Mitchelstown
Encyclopedia
Mitchelstown is a town
in County Cork
, Ireland
with a population of approximately 3300. Mitchelstown is situated in the valley to the south of the Galtee Mountains
close to the Mitchelstown Caves and is 28 km from Cahir
, 50 km from Cork
and 59 km from Limerick
. The River Gradoge runs by the town into the River Funshion, which in turn is a tributary of the River Blackwater
.
The town is best known as a centre for cheese
production.
family called "de St Michel" who founded a settlement there in the 13th century known as "Villa Michel". The modern name comes from the anglicised version of the later Gaelic derived Ballyvisteala or Ballymistealy. An earlier settlement began in the nearby townland
of Brigowan or Brigown , it was known by this name and had monastic origins being founded in the 7th century by Saint Fanahan (Fionn Cú = White Hound), a warrior monk
famed for his hot temper.
. In the 1770s, the medieval town was replaced by the present town which is situated east and south of King Square. It was laid out in a grid pattern of two main streets intersected by a number of smaller streets. The medieval town was demolished and the then owners of Mitchelstown; Robert, Viscount Kingsborough (later 2nd Earl of Kingston) and his wife Caroline, built a new palladian
styled mansion to replace the earlier castle which had stood on the site. Mitchelstown is today regarded as one of the best planned Georgian towns in Ireland. Some of its streets are named after members of the King family, namely Robert, George, Edward, James, Thomas and King (the family name). The other streets of the Georgian town are Church Street and Baldwin Street, Alley Lane, Chapel Hill, Convent Hill, King Square, New Square and Mulberry Lane.
The layout established by the second and third Earls of Kingston between 1776 and 1830 was utilised the natural features of the site to give panoramic views of the Galtee Mountains
. Mitchelstown Castle
as rebuilt in the 1820s by the third Earl of Kingston
who created the biggest private house in Ireland. During the Irish Civil War in 1922 the castle was occupied by the Republican Army. After two weeks, its contents were looted and the building was burnt ostensibly to prevent it from being used by the Irish Free State
Army. The shell of the house was later completely demolished and its stone used to build Mount Melleray Abbey
.
In 1887, Irish Land League campaigners, led by John Mandeville, organised a rent strike
at the estate of Lady Kingston at Mitchelstown. On September 9, three men - John Shinnick of Fermoy
, John Casey of Kilbehenny and Michael Lonergan of Galbally
were shot on the main street by police firing without orders, following an 8,000 person strong Land League Rally in the town. On that day Mandeville and MP William O'Brien
had been brought for trial on charges of incitement under a new Coercion Act.; this event became known as the "Mitchelstown Massacre". In the years that followed the phrase "Remember Mitchelstown" (first coined by William E. Gladstone
, was subsequently much bandied about in the British House of Commons when Irish affairs were under discussion). A memorial to Mandeville that stands in Market Square was unveiled in 1906 by O'Brien.
In the 1930s the Co-Op promoted the introduction of intensive pig production in the Mitchelstown area as another source of farm income. A noted agriculturalist, Alexander Aloysius ("Sandy") McGuckian from Cloughmills, near Ballymena
, County Antrim
was engaged by the Co-Op to help train local people in modern intensive animal production methods. As a result, several of Ireland's largest Industrial pig production units are based in the Mitchelstown area to this day. McGuckians' sons (Alastair and Paddy) subsequently established Masstock International. Masstock became one of the pioneers of the establishment of a modern dairy industry in Saudi Arabia
as a result of its minority shareholding (largely disposed of in 1991) in the Almarai Group, a joint venture with majority shareholder HH Prince Sultan Bin Mohamed Bin Saud Al Kabeer.
In 1989 Mitchelstown Co-operative merged with Ballyclough Co-operative (based in Mallow, County Cork
) to create an enlarged Dairygold Co-Operative. However the Dairygold Co-op entity failed to retain the leading competitive position held by Mitchelstown Co-op and is no longer a premier national dairy food enterprise. Restructuring in the early 2000s saw Dairygold Co-op move its headquarters out of Mitchelstown to Cork city , breaking an important historical link first established in 1919. A further restructuring of the co-op led to a hiving off of its major assets to Reox Holdings plc. Its brand names were later sold off to Kerry Foods
in 2009. The Co-op has since returned its headquarters to Mitchelstown, but is considerably reduced in size and turnover.
