Fethard, County Tipperary
Encyclopedia
Fethard is a village in South Tipperary
in Ireland
. It is located 16 km (9.9 mi) east of Cashel
on the Clashawley River where the R692
, R689
and R706 regional road
s intersect. It is in the barony
of Middle Third
, and is also a parish
in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly
. In 2006, its' population was 1,374.
s as part of Edward I's policy of establishing fortified market village's. The village walls rise to a height of 25 feet (7.6 m) and can still be seen today. Most of the circuit survives, making Fethard the most complete medieval circuit in Ireland. Knockelly Castle, a well fortified tower house
is one of many historical buildings in the area. The village is also internationally known in the Thoroughbred
horse racing
industry as the home of Coolmore Stud
. There are also a number of horse-training stables in Fethard, notably that of Michael "Mouse" Morris, at Everardsgrange. McCarthy's Hotel is noted as a place to meet celebrities
associated with the racing industry. This was the home of Dick McCarthy, noted professional jockey
of the early 20th century who finished third in the Grand National
at Aintree
in 1929.
The story of Fethard begins in earnest with the coming of the Anglo-Norman
s to Ireland
eight centuries ago. The low hill on which the village is sited may have been crowned by a church in the pre-Norman
period, but there is no certain evidence that it was a place of settlement until around 1200
when it was chosen as the location of a major settlement by a Norman lord, almost certainly William de Braose who had been installed by King John
in 1201
as the chief tenant of a very substantial territory encompassing most of the modern County Tipperary.
Fethard did not evolve slowly into a village in the aftermath of the Norman arrival; rather, it began its life as one. It was laid out systematically, with a clearly demarcated market area, a conveniently-located church and graveyard, and a regular pattern of streets. Its economy was nourished by the rich farmland
in its vicinity; indeed, approaching the village today from Mullinahone
, Moyglass, Cashel
, Clonmel
or Kilsheelan
, one travels along roads that twist around fields which have been ploughed and grazed many times but which have hardly changed shape since the Middle Ages
.
In addition to providing an infrastructure which would serve the village well, Fethard's founder acquired for it a charter bestowing on it the status of borough
and endowing it with a constitution under the terms of which the village people, or burgesses, enjoyed such privileges as fixed annual rents, access to their own court, and set fines for all but the most serious of offences. The granting of charters was to some extent incidental to the economic health of the settlements, but the entitlements that went with the charters enticed rural folk from England
and Wales
to settle in Ireland, and thus the boroughs played a crucial role in the plantation of Anglo-Norman families in Ireland. There is no doubt that Fethard's medieval
population was largely made up of people of rural origin from across the Irish Sea
. Many of the village people may originally have come from William de Braose's vast estates in Wales.
Settlements with borough status were not guaranteed survival, not to mention prosperity. Disadvantageous sites, competition from larger and older settlements, and a failure to attract people in sufficient numbers contributed to the early stagnation of a number of boroughs. The foundation of Fethard proved to be a successful venture, thanks in part perhaps to William de Braose's energetic promotion of it, but other settlements in the area with borough status - Kiltinan and Lisronagh
, for example - struggled to survive and are now places of comparatively little significance.
The village and lands of Fethard passed out of William de Braose's hands in 1208
following a dispute he had with King John. In 1215
the Crown
granted Fethard to the archbishop
s of Cashel
, and it remained part of the archiepiscopal estates until the 16th century when the village people stopped paying rents to Cashel. By the time the archbishops inherited Fethard the village's great parish church had been built, and William, following the custom of the day, had granted the revenue which was owed to the church from the surrounding lands to a religious house, in this case the Hospital of St. John the Baptist in Dublin. The Hospital seems to have held this revenue until the early 14th century when it was passed on by the Prior
to the archbishops of Cashel.
The 13th century was a period of prosperity for Fethard, as indeed it was for other village's in Anglo-Norman Ireland. Goods sold in Fethard around the end of the century included silk, wine skins, sea-fish, coal, nails, timbers and salt. The Augustinian Friars came to Fethard at the start of the following century and established a monastery outside the village on one and a half acres of land; the Friars had actually acquired this land without the king's permission, but following an investigation they were formally pardoned by the king for their breach of procedure.
Life within and beside the village may have been comparatively stress-free in the 13th century, but the village's rural hinterland was not entirely safe for travellers. In the middle of the century, for example, the woods of Thomas de St. Aubin, located near the village, needed to be cleared because merchants on their journey to Fethard had been robbed and even killed.
