Thomastown, County Kilkenny
Thomastown
Baile Mhic Andáin(Irish) | |
|---|---|
Town | |
 Thomastown and the River Nore | |
  Thomastown Location in Ireland | |
| Coordinates:52°31′36″N7°08′14″W/ 52.526667°N 7.137222°W | |
| Country | Ireland |
| Province | Leinster |
| County | Kilkenny |
| Founded | 13th Century |
| Population | |
| • Total | 2,445 |
| Time zone | UTC+0(WET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-1(IST(WEST)) |
| Irish Grid Reference | S585420 |
Thomastown(Irish:Baile Mhic Andáin),[2]historically known asGrennan,is a town inCounty Kilkennyin theprovinceofLeinsterin the south-east ofIreland.It is a market town along a stretch of the River Nore which is known for its salmon and trout, with a number of historical landmarks in the vicinity. Visitor attractions includeJerpoint Abbey,KilfaneGlen gardens, andMount Juliet Golf Course.The town is in acivil parishof the same name.[2]
Location
[edit]
The town is situated at a bridging point on theRiver Nore17 kilometres (11 mi) from the city ofKilkenny.As of Census 2016, Thomastown had a population of 2,445,[1]making the town the third most populous in the county. TheR448 Naas–Waterfordroadpasses through Thomastown, the town is serviced by buses and has arailway station.
The Callan–Thomastownlocal electoral areacontains theelectoral divisionsof Aghaviller, Ballyhale, Ballyvool, Bennettsbridge, Boolyglass, Bramblestown, Brownsford, Burnchurch, Callan Rural, Callan Urban, Castlebanny, Coolaghmore, Coolhill, Danesfort, Dunbell, Dunnamaggan, Dysartmoon, Earlstown, Ennisnag, Famma, Freaghana, Graiguenamanagh, Grange, Inistioge, Jerpoint Church, Kells, Kilfane, Killamery, Kilmaganny, Kiltorcan, Knocktopher, Mallardstown, Outrath, Pleberstown, Powerstown, Rosbercon Rural, Scotsborough, Stonyford, The Rower, Thomastown, Tullaghanbrogue, Tullaherin, Tullahought, Ullard and Woolengrange.[3]
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1821 | 2,105 | — |
| 1831 | 2,871 | +36.4% |
| 1841 | 2,348 | −18.2% |
| 1851 | 1,794 | −23.6% |
| 1861 | 1,426 | −20.5% |
| 1871 | 1,202 | −15.7% |
| 1881 | 1,067 | −11.2% |
| 1891 | 970 | −9.1% |
| 1901 | 909 | −6.3% |
| 1911 | 959 | +5.5% |
| 1926 | 746 | −22.2% |
| 1936 | — | |
| 1946 | — | |
| 1951 | — | |
| 1956 | — | |
| 1961 | — | |
| 1966 | — | |
| 1971 | — | |
| 1981 | 1,308 | — |
| 1986 | 1,465 | +12.0% |
| 1991 | 1,487 | +1.5% |
| 1996 | 1,581 | +6.3% |
| 2002 | 1,600 | +1.2% |
| 2006 | 1,837 | +14.8% |
| 2011 | 2,273 | +23.7% |
| 2016 | 2,445 | +7.6% |
| [1][4][5][6][7][8] | ||
History
[edit]The town was founded in the 13th century on an important crossing point by an Anglo-Norman mercenary from Wales,Thomas FitzAnthony,replacing the earlier Irish settlement of Grennan (Irish:Grianán,Sunny Place). It is from FitzAnthony that Thomastown was named.[9] FitzAnthony was granted a large area of land in the region byWilliam Earl Marshall,son-in-law ofStrongbow,and became the Seneschal (Governor) of Leinster in the 13th century.[10]He built fortifications at Thomastown, fragments of which can still be seen today, together with nearby Grennan Castle, now in ruins. FitzAnthony died in 1229. Of this castle and the town's walls, the only remains are the towers near each end of the bridge and the remains of a 13th-century church, dedicated to St Mary. The town thrived and had more than 200 burgesses at the end of the 13th century. Thomastown became a small medieval walled town: the first walls were built in 1449.[11]Edward III (twice), Henry VI, Mary I, James I, and James II granted the town royal charters. Under a 1553 charter from Queen Mary I, the burgesses of Thomastown had the right to choose two members of Parliament, a practice they continued until theActs of Unionin 1800.[12]
In 1650 the town was attacked byOliver Cromwell.Grennan Castle was laid siege to by Cromwell's army and after two days the defending forces surrendered.[11]
Local tradition holds that the remains ofSaint Nicholas,the 3rd centuryAnatolianbishop,lie in the vicinity of Thomastown in Jerpoint Park. A grave slab with the carved heads of three people at the ruined Church of St. Nicholas, the church itself, and other stones are virtually all that remain of the medieval village of Newtown Jerpoint, which had fallen into ruin by the 17th century. The village of Newtown was adjacent to Jerpoint Abbey, founded in 1183. The abbey had its own gardens, watermills, cemetery, granary, and kitchens, and was home to a group of Irish-Norman Crusaders in the Middle Ages. It was dissolved in 1540. The legend refers to a band of Irish-Norman knights from Jerpoint, who travelled to the Holy Land to take part in the Crusades. On their return to County Kilkenny, it is said they brought St. Nicholas' remains.
