh Cheoil
The Fleadh Cheoil is an Irish music competition run by Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann or more commonly known as "Comhaltas" ....
, on five occasions from 1992-94 inclusive, and again in 2003 and 2004. Indeed, the pubs of Clonmel are still excellent hosts of Irish traditional music sessions, the best of these being in Liam Dalys Bar on O' Connell Street every Friday night. Other traditional music sessions are held in Bakers Bar(Parnell Street, Monday night), The Post House(Gladstone St., Wednesday night) and the Railway Bar(Wednesday & Saturday nights).
One of the better known songs concerning Clonmel is The Gaol of Clúain Meala written by a Cork man, Jeremiah Joseph Callanan
Jeremiah Joseph Callanan
Jeremiah Joseph Callanan was an Irish poet born in County Cork, Ireland.Callanan studied for Catholic priesthood at Maynooth College, and afterwards law at Trinity College, Dublin, where he won two prizes for his poems...
at the turn of the 19th century. It was revived by the celebrated balladeer Luke Kelly
Luke Kelly
Luke Kelly was an Irish singer and folk musician from Dublin, Ireland, notable as a founding member of the band The Dubliners.-Early life:...
in the 1960s.
Clonmel bands include, Let's Run to the Philosophers, Responsible Looking Freaks, Broken Glass on Broadway, Crow Black Chicken & Radio Caroline.
Clonmel in literature
Vertue rewarded, or The Irish princess, (1693), one of the earliest romance novelRomance novel
The romance novel is a literary genre developed in Western culture, mainly in English-speaking countries. Novels in this genre place their primary focus on the relationship and romantic love between two people, and must have an "emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending." Through the late...
s written in the English language, tells the story of 'Merinda' from High Street, Clonmel and a Williamite
Williamite
Williamite refers to the followers of King William III of England who deposed King James II in the Glorious Revolution. William, the Stadtholder of the Dutch Republic, replaced James with the support of English Whigs....
officer stationed in the town during the Jacobite war.
Raymond Chandler
Raymond Chandler
Raymond Thornton Chandler was an American novelist and screenwriter.In 1932, at age forty-five, Raymond Chandler decided to become a detective fiction writer after losing his job as an oil company executive during the Depression. His first short story, "Blackmailers Don't Shoot", was published in...
's 1939 novel The Big Sleep
The Big Sleep
The Big Sleep is a hardboiled crime novel by Raymond Chandler, the first in his acclaimed series about detective Philip Marlowe. The work has been adapted twice into film, once in 1946 and again in 1978...
, features Rusty Regan as a main character: "A big curly-headed Irishman from Clonmel, with sad eyes and a smile as wide as Wilshire Boulevard."
Association Football
Clonmel is home to Clonmel Celtic, Old Bridge, Wilderness Rovers, Redmondstown and Clonmel Town who play in the TSDL League.Rugby
Clonmel Rugby Club plays in the Munster Junior League in the top flight, 1st Division. The rugby club was founded in 1892. In 1990 the club opened their new Club House coinciding with the first ever Soviet Union rugby teamSoviet Union national rugby union team
The USSR national rugby union team was a sporting side that represented the Soviet Union in rugby union until the early 1990s.-History:Although such tournaments as the Soviet Cup and the Soviet Championship existed, rugby never became a major sport in the USSR...
visit to Ireland. In their centenary year, 1992, they hosted London Irish RFC
London Irish
London Irish RFC is an English rugby union club based in Sunbury, Surrey, where the senior squad train, the youth teams and senior academy play home games, and the club maintain their administrative offices. The senior squad play home games at the Madejski Stadium in Reading and compete in the top...
against Shannon RFC
Shannon RFC
Shannon Rugby Football Club is an amateur rugby union team from Ireland, they hail from Limerick near the banks of the Shannon river. The club is a member of the Irish Rugby Football Union Munster Branch and as one of the top amateur sides in Ireland has seen many of its players progress to...
in a memorable game played at the club grounds.