One effect of the increasing lawlessness of the Norman colony in Ireland towards the end of the 13th century - a well-documented phenomenon that owed much to the aggression of the native Irish - was the building of Village Walls at places like Fethard.
Wall-building required finance, and this was usually generated by taxes. A Village Wall had, therefore, an impact on the lives of village people beyond simply providing security for their settlement. Whatever the means of raising money, the imposition of taxes or tolls for the purpose of walling needed approval from the king (or, later in the Middle Ages, from parliament), and a limit was put to the time in which money could be collected for the task.
The first reference to the walling of Fethard comes in 1292
when the king allows money levied over seven years from items sold in the village to be used by the burgesses for "the inclosing of their vill and the greater security of Ireland". A record of money still being collected in the early 14th century suggests a further grant after the expiry of that of 1292, but details of that have not survived.
Rarely in medieval Ireland was a single murage grant sufficient to fully enclose a village. In 1375-6 another grant, this time for ten years, was issued for Fethard, and this time stone walls were specified, which may suggest that the earlier village defences were walls of earth and timber, not of stone. Further murage grants - two, possibly three - are known from the 15th century.
When money was first made available for the walling of Fethard the village was probably somewhat smaller than the walled village we know today. Study of the village plan and close examination of the fabric of some of the village's buildings reveals the probable outline of the settlement founded by William de Braose. Clearly much of the land on the north and west sides of the present walled area was only taken into the village at the time of the 15th century murage grants.
Extensive building activity inside the village shows that Fethard was a strong and fairly prosperous place in the late Middle Ages. Its strategic importance is perhaps reflected in the fact that from the late 15th century Earls of Ormond were attending courts held in Fethard, and many Ormond ordinances were issued from here.
The village received a royal charter from Edward VI in 1552-3, allowing it a corporation in perpetuity, composed of one Sovereign, one Provost, Burgesses and inhabitants. The sovereign and provost, elected annually, were empowered to deal with all matters of law within the village. The freedom of the village to pursue its own affairs without fear of interference from the Crown came with an annual rent of 11 marks to the king. That the corporation successfully ran the village for the following half-century is indicated in the next royal charter, issued in 1608
.
The key figure in the attainment of this second charter was Sir John Everard. In the 15th century the Everard family came to real prominence in Fethard's history, and documents record the extent of the family's property in the village during the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries. John Everard, Sir John from 1605, was educated as a lawyer, and for a time he served the Butler clan and even the Earl of Ormond. His performances as a justice in the Earl's liberty of Tipperary were rewarded with an appointment by Elizabeth I as Second Justice of the Queen's Bench in Ireland in 1602
. Although the Everards were Catholic, and remained so, Sir John pledged allegiance to the Crown, and when he surrendered all his property to the Queen in 1607
, it was immediately granted back to him. Sir John's good favour with the Crown was instrumental in securing the new charter for Fethard in 1608. In this charter the village was described as "a place of strength surrounded with a fair strong wall," and under its terms the Corporation was renewed and enlarged, and was endowed with such liberties and privileges as were needed to draw more people to the village and to increase its trade and commerce.
The Corporation was directed to build "a Tholsel (common Hall) for assemblies". In 1612
James I sanctioned the building by Sir John's grandson, another Sir John, of two almshouses, one on the south of the church for men, and one on the north of the church for women. The Everard family also erected a substantial house for itself in the village. Improvements to the village were not confined to individual buildings: the south side of the Main Street was actually rebuilt during this period, and the market place was thus widened.
A few decades after the charter had brought so many positive changes, Fethard came face-to-face with two of the 17th century's most destructive agencies, the armies of Lord Inchiquin and Oliver Cromwell. Inchiquin had already attacked Cashel with relentless ferocity, and when news of that bloodbath reached Fethard its citizens submitted to him. Three years later, in 1650
, Cromwell marched on Fethard on his way to take Kilkenny, and in a letter to the Speaker of the House of Commons in London he described the village "as having a very good wall with round and square bulwarks, after the old manner of fortification". He further commented that he stationed his troops "in an old abbey in the suburbs", which is the Augustinian Friary. Terms of surrender were agreed.
