Cahir Churches, Convents, Societies, &c - Book of County Tipperary, 1889
About “The Book of County Tipperary,” 1889
George Henry Bassett produced 7 Irish county directories in the 1880s: Antrim, Armagh, Down, Kilkenny, Louth, Tipperary and Wexford. Each provides useful history of the respective counties as well as lists of office holders, farmers, traders, and other residents of the individual cities, towns and villages.
The directories are naturally an invaluable resource for those tracing family history. The Book of County Tipperary is the first of these to be made available on libraryireland.com, with its own search page. However, there are a few points to bear in mind.
- This online version is designed primarily as a genealogical research tool and therefore the numerous advertisements in the original book, many full page, and quite a few illustrated, have been excluded.
- The text has been proofed with due care, but with large bodies of text typographical errors are inevitably bound to occur.
- Be aware that there were often inconsistencies in spelling surnames in the 19th century and also that many forenames are abbreviated in Bassett’s directories.
With respect to the last point, surnames which today begin with the “Mc” prefix, for example, were often formerly spelt as “M‘,”. For a list of some of the more common forename abbreviations used in the directory, see Forename Abbreviations.
To enjoy the rich variety of advertisements, confirm accuracy of the entries, or have a printed record of a family member, obtain an original or facsimile copy of The Book of County Tipperary.
The ruin of the old parish church of Cahir is approached from Market Street. In the interior there are tombs of the Butlers and Pennefathers, Lord Cahir, Richard Pennefather, late Baron of the Court of Exchequer, 1859, Theobald Butler, 1810. All denominations are buried in the graveyard, which contains some curious, although modern monuments.
The Protestant parish church occupies a very pretty site, overlooking the river. It has a large castellated tower, and graceful spire, and the gables are pinnacled and castellated. The building throughout is of chiseled limestone, in the early English or Gothic style of architecture. A large polished granite tomb of the Glengall family is the feature of the church-yard, which is tastefully planted and well-kept. The interior of the church is chaste, but somewhat narrow in proportion to the tower, etc. It is seated throughout in pitch-pine, and the walls are delicately tinted. Tablets commemorate the Earl of Glengall, 1819; Emily, Countess of Glengall, 1836; Richard, Baron and Viscount Cahir and Earl of Glengall, 1858; Margaret Lauretta, wife of Richard, 2nd Earl of Glengall, 1864; Lady Matilda Butler, 1861; Eliza Archer Butler, 1838; Richard Pennefather, D.L., 1836; Lt. and Adjt. Chas. Hickman, 1834; Lt.-Col. Edward M. W. Creswold, 1833; Maria, wife of Rd. Grubb, J.P., 1870; Richd. Grubb, J.P., 1886.
The Catholic Church is in Chapel-street. It is a spacious cruciform edifice of cut limestone, with a fine tower. The first place of worship on this site was a thatched chapel, dating from 1790. This was succeeded by the present church, which was finished in 1839, through the exertions of the late Rev. Michael Tobin, P.P. In 1888 a complete renovation of the building was effected by Mr. Denis Creedon, of Fermoy, under the auspices of the Rev. Maurice Mooney, P.P. There has been added a new chancel, supported on two massive columns of polished Aberdeen granite. There are five bath-stone arches, and the floor of the chancel has a handsome encaustic tiling, with elaborate border. New seatings in pitch-pine, and a lining to the ceiling in pine and red wood, are among the improvements, upon which there has been expended about £3,000. Mr. Robert Loughran, of Armagh, was the foreman of works.
Cahir was once called “The Quaker town,” for the reason that the members of the Society of Friends were so greatly identified with its interests. Many of the buildings were erected by them, and many evidences of their methods still remain. In 1692 a meeting of the Society was held at Knockgraffon, in the vicinity. This was subsequently removed to Kilcommon, Garryroan, and ultimately to Cahir. The meeting house, a plain, neat structure, was built in 1835. At present, the members in town and district are very few in number.
In Wellington-street the Convent of Mercy stands in handsomely laid out grounds. It is three storeys high, and was built in 1878. Including fields, gardens, site, etc., there are some eighteen acres. The sisters came to Cahir from Cappoquin, County Waterford, about twenty-six years ago, three in number, and now have twenty-eight in community. A National School, with from 300 to 400 pupils, is taught. Some of these have to be partly fed and clothed. There are three convents and two hospitals elsewhere, under the authority of Cahir. In 1888 a new chapel was in progress of erection, in connection with the convent, and the opening of a laundry department was in contemplation.