Cricket
Clonmel's cricket club plays teams in the Munster Cricket Union Senior 2 and Senior 3 leagues. The cricket club currently fields 1 adult teams and 2 youth teams. All play their home games in the Presentation Convent Field. Clonmel's cricket Club was originally started by a group of friends who originally played the game socially, however the club has been playing competitive cricket for the last 20 years.Coursing
Clonmel is noted in greyhoundGreyhound
The Greyhound is a breed of sighthound that has been primarily bred for coursing game and racing, and the breed has also recently seen a resurgence in its popularity as a pedigree show dog and family pet. It is a gentle and intelligent breed...
circles for being the home of the annual National Hare Coursing
Hare coursing
Hare coursing is the pursuit of hares with greyhounds and other sighthounds, which chase the hare by sight and not by scent. It is a competitive sport, in which dogs are tested on their ability to run, overtake and turn a hare, rather than a form of hunting aiming at the capture of game. It has a...
Meeting in early February. Included in this event is the prestigious Ladies’ International Open Meeting and the coursing derby. At this time each year, Clonmel's population is swollen by a large influx of sports people from Ireland, the UK, and from as far afield as Australia, New Zealand, the United States and the Middle East.
Also at this time many people come to make plain their objections to what they see as appalling cruelty.
Rowing and boat building
Clonmel has two clubs associated with recreational activity on the river Suir, both of which are based in Irishtown.Clonmel Rowing Club (CRC)
Clonmel Rowing Club (CRC), was founded in 1869 and is one of the oldest sporting clubs in the town. It is located on Moor's Island, on the Suir, about 500 meters west of the town centre. The club colours are Royal Blue and White. Sporting success in the early 1900s culminated in the winning of the Senior Men's 'eight' championships in 1920. The club is affectionately known locally as "The Island". In winter, training takes place on a 4-mile stretch of the river to the west of the town, from the clubhouse to Knocklofty bridge. In the summer months this stretch is reduced to 2 miles as far as Sandybanks, near MarlfieldMarlfield, Clonmel
Marlfield is a village three kilometres west of Clonmel, County Tipperary, Ireland. It is within the townlands of Marlfield and Inishlounaght. It replaced an older settlement named Abbey, which had developed near the 12th century Cistercian community of Inislounaght Abbey.- Local industry...
village.
Flooding has become a perennial problem, especially noticeable in recent years. The flow becomes so fast that rowing in January is not possible on this part of the Suir. Within a 25-mile radius there are two locations where the club can still train satisfactorily, Cappoquin
Cappoquin
Cappoquin, also spelt Cappaquin or Capaquin , is a small town in west County Waterford, Ireland. It is on the Blackwater river at the junction of the N72 national secondary road and the R669 regional road. It is positioned on a sharp 90 degree bend in the river and nestles at the foot of the...
and Fiddown
Fiddown
Fiddown is a small village in Kilkenny, Ireland. It is located in the south of the county just off the N24 road, 58 kilometres from Kilkenny city. The village is on the banks of the River Suir, near the border with Waterford.-See also:...
.
CRC has a newly constructed, purpose built boat house since 1979, with boat storage on the ground floor. Upstairs are two squash
Squash (sport)
Squash is a high-speed racquet sport played by two players in a four-walled court with a small, hollow rubber ball...
courts, a function hall and dressing rooms. Currently one squash court is being used as the gym.
In the new millennium, the club's veterans are still competing strongly. Women's rowing in Clonmel has developed culminating in Junior Women's 'double scull' and Junior women's 'eight' championship wins in 2003 and 2005.
Workmen's Boat Club
The Workmen's Boat Club was established in 1883. The property was leased from the Bagwell estate until 1999, when it was finally purchased by the club. One of the major undertakings of the club in recent years has been the restoration of the historic racing craft Cruiskeen, which was built in the 1840s by GAA founder member Maurice DavinMaurice Davin
Maurice Davin was an Irish farmer who became co-founder of the Gaelic Athletic Association. He was also the first President of the GAA and the only man ever to serve two terms as president.He was born in Carrick-on-Suir, County Tipperary...
. The project, outsourced to 'Conservation | Letterfrack', took several years of meticulous cleaning, treatment and repair and the 38 ft./11.6m timber boat is now on permanent display in the County Museum, Clonmel.
GAA Clubs
Clonmel is home to several Gaelic Athletic AssociationGaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...
(GAA) clubs such as Clonmel Commercials
Clonmel Commercials
Clonmel Commercials is a Gaelic Athletic Association gaelic football club located in the town of Clonmel in County Tipperary, Ireland. The club is part of the South Division of Tipperary GAA...
