Clonmel

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Clonmel Cluain Meala
Location
WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 52°21′14″N 7°42′42″W / 52.3539°N 7.7116°W / 52.3539; -7.7116
Irish grid reference S199229
Statistics
Province:	Munster
County:	Tipperary
Population (2006)	15,482

Clonmel (Cluain Meala in Irish), in County Tipperary is the county seat of South Tipperary County Council. The town lies mainly on the northern bank of the River Suir with a smaller section south of the river. It lies in a valley, surrounded by mountains and hills. The Comeragh Mountains are to the south, while northeast of the town is Slievenamon. The town is noted in Irish history as having withstood the Cromwellian forces which sacked both Drogheda and Wexford.

Contents 1 History 2 Politics 3 Culture 3.1 Museums, Art and Theatre 3.2 Music 4 Sport 4.1 Coursing 4.2 Rowing Club 4.3 G.A.A Clubs 5 Media 5.1 Radio 5.2 Print media 6 Education 6.1 See also 7 Transport and commerce 8 Climate 9 Bibliography 10 See also 10.1 People associated with Clonmel 10.2 Villages and townlands near Clonmel 10.3 Sister towns 10.4 Clonmel in literature 11 References 11.1 External links

[edit] History

Clonmel grew significantly in medieval times, and many remainders of this period can be found in the town. A small section of the town walls remain in place near Old St. Mary's Church . This building is one of the main architectural features of the town. It was originally built in the 13th century or earlier but has been reconstructed or renovated on numerous occasions. The church was fortified early in its history, the town being strategically important, initially for the Earls of Ormonde, and later the Earl of Kildare. Some fortified parts of the church were destroyed or damaged during the Cromwellian occupation.One of the former entry points into the town is now the site of the 'West Gate', a 19th century reconstruction of an older structure. There were originally three gates in the walled town, North, East and West - with the South being protected by the river Suir and the Comeragh Mountains. The 'West Gate' is now an open arched entrance on to O'Connell street, the main street of the town.

Oliver Cromwell, who is infamous in Ireland, laid siege to Clonmel in May 1650 during his campaign in Ireland. The walls were eventually breached, but Hugh Dubh O'Neill, the commander of the town's garrison, inflicted heavy losses on Cromwell's troops when they tried to storm the breach. However, the garrison in Clonmel surrendered the following day, as O'Neill's men were out of gun powder. The story is told that Cromwell discovered this when a silver bullet was discharged from the townspeople at his troops outside the walls.^[1] As a mark of respect to the townspeople and in recognition of their fortitude in defending their town, Cromwell donated his sword to the people which can be seen in Clonmel Town Hall to this day.^{[citation needed]}

Following the failed attempt at rebellion near Ballingarry in 1848, the captured leaders of the Young Irelanders were brought to Clonmel for trial. The event was followed with great interest internationally and for its duration brought journalists from around the country and Britain to the overcrowded courthouse. Standing in the dock in the image opposite are Thomas Francis Meagher, Terence MacManus and Patrick O'Donoghue. A conspiracy to rescue the prisoners on November 8 led by John O'Leary and Philip Gray was betrayed, and resulted in the arrest at 'The Wilderness' of seventeen armed rebels led by Gray.^[2]

[edit] Politics

2004 Local Elections

Party	Seats	Change
Fianna Fail	3	-2
Fine Gael	2	=
Labour Party	2	+2
Progressive Democrats	1	+1
Independent	4	=

Clonmel Town has 12 elected representatives (councillors) who sit on Clonmel Borough Council. The council elections take place every 5 years. Clonmel is one of five Borough Councils in Ireland; the others are Drogheda, Kilkenny, Sligo and Wexford. Unlike Sligo and Drogheda, Clonmel does not use a ward system. A mayor is elected by the councillors every year, and the present mayor is Martin O'Brien, a member of the Fianna Fáil party.