Landmarks
[edit]
KilfaneGlen is a restored historic 1790s garden with a waterfall, woodland walks andcottage orné.The garden is listed as an Irish Heritage Garden, and was awarded assistance in 1993 by theEuropean UnionCultural Commission.
The landscape within the demesne of Kilfane House was developed during the 1790s by the then landowner and his wife, Sir John and Lady Power. Sir Richard Power, twin brother of Sir John also joined in the development of the garden.
The ruins of the 12th centuryJerpoint Abbeyis located near the town.
The nearby Grennan Castle, an oblong-shaped castle, dates from the 13th century and was erected by Thomas FitzAnthony. The castle was in good repair until the beginning of the 19th century, when parts of it were removed for building purposes.[11]
Industry
[edit]
Milling, with mills powered by the waters of theRiver Nore,was the principal industry in the town until the early 1960s. The mills were Pilsworth's Mills. At one stage there were 12 water-powered mills, for grain and cloth, working in the parish. The last working mill in Thomastown closed in 1963. This mill is now the site of Grennan Mill Craft School.[13]Several mill buildings in good condition can be seen upstream from the bridge.[11]
For centuries there was an important boat trade to carry produce to and from the port of New Ross. It went into decline at the end of the 18th century.
Transport
[edit]Road
[edit]TheR448Naas–Waterfordroadpasses through Thomastown where it crosses theR700regional road.Meanwhile, theR703 roadconnects the town withBallymurphy,County Carlow.
Rail
[edit]The town is connected to theIrish railway networkon theDublin-Waterford railway lineviaKilkenny.Thomastown railway stationopened on 12 May 1848.[14]
Bus
[edit]The town is a stop on theBus ÉireannWaterford–Carlow–Dublin–Dublin Airportroute 4. There are several daily services on this route. Thomastown is also served daily by the Bus Éireann Waterford –Athloneroute 73 and on Thursday by the local Bus Éireann route, 365 to Waterford viaKnocktopher.Kilbride Coaches'KilkennytoNew Rossroute serves the town twice each way daily (except Sundays). Bus Éireann route 374 also operates from Kilkenny toNew Rossbut on Thursdays only.[15][16][17]
People
[edit]Dysart Castleclose to Thomastown is reputed to have been thebirthplaceof the influential IrishphilosopherBishopGeorge Berkeley.Thomastown was the birthplace of theTexasempresarioJames Hewetson.[18] Born in Kilmurry,Mildred Anne Butler(1858–1941) was an artist associated with theNewlyn School,she worked inwatercolourand oil of landscape, genre and animal subjects. Butler spent most of her life at her family home in Kilmurry, Thomastown.[19] The house previously belonged to the Bushe family, whose most distinguished member wasCharles Kendal Bushe,Lord Chief Justice of Ireland,who was born at Kilmurry in 1767.
A bronze statue ofOllie Walsh,a Thomastownhurler,stands in Mill Street. MonsignorTommy Maherplayed hurling with the local clubThomastownand with theKilkennysenior inter-county team in the 1940s and coached Kilkenny to seven seniorAll-Irelandtitles between 1957 and 1978.Tom WalshplayedhurlingwithThomastownandKilkenny'ssenior inter-county team in the 1960s.
British songwriter and guitaristJohn Martynlived in Thomastown from 1998 until his death in 2009.[20]
Victoria CrossrecipientWilliam Dowlingwas born in Thomastown.