The first manager of Mitchelstown Co-operative Creameries, was Eamon Roche; a Dairy Science Diploma graduate of the Albert College in Dublin (now called Dublin City University - DCU) who had been active in the Irish War of Independence from Britain between 1916–1921. Roche was also a close personal friend of Éamon de Valera
who subsequently became leader of Fianna Fáil, Irish Prime Minister and later President of the Republic of Ireland. He was succeeded (following his sudden death) in 1952 by J.J. Lynch who, following his sudden death in 1964, was succeeded by John McCarthy.
, Lidl
, Aldi
, Super Valu
, Centra
and Boots. Boots opened its Mitchelstown store in the LivingHealth Centre in early 2009. Doodys, Murphys and Fitzgibbons are other pharmacies in the town, which now has all its medical practitioners located in the LivingHealth Centre. Mitchelstown also has a variety of shops, cafes, boutiques and restaurants.
Dublin to Cork motorway, which runs to the east and can be accessed from Junctions 12 and 13.
A relief road located to the west of the town serves to filter N73
traffic towards Mallow
and R513 traffic towards Limerick
. The construction of the relief road to the west and north, and its connection in 2009 to the M8
to the east of Mitchelstown means that the town has become the smallest in Ireland to have a full 360 degree ring road. Prior to the opening of the relief road in 2006, the N8 ran through Mitchelstown itself, seriously congesting the main street. The R665 road
connects Mitchelstown to Clonmel
, while the former N8 now redesignated as the R639 provides an alternative route from Mitchelstown to Cork
, Fermoy
and Cahir
.
Bus Eireann
runs frequent intercity services through the town providing a service to both Dublin and Cork. In addition Aircoach
offers a service to Dublin Airport
.
cave
s located on the R639, between Mitchelstown and Cahir
. One cave, Mitchelstown Cave itself, is privately owned and has been developed as a show cave
, with a number of caverns open to the public through a guided tour. Some of the speleothem
s are noteworthy including the Tower of Babel formation. Various other stalactites, stalagmites and rock formations are also named and famous for their unique and impressive structure.
Bill Power, 'White Knights, Dark Earls,' the rise and fall of an Anglo-Irish Dynasty,' The Collins Press, 2000.
Bill Power, Mitchelstown Through Seven Centuries, Eigse Books, 1987.
Bill Power, 'The Mitchelstown Saints,' Mitchelstown, 1980.
Bill Power, 'Evensong, the story of a Church of Ireland country parish,' Mount Cashell Books, 1994.
Tom O'Donnell, 'The Turbulent life of Dean Morgan O'Brien,' Mitchelstown 2009.
Elizabeth Bowen, 'Bowen's Court,' London, 1940.
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
in County Cork
County Cork
County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...
, 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,...
with a population of approximately 3300. Mitchelstown is situated in the valley to the south of the Galtee Mountains
Galtee Mountains
The Galtee Mountains or Galty Mountains are a mountain range in Munster, located in Ireland's Golden Vale across parts of counties Limerick, South Tipperary and Cork. The name "Galtee" is thought to be a corruption of the Irish "Sléibhte na gCoillte" - "Mountains of the Forests" in English,...
close to the Mitchelstown Caves and is 28 km from Cahir
Cahir
Cahir is a town in South Tipperary in Ireland. The town is best known for its castle and the Swiss Cottage. It is in the barony of Iffa and Offa West.-Location and access:...
, 50 km from Cork
Cork (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...
and 59 km from Limerick
Limerick
Limerick is the third largest city in the Republic of Ireland, and the principal city of County Limerick and Ireland's Mid-West Region. It is the fifth most populous city in all of Ireland. When taking the extra-municipal suburbs into account, Limerick is the third largest conurbation in the...
. The River Gradoge runs by the town into the River Funshion, which in turn is a tributary of the River Blackwater
Munster Blackwater
The Blackwater or Munster Blackwater is a river which flows through counties Kerry, Cork, and Waterford in Ireland. It rises in the Mullaghareirk Mountains in County Kerry and then flows in an easterly direction through County Cork, through Mallow and Fermoy...
.
The town is best known as a centre for cheese
Cheese
Cheese is a generic term for a diverse group of milk-based food products. Cheese is produced throughout the world in wide-ranging flavors, textures, and forms....
production.
Name
Mitchelstown's name originates from an Anglo-NormanAnglo-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...
family called "de St Michel" who founded a settlement there in the 13th century known as "Villa Michel". The modern name comes from the anglicised version of the later Gaelic derived Ballyvisteala or Ballymistealy. An earlier settlement began in the nearby 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...
of Brigowan or Brigown , it was known by this name and had monastic origins being founded in the 7th century by Saint Fanahan (Fionn Cú = White Hound), a warrior monk
Monk
A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
famed for his hot temper.