Clonmel has long been part of the Tipperary South constituency in terms of national representation in the Dáil. The three T.D.'s who won seats in the Dáil following the 2007 General Election were Tom Hayes ( Fine Gael) who has served in the post since 2001 and a newly-elected Fianna Fáil duo of Mattie McGrath and Martin Mansergh.

[edit] Culture

[edit] Museums, Art and Theatre

Tipperary County Museum [6] tells the history of County Tipperary from the Stone Age to the present. It is also host to many special exhibitions each year. It is the first custom built county museum in Ireland.^[3]

The Main Guard was a civic building until 1810 when it was converted to shops. During recent restoration, some of its sandstone columns were found to have been 'reclaimed' from the now demolished abbey of Inislounaght at Marlfield. It has been used in the past as an office to collect tolls, duties and customs dues, a place for civic gatherings and as a court. It now houses an exhibition showing the historic development of Clonmel, including a model of the town as it appeared in the 13th century. The South Tipperary Arts Centre [7] opened in 1996. The centres program mixtures arts and cultural events. It hosts 12 exhibitions per year and presents a classical music season in Spring and Autumn. It holds a number of adult and child based art and music course during the course of the year. It is also home to several groups who meet there in an informal setting, including a local writer's guild. The White Memorial Theatre building is a former a Weslyan/Methodist Chapel. The building was purchased in 1975 by St. Mary's Choral Society[8], who put on an average of 2 shows a year in the building. The building also host shows by the Stage Craft Youth Theatre [9] group and special event during the year.

For nine days and nights, from the first week-end of July, the town of Clonmel hosts the annual Clonmel Junction Festival. With a mix of street theatre, rock, traditional and world music, the festival has grown to be one of the most significant cultural events of the Irish summer festival season.^{[citation needed]} Several international acts visit the Festival each year and audiences are entertained by renowned musicians and performers. In the last few years young local bands have also had an opportunity to showcase their talents. Complementing the performance events is a display of themed banners and flags which transform the town centre, created by children from local schools and community groups, with support from local artists.

Street performance at Junction 2004

Odetta and Liam Clancy at Junction 2006

Sensazione at Junction 2008

[edit] Music

Banna Chluain Meala (literally translating as 'Clonmel band') was founded in 1971. Originally a brass band, Banna Chluain Meala later developed as a brass and reed band, which included concert, marching and fieldshow performances. The band also has a colour guard section which enhances marching and fieldshow performances. The total complement of the band has ranged from 100 to 150 members throughout the years. The band has travelled widely abroad to the United Kingdom, Holland and France and represented Ireland at an International Festival in Cheb in the Czech Republic in 2004 to celebrate the new entrants to the European Union. Banna Chluain Meala is one of Ireland's most honoured bands. They hold concert band championship titles on national and international levels. As a marching band they have had unparalleled success nationally, being crowned IMBA Irish champions in the highest division in 1991, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999 and most recently in 2006 and 2007. They have also had success abroad, most notably as Open Class champions at the British Youth Band Championships at Wembley in 1994.

Clonmel has hosted the Irish traditional music festival, the Fleadh Cheoil, on five occasions from 1992-94 inclusive, and again in 2003 and 2004.

One of the better known songs concerning Clonmel is The Gaol of Clúain Meala written by a Cork man, Jeremiah Joseph Callanan at the turn of the 19th century.^[4] It was revived by the celebrated balladeer Luke Kelly in the 1960s.

[edit] Sport

[edit] Coursing

Clonmel is noted in greyhound circles for being the home of the annual National Hare Coursing Meeting in early February. Included in this event is the prestigious Ladies’ International Open Meeting and the coursing derby. At this time each year, Clonmel is swollen by a large influx of sports people from Ireland, the UK, and from as far afield as Australia, New Zealand, the United States and the Middle East.

