Nenagh - 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.

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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.

  1. 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.
  2. The text has been proofed with due care, but with large bodies of text typographical errors are inevitably bound to occur.
  3. 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.

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Population 5,422 in 1881—Fishing—salmon and trout.

Nenagh, in the parish of same name, on the Great Southern and Western Railway, is 96¼ miles, English, from Dublin, and 27½ miles, English, from Limerick by rail. The distance by the old mail coach road to Limerick is 20 miles, Irish. Two baronies, Upper and Lower Ormond, contribute a portion each to the town site, which is almost flat. The surrounding country is in a high state of cultivation and abounds in charming scenery. Within a radius of a few miles there are many handsome private residences, having richly wooded demesnes, and the ruins of castles and churches are sufficient in number to give effect to the most picturesque features. Lough Derg, with its countless attractions, is five miles to the west.

Nenagh is considered to be a first-rate business town. It is well built, and the principal streets are broad and maintained in good condition. The merchants manifest considerable taste in the arrangement of their establishments, and are enterprising in the introduction of novelties.

Since the division of the county for the facilitation of local government, Nenagh has become the capital of the North Riding, and an assize town. Sessions of the County Court are held here. It is the head of a Poor Law Union, and until quite recently was also the head of a prison district. The larger portion of the very extensive buildings employed for the purposes of a gaol were given over to the Sisters of Mercy in October, 1888, and are now used in furtherance of their labors.

There are large barracks for soldiers, with a drill field of nine acres, but they have not been occupied by regulars for over three years.

Markets and fairs are the main reliance for sustaining the prosperity of the town, and these continue to merit the support of the farming population of portions of three baronies. Markets are held three times a week, Monday, Thursday and Saturday. Butter is sold on Monday during the season. This department was established about fifteen years ago. A charge of 3d. per cask is made for weighing, etc. From May 14th to December 17th, 1888, the supply aggregated 3,438 casks. Thursday is the general market, established under patent, and the only one upon which tolls are legally collectable. Saturday’s market has come to be the largest of the three. Charges are made for weighing only. The late Capt. Bassett W. Holmes, proprietor of the town, leased the tolls for 31 years to Messrs. John Moylan, sen., and John Moylan, jun., in 1883. The market-house is in Barrack-street. One large fowl market is held annually, November nth. It is called St. Martin’s Market, and is toll free, unless it falls on Thursday.

Fairs for cattle, sheep and pigs are good. There is also a department for horses. For list of fairs see index.