Launch of Charleville promotional brochure

All is in readiness for two major Charleville Heritage Society events this week, the staging of a pop-up museum on the town plaza this Saturday, and the official launch of the town’s first ever promotional brochure, with Mayor of County Cork Cllr Gillian Coughlan on hand today Thursday in the Charleville Park Hotel at 12 noon, to perform the official launch. The twenty-eight-page, full colour DL publication, which has been published by the Heritage Society, highlights the heritage and prominent historical figures associated with Charleville from the earliest times.
The brochure features Charleville photographs from the Lawrence Collection, as well as Moatville House and the town’s churches, and accounts of local schools, Holy Cross Cemetery, the Convent of Mercy’s Provincial Heritage Centre, and the Post Office. It also deals with the coming of the railway to Charleville, the Croke family’s association with the town from the time they were brought to Charleville by their uncle Rev. Fr. Thomas W. Croke on the death of their father in 1834, Jacobite poet Seán Clárach Mac Domhnaill, poet John Anster, the town’s founder Roger Boyle, who was also known as the infamous Lord Broghill.
The Clanchy family, of which family, Daniel Clanchy was responsible for running the Fever Hospital in the town for sixteen years. The old Bridewell, Eliza Lynch, the Charleville born National Heroine of Paraguay in South America is recalled, along with the Charleville evictions of 1847, the worst year of the Great Famine- the Gorta Mor.
It recalls Olympians the Leahy’s of Cregane, just north of Charleville on the Limerick border and Terence Beaumont Sanders, who was born at Sanders Park House, Charleville. The Bolster family, who were responsible for building most of the houses in the town in the nineteenth century, and who were also prominent monumental sculptors. Their work is to be found in graveyards around the Charleville area and beyond.
Charleville born academic, minister and author, Daniel A. Binchy is also recalled, as is Archbishop Daniel Mannix of Melbourne, who was Archbishop there for forty-six years, Bishop Robert Browne of Cloyne, who completed St. Colman’s Cathedral in Cobh, and the aforementioned Fever Hospital which is now the Mannix Block at St. Mary’s Secondary School for girls.
The opening of the National Bank by Daniel O’Connell in 1835, and his Monster meeting in the town in 1843, along with the Freemasons, the Bruce family vault, the ill-fated road train, the Republican Monument at Main Street, Eamon de Valera’s connection with Charleville, and the Caravaggio painting ‘The Taking of Christ,’ along with Parnell’s visit to the town in 1880, and the United Irishman leader in the 1798 Rising, William James Maum are all featured in the comp-rehensive publication.
Since going to press with the brochure the Heritage Society chair, Evelyn O’Keeffe has unearthed other prominent people associated with the town that are not featured in this edition of the brochure but will be included in future updated editions. Evelyn has done an enormous amount of work for the Society, which also includes managing the website and writing weekly blogs for the site. This has resulted in a huge number of people following the Charleville Heritage Society’s website from around the world, where ever Charleville people, and those associated with the town are domiciled, keeping them in touch with their native place.
Charleville Heritage Society extends sincere thanks to the local sponsors who have the publication of this brochure possible by their generous support. They are Cavanagh’s Garage Charleville, Dawn Meats Charleville, Kerry Agribusiness, Charleville, Charleville Chamber, A.I.B. Charleville, and Creative Ireland through Cork County Council.