[edit] Rowing Club

Clonmel Rowing Club (CRC), was founded in 1869 and is one of the oldest sporting clubs in the town. It is located on Moor's Island, on the Suir, about 500 meters west of the town centre. The club colours are Royal Blue and White. Sporting success in the early 1900s culminated in the winning of the Senior Men's 'eight' championships in 1920. The club is affectionately known locally as "The Island". In winter, training takes place on a 4-mile stretch of the river to the west of the town, from the clubhouse to Knocklofty bridge. In the summer months this stretch is reduced to 2 miles as far as Sandybanks, near Marlfield village.

Flooding has become a perennial problem, especially noticeable in recent years. The flow becomes so fast that rowing in January is not possible on this part of the Suir. Within a 25-mile radius there are two locations where the club can still train satisfactorily, Cappoquin and Fiddown.

CRC has a newly constructed, purpose built boat house since 1979, with boat storage on the ground floor. Upstairs are two squash courts, a function hall and dressing rooms. Currently one squash court is being used as the gym.

In the new millennium, the club's veterans are still competing strongly. Women's rowing in Clonmel has developed culminating in Junior Women's 'double scull' and Junior women's 'eight' championship wins in 2003 and 2005.

[edit] G.A.A Clubs

Clonmel is home to several Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) clubs such as Clonmel Commercials Gaelic Football Club (football|), St. Mary's Hurling Club, Clonmel (hurling and camogie) and Moyle Rovers GAA Club (hurling, football and camogie). All of the G.A.A teams compete in the county championships. Sometimes there are two leagues, A and B. The higher league is A. The league in which a team is placed is decided by how well it performs at the start of the season. This is organized by the county board of management who then present the winning team with a trophy or plaque.

[edit] Media

[edit] Radio

TippFm's main offices are located in Clonmel. It has a potential audience of 121,000 (Adults 15+), and 62%^[5] of all adults in Tipperary tune in weekly. It broadcasts on 95.3fm, 97.1fm, 97.6 and 103.9.

[edit] Print media

The Nationalist is a Clonmel based newspaper that covers both Clonmel town and South Tipperary. South Tipp Today is a newspaper that is supported by advertising revenue and delivered free to residents in the town and the surrounding area, with a circulation of 20,500.^[6]. Both newspapers appear weekly.

The Sporting Press is published and printed in Clonmel, it covers news related to the greyhound community in Ireland. It has a circulation of 7,500^[7].

[edit] Education

Clonmel is home to one third-level college, Tipperary Institute (formerly TRBDI), which was established in 1998. It is a dual campus institute, with its sister campus in Thurles. The campus is located along the Clonmel Inner Relief Road, but it is proposed that it will move to a new location in the near future.

Primary and secondary education in the town is organised similarly to the rest of Ireland. Clonmel has two places of education that teach through the medium of Irish. Gaelscoil Chluian Meala provides primary level education and has around 200^[8] students. Gaelcholáiste Chéitinn (est. 2004) provides second level education and has 28^[9] students as of 2006.

[edit] See also

• Clonmel Borstal (1906 - 1956)
• St Joseph’s Industrial School, Ferryhouse (1884 - present)

[edit] Transport and commerce

Clonmel is located on the N24, the national primary roadway that links the cities of Limerick and Waterford. The N24 westbound connects Clonmel to junction 10 of the Cork to Dublin M8 motorway, while eastbound it links the town with Kilkenny via the N76. Clonmel railway station opened 1 May 1852.^[10] Today, there are four trains daily to Waterford and four to Limerick Junction which has main-line connections to Dublin. The River Suir had been made navigable to Clonmel from 1760 when completion of the River Suir Navigation in the 19th century allowed large vessels to reach the town's quays. Charles Bianconi, onetime mayor of Clonmel, ran his pioneering public transport system of horse-drawn carriages from Clonmel. In recent times Clonmel has become the home to many large multi-national companies, particularly in the medical area. The two biggest medical companies in the town are Abbott and Boston Scientific, both of which manufacture implantable devices. Bulmers cider, also known as Magners outside of Ireland, is brewed in a complex two kilometres east of the town, and the extensive orchards serving the brewery can be seen from the road when approaching Clonmel from that direction.