Gaelic Football Club (football
Gaelic football
Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
|). Affiliated to the GAA in 1934, Commercials have enjoyed frequent success in all grades of football since. It has won South and County titles in all grades including 21 senior divisional titles and 14 senior county titles.St. Mary's Hurling Club is a hurling club in the town which recently set up its camogie club.(hurling
Hurling
Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...
and camogie
Camogie
Camogie is an Irish stick-and-ball team sport played by women; it is almost identical to the game of hurling played by men. Camogie is played by 100,000 women in Ireland and world wide, largely among Irish communities....
). Clonmel Óg
Clonmel Óg GAA
Clonmel Óg GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association gaelic football club located outside the town of Clonmel in Ireland. The club is part of the South division of Tipperary GAA and were formed in 1984 to cater for the large urban population outside the town of Clonmel.-External links:***...
the most recently established GAA club in the town was set up in 1984 and it competes in the senior division after only twenty seven years after being formed. Moyle Rovers GAA
Moyle Rovers GAA
Moyle Rovers GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club in County Tipperary, Ireland.-History:The club derives its name from the river Moyle that runs through the Parish and joins the Anner. The club was founded in 1928. Previous to this since the 1800s various teams represented the Parish in local...
club is just outside the town.
Primary schools
- Gaelscoil Chluain Meala has around 200 students. Located at Irishtown and originally the Free School, the building was designed by two pupils of the renowned architect John NashJohn Nash (architect)John Nash was a British architect responsible for much of the layout of Regency London.-Biography:Born in Lambeth, London, the son of a Welsh millwright, Nash trained with the architect Sir Robert Taylor. He established his own practice in 1777, but his career was initially unsuccessful and...
. It was for a number of years the offices of South Tipperary County Council. - St Mary's Parochial School, Clonmel, also known as the Model School, traces its roots to the Incorporated Society School of 1832. It is located on the Western Road. (Church of IrelandChurch of IrelandThe Church of Ireland is an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. The church operates in all parts of Ireland and is the second largest religious body on the island after the Roman Catholic Church...
) - St Oliver's national school was founded in 1982. It is situated at Heywood Road.
- St.Mary's CBS is located in Irishtown directly beside the Gaelscoil.
- St.Peter and Paul's CBS.
- Sisters Of Charity Girls School.
- Presentation Primary School.
- Powerstown Primary School.
Secondary schools
- Presentation ConventPresentation Secondary School, ClonmelPresentation Secondary School, Clonmel is a secondary school run by the Presentation Sisters for the education of girls in Clonmel, South Tipperary in Ireland....
, for girls, (Roman Catholic) - Loreto Convent, for girls, (Roman Catholic)
- CBS High SchoolCBS High School ClonmelCBS High School Clonmel , is a second level Christian Brothers school in Clonmel, South Tipperary in Ireland.It was built in 1899 and its first Superior was Joseph White. A new school building was first occupied in 1971. By 1985 it had a student population of 550 and 31 staff.The current school...
, for boys, (Roman Catholic) - Gaelcholáiste ChéitinnGaelcholáiste ChéitinnGaelcholáiste Chéitinn is a gaelscoil catering to second level students from Clonmel and the surrounding area. It is located at the site of the former Central Technical Institute on the Mall....
, co-educational. Part of the Clonmel Central Technical Institute. Established in 2004, the school teaches through the medium of IrishIrish languageIrish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
. It was established as an autonomous school within the Vocational Education CommitteeVocational Education CommitteeA Vocational Education Committee is a statutory local education body in the Republic of Ireland that administers some secondary education, most adult education and a very small amount of primary education in the state...
system in response to a demand for second level education through the medium of Irish. - Coláiste Chluain Meala, co-educational. Formerly known as The Clonmel Central Technical Institute Secondary School which traces its history back to 1842. Under the control of the local Vocational Education CommitteeVocational Education CommitteeA Vocational Education Committee is a statutory local education body in the Republic of Ireland that administers some secondary education, most adult education and a very small amount of primary education in the state...