History
The town evolved as a hotchpotch of cabins and laneways beside which stood Mitchelstown CastleMitchelstown Castle
Mitchelstown Castle, the former home of the Irish Earls of Kingston, was located in the north County Cork town of Mitchelstown in Ireland.-15th to 18th century:...
. In the 1770s, the medieval town was replaced by the present town which is situated east and south of King Square. It was laid out in a grid pattern of two main streets intersected by a number of smaller streets. The medieval town was demolished and the then owners of Mitchelstown; Robert, Viscount Kingsborough (later 2nd Earl of Kingston) and his wife Caroline, built a new palladian
Palladian architecture
Palladian architecture is a European style of architecture derived from the designs of the Venetian architect Andrea Palladio . The term "Palladian" normally refers to buildings in a style inspired by Palladio's own work; that which is recognised as Palladian architecture today is an evolution of...
styled mansion to replace the earlier castle which had stood on the site. Mitchelstown is today regarded as one of the best planned Georgian towns in Ireland. Some of its streets are named after members of the King family, namely Robert, George, Edward, James, Thomas and King (the family name). The other streets of the Georgian town are Church Street and Baldwin Street, Alley Lane, Chapel Hill, Convent Hill, King Square, New Square and Mulberry Lane.
The layout established by the second and third Earls of Kingston between 1776 and 1830 was utilised the natural features of the site to give panoramic views of the Galtee Mountains
Galtee Mountains
The Galtee Mountains or Galty Mountains are a mountain range in Munster, located in Ireland's Golden Vale across parts of counties Limerick, South Tipperary and Cork. The name "Galtee" is thought to be a corruption of the Irish "Sléibhte na gCoillte" - "Mountains of the Forests" in English,...
. Mitchelstown Castle
Mitchelstown Castle
Mitchelstown Castle, the former home of the Irish Earls of Kingston, was located in the north County Cork town of Mitchelstown in Ireland.-15th to 18th century:...
as rebuilt in the 1820s by the third Earl of Kingston
Earl of Kingston
Earl of Kingston is a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1768 for Edward King, 1st Viscount Kingston. He had already succeeded his father as fifth Baronet of Boyle Abbey and been created Baron Kingston, of Rockingham in the County of Roscommon in 1764 and Viscount Kingston in 1766,...
who created the biggest private house in Ireland. During the Irish Civil War in 1922 the castle was occupied by the Republican Army. After two weeks, its contents were looted and the building was burnt ostensibly to prevent it from being used by the Irish Free State
Irish Free State
The 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...
Army. The shell of the house was later completely demolished and its stone used to build Mount Melleray Abbey
Mount Melleray Abbey
Mount Melleray Abbey is a Cistercian monastery in Ireland, founded in 1833. It is situated on the slopes of the Knockmealdown Mountains, near Cappoquin, Diocese of Waterford.-History:...
.
In 1887, Irish Land League campaigners, led by John Mandeville, organised a rent strike
Rent strike
A rent strike is a method of protest commonly employed against large landlords. In a rent strike, a group of tenants come together and agree to refuse to pay their rent en masse until a specific list of demands is met by the landlord...
at the estate of Lady Kingston at Mitchelstown. On September 9, three men - John Shinnick of Fermoy
Fermoy
Fermoy is a town in County Cork, Ireland. It is situated on the River Blackwater in the south of Ireland. Its population is some 5,800 inhabitants, environs included ....
, John Casey of Kilbehenny and Michael Lonergan of Galbally
Galbally
Galbally may refer to:*Galbally, County Limerick, Republic of Ireland*Galbally, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland...
were shot on the main street by police firing without orders, following an 8,000 person strong Land League Rally in the town. On that day Mandeville and MP 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...
had been brought for trial on charges of incitement under a new Coercion Act.; this event became known as the "Mitchelstown Massacre". In the years that followed the phrase "Remember Mitchelstown" (first coined by William E. Gladstone
William Ewart Gladstone
William Ewart Gladstone FRS FSS was a British Liberal statesman. In a career lasting over sixty years, he served as Prime Minister four separate times , more than any other person. Gladstone was also Britain's oldest Prime Minister, 84 years old when he resigned for the last time...
, was subsequently much bandied about in the British House of Commons when Irish affairs were under discussion). A memorial to Mandeville that stands in Market Square was unveiled in 1906 by O'Brien.