[edit] Climate

Climate Table

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Average daily maximum temperature (°C)	8	8	10	13	16	18	20	20	18	14	10	8	14
Average daily minimum temperature (°C)	3	3	4	5	7	10	12	12	10	7	5	4	7
Mean total rainfall (cm)	5.34	4.29	3.84	3.98	3.40	3.72	3.38	4.22	4.33	6.35	5.07	5.03	52.95
Source: MSN Weather

[edit] Bibliography

• Observations on fishing and other 'native fauna', Clonmel, 1833
• From Cahir to Clonmel, 1834
• White, James : My Clonmel Scrapbook : 1995 based on 1907 original ISBN 9781899003167
• The Cistercian Abbeys of Tipperary (inc. Inislaunaght founded 1147-8) from Four Courts Press ISBN 9781851823802
• Watson, Sydney John : A Dinner of Herbs: A History of Old Saint Mary's Church, Clonmel 1988 ISBN 9780951321201
• McGrath, Bríd (ed.): The Minute Book of the Corporation of Clonmel, 1608-1649 : [http://www.irmss.ie/ Irish Manuscripts
• The general Knowledge of my brain

Commission]  : 2006 :  ISBN 9781874280538

[edit] See also

[edit] People associated with Clonmel

• Bonaventura Baron (1610-1696), a distinguished Franciscan humanist, philosopher and writer was born in Clonmel.
• Charles Bianconi (1786-1875),onetime mayor of Clonmel, ran his pioneering public transport system of horse-drawn carriages from Clonmel.
• George Borrow (1803-1881), polyglot, ethnologist of the Romani people and author of Lavengro, in which he briefly writes of his time in Clonmel, lived here in 1815.
• Ollie Cahill, an Irish professional football forward who currently plays for Shamrock Rovers F.C.
• William J. Duane (1780-1865), American politician and lawyer from Pennsylvania, was born in Clonmel.
• Vincent Hanley was a pioneering Irish radio DJ and television presenter, nicknamed "Fab Vinny".
• Eoin O'Keeffe, an Irish classical composer, currently based in the UK.
• Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin, an Irish musician, and holds Professorship of Music at the Irish World Music Centre of the University of Limerick.
• Frank Patterson (1938-2000), one of Ireland's most famous tenors, was native to the town.
• Adi Roche, co-founder of Chernobyl Children's Project International and 1997 candidate for the Irish Presidency.
• Symon Semeonis was a 14th century Franciscan friar who left Clonmel in 1323 on pilgrimage to the Holy Land.
• Laurence Sterne (1713-68), author of 'The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman', was born in the town, though his family returned to England soon after.
• Anthony Trollope (1815-1852), a noted author, worked in the town for a period.
• Paul Walsh,lead singer of rock band Royseven and children's television presenter, grew up in Clonmel.

• List of towns and villages in Ireland
• Market Houses in Ireland
• Siege of Clonmel

[edit] Villages and townlands near Clonmel

Priorstown Marlfield Lisronagh Ardfinnan

New Inn Kilsheelan Touraneena

[edit] Sister towns

Clonmel is twinned with several places:

Costa Masnaga, Lombardy, Italy. Ganghi, Sicily, Italy. Reading, United Kingdom.

Eysines, Aquitaine, France. Trofaiach, Styria, Austria. Peoria, Illinois.

[edit] Clonmel in literature

Vertue rewarded, or The Irish princess, (1693), one of the earliest romance novels written in the English language, tells the story of 'Merinda' from High Street, Clonmel and a Williamite officer stationed in the town during the Jacobite war.^[11]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Tipperary Institute
• Clonmel.ie, Clonmel town's official Website
• Clonmel Junction Festival

Coordinates: 52°21′28″N 7°42′15″W / 52.3578°N 7.7041°W / 52.3578; -7.7041