Historical Postcard Collection: Clonmel

Bailúchán Chártaí Poist Stairiúla: Cluain Meala

The centre of administration for South Tipperary, Cluain Meala (meadow of honey) is located on the River Suir, southwest of Slievenamon and on the border with Co. Waterford. The town gets its name from the rich and bountiful pastureland it occupies, and it was once part of the Northern Decies territory, which stretched as far south as Waterford city.

Danish - Norman Roots

Tradition states that the town was founded by the Danes, who ventured up the Suir from the southeast and settled on the banks of what was to become Clonmel town. Indeed today a section of the town, by the river, is known as "Dane's Island". The area began to take on its modern shape during the 13th Century, and State Papers of 1215 make reference to "Clumell", whose lands were granted to the de Burgo family. In 1267 the sheriff of Co. Tipperary, Otto de Grandison, was granted the manor of Clonmel, and soon after the towns massive walls, parts of which still stand, were erected.

Maurice Fitzgerald, the Earl of Desmond, bought the Clonmel estate in 1338, and in the early 16th Century, like many other towns in the county, it came into the possession of the Butlers of Ormond. Earl James had married Fitzgerald's daughter, whose dowry consisted of Clonmel manor. The marriage was intended to put an end to the wars between Munster's two most powerful families, but the peace was short lived. Hostilities resumed soon after, resulting in the defeat of the Geraldines. It was through Ormond's loyalty to the crown during these years that Clonmel became known as a town that "performed laudable services" for the King against "rebels, robbers and republican enemies".

"Clonmel; the stoutest enemy Cromwell ever found".

The most famous chapter in Clonmel's history was written during the Confederate War of the mid 1600s. The King's soldiers, under the command of Earl James, garrisoned Clonmel. When Cromwell reached the town's walls in 1650, he met resistance from Hugh Dubh O'Neill. Artillery bombardment breached the walls, but an ingenious dead-ended alley, built by the defenders inside the breach, took a heavy toll on the Parliamentarians' army. Before the town eventually surrendered on good terms it had accounted for 2,000 of the enemies' soldiers and O'Neill, much to Cromwell's annoyance, managed to flee the town undetected. Cromwell would later admit that Clonmel had "nearly brought his noble to ninepence".

Revolution of a more peaceful kind

During the 1800s Clonmel was the focus for another revolution, but in this instance it did not involve politics, but transport. Charles Bianconi, the "King of the Irish Roads", first ran a coach from Clonmel to Cahir in 1815, and soon after his services stretched to the principal centres of the country. His hugely successful business was administered from Hearn's Hotel on Parnell Street. The Italian native, who forged a close friendship with Daniel O'Connell, became Mayor of Clonmel in 1846. In recent years, in recognition of the work done by Bianconi for the town, Clonmel was twinned with his hometown of Costa Masnaga.

Sources – Burke, "History of Clonmel"; "Clonmel Heritage Trail"; CBC, "Clonmel: Official Guide"; Bassett, "County Tipperary".

Browse the Historical Postcard Collection:

Clonmel - Nenagh - Tipperary - Roscrea - Templemore - Carrick on Suir - Cashel - Cahir - Thurles - The Glen of Aherlow

last updated on: Tuesday, 03-Aug-2010 15:40:10 IST

Lárionad riaracháin Thiobraid Árann Theas, tá Cluain Meala suite ar Abhainn na Siúire, aniar aneas ó Sliabh na mBan agus ar an teorainn le Co. Phort Láirge. Tagann ainm an bhaile ón talamh saibhir torthúil ar a shuíonn sé agus bhí sé mar chuid de Críoch Normannach na nDéise, a scaip chomh fada ó theas le chathair Phort Láirge, tráth.