. - CTI Senior College, co-educational. Part of the Clonmel Central Technical Institute and under the control of the local Vocational Education CommitteeVocational Education CommitteeA Vocational Education Committee is a statutory local education body in the Republic of Ireland that administers some secondary education, most adult education and a very small amount of primary education in the state...
. There is an official website listing PLC courses.
Third level
Clonmel is home to one third-level college, LIT Tipperary (formerly TRBDI), which was established in 1998. It is a dual campus institute, with its sister campus in ThurlesThurles
Thurles is a town situated in North Tipperary, Ireland. It is a civil parish in the historical barony of Eliogarty and is also an ecclesiastical parish in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly...
. The campus is located along the Clonmel Inner Relief Road, but it is proposed that it will move to a new location in the near future.
Transport
Clonmel is located on the N24, the national primary roadway that links the cities of Limerick and Waterford. The N24 westbound connects Clonmel to junction 10 of the CorkCork (city)
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
to Dublin M8 motorway
M8 motorway (Ireland)
The M8 motorway is an inter-urban motorway in Ireland, which forms part of the road from the capital - Dublin - to Cork city. The 149 km motorway commences in the townland of Aghaboe, County Laois and runs through the counties of Kilkenny, North Tipperary, South Tipperary and Limerick,...
, while eastbound it links the town with Kilkenny
Kilkenny
Kilkenny is a city and is the county town of the eponymous County Kilkenny in Ireland. It is situated on both banks of the River Nore in the province of Leinster, in the south-east of Ireland...
via the N76
N76 road (Ireland)
The N76 road is a national secondary road in Ireland. It links the N10 national primary on the ring road south of Kilkenny, County Kilkenny to the N24 national primary route east of Clonmel in County Tipperary.The N76 is one of the oldest roads in Ireland...
.
Clonmel railway station
Clonmel railway station
Clonmel railway station serves the town of Clonmel in County Tipperary, Ireland. The station opened on 1 May 1852. It is on the Limerick–Rosslare railway line.]...
opened 1 May 1852. Today, there are four trains daily to Waterford
Waterford
Waterford is a city in the South-East Region of Ireland. It is the oldest city in the country and fifth largest by population. Waterford City Council is the local government authority for the city and its immediate hinterland...
and four to Limerick Junction
Limerick Junction
Limerick Junction is an important railway station in South Tipperary, Ireland which was originally named "Tipperary Junction". Tipperary town is about two miles away to the south-east. Limerick Junction, with a cluster of pleasantly presented railway cottages and a pub, is a small hamlet...
which has main-line connections to Dublin.
The River Suir had been made navigable to Clonmel from 1760 when completion of the River Suir Navigation in the 19th century allowed large vessels to reach the town's quays. Charles Bianconi
Charles Bianconi
-Life and work:Born Carlo Bianconi in Costa Masnaga on September 24, 1786, he moved from an area poised to fall to Napoleon and travelled to Ireland in 1802, via England, just four years after the 1798 rebellion. At the time, British fear of continental invasion resulted in an acute sense of...
, onetime mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Clonmel, ran his pioneering public transport
Public transport
Public transport is a shared passenger transportation service which is available for use by the general public, as distinct from modes such as taxicab, car pooling or hired buses which are not shared by strangers without private arrangement.Public transport modes include buses, trolleybuses, trams...
system of horse-drawn carriages from Clonmel.
People associated with Clonmel
- Symon Semeonis was a 14th century Franciscan friar who left Clonmel in 1323 on pilgrimage to the Holy LandHoly LandThe Holy Land is a term which in Judaism refers to the Kingdom of Israel as defined in the Tanakh. For Jews, the Land's identifiction of being Holy is defined in Judaism by its differentiation from other lands by virtue of the practice of Judaism often possible only in the Land of Israel...
- Francis BryanFrancis BryanSir Francis Bryan was an English courtier and diplomat during the reign of Henry VIII. He was Chief Gentleman of the Privy chamber and Lord Chief Justice of Ireland. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Bryan always retained Henry's favour, achieving this by altering his opinions to conform to the...
(1490–1550), English courtier and diplomat during the reign of Henry VIII. died at Conmel in 1550 - Bonaventura BaronBonaventura BaronBonaventura Baron was a distinguished Irish Franciscan theologian, philosopher, teacher and writer of Latin prose and verse.-Biography:He was born at Clonmel in County Tipperary, and died at Rome...
