MARKET CROSS / STREETS

MARKET CROSS

The original Market House is no longer in existence. It stood on the corner of Castle St and Barrack St but unfortunately progress dictated that such a prime location be put to other uses. It was demolished in 1812 and three houses built on the footprint.

Looking up Barrack St towards the Market Cross. Notice the square edge on the Bank.

Stopping a vehicle in the middle of the street for a chat never seemed to leave Nenagh

Always time for a chat and a natter

Hope me next trousers have longer legs

Theres a woman in a hurry......!

The MarketCross - a few years later circa 1915

A photographer intrigues the locals. The Bank building has changed and the surrounding railings have been reduced making for a more welcoming building

The Corner Boys - waiting for the Council to build the Bars

Separation Allowance

This dates the photo to post 1915. This cash incentive would encourage many from the town to leave and fight in WW1 sure that their families would have a guaranteed income whilst they were fighting. For some it would be a costly price to pay. However there was also the fact that the local curate and the Nenagh Guardian condemned the rise in alcoholic bad behaviour amongst some of the woman who had been exhibiting "unchristian conduct" whilst their drinking was funded by the allowance.

Group of young lads stop to watch.

Horse manure clearly visible in Queen St. waiting for someones roses

Close-up

Separation Allowance rates - 1915

Shure thats not a proper job!

Wonder if he needs an apprentice?

The Wee Shawlie.....

The Corner Boys waiting for the Corner Bars to be built

The Market Cross Naked without the Bars

Another viewpoint

The rooms above P Hayes Drapers, in which Margaret Melody resided were to play a significant part in the Battle of Nenagh in July of 1922. They commanded views down Castle St and were held by the IRA against Free State forces, Eventually an armoured car named Moneygall was brought in from Roscrea to remove the occupiers

Galvins Menswear and original upstairs building design

Trying to capture his soul...

Produce from Maryborough

When a stick was a sword or a gun. Some games never age

The shy Onlooker

O'Briens Butchers later Halloran's Undertakers

New Years Eve Dancing - (Seamus O'Brien photo)

New Years Eve at the Market Cross

The Fleadh at the Market Cross looking down Barrack St

Seamie Cleary and Patrick Connolly at Silver St bars

Outside O'Briens Butchers

Canary in the window. People used to hang the cages outside the front door in many of the older houses.

What is that contraption...?

A dog's gotta do.......

An earlier version of the Bank

Compare the straight edge to the angled entrance below, also the shapes of the Pediments around the windows

Gathering outside the bank - no bars yet

McCormacks at the Market Cross

The Market Cross Bars

..a place to meet, congregate, comment, gossip and idly muse while watching the world go by

"Standin' on the Corner, watchin' all the girls go by....." or in Nayna, The Market Cross, somewhere to stand and lean on the bars and watch the world go by, plan conspiracies and offer a sotto voce opinion to a companion.

The Market Cross.....in my youth, the central hub of Nenagh, where men and Corner Boys went to offer opinions (gossip), discuss the latest politics or have post-mortems on yesterdays match, scene of New Years party bonfires, and after school meeting place. It's amazing....stood at the bars you always looked busy. Every discussion was a business meeting and important.

The bars are gone, as are that other famous debating place, The Steps in Castle St.....where do men go now....?

For once, the 'Bars' outside Joey's are empty without any patron to hold on to them. Later they will have their designated adherents who will during the lunchtime and post school rush impede any pedestrian hoping to walk from Castle St to Barrack St. With the increase of traffic into Nenagh, one wonders if the 'Bars ' were originally put in place to stop any would be jaywalkers as Nayna folk were wont to do. The advent of traffic lights and pedestrian crossings saw the demise of the 'Bars' and their purpose and with them and the removal of Meehans Steps, the end of a source of gossip.