The village may have survived the crises of the mid-17th century, but it entered the 18th century in a state of decay, and visitors invariably described it as run-down. The Corporation Books tell us that in 1718
no less than 56 persons had houses with dangerous chimneys. It was during this period that the Everard family's close involvement with Fethard came to a rather tame end. The last Baronet, Sir Redmond Everard, who lived in France, mismanaged the estate. In 1752
the old Everard properties in Fethard were sold to a Mr Barton, a wine merchant from Bordeaux, and he set about replacing the old Everard mansion with a new house, which in turn became a military barracks early in the 19th century. The present Catholic church in Fethard, built in 1818
-19, also occupies a site formerly owned by the Barton family.
Destruction of the medieval fabric of the village was an unfortunate feature of the 19th century. By the start of the present century all but one of the village gates had been demolished, while the Augustinian Friary, in private ownership between the late 16th century and the mid-1820s, had its west tower removed in 1835
.
based in Fethard. Michael 'Mouse' Morris is an Irish racehorse trainer who's attributes include Buck House in the 1983 Supreme Novices' Hurdle and the 1986 Queen Mother Champion Chase; and War Of Attrition in the 2006 Cheltenham Gold Cup. Eoghan O' Neill, bass guitarist with Irish Celtic/Jazz band 'Moving Hearts' is originally from Fethard and has captivated international audiences with his masterful playing and musical prowess. He is also an in-demand session player who has recorded with musicians such as Chris Rea and Donal Lunny. Archbishop John J. Cantwell attended the Patrician Brothers
Monastery National School, and the nearby Classical Academy. John Butler, 12th Baron Dunboyne
was buried in the Augustinian friary here. Ailish O'Connell(known to sign the odd autograph) is also a famous member of the Fethard community village people!
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 located 16 km (9.9 mi) east of Cashel
Cashel, County Tipperary
Cashel is a town in South Tipperary in Ireland. Its population was 2936 at the 2006 census. The town gives its name to the ecclesiastical province of Cashel. Additionally, the cathedra of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly was originally in the town prior to the English Reformation....
on the Clashawley River where the R692
R692 road
The R692 road is a regional road in Ireland linking Cashel, County Tipperary to Callan, County Kilkenny. It passes through Fethard and Mullinahone en route, and meets the M8 motorway 1km east of Cashel.The road is long.-References:...
, R689
R689 road
The R689 road is a regional road in Ireland linking Urlingford to Clonmel. It passes through Killenaule and Fethard en route.The road is long.-References:* – Department of Transport...
and R706 regional road
Regional road
A regional road in Ireland is a class of road not forming a major route , but nevertheless forming a link in the national route network. There are over 11,600 kilometres of regional roads. Regional roads are numbered with three digit route numbers, prefixed by "R" A regional road in Ireland is a...
s intersect. It is in the 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 Middle Third
Middle Third (South Tipperary)
Middle Third is one of the baronies of Ireland, a historical geographical unit of land. Its chief town is Cashel. It is one of 14 baronies in the old county of Tipperary between Eliogarty to the north , Iffa and Offa East to the south , Clanwilliam to the west and...
, and is also a parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly
The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly is a Roman Catholic archdiocese in mid-western Ireland. The diocese is in the secular province of Munster. The Diocese of Cashel was established in 1111 by the Synod of Rathbreasail and promoted to the status of a Metropolitan Province in 1152 by the...
. In 2006, its' population was 1,374.
Features
The village is remarkable for having been heavily fortified and completely surrounded by village wallDefensive wall
A defensive wall is a fortification used to protect a city or settlement from potential aggressors. In ancient to modern times, they were used to enclose settlements...
s as part of Edward I's policy of establishing fortified market village's. The village walls rise to a height of 25 feet (7.6 m) and can still be seen today. Most of the circuit survives, making Fethard the most complete medieval circuit in Ireland. Knockelly Castle, a well fortified tower house
Tower house
A tower house is a particular type of stone structure, built for defensive purposes as well as habitation.-History:Tower houses began to appear in the Middle Ages, especially in mountain or limited access areas, in order to command and defend strategic points with reduced forces...
is one of many historical buildings in the area. The village is also internationally known in the Thoroughbred
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
horse racing
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
industry as the home of Coolmore Stud
Coolmore Stud
Coolmore Stud, in Fethard, South Tipperary in Ireland, is the world's largest breeding operation of thoroughbred racehorses. It was established in 1975....