(1610–1696), a distinguished Franciscan humanist, philosopher and writer was born in Clonmel - Laurence SterneLaurence SterneLaurence Sterne was an Irish novelist and an Anglican clergyman. He is best known for his novels The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman, and A Sentimental Journey Through France and Italy; but he also published many sermons, wrote memoirs, and was involved in local politics...
(1713–68), author of 'The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman', was born in the town, though his family returned to England soon after - William J. Duane (1780–1865), American politician and lawyer from PennsylvaniaPennsylvaniaThe Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, was born in Clonmel - Charles BianconiCharles Bianconi-Life and work:Born Carlo Bianconi in Costa Masnaga on September 24, 1786, he moved from an area poised to fall to Napoleon and travelled to Ireland in 1802, via England, just four years after the 1798 rebellion. At the time, British fear of continental invasion resulted in an acute sense of...
(1786–1875),onetime mayor of Clonmel, ran his pioneering public transport system of horse-drawn carriages from Clonmel - George BorrowGeorge BorrowGeorge Henry Borrow was an English author who wrote novels and travelogues based on his own experiences around Europe. Over the course of his wanderings, he developed a close affinity with the Romani people of Europe. They figure prominently in his work...
(1803–1881), polyglotMultilingualismMultilingualism is the act of using, or promoting the use of, multiple languages, either by an individual speaker or by a community of speakers. Multilingual speakers outnumber monolingual speakers in the world's population. Multilingualism is becoming a social phenomenon governed by the needs of...
, ethnologist of the Romani people and author of Lavengro, in which he briefly writes of his time in Clonmel, lived here in 1815 - Ramsay Weston PhippsRamsay Weston PhippsRamsay Weston Phipps was an Irish-born military historian and officer in Queen Victoria's Royal Artillery. The son of Pownoll Phipps, an officer of the British East India Company's army, he was descended from the early settlers of the West Indies; many generations had served in the British, and...
(1838–1923), military historian, born in Clonmel, lived there off and on throughout his life. - Anthony TrollopeAnthony TrollopeAnthony Trollope was one of the most successful, prolific and respected English novelists of the Victorian era. Some of his best-loved works, collectively known as the Chronicles of Barsetshire, revolve around the imaginary county of Barsetshire...
(1815–1852), a noted author, worked in the town for a period - Vincent HanleyVincent HanleyVincent Hanley was a pioneering Irish radio DJ and television presenter, nicknamed "Fab Vinny". He worked mainly for Radio Telefís Éireann, and was the first Irish celebrity to die from an AIDS-related illness.Hanley began presenting pop music shows on RTÉ Radio Cork in 1976...
(1954–1987), a pioneering Irish radio DJ and television presenter, nicknamed "Fab Vinny". He worked mainly for Raidió Teilifís ÉireannRaidió Teilifís ÉireannRaidió Teilifís Éireann is a semi-state company and the public service broadcaster of Ireland. It both produces programmes and broadcasts them on television, radio and the Internet. The radio service began on January 1, 1926, while regular television broadcasts began on December 31, 1961, making...
and was the first Irish celebrity to die from an AIDS-related illness. - Frank PattersonFrank PattersonFrank Patterson was an internationally renowned Irish tenor following in the tradition of singers such as Count John McCormack and Josef Locke. He was known as "Ireland's Golden Tenor".- Early life :...
(1938–2000), one of Ireland's most famous tenors, was native to the town - Mícheál Ó SúilleabháinMícheál Ó SúilleabháinMícheál Ó Súilleabháin is an Irish musician. As a pianist, composer, recording artist and academic, he holds the Professorship of Music at the Irish World Music Centre of the University of Limerick...
, an Irish musician, and holds Professorship of Music at the Irish World Music Centre of the University of Limerick - Adi RocheAdi RocheAdi Roche is a campaigner for peace, humanitarian aid, and education. She is the chief executive of Irish-based charity Chernobyl Children's Project International, and in November 2010 received the Health Award at the World of Children Awards ceremony.-Campaign work:As founder and chief executive...