Co-Operative
Up to 1989, Mitchelstown was the headquarters for Mitchelstown Co-Operative Agricultural Society Ltd, which for over fifty years had been Ireland's largest co-operative. This farmers "co-op" was founded in 1919 under the leadership of local farmer Con O'Brien of Killickane, who chaired the co-op for its first 40 years and then became Honorary Life President until his death in 1968. Between 1919 and 1989, Mitchelstown Co-op Creameries became the largest and most important Dairy Processing business in the island of Ireland. It became famous nationally for its processed cheese brands but was better known in overseas dairy industry circles for the high quality and large variety of its natural cheeses which were extensively exported around Europe and for which it earned many international prizes.In the 1930s the Co-Op promoted the introduction of intensive pig production in the Mitchelstown area as another source of farm income. A noted agriculturalist, Alexander Aloysius ("Sandy") McGuckian from Cloughmills, near Ballymena
Ballymena
Ballymena is a large town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland and the seat of Ballymena Borough Council. Ballymena had a population of 28,717 people in the 2001 Census....
, County Antrim
County Antrim
County Antrim is one of six counties that form Northern Ireland, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of 2,844 km², with a population of approximately 616,000...
was engaged by the Co-Op to help train local people in modern intensive animal production methods. As a result, several of Ireland's largest Industrial pig production units are based in the Mitchelstown area to this day. McGuckians' sons (Alastair and Paddy) subsequently established Masstock International. Masstock became one of the pioneers of the establishment of a modern dairy industry in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
as a result of its minority shareholding (largely disposed of in 1991) in the Almarai Group, a joint venture with majority shareholder HH Prince Sultan Bin Mohamed Bin Saud Al Kabeer.
In 1989 Mitchelstown Co-operative merged with Ballyclough Co-operative (based in Mallow, County Cork
Mallow, County Cork
Mallow is the "Crossroads of Munster" and the administrative capital of north County Cork, in Ireland. The Northern Divisional Offices of Cork County Council are located in the town....
) to create an enlarged Dairygold Co-Operative. However the Dairygold Co-op entity failed to retain the leading competitive position held by Mitchelstown Co-op and is no longer a premier national dairy food enterprise. Restructuring in the early 2000s saw Dairygold Co-op move its headquarters out of Mitchelstown to Cork city , breaking an important historical link first established in 1919. A further restructuring of the co-op led to a hiving off of its major assets to Reox Holdings plc. Its brand names were later sold off to Kerry Foods
Kerry Group
Kerry Group , is a public food company headquartered in Ireland. It is quoted on the Dublin ISEQ and London stock exchanges. It evolved initially from a local dairy co-op in the Munster region of Ireland...
in 2009. The Co-op has since returned its headquarters to Mitchelstown, but is considerably reduced in size and turnover.
The first manager of Mitchelstown Co-operative Creameries, was Eamon Roche; a Dairy Science Diploma graduate of the Albert College in Dublin (now called Dublin City University - DCU) who had been active in the Irish War of Independence from Britain between 1916–1921. Roche was also a close personal friend of Éamon de Valera
Éamon de Valera
Éamon de Valera was one of the dominant political figures in twentieth century Ireland, serving as head of government of the Irish Free State and head of government and head of state of Ireland...
who subsequently became leader of Fianna Fáil, Irish Prime Minister and later President of the Republic of Ireland. He was succeeded (following his sudden death) in 1952 by J.J. Lynch who, following his sudden death in 1964, was succeeded by John McCarthy.
Retail
Mitchelstown has a wide variety of retail outlets such as TescoTesco
Tesco plc is a global grocery and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Cheshunt, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest retailer in the world measured by revenues and the second-largest measured by profits...
, Lidl
Lidl
Lidl is a discount supermarket chain based in Germany that operates over 7,200 stores across Europe. The company's full name is Lidl Stiftung & Co. KG...
, Aldi
ALDI
ALDI Einkauf GmbH & Co. oHG, doing business as ', short for "Albrecht Discount", is a discount supermarket chain based in Germany...
, Super Valu
SuperValu (Ireland)
SuperValu is a supermarket chain in Ireland and Spain, owned by the Musgraves wholesaler firm. Its headquarters is located in Cork and has stores across the entirety of Ireland.-Company structure:...