. There are also a number of horse-training stables in Fethard, notably that of Michael "Mouse" Morris, at Everardsgrange. McCarthy's Hotel is noted as a place to meet celebrities
Celebrity
A celebrity, also referred to as a celeb in popular culture, is a person who has a prominent profile and commands a great degree of public fascination and influence in day-to-day media...
associated with the racing industry. This was the home of Dick McCarthy, noted professional jockey
Jockey
A jockey is an athlete who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing.-Etymology:...
of the early 20th century who finished third in the Grand National
Grand National
The Grand National is a world-famous National Hunt horse race which is held annually at Aintree Racecourse, near Liverpool, England. It is a handicap chase run over a distance of four miles and 856 yards , with horses jumping thirty fences over two circuits of Aintree's National Course...
at Aintree
Aintree
Aintree is a village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, Merseyside. It lies between Walton and Maghull on the A59 road, about north of Liverpool city centre, in North West England....
in 1929.
History
Anglo-Norman
The Anglo-Normans were mainly the descendants of the Normans who ruled England following the Norman conquest by William the Conqueror in 1066. A small number of Normans were already settled in England prior to the conquest...
s to Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
eight centuries ago. The low hill on which the village is sited may have been crowned by a church in the pre-Norman
Normans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
period, but there is no certain evidence that it was a place of settlement until around 1200
1200 in Ireland
-Events:*Irish exchequer created.* Theobald Walter, 1st Baron Butler is thought to have founded the Abbey of Woney or Wotheny in County Limerick Ireland around this time....
when it was chosen as the location of a major settlement by a Norman lord, almost certainly William de Braose who had been installed by King John
John of England
John , also known as John Lackland , was King of England from 6 April 1199 until his death...
in 1201
1201 in Ireland
-Events:*William de Braose was installed by King John of England as the chief tenant of a very substantial territory encompassing most of the modern County Tipperary...
as the chief tenant of a very substantial territory encompassing most of the modern County Tipperary.
Fethard did not evolve slowly into a village in the aftermath of the Norman arrival; rather, it began its life as one. It was laid out systematically, with a clearly demarcated market area, a conveniently-located church and graveyard, and a regular pattern of streets. Its economy was nourished by the rich farmland
Arable land
In geography and agriculture, arable land is land that can be used for growing crops. It includes all land under temporary crops , temporary meadows for mowing or pasture, land under market and kitchen gardens and land temporarily fallow...
in its vicinity; indeed, approaching the village today from Mullinahone
Mullinahone
Mullinahone 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 Irish Census of 2006 recorded the village as having a population of 372.-Location and access:...
, Moyglass, Cashel
Cashel, County Tipperary
Cashel is a town in South Tipperary in Ireland. Its population was 2936 at the 2006 census. The town gives its name to the ecclesiastical province of Cashel. Additionally, the cathedra of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly was originally in the town prior to the English Reformation....
, Clonmel
Clonmel
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...
or Kilsheelan
Kilsheelan
Kilsheelan is a small village in South Tipperary, Ireland. It is also a civil parish in the barony of Iffa and Offa East. It is one half of the Roman Catholic parish of Kilsheelan & Kilcash in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Waterford and Lismore. It is situated on the north bank of the River Suir,...
, one travels along roads that twist around fields which have been ploughed and grazed many times but which have hardly changed shape since the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
.
In addition to providing an infrastructure which would serve the village well, Fethard's founder acquired for it a charter bestowing on it the status of 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....
and endowing it with a constitution under the terms of which the village people, or burgesses, enjoyed such privileges as fixed annual rents, access to their own court, and set fines for all but the most serious of offences. The granting of charters was to some extent incidental to the economic health of the settlements, but the entitlements that went with the charters enticed rural folk from England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
to settle in Ireland, and thus the boroughs played a crucial role in the plantation of Anglo-Norman families in Ireland. There is no doubt that Fethard's medieval
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
population was largely made up of people of rural origin from across the Irish Sea
Irish Sea
The Irish Sea separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. It is connected to the Celtic Sea in the south by St George's Channel, and to the Atlantic Ocean in the north by the North Channel. Anglesey is the largest island within the Irish Sea, followed by the Isle of Man...
. Many of the village people may originally have come from William de Braose's vast estates in Wales.
