Marlfield, Clonmel
Encyclopedia
Marlfield is a village three kilometres west of Clonmel
, County Tipperary
, Ireland
. It is within the townland
s of Marlfield and Inishlounaght. It replaced an older settlement named Abbey, which had developed near the 12th century Cistercian community of Inislounaght Abbey
.
in its 'boulting mill' that year.
The lake was artificially constructed to run mill machinery, eventually powering hydroelectric current for the 'Big House'
. There were several grain and rapeseed
mills near the lake which were superseded by a substantial distillery. Andrew Stein's Pot still
at Marlfield was producing 8, 268 Imperial gallons of whiskey per week in 1818. It was eventually taken over by Jamesons before it too was closed.
In 1886, Marlfield Embroideries was established by Mrs. Bagwell to give employment to local women and girls.
Marlfield was for many generations the seat of the Bagwell
family, who owned much of the land and other resources in the area. The terrace of houses and nearby school, which formed the core of the village, were built for the estate workers.
, which promotes hurling
in the area.
In 2009 Marlfield was the start and finish points for the 'Bill Hyland Memorial' cycle race. This is a road event organised annually by the Clonmel Cycle Club.
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...
, County Tipperary
County 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...
, 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...
. It is within the townland
Townland
A townland or bally is a small geographical division of land used in Ireland. The townland system is of Gaelic origin—most townlands are believed to pre-date the Norman invasion and most have names derived from the Irish language...
s of Marlfield and Inishlounaght. It replaced an older settlement named Abbey, which had developed near the 12th century Cistercian community of Inislounaght Abbey
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...
.
Local industry
Marlfield developed as a minor regional industrial centre using water from a tributary of the river Suir as a source of power. In 1773-74, Stephen Moore's was the largest grain mill in the country, processing 15,382 cwtHundredweight
The hundredweight or centum weight is a unit of mass defined in terms of the pound . The definition used in Britain differs from that used in North America. The two are distinguished by the terms long hundredweight and short hundredweight:* The long hundredweight is defined as 112 lb, which...
in its 'boulting mill' that year.
The lake was artificially constructed to run mill machinery, eventually powering hydroelectric current for the 'Big House'
Great house
A great house is a large and stately residence; the term encompasses different styles of dwelling in different countries. The name refers to the makeup of the household rather than to any particular architectural style...
. There were several grain and rapeseed
Rapeseed
Rapeseed , also known as rape, oilseed rape, rapa, rappi, rapaseed is a bright yellow flowering member of the family Brassicaceae...
mills near the lake which were superseded by a substantial distillery. Andrew Stein's Pot still
Pot still
A pot still is a type of still used in distilling spirits such as whisky or brandy. Heat is applied directly to the pot containing the wash or wine . This is called a batch distillation ....
at Marlfield was producing 8, 268 Imperial gallons of whiskey per week in 1818. It was eventually taken over by Jamesons before it too was closed.
In 1886, Marlfield Embroideries was established by Mrs. Bagwell to give employment to local women and girls.
Marlfield was for many generations the seat of the Bagwell
Bagwell
-People named Bagwell:*Buff Bagwell , US actor and athlete in professional wrestling*Dennis Bagwell , US convicted murderer*Jeff Bagwell -People named Bagwell:*Buff Bagwell (b. 1970), US actor and athlete in professional wrestling*Dennis Bagwell (1963-2005), US convicted murderer*Jeff Bagwell...
family, who owned much of the land and other resources in the area. The terrace of houses and nearby school, which formed the core of the village, were built for the estate workers.
Marlfield/Abbey during the famine
In 1837, ten years before the height of the famine, Marlfield was recorded as having a population of 1,123 inhabitants, many of whom were employed at John Stein's distillery. Like much of the rest of rural Ireland, the poor of Marlfield suffered greatly during the Great famine. While there were local acts of philanthropy to help alleviate starvation, there were documented cases where food convoys and barges transporting flour and grain were attacked by desperate residents. These incidents of 'lawlessness' were viewed with little sympathy by local establishment figures.Sport
The village is home to Marlfield GAA clubMarlfield GAA
Marlfield GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association Hurling club located in Marlfield, South Tipperary in Ireland. The club is part of the South division of Tipperary GAA...
, which promotes 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...
in the area.
In 2009 Marlfield was the start and finish points for the 'Bill Hyland Memorial' cycle race. This is a road event organised annually by the Clonmel Cycle Club.
People associated with Marlfield
- John Philip BagwellJohn Philip BagwellJohn Philip Bagwell DL was the son of Richard Bagwell and Harriette Philippa Jocelyn Newton. The Bagwells of Marlfield could trace their arrival in Ireland to John Bagwell , a Captain in Cromwell's New Model Army.- Business :John Bagwell was general manager of Ireland's Great Northern Railways ...
(1874–1946) General manager of the Great Northern RailwayGreat Northern Railway (Ireland)The Great Northern Railway was an Irish gauge railway company in Ireland.The Great Northern was formed in 1876 by a merger of the Irish North Western Railway , Northern Railway of Ireland, and Ulster Railway. The Ulster Railway was the GNRI's oldest constituent, having opened between Belfast and...
, MP and Irish Free StateIrish Free StateThe Irish Free State was the state established as a Dominion on 6 December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty, signed by the British government and Irish representatives exactly twelve months beforehand...
Senator. - Richard BagwellRichard BagwellRichard Bagwell was a noted historian of the Stuart and Tudor periods in Ireland, and a political commentator with strong Unionist convictions.He was the eldest son of John Bagwell, M.P. for Clonmel from 1857 to 1874...
(1840–1918) Historian and Unionist MP. - Theo EnglishTheo EnglishTheo English is a former Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Marlfield GAA and was a member of the Tipperary senior inter-county team in the 1950s and 1960s. He is widely regarded as one of Tipperary’s greatest-ever hurlers.-Club:English played his club hurling with his...
(1931 - ) Retired Sportsperson, played hurlingHurlingHurling 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...
with MarlfieldMarlfield GAAMarlfield GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association Hurling club located in Marlfield, South Tipperary in Ireland. The club is part of the South division of Tipperary GAA...
and the Tipperary team.
Points of local interest
- Marlfield HouseMarlfield House, ClonmelMarlfield House was the former residence of the Bagwell dynasty, a wealthy and politically influential Irish Unionist family in south Tipperary from the eighteenth to the twentieth centuries. It is located about three kilometres west of the town of Clonmel on the northern bank of the River Suir. It...
. Burned by anti-Treaty Republicans in January, 1923, and subsequently rebuilt. - St. Patrick's Church.
- Marlfield Lake. Artificial reservoir fed by springs at St. Patrick's Well, it was used to supply power to local mills. It is now a wildlife sanctuary and public amenity.
- St. Patrick's Well http://discoverireland.com/us/ireland-things-to-see-and-do/listings/product/?fid=FI_71035
- Sandybanks. Formerly a favourite swimming area on the Suir. During summer holidays, large crowds from Clonmel made their way here to swim before the provision of the town's first indoor pool in 1973.
- Memorial to local soldiers who died in the 1914-18 warWorld War IWorld War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.http://www.irishwarmemorials.ie/html/place-details.php?show=174
See also
- List of towns and villages in Ireland