, Centra
Centra
Centra is a convenience store chain in Ireland.The chain is run by Musgrave, the Irish food wholesaler, however the stores are all owned by individual franchisees. The chain has three different formats available to franchisees — smaller Quick Stop outlets, mid-sized Foodmarkets, and larger...
and Boots. Boots opened its Mitchelstown store in the LivingHealth Centre in early 2009. Doodys, Murphys and Fitzgibbons are other pharmacies in the town, which now has all its medical practitioners located in the LivingHealth Centre. Mitchelstown also has a variety of shops, cafes, boutiques and restaurants.
Transport
Road
Road transport dominates in Mitchelstown. The town is situated close to the M8M8 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,...
Dublin to Cork motorway, which runs to the east and can be accessed from Junctions 12 and 13.
A relief road located to the west of the town serves to filter N73
N73 road (Ireland)
The N73 road is a national secondary road in Ireland. It is made up entirely of single carriageway with few overtaking opportunities and only a small amount of hard shoulder.-Route:...
traffic towards Mallow
Mallow, County Cork
Mallow is the "Crossroads of Munster" and the administrative capital of north County Cork, in Ireland. The Northern Divisional Offices of Cork County Council are located in the town....
and R513 traffic towards Limerick
Limerick
Limerick is the third largest city in the Republic of Ireland, and the principal city of County Limerick and Ireland's Mid-West Region. It is the fifth most populous city in all of Ireland. When taking the extra-municipal suburbs into account, Limerick is the third largest conurbation in the...
. The construction of the relief road to the west and north, and its connection in 2009 to the M8
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,...
to the east of Mitchelstown means that the town has become the smallest in Ireland to have a full 360 degree ring road. Prior to the opening of the relief road in 2006, the N8 ran through Mitchelstown itself, seriously congesting the main street. The R665 road
R665 road
The R665 road is a regional road in Ireland. The route runs from Mitchelstown to Clonmel via Ballyporeen, Clogheen and Ardfinnan, passing through parts of counties Cork and Tipperary. The R665 was once a key part of the historic route from Dublin to Cork, and was mapped as such as late as 1778...
connects Mitchelstown to 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...
, while the former N8 now redesignated as the R639 provides an alternative route from Mitchelstown to Cork
Cork (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...
, Fermoy
Fermoy
Fermoy is a town in County Cork, Ireland. It is situated on the River Blackwater in the south of Ireland. Its population is some 5,800 inhabitants, environs included ....
and Cahir
Cahir
Cahir is a town in South Tipperary in Ireland. The town is best known for its castle and the Swiss Cottage. It is in the barony of Iffa and Offa West.-Location and access:...
.
Bus Eireann
Bus Éireann
Bus Éireann provides bus services in Ireland with the exception of those operated entirely within the Dublin Region, which are provided by Dublin Bus. Bus Éireann, established as a separate company in 1987, is a subsidiary of Córas Iompair Éireann. The logo of Bus Éireann incorporates a red Irish...
runs frequent intercity services through the town providing a service to both Dublin and Cork. In addition Aircoach
Aircoach
Aircoach is a Republic of Ireland based subsidiary company of the United Kingdom based FirstGroup. It provides airport bus express coach services from Cork, Greystones, Bray, South Dublin and Dublin City Centre to Dublin Airport. It also operates contracted bus service for airport car parks...
offers a service to Dublin Airport
Dublin Airport
Dublin Airport, , is operated by the Dublin Airport Authority. Located in Collinstown, in the Fingal part of County Dublin, 18.4 million passengers passed through the airport in 2010, making it the busiest airport in the Republic of Ireland, followed by Cork and Shannon...
.
Rail
Mitchelstown railway station opened on 23 March 1891, closed to passenger and goods traffic on 27 January 1947 and closed on 1 December 1953.Mitchelstown Caves
The Mitchelstown Caves are limestoneLimestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
cave
Cave
A cave or cavern is a natural underground space large enough for a human to enter. The term applies to natural cavities some part of which is in total darkness. The word cave also includes smaller spaces like rock shelters, sea caves, and grottos.Speleology is the science of exploration and study...
s located on the R639, between Mitchelstown and Cahir
Cahir
Cahir is a town in South Tipperary in Ireland. The town is best known for its castle and the Swiss Cottage. It is in the barony of Iffa and Offa West.-Location and access:...
. One cave, Mitchelstown Cave itself, is privately owned and has been developed as a show cave
Show cave
Show caves — also called tourist caves, public caves, and in the United States, commercial caves — are caves that are managed by a government or commercial organization and made accessible to the general public, usually for an entrance fee...
