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Clonmel is a town of medieval origins situated on the River Suir, bordered on the south by the foothills of the Comeragh Mountains and on the east side by storied Slievenamon.
The Gaelic translation of Clonmel is Cluain Meala, the honey meadow. The area in which the town is situated was part of a very old territory -- the Decies -- which included County Waterford and parts of the present County Tipperary.
County Tipperary, of which Clonmel is the capital town, has been divided into two administrative divisions, the North Riding and the South Riding. Colnmel is the centre of both local government and legal administration in the South Riding of Tipperary.
Almost all Irish towns have their origins in either monastic settlements, or Viking and Norman foundations. Clonmel is an Anglo Norman town, the first references to which are found in State Papers of 1211 and 1212. William de Burgo, who was Viceroy of Henry II in Ireland, received substantial grants of land in the Suir Valley between 1180 and 1190, and there is still evidence of that early Norman occupation in moates in Kilsheelan, Ballyboe, Lisronagh, and at Greenan, Clonmel.
In the mid 13th centruy, the administration of Clonmel was vested in Otho de Grandison, who was appointed High Sheriff in 1265, and was first Lord of the Manor of Clonmel. His grant of Tipperary lands included some of the old de Burgoes possessions. It was under his auspices that the fortifications of Clonmel were built in the 14th century.
The decision to build the walls and fortified castles of the town was taken following the arrival of a well-equipped Scottish army under Edward Bruce in 1315. This army joined forces with the Irish in an effort to stop the Norman conquest. The best preserved areas of the se medieval walls and towers are located in the old churchyard of Old St. Mary's in Mary Street.
The church of Old St. Mary's occupies the site of the oldest known church within the walled town. It was built during the de Burgo period early in the 13th century and was subordinate to the Augustinian Prior of Athassal. It was dedicated as "The Church of our Ladye of Clonmel". Nothing of the original church survives above the ground.
The internal street structure of Clonmel's town centre still shows some evidence of the medieval foundation. O'Connell Street was the old High Street, Gladstone Street was known as Lough Street, Mitchel Street was Sheelane Street and Sarsfield Street was Boate Street or Watergate Street.
These were the four principal streets in the medieval Anglo-Norman town.
The intersection between these four streets, where the Main Guard is now situated, formed the market place of the town.
The Main Guard was built in 1674, as a Palatinate Courthouse by the Duke of Ormonde. It was used as an Assize Court until 1802, when it was converted into shops. The original building had an open ground floor with five arcades.
Within the small area of the medieval town, there are two other buildings of note. The Old Wesleyan Chapel was designed and built by William Tinsley, a Clonmel architect and builder, in 1843. And SS Peter and Paul's Church on Gladstone STreet. This was built in 1814 to accomodate the growing Catholic population of Clonmel. It was a foundation of St. Mary's Roman Catholic
Church in Irishtown.
The street known as Irishtown is external to the medieval town. In the early centuries of Anglo Norman towns in Ireland, it was customary that while the Irish could trade within the town, they were not permitted to take up residence inside the fortifications. Irishtown probably owes its origins to this practice. Certainly, Cromwellian records show that there were settlements on the western and northern boundaries of Clonmel in 1650.
The church of St. Mary's, Irishtown was completed in 1867, and the tower was erected in 1880. This church replaced an old "Mass House" over which it was built, and which had its origins in the period following the Reformation.
In 1650, Clonmel was beseiged by the Parliamentarian forces under the command of Oliver Cromwell. The actual seige lasted from the 26th April to the 18th May 1650, and the bombardment of the walls began on May 8th. The troops of the garrison defending Clonmel were under the command of Hugh Dubh O'Neill.
When ammunition and food were exhausted, the Mayor of Clonmel, John White, negotiated terms with Cromwell enabling the defenders to escape across the River Suir into Waterford.
The town of Clonmel mounted the most significant defence against Cromwell during his Irish campaign. About, 2000 Parliamentarian troops were lost during the Siege of Clonmel, more than the combined losses of this Army while in Ireland.
The street strcture and buildings outside the site of the eastern gate in Mitchel Street, belong to the period of the late 18th, early 19th century.
At this time Clonmel enjoyed significant prosperity, due to the expansion of industry, chiefly milling and brewing. This was during the period of the Napoleonic Wars in Europe. Much of this industry was established by the Quaker community in Clonmel (The Religious Society of Friends). Many of the older mill buildings within the town itself and on the river bank, owe their origins to this development.
In Parnell Street (formerly Bagwell Street), the Town Hall, whjich includes the municipal offices and Council Chamber of the Corporation, was built in 1881. It occupies the site of a 17th century private mansion built by Richard Hamerton. The 17th century charters are on display in the Council
Chamber.
Immediately in front of the Town Hall there is a statue known as "The '98 Man". This commemorates the 1798 Rebellioin in Ireland, and was unveiled in 1904. The sculptor was James K. Bracken of Templemore, a founder of the Gaelic Athletic Association. He was the father of Brendan Bracken, Minister for Information in Winston Churchill's War Cabinet.
Also in Parnell Street, Hearn's Hotel is associated with the establishment of a nation-wide transport system by the Italian Carlo Bianconi (1786 - 1875).
The hotel was the headquarters of the transport system. The first run was initiated in Clonmel in 1815.
The Court House in Nelson Street was erected in 1802. It was the scene of many famous trials, notably those of the Young Irelanders in 1848.
The Franciscan Friary in Abbey Street was founded under the auspices of Otho de Grandison. At the Dissolution (of the onasteries) it was handed to the local authorities. It was restored to the ranciscans in the early 19th century. The tower is part of the original building. The church contains a 15th century marble tomb dedicated to the Butler family, Lords of Cahir, who were buried within the church.
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