Settlements with borough status were not guaranteed survival, not to mention prosperity. Disadvantageous sites, competition from larger and older settlements, and a failure to attract people in sufficient numbers contributed to the early stagnation of a number of boroughs. The foundation of Fethard proved to be a successful venture, thanks in part perhaps to William de Braose's energetic promotion of it, but other settlements in the area with borough status - Kiltinan and Lisronagh
Lisronagh
Lisronagh is a village in the barony of Iffa and Offa East, South Tipperary, in Ireland.-Location:It is one half of the Roman Catholic parish of Powerstown and Lisronagh in the diocese of Waterford and Lismore. It is located on the R689 regional road 7km north of Clonmel, and 6km south of Fethard...
, for example - struggled to survive and are now places of comparatively little significance.
The village and lands of Fethard passed out of William de Braose's hands in 1208
1208 in Ireland
-Events:*The town and lands of Fethard, County Tipperary were lost to its founder, William de Braose, following a dispute he had with King John of England.*Auliffe O'Rothlain, Chief of Calry of Coolcarney, was slain by O'Moran....
following a dispute he had with King John. In 1215
1215 in Ireland
-Events:The port of New Ross granted trading concessions from King John of England....
the Crown
The Crown
The Crown is a corporation sole that in the Commonwealth realms and any provincial or state sub-divisions thereof represents the legal embodiment of governance, whether executive, legislative, or judicial...
granted Fethard to the archbishop
Archbishop
An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
s of Cashel
Cashel, County Tipperary
Cashel is a town in South Tipperary in Ireland. Its population was 2936 at the 2006 census. The town gives its name to the ecclesiastical province of Cashel. Additionally, the cathedra of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly was originally in the town prior to the English Reformation....
, and it remained part of the archiepiscopal estates until the 16th century when the village people stopped paying rents to Cashel. By the time the archbishops inherited Fethard the village's great parish church had been built, and William, following the custom of the day, had granted the revenue which was owed to the church from the surrounding lands to a religious house, in this case the Hospital of St. John the Baptist in Dublin. The Hospital seems to have held this revenue until the early 14th century when it was passed on by the Prior
Prior
Prior is an ecclesiastical title, derived from the Latin adjective for 'earlier, first', with several notable uses.-Monastic superiors:A Prior is a monastic superior, usually lower in rank than an Abbot. In the Rule of St...
to the archbishops of Cashel.
The 13th century was a period of prosperity for Fethard, as indeed it was for other village's in Anglo-Norman Ireland. Goods sold in Fethard around the end of the century included silk, wine skins, sea-fish, coal, nails, timbers and salt. The Augustinian Friars came to Fethard at the start of the following century and established a monastery outside the village on one and a half acres of land; the Friars had actually acquired this land without the king's permission, but following an investigation they were formally pardoned by the king for their breach of procedure.
Life within and beside the village may have been comparatively stress-free in the 13th century, but the village's rural hinterland was not entirely safe for travellers. In the middle of the century, for example, the woods of Thomas de St. Aubin, located near the village, needed to be cleared because merchants on their journey to Fethard had been robbed and even killed.
One effect of the increasing lawlessness of the Norman colony in Ireland towards the end of the 13th century - a well-documented phenomenon that owed much to the aggression of the native Irish - was the building of Village Walls at places like Fethard.
Wall-building required finance, and this was usually generated by taxes. A Village Wall had, therefore, an impact on the lives of village people beyond simply providing security for their settlement. Whatever the means of raising money, the imposition of taxes or tolls for the purpose of walling needed approval from the king (or, later in the Middle Ages, from parliament), and a limit was put to the time in which money could be collected for the task.
The first reference to the walling of Fethard comes in 1292
1292 in Ireland
-Events:*Custody of rents, homages and services of all Crown tenants English and Irish in the Decies and Desmond is granted to Thomas fitz Maurice of Desmond ....
when the king allows money levied over seven years from items sold in the village to be used by the burgesses for "the inclosing of their vill and the greater security of Ireland". A record of money still being collected in the early 14th century suggests a further grant after the expiry of that of 1292, but details of that have not survived.
Rarely in medieval Ireland was a single murage grant sufficient to fully enclose a village. In 1375-6 another grant, this time for ten years, was issued for Fethard, and this time stone walls were specified, which may suggest that the earlier village defences were walls of earth and timber, not of stone. Further murage grants - two, possibly three - are known from the 15th century.
When money was first made available for the walling of Fethard the village was probably somewhat smaller than the walled village we know today. Study of the village plan and close examination of the fabric of some of the village's buildings reveals the probable outline of the settlement founded by William de Braose. Clearly much of the land on the north and west sides of the present walled area was only taken into the village at the time of the 15th century murage grants.