, with a number of caverns open to the public through a guided tour. Some of the speleothem
Speleothem
A speleothem , commonly known as a cave formation, is a secondary mineral deposit formed in a cave. Speleothems are typically formed in limestone or dolostone solutional caves.-Origin and composition:...
s are noteworthy including the Tower of Babel formation. Various other stalactites, stalagmites and rock formations are also named and famous for their unique and impressive structure.
Notable People
- John Dunne (18451919), an Australian Roman Catholic Bishop of the Diocese of BathurstRoman Catholic Diocese of BathurstThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Bathurst is a Latin rite suffragan diocese of the Archdiocese of Sydney, established in 1865, covering the Central West and Orana regions of New South Wales, Australia...
- Liam HamiltonLiam HamiltonLiam Hamilton was an Irish lawyer and judge. He was educated at C.B.S. Mitchelstown, University College Dublin and King's Inns. He was called to the Bar in 1956 and to the Inner Bar in 1968....
(19282000), a former Chief Justice of IrelandChief Justice of IrelandThe Chief Justice of Ireland is the president of the Supreme Court of Ireland.Under Constitution of Ireland, the Chief Justice of Ireland also occupies several positions ex officio, these include;* A possible judge of the High Court.... - Margaret KingMargaret KingMargaret King was an Irish hostess, writer, traveller, and medical adviser. Despite her wealthy aristocratic background, she had republican sympathies, shaped in part by having been a favoured pupil of Mary Wollstonecraft...
(17731835), a hostess, writer, traveller, and medical adviser - Louis McRedmond (19322011), an author and journalist, he was editor of the Irish IndependentIrish IndependentThe Irish Independent is Ireland's largest-selling daily newspaper that is published in both compact and broadsheet formats. It is the flagship publication of Independent News & Media.-History:...
between 1968-1970 - Lieutenant General Jim Parker (1929present), a former Chief of Staff of the Irish Army from 1989 until his retirement in 1992, with a long and distinguished military career as an army officer
- John RoachJohn RoachJohn Robert Roach was an American clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Saint Paul and Minneapolis from 1975 to 1995.-Biography:...
(18151887), the proprietor of America's largest post-American Civil WarAmerican Civil WarThe American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
shipbuilding empire, John Roach & SonsJohn Roach & SonsJohn Roach & Sons was a major 19th-century American shipbuilding and manufacturing firm founded in 1864 by Irish-American immigrant John Roach. Between 1871 and 1885, the company was the largest shipbuilding firm in the United States, building more iron ships than its next two major competitors... - Kevin RocheKevin RocheKevin Roche is an Irish-American architect known for his creative work with glass.Born in Dublin, Roche spent his formative years in Mitchelstown, Co. Cork before he graduated from University College Dublin in 1945. He then worked with Michael Scott from 1945-1946...
(1922present), a celebrated American architect (son of Eamon Roche; Mitchelstown Co-operative Creameries' first general manager) - William TrevorWilliam TrevorWilliam Trevor, KBE is an Irish author and playwright. He is considered one of the elder statesman of the Irish literary world and widely regarded as the greatest contemporary writer of short stories in the English language....
(1928present), an acclaimed author, born and spent his early childhood in the town, he has been nominated for the Booker Prize on five occasions
Indiependence Festival
A music festival that is held in Mitchelstown every year on the August Bank Holiday Weekend is called the Indiependence festival. It originally started as a free festival but in 2009 moved to a new site and began to charge for entry.Sources
Bill Power, 'Another Side of Mitchelstown,' PsyOps Books, 2008.Bill Power, 'White Knights, Dark Earls,' the rise and fall of an Anglo-Irish Dynasty,' The Collins Press, 2000.
Bill Power, Mitchelstown Through Seven Centuries, Eigse Books, 1987.
Bill Power, 'The Mitchelstown Saints,' Mitchelstown, 1980.
Bill Power, 'Evensong, the story of a Church of Ireland country parish,' Mount Cashell Books, 1994.
Tom O'Donnell, 'The Turbulent life of Dean Morgan O'Brien,' Mitchelstown 2009.
Elizabeth Bowen, 'Bowen's Court,' London, 1940.
External links
- Mitchelstown Poor Law Union and Workhouse
- Mitchelstown Website
- INDIE-PENDENCE Festival Website
- Mitchelstown Brass Band Homepage
- Website dedicated to all things named Galteemore
- Find local information about Mitchelstown
- Great old pictures of Mitchelstown
- A journey throughout Ireland, during the spring, summer, and autumn of 1834 by Henry David Inglis.]
- A Visit to the Town and Caverns of Mitchelstown Impressions at home and abroad by James Roderick O'Flanagan, 1837