, co-founder of Chernobyl Children's Project InternationalChernobyl Children's Project InternationalChernobyl Children's Project International is a United Nations-accredited international development, medical, and humanitarian organization that works with children, families and communities that continue to be affected by the Chernobyl nuclear disaster of 1986.- Purpose :The organization was...
and 1997 candidate for the Irish PresidencyPresident of IrelandThe President of Ireland is the head of state of Ireland. The President is usually directly elected by the people for seven years, and can be elected for a maximum of two terms. The presidency is largely a ceremonial office, but the President does exercise certain limited powers with absolute... - Fred MurrayFred MurrayFrederick Anthony "Fred" Murray is an Irish footballer currently playing for Luton Town.-Career:...
, professional football player, playing in England for Luton Town - Thomas ChamneyThomas ChamneyThomas Chamney is an Irish runner who was born in Clonmel and brought up in Dublin. He specializes in the 800 metres event. Chamney runs for the Crusaders AC club whilst in Dublin and has been on an athletics scholarship at the University of Notre Dame, South Bend, Indiana where he studied English...
, Irish athlete who ran 800m in Beijing Olympics in 2008 - Andrea RocheAndrea RocheAndrea Roche is an award-winning Irish model, socialite and occasional television personality. She took part in the RTÉ One reality sports television series Celebrity Bainisteoir in 2009 and features on a weekly basis on the TV3 show Ireland AM...
, best known Irish Model - Vivian MurrayVivian MurrayVivian Murray was an Irish businessman. Murray served as the chief executive of the Irish Goods Council during the 1970s and 1980s, when it launched the "Buy Irish" and "Guaranteed Irish" marketing campaigns....
, businessman - Pat O'CallaghanPat O'CallaghanDr. Patrick O'Callaghan , was an Irish athlete and Olympic gold medallist. He was the first person from an independent Ireland to win an Olympic medal and is regarded as one of Ireland's greatest-ever athletes.-Early & private life:Pat O'Callaghan was born in knockanroe just outside Kanturk,...
, was an Irish athlete and Olympic gold medallist.
Sister towns
Clonmel is twinnedTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with several places:
|
Eysines Eysines is a commune in the Gironde department in southwestern France.-Population:-References:*... , Aquitaine Aquitaine Aquitaine , archaic Guyenne/Guienne , is one of the 27 regions of France, in the south-western part of metropolitan France, along the Atlantic Ocean and the Pyrenees mountain range on the border with Spain. It comprises the 5 departments of Dordogne, :Lot et Garonne, :Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Landes... , France France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... . Trofaiach Trofaiach is a municipality in the Leoben district of the state of Styria in Austria, the site of a post World War II British sector displaced person camp.... , Styria, Austria Austria Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the... . Peoria, Illinois Peoria is the largest city on the Illinois River and the county seat of Peoria County, Illinois, in the United States. It is named after the Peoria tribe. As of the 2010 census, the city was the seventh-most populated in Illinois, with a population of 115,007, and is the third-most populated... , Illinois Illinois Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,... . |
See also
- Clonmel BorstalClonmel Borstal.St. Patrick's Borstal Institution, Clonmel was established in 1906 as a place of detention for young male offenders aged between 16 and 21...
(1906–1956) - St Joseph’s Industrial School, FerryhouseFerryhouseSt Joseph’s Industrial School, generally referred to as Ferryhouse, is located four kilometres east of Clonmel, in South Tipperary, Ireland. The original building was erected in 1884 by Count Arthur Moore, a wealthy local Catholic as a reformatory for boys...
(1884–present) - List of towns and villages in Ireland
- Market Houses in IrelandMarket Houses in the Republic of IrelandMarket houses are a notable feature of many Irish towns with varying styles of architecture, size and ornamentation making for a most interesting feature of the streetscape. Originally there were three, four or even five bays on the ground floor which were an open arcade. An upper floor was...
- Siege of ClonmelSiege of ClonmelThe Siege of Clonmel took place in April – May 1650 during the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland when the town of Clonmel in County Tipperary was besieged by Oliver Cromwell’s New Model Army. Cromwell's 8,000 men eventually took the town from its 2,000 Irish defenders, but not before they...
External links
- Tipperary Institute
- Clonmel Junction Festival
- Tipperary County Museum, Clonmel.
- Radio documentary on Suir Island, Clonmel RTÉ 'Seascapes' (22 January 2010)