Extensive building activity inside the village shows that Fethard was a strong and fairly prosperous place in the late Middle Ages. Its strategic importance is perhaps reflected in the fact that from the late 15th century Earls of Ormond were attending courts held in Fethard, and many Ormond ordinances were issued from here.
The village received a royal charter from Edward VI in 1552-3, allowing it a corporation in perpetuity, composed of one Sovereign, one Provost, Burgesses and inhabitants. The sovereign and provost, elected annually, were empowered to deal with all matters of law within the village. The freedom of the village to pursue its own affairs without fear of interference from the Crown came with an annual rent of 11 marks to the king. That the corporation successfully ran the village for the following half-century is indicated in the next royal charter, issued in 1608
1608 in Ireland
-Events:*Following the Flight of the Earls and angered by land confiscations for the plantation of Ulster, Cahir O'Doherty sacked and burned Derry and killed the Governor....
.
1602 in Ireland
-Events:* 3 January - Nine Years' War: The English defeat Irish rebels and their Spanish allies at the Siege of Kinsale.* 5–18 June - Nine Years' War: The English defeat Irish rebels at the Siege of Dunboy.-Deaths:...
. Although the Everards were Catholic, and remained so, Sir John pledged allegiance to the Crown, and when he surrendered all his property to the Queen in 1607
1607 in Ireland
-Events:* 14 September - Flight of the Earls: Hugh O'Neill, 2nd Earl of Tyrone and Rory O'Donnell, 1st Earl of Tyrconnell flee to Spain to avoid capture by the English crown.*Lifford comes into the possession of Sir Richard Hansard during the Plantation of Ulster....
, it was immediately granted back to him. Sir John's good favour with the Crown was instrumental in securing the new charter for Fethard in 1608. In this charter the village was described as "a place of strength surrounded with a fair strong wall," and under its terms the Corporation was renewed and enlarged, and was endowed with such liberties and privileges as were needed to draw more people to the village and to increase its trade and commerce.
The Corporation was directed to build "a Tholsel (common Hall) for assemblies". In 1612
1612 in Ireland
-Births:*20 October - Richard Boyle, 1st Earl of Burlington, cavalier and Lord High Treasurer of Ireland .-Deaths:*11 February - Conor O'Devany, 8th Catholic Bishop of Down and Connor, executed for high treason .-Publications:...
James I sanctioned the building by Sir John's grandson, another Sir John, of two almshouses, one on the south of the church for men, and one on the north of the church for women. The Everard family also erected a substantial house for itself in the village. Improvements to the village were not confined to individual buildings: the south side of the Main Street was actually rebuilt during this period, and the market place was thus widened.
A few decades after the charter had brought so many positive changes, Fethard came face-to-face with two of the 17th century's most destructive agencies, the armies of Lord Inchiquin and Oliver Cromwell. Inchiquin had already attacked Cashel with relentless ferocity, and when news of that bloodbath reached Fethard its citizens submitted to him. Three years later, in 1650
1650 in Ireland
-Events:*May** Charles II repudiates his alliance with Irish Catholics in favour of one with Scottish Covenanters in the Treaty of Breda. Most English Royalists in Ireland surrender to the Parliamentarians after this point....
, Cromwell marched on Fethard on his way to take Kilkenny, and in a letter to the Speaker of the House of Commons in London he described the village "as having a very good wall with round and square bulwarks, after the old manner of fortification". He further commented that he stationed his troops "in an old abbey in the suburbs", which is the Augustinian Friary. Terms of surrender were agreed.
The village may have survived the crises of the mid-17th century, but it entered the 18th century in a state of decay, and visitors invariably described it as run-down. The Corporation Books tell us that in 1718
1718 in Ireland
-Births:*2 March - John Gore, 1st Baron Annaly, politician and peer .*Nano Nagle, founder of the Presentation Sisters .-Deaths:*24 October - Thomas Parnell, clergyman and poet ....
no less than 56 persons had houses with dangerous chimneys. It was during this period that the Everard family's close involvement with Fethard came to a rather tame end. The last Baronet, Sir Redmond Everard, who lived in France, mismanaged the estate. In 1752
1752 in Ireland
-Births:*30 July - Valentine Quin, 1st Earl of Dunraven and Mount-Earl, peer .*Leonard Macnally, informant against members of the Society of United Irishmen ....
the old Everard properties in Fethard were sold to a Mr Barton, a wine merchant from Bordeaux, and he set about replacing the old Everard mansion with a new house, which in turn became a military barracks early in the 19th century. The present Catholic church in Fethard, built in 1818
1818 in Ireland
-Births:*28 January - Robert Carew, 2nd Baron Carew, politician .*4 April - Thomas Mayne Reid, novelist .*April - Cecil Frances Humphreys Alexander, hymn-writer and poet .*24 May - John Henry Foley, sculptor ....