Sport
[edit]Kayaking (canoeing) and fishing are common on the River Nore in the area, with the Thomastown Paddlers Canoe Club providing training on the river,[citation needed]which leads to the villageInistioge.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^abc"Sapmap Area: Settlements Thomastown".Census 2016.Central Statistics Office.Retrieved7 October2021.
- ^ab"Baile Mhic Andáin / Thomastown".logainm.ie.Bunachar Logainmneacha na hÉireann.Archivedfrom the original on 24 September 2021.Retrieved10 September2021.
- ^County of Kilkenny Local Electoral Areas and Municipal Districts Order 2018 (S.I. No. 621 of 2018). Signed on 19 December 2018. Statutory Instrument of theGovernment of Ireland.Retrieved fromIrish Statute Book.
- ^"Home – CSO – Central Statistics Office".cso.ie.Archivedfrom the original on 20 September 2010.Retrieved10 September2021.
- ^"HISTPOP.ORG – Home".histpop.org.Archivedfrom the original on 28 August 2009.Retrieved10 September2021.
- ^"Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency - Census Home Page".Archived fromthe originalon 17 February 2012.Retrieved1 April2014.
- ^Lee, JJ(1981). "On the accuracy of thePre-famineIrish censuses ". In Goldstrom, J. M.; Clarkson, L. A. (eds.).Irish Population, Economy, and Society: Essays in Honour of the Late K. H. Connell.Oxford, England: Clarendon Press.
- ^Mokyr, Joel;O Grada, Cormac(November 1984)."New Developments in Irish Population History, 1700–1850".The Economic History Review.37(4): 473–488.doi:10.1111/j.1468-0289.1984.tb00344.x.hdl:10197/1406.Archived fromthe originalon 4 December 2012.
- ^Pilsworth, W. J."Thomastown"(PDF).Retrieved30 May2023.
- ^Niall C.E.J. O’Brien (24 February 2015)."Thomas Fitz Anthony: Thirteenth century Irish administrator".Archivedfrom the original on 14 May 2018.Retrieved9 June2015.
- ^abcd"Thomastown – A Brief History".Archived fromthe originalon 27 April 2009.Retrieved16 August2009.
- ^Pilsworth, W. J."Thomastown"(PDF).Retrieved30 May2023.
- ^"Grennan Mill Craft School".Archivedfrom the original on 2 December 2020.Retrieved24 September2021.
- ^"Thomastown station"(PDF).Railscot – Irish Railways.Archived(PDF)from the original on 2 March 2011.Retrieved5 September2007.
- ^Gohr, Dirk."Safe Coach Travel With JJ Kavanagh & Sons".jjkavanagh.ie.Archivedfrom the original on 13 August 2021.Retrieved10 September2021.
- ^"Route 374 Timetable"(PDF).buseireann.ie.
- ^"Coach Hire Kilkenny & Transport Services | Kilbride Coaches".kilbridecoaches.Archivedfrom the original on 10 September 2021.Retrieved10 September2021.
- ^"Hewetson, James".Handbook of Texas Online.Texas State Historical Association. 7 July 2012.Archivedfrom the original on 18 October 2012.Retrieved7 July2012.
- ^"Butler, Mildred Anne (1858 – 1941)".hughlane.ie.Dublin:The Hugh LaneGallery.Archivedfrom the original on 29 June 2011.Retrieved26 June2010.
- ^"A true legend passes on".kilkennypeople.ie.Kilkenny People.9 February 2009. Archived fromthe originalon 2 July 2013.Retrieved3 June2013.
Further reading
[edit]- Gulliver, P H & Marilyn Silverman (1993). "Hucksters and Petty Retailers in Thomastown, 1880–1945".Old Kilkenny Review.Kilkenny: 1094–1099.
- Mac Garry, Damien C (1980). "Carved Medieval Font at Thomastown".Old Kilkenny Review.Kilkenny: 34–36.
- Pilsworth, W J (1952). "Thomastown".Old Kilkenny Review.Kilkenny: 1–9.
- Pilsworth, W J (1951). "Thomastown Corporation".Old Kilkenny Review.Kilkenny: 35–43.
- Pinchin, Harry (2002). "Thomastown recollections".Old Kilkenny Review:82–92.
External links
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| National | |
