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As we conclude our series on O’Moore Street and move to Cormac Street it is opportune to look at the oldest terrace on the street but starting with No 1 O’Moore Street being Tullamore House, the home of the Bannon family. So many have lived here since that great house was built about 1800. We will go into more detail on this one as part of the Cormac Street series. For now let’s look at the terrace from no. 2 to no. 9 in the 1843-54 valuation records. The terrace was built in the years from say 1795 to 1805 with a few houses rebuilt in recent years.

The developer/rentier was Thomas Acres of nearby Acres Hall (now the Town Hall) and he was building on a nice lease for ever from the young landlord Charles William Bury of Charleville (Lord, Tullamore 1797 earl of Charleville 1806). It was a lease of the Windmill Plot from Victoria Terrace to the county courthouse.

The 1843 valuation can be summarised as follows. DF is code for frontage measurement and H for the height. You will note that two of the houses were single-storey. That is no longer the case with both rebuilt

Earl Street – South West – [Spollanstown], 1843 – [1854]

1. (472)      Isabella Crow – not in business

                   D.F.41.0, H.29.0, 1B+

With basement, stables, car house, cow house, turf shed, calf house, storehouse, and garden house. 

Miss Crow holds from Dr Pierce over the way – the premises are in excellent repair and well enclosed. The garden contains 0.0.28.[ The Crow family were at least 100 years in Tullamore by the 1840s and had extensive properties in High Street.]

2. (473)      [Vacant] The square brackets indicate the house was not occupied in 1854 when the printed valuation was published.]

                   William J Forbes – auctioneer

                   D.F.18.0, H.16.0, 1B, Y.R.6.00, L.R.£4.15.0

                   Forbes holds from Dr Pierce – the rere is small and no garden [We recall seeing somewhere that Forbes went to America with help from the earl of Charleville]

3. (474)      [Margaret Crosthwaite]

                   Michael Dillon

                  D.F. 16.6, H. 16 1B [1C+], Y.R. £6, L.R. (£4. 15s)

                  Dillon holds from Dr Pierce – the yard is very  small –  no garden

4. (475)      William McCartney

                   D.F.22.0, H.10.0, 1B, Y.R.£4.0.0, L.R. (£3.0.0)

5. (476)      [Vacant]

                   Edward Dennis – physician

                   L.26.0, H.18.0, Q.L. 1B [1C+] Y.R.£10.0.0, L.R. (£8. 10s)

Dr Dennis holds from Dr Pierce, there is a large yard – premises are tolerably well enclosed.

6. (477)      Catherine Purefoy – not in business [Dr Pierce] [notice the spelling error in the printed valuation]

                   D.F.23.6, H.17.6, Q.L. 1B, Y.R.£8.8.0, L.R.(£6.15.0)

                   Mrs Purefoy holds from Dr Pierce. There is a large yard enclosed, no garden.

                 {Pinefoy in G.V.  1854. Misspellings do happen in the printed valuation – see the image attached]

7. (478)      [Vacant]  [another vacant house in this post- Famine ‘adjustment’ period.

                 William Salmon

                   George Pierce – physician

                   D.F.23.0, H.17.6, Q.L. 1B, Y.R.£7.0.0,

                   This house is to be let – there is a small yard no office.

8. (479)      [Michael Hayden   Dr Pierce]

                   George Carty

                   DF. 25, H. 10, 1C+. Y.R. £6, L.R. (£4. 10s)

                   A small yard, no garden

9. (480)      [John Carty – Dr Pierce]

                   John Berry

                   D.F.24.6, H.10.0, Q.L. 1B, Y.R£5-

The three at H. 10ft were single-storey, being 4 as below and two at the end of this terrace. Nos 2-4 and 9 have been rebuilt.

How were things in 1901 at the time of the census? Keep in mind that the numbering is different. Ashe, the town engineer, was living in the big house on the corner where Isabella Crow was in 1843–54. Residents on the street today may be able to confirm. The 1901 breakdown for the entire street was as follows:

In 1901 the population of O’Moore Street was 173 (of which 100 were female) with 36 inhabited houses and 1 uninhabited, in which lived 38 families. Two houses each contained two families. This was little different to sixty years earlier. All the houses were stone-walled and the roofs slated with the exception of two which was thatched (probably the later Furlong house and one opposite beside Moore Hall; three houses were placed in the first class, thirty in the second and four in the third. The outbuildings included six stables, four coach houses, three piggeries and three fowl houses.

The religious composition was 128 R.C. (of which 53 were males and 75 females 20 Church of Ireland, 2 other, 17 Presbyterian, 4 Methodists, 1 Quaker and 1 Jew. All the houses from the corner with High Street to Moore Hall were conveniently placed in the second class with Moore Hall (no. 16 Scally’s, the draper’s in the first class,). Two families lived in house no 12 with ten people in the Gilson household (no, 11). There were 16 households and 15 houses from the corner with High Street to Moore Hall. From Moore Hall as far as Victoria Terrace on the Spollanstown side were 5 houses (17-22) with Rogers to Mitchell (23-29) in Victoria Terrace. This was followed by houses 30 to 38, all 2^nd class with the exception of that of town engineer A.V. Ashe (now Bannon’s) which was in the first class and also that of Presbyterian minister, John Humphreys, probably the house with the porch in Victoria Terrace.