Fréamhacha Normanna-Danmhargacha

De réir traidisiúin, bhunaigh na Danair, a sheol suas an tSiúir ón oirdheisceart, an baile. Lonnaigh siad ar bhrucha na Siúire san áit ina bhfuil baile Chluain Meala anois. Sa lá atá inniu ann, tá ceantar den bhaile ann, in aice na habhann, ar a dtugtar “Oileán na nDanar”. Tháinig cruth níos chomhaimseartha ar an limistéar sa 13ú hAois, agus tá tagairt sna Páipéirí Stáit ó 1215 do “Clumell”, a dtugadh críocha as do chlann de Burgo. Sa bhliain 1267 bronnadh mainéar Chluain Meala ar Shirriam Thiobraid Árann, Otto de Grandison, agus togadh ballaí ollmhóra an bhaile, a seasann roinnt dóibh fós, go luath ina dhiaidh sin.

Cheannaigh Muiris Mac Gearailt, Iarla Deasumhan, eastát Chluain Meala sa bhliain 1338, agus luath sa 16ú hAois, mar aon le mórán bailte eile sa chontae, thit sé i seilbh na mBuitléarach Urumhan. Phós an tIarla Séamas iníon Mhic Ghearailt agus bhí mainéar Chluain Meala ina spré aici. Bhí sé mar aidhm ag an bpósadh deireadh a chuir leis na cogaí idir an dá chlann is tábhachtaí i gCúige Mumhan, ach níor mhair an síocháin i bhfad. Bhris cogaíocht amach gan mhoill agus briseadh ar na Gearaltaigh. Ba thríd dílseacht Urmhumha don choróin a tháinig cáil a Chluain Meala mar bhaile a rinne seirbhísí inmholta don Rí i gcoinne reibiliúnaigh, gadaithe agus namhaide poblachánacha.

"Cluain Meala; an namhaid ba láidre a bhí ag Cromail riamh ".

Tháinig an caibidil is cáiliúla i stair Chluain Meala le linn Cogadh na Chomhdhála sa 17ú hAois. Bhí saighdiúirí an Rí, faoi cheannas an Iarla Shéamais, mar gharastún i gCluain Meala. Nuair a shroich Cromail ballaí an bhaile sa bhliain 1650, bhuail sé le frithbheartaíocht ó Aodh Dubh Ó Néill. Bhris bombardú airtléire bearna sna ballaí, ag bhí bealach cinn chaoch tógtha taobh istigh den bhearna ag na cosantóirí a ghearr dola crua ar airm na bPairliminteoirí. Sular ghéill an baile ar dhea-théarmaí, bhí os cionn 2,000 saighdiúirí naimhde maraithe ag na cosantóirí agus d’éirigh le Ó Néill éalú ón bhaile, cúis le mórchrá Chromail. D’admhódh Cromail níos déanaí gur beag nár scrios Cluain Meala é.

Réabhlóid níos síochánta

Sa 19ú haois bhí Cluain Meala mar fhócas do réabhlóid eile, ach an uair seo ba réabhlóid iompair a bhí ann, ní réabhlóid pholaitiúil. Chuir Charles Bianconi, “Rí Bóithre na hÉireann”, cóiste ar an mbóthair ó Chluain Meala chun na Cathrach don chéad uair sa bhliain 1815, agus scaip a sheirbhísí amach ó cheann ceann na tíre gan mhoill. Rith sé a ghnó rathúil ó Óstán Hearn ar Sráid Pharnell. Iodálach ó dhúcháis, bhí sé an-cháirdiúil le Dónall Ó Conaill agus bhí sé ina mhéara ar Chluain Meala sa bhliain 1846. Le déanaí, mar aitheantas ar an obair a rinne Bianconi don bhaile, nascadh Cluain Meala lena sheanbhaile cónaithe, Costa Masnaga.
Foinsí – Burke, "History of Clonmel"; "Clonmel Heritage Trail"; CBC, "Clonmel: Official Guide"; Bassett, "County Tipperary".

Léigh níos mó faoi:

Brabhsáil an bailiúchán chártaí poist stairiúla:

Cluain Meala - Nenagh - Tipperary - Roscrea - Templemore - Carrick on Suir - Cashel - Cahir - Thurles - Gleann Eatharlaí

nuashonraithe ar: Tuesday, 03-Aug-2010 15:40:10 IST

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