THIS OUR TOWN IN COUNTY CORK  

Seamus O Mahony  Padraig O Suilleabhain

edited by Padraig O Maidin

 

KANTURK ( CEANN TUIRC) is a thriving market and residential town on the Mallow-Newmarket road , at the confluence of the Dalua and Allua rivers, which are both bridged here. The Dalua is spanned by Kanturk Bridge ( Dalua Stone Bridge ) and the Allua by Greenane Bridge. Dalua Bridge, of six arches, was built in 1760 for the landlord, the Earl of Egomont. In the coping of the northern parapet six quadrangular polished limestones, placed at intervals, remind us that the original roadway was much narrower and that stone-roofed recesses over the northern piers provided seating accommodation for weary travellers or courting couples.

 

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Reprint of original photo by digital camera 5/03/2000 Dalua Bridge.

The original Kanturk Bridge was a timber structure. In 1702 there was a confluence of the rivers above and below the bridge owing to heavy flooding. Ten years later the flooding was again very heavy and again the bridge suffered much damage. More repairs were required in 1720. Forty years later, the present stone bridge was built. As the verses remind us, the inscribed stones were bought from the limestone quarry at Windmill Hill near Churchtown. "Yon famed hill" mentioned on the sixth stone is O' Donovans Hill, also referred to by the 14th century poet Godfraidh Fionn O Dalaigh:

Note the inscription on the parapet of the bridge:

And view with joy yon famed hill.

To the south of Dalua Bridge is the meeting of the waters: together, the two rivers flow on for about 3 miles to join the River Blackwater. Before crossing the bridge into William O' Brien Street, look to the north, where the view of the Dalua is very fine. Note house facing the bridge: The Stamp Office where in the old days revenue stamps could be bought.

William O' Brien Street ( formerly part of Egmont Place ) is an interesting 18th century landlord development ; facing the River Dalua, yet it was shut off from by a plantation which in a normal society would have been a pleasant retreat for the residents. The little plantation was for many years forbidden territory. As the local poet, John C. Deady wrote:

Those public walls he has shut with locks.

The "he" was Lord Egmont. In 1978 the "retreat" was spoiled by the felling of trees.

The William O' Brien Street area was originally known as Sraidin ( Shradeene ) which may indicate that it was the original Irish-speaking settlement here, which grew up around the original Kanturk Castle ( site on Freemount Road near Bolster's house ) Dermot MacOwen Macarthy got a grant of a fair ( on 24 June and the day following ) and a Saturday market, on June 6, 1615.

Egmont Place a select residential area, is a continuation of William O' Brien Street. Earl Street ( leading to St. Peter ' s Church Museum ) intervenes. Note large Egmont House, now a private residence, formerly the Egmont Arms Hotel ( sometime Johnson ' s Hotel ) erected 1824 " a new street has been formed between the two rivers, terminating towards the north by a commodious hotel, surrounded by a thriving plantation. " P.T. Johnson,

one-time proprieter of the hotel, was founder of Kanturk Labourers' Club in 1869, the first open organisation of farm workers in Ireland.

 

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Reprint of original photo by digital camera 5/03/2000 Edmont House, OBrien Street.

Johnson ' s Hotel gained an incidental reputation as "a refuge for lost travellers". Prince Henry of Prussia who managed to get "lost" during Bristish manoeuvres, stayed here; so did marconi aparently "lost" on his way to Valencia Island. The steps of the hotel often provided a platform for public meetings. Parnell addressed a meeting here; his reading glasses "lost" on that occasion are now in the National Museum in Dublin.

EARL STREET a short street of private houses and a modern garage, leads to St. Peter 's Church. Note the mature flowering cherry trees on your left and the River Allua on your right. St. Peter 's Church is situated on high ground amoug some lovely beech trees. Originally built in 1858 (to replace an older 1792 church in Bluepool ), St. Peter ' s was acquired in 1977 as a public museum. Note the ( three ) chancel windows, with borders based on designs from the Book of Kells.

 

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Reprint of original photo by digital camera 5/03/2000 St.Peter's Church, Freemount Road.

To the west of the church are the outlines of an ancient ringfort, Lios na Marbh ( Lisna Marve, fort of the dead ). It is of interest that in the Nicholson Museum in Sydney, Australia, is a late bronze age gold collar found "in the neighbourhood of Kanturk" in 1857 and described as the only specimen of its kind ever found in Ireland and is dated, provisionally, as C. 700 BC.

In the Pitts-Rivers Museum Oxford, are two fragamentary bronze "trumpets" described as being " from Kanturk ". ( See Journal of Cork Historical & Archaeological Society 1964 )

Return to Egmont Place through avenue of beech trees. Note brick house next to Egmont House of unusual design and construction, with interesting garden of shrubs, plants and trees.

TOWN PARK . Approaching the footbridge ( the Metal Bridge ) turn right into the scenic Town Park on the banks of the Dallua, with some fine Oak, Beech, Chestnut and Ash trees, incorporating a childrens playground and a hall for senior citizens with good use of river and two delightful swans.

The Footbridge on four low arches of cut limestone, wiht handsome cast iron railings, was erected in 1848 by Sir Edward Tierney, who got a hold on the Egmont Estate. The embossed shields on the railings display his coat of arms.

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Reprint of original photo by digital camera 5/03/2000 Canon's Wood, Church Street.

Canon's Wood: On the north of the bridge an enclosed grove of elm, chestnut and laburnum trees, known as Canon's Wood appears a 'natural ' retreat for elder citzens. The footbridge leads to Church Street and faces the Church of the Immaculate Conception ( 1860 - 1867) in Gothic Revival style, designed by John hurley of Cork who also designed the Convent of Mercy Sisters and schools ( rebuilt 1936 ) on site of older church. The Church has an unusally high pitched roof supported by polished limestone pillars.It's 145 ft., in length with nave 40 ft., wide and two side aisles each 20 ft.,wide. Erected by subscrptions of the parishioners and of Kanturk exiles in gold fields of Klondyke, Australia and South Africa, who donated gold nuggets which are melted in one big nugget, which was to be raffled at the Egmont Arms Hotel in1866. The raffle was to be held on June 6th 1866 but was postponed from week to week until the following August 17th. The raffle does not appear to have been held and one wonders what happened the gold nugget.

 

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Kanturk Town Park,  Reprint of original photo by digital camera 5/03/2000

 

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Church of the Immaculate Conception,  Reprint of original photo by digital camera 5/03/2000

Church Street is an area of the town which has changed considerably since ' Black ' 47 '. This is particularly true of the western side of the street. The present primary school is located on the site of the old parish church (1802-1867). On either side of the church there were ( in 1840 ) various houses and dwellings, stretching from what is now D.C Daly ' s shop right up to the courthouse. Between this line of houses and the eastern side of the street there existed a detached portion and D.C Daly ' s was known as Small Chapel Lane some dwellings. This section corresponded roughly to the present premises of Messrs.Keating, Winthrop Cleaners, O ' Donovan and Kelly up to the laneway off Church Street. The area between the detached portion of D.C Daly ' s was known as Small Chapel Lane which derived from an 18th century Church of St. Mark ( c. 1750-1801 ) of which there is no longer any trace.

Courthouse built c. 1825, former sessions house with handmade front of hewn stone, consisting of a pediment supported by broad pilasters with Venetian window between. The adjoining bridewell " a substantial and commodios building " was erected at same time. For anecdotes about the courthouse see Maurice Healy: The Old Munster Circuit

( 1939 )

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Court House, Church Street,  Reprint of original photo by digital camera 5/03/2000