-19, also occupies a site formerly owned by the Barton family.
Destruction of the medieval fabric of the village was an unfortunate feature of the 19th century. By the start of the present century all but one of the village gates had been demolished, while the Augustinian Friary, in private ownership between the late 16th century and the mid-1820s, had its west tower removed in 1835
1835 in Ireland
-Events:* August 28 - Castleknock College is founded by the Vincentian order in Dublin.*Drenagh House in Limavady, County Londonderry is completed for the McCausland family...
.
Famous People
Fethard, over the years, has seen some of its residents reach stardom, both nationally and internationally. Notable ambassadors include Mr. John Magnier who owns the world-famous Coolmore StudCoolmore Stud
Coolmore Stud, in Fethard, South Tipperary in Ireland, is the world's largest breeding operation of thoroughbred racehorses. It was established in 1975....
based in Fethard. Michael 'Mouse' Morris is an Irish racehorse trainer who's attributes include Buck House in the 1983 Supreme Novices' Hurdle and the 1986 Queen Mother Champion Chase; and War Of Attrition in the 2006 Cheltenham Gold Cup. Eoghan O' Neill, bass guitarist with Irish Celtic/Jazz band 'Moving Hearts' is originally from Fethard and has captivated international audiences with his masterful playing and musical prowess. He is also an in-demand session player who has recorded with musicians such as Chris Rea and Donal Lunny. Archbishop John J. Cantwell attended the Patrician Brothers
Patrician Brothers
The Patrician Brothers, or Brothers of Saint Patrick, are a Roman Catholic congregation for the religious and literary education of youth and the instruction of the faithful in Christian piety.-History:This Brotherhood was founded by the Right Rev. Dr...
Monastery National School, and the nearby Classical Academy. John Butler, 12th Baron Dunboyne
John Butler, 12th Baron Dunboyne
John Butler, 12th Baron Dunboyne was an Irish clergyman and aristocrat, Roman Catholic Bishop of Cork. In order to advance his temporal title, he became, , the only authenticated apostate in the Catholic hierarchy in Ireland.-Early life:...
was buried in the Augustinian friary here. Ailish O'Connell(known to sign the odd autograph) is also a famous member of the Fethard community village people!
Sport
Fethard is well-known for being a village of sport, and is very successful in various different fields of sport especially when one measures the village's achievements in relation to the village's size.- St. Patricks Cricket Club was founded in 1899. The club currently fields 1 senior team, 2 junior teams as well as various underage teams. St. Patrick's play their games in the Ponseby Memorial Oval located between Fethard and Killusty.
- the village has one of three 3 Rugby leagueRugby leagueRugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
clubs in the country. The Fethard Knights play in the East Munster Conference and their home ground is the Barrack FieldBarrack FieldBarrack Field is located within the Royal Artillery Barracks at Woolwich in southeast London . It was used as a venue for major cricket matches in the 18th century and as the home of Woolwich Cricket Club at that time; latterly it has been the home of the Royal Artillery Cricket Club.Woolwich CC...
, located near the village centre. The coaching staff is made up Sean Devaney, Charlie Hansen and Roy Skipton. - Fethard GAAFethard GAAFethard GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association gaelic football club located in the village of Fethard, South Tipperary in Ireland. The club is part of the South Division of Tipperary GAA...
plays in the community sports field.
See also
- List of villages in Ireland.
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is also the name of a coastal village in County WexfordCounty WexfordCounty Wexford is a county in Ireland. It is part of the South-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Wexford. In pre-Norman times it was part of the Kingdom of Uí Cheinnselaig, whose capital was at Ferns. Wexford County Council is the local...
, IrelandIrelandIreland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, on the Hook peninsulaHook HeadHook Head is a headland in County Wexford, Ireland located on the east side of the estuary of the three sisters rivers . It is part of the Hook peninsula and is adjacent to the historic townland of Loftus Hall...
.