The terrace from the corner with High Street to Victoria Terrace, west to east in 1901

1. Maria Browne, a widowed housekeeper with her labouring son, John. [This is no. 9 in the 1854 printed valuation and no. 480 in the 1843 valuation.
2. Richard Barry, the Thurles-born smith-nailor with his wife, four children, and four boarders, all Roman Catholic, including young Richard Barry (20) then a temporary clerk with the county council. He with one of the boarders spoke Irish and English.
3. Susan Lawler from Donegal with her daughter. Her husband, Michael Lawler, was with the R.I.C. and accounted for on the barrack return.
4. Thomas Conroy, a 30 year-old law clerk, lived with his wife, mother, one daughter, and three sisters.
5. Henry Chawner, was a 60-year old telegraph clerk, living with his wife and two daughters, all Church of Ireland.
6. Mary Nolan, was 60-year old Catholic widow, living with her two dressmaker daughters.
7. Eliza Taylor, was another 60-year old widow and laundress living with her laundress daughter.
8. Annie Downs [Downes] was an American-born widow who lived with her son and daughter and a visitor. Her son was a coach-painter, and all were Catholic.

• Albert Victor Ashe, was the 26-year old Armagh-born civil engineer with an English-born wife. One son and two Heffernan girls assisting in the house, nine rooms, 1^st class. Ashe had a difficult relation with his employer the urban council  and later served in War 1.

And the detail for each house:

1901 Census Earl street (no.30) The Brown family lived in a 2^nd class private dwelling

Brown	Maria	Head of Family/widow	RC	56	Housekeeper	F	Kings Co
Brown	John	Son	RC	34	General labourer	M	Kings Co

1901 Census Earl Street (no.31) The Barry family lived in a 2^nd class private dwelling, household of 10. [We have had blog articles on this family, active in the 1919-21 War of Independence.]]

Barry	Richard	Head of Family	RC	50	Smith, nailer	M	Tipperary
Barry	Emily	Wife	RC	40		F	Kings Co
Barry	Richard	Son	RC	20	Temporary clerk County Council	M	Kings Co
Barry	Patrick Joseph	Son	RC	17	Postman	M	Kings Co
Barry	John	Son	RC	3		M	Kings Co
Barry	Frances	Daughter	RC	5mo		F	Dublin
Thomas	Emily Mary	Boarder	RC	20	Dressmaker	F	Dublin
Thomas	Patrick	Boarder	RC	13	Scholar	M	Dublin
Thomas	Joseph	Boarder	RC	11	Scholar	M	Dublin
Mc Cabe	John	Boarder	RC	56	Nailer?	M	Cavan

1901 Census Earl street (no.32) The Lawlor family lived in a 2^nd class private dwelling

Lawler	Susan Michael	Wife	RC	26		F	Co. Donegal
Lawler	Mary G.	Daughter	RC			F	Kings

Michael Lawler, head of family, sergeant, RIC accounted for on barrack form

1901 Census Earl Street (no.33) The Conroy family lived in a 2^nd class private dwelling

Conroy	Thomas	Head of Family	RC	30	Law clerk	M	Kings Co
Conroy	Annie	Wife	RC	24		F	Kings Co
Conroy	Catherine	Daughter	RC	2		F	Kings Co
Conroy	Catherine	Mother/widow	RC	49	Dressmaker	F	Kings Co
Conroy	Mary F	Sister	RC	24		F	Kings Co
Conroy	Alice	Sister	RC	22	Apprentice to drapery	F	Kings Co
Conroy	Catherine	Sister	RC	19	Apprentice to drapery	F	Kings Co

1901 Census Earl Street (no.34) The Chawner family lived in a 2^nd class private dwelling

Chawner	Henry	Head of Family	COI	60	Telegraph Clerk	M	Kings Co
Chawner	Maria	Wife	COI	56		F	Queens Co
Chawner	Annie	Daughter	COI	25		F	Kings Co
Chawner	Marian	Daughter	COI	20		F	Kings Co

1901 Census Earl Street (no. 35) The Nolan family lived in a 2^nd class private dwelling

Nolan	Mary	Head of Family/widow	RC	60		M	Westmeath
Nolan	Anne	Daughter	RC	32	Dressmaker	F	Westmeath
Nolan	Bridget	Daughter	RC	28	Dressmaker	F	Westmeath

1901 Census Earl Street (no. 36) The Taylor family lived in a 2^nd class private dwelling

Taylor	Eliza	Head of Family	RC	60	?	F	Cavan
Taylor	Mary	Daughter	RC	27		F	Donegal

1901 Census Earl Street (no. 37) The Downs family lived in a 2^nd class private dwelling

Downes	Annie	Head of Family	RC	56	Housekeeper	F	America
Downes	James	Son	RC	23	Coach painter	M	Kings Co
Downes	Bessie	Daughter	RC	24	milliner	F	Kings Co
Downes	Kittie	Visitor	RC	3	Nursery instruction	F	England

1901 Census Earl Street (no. 38) The Ashe family lived in a 1^st class private dwelling. [Ashe has a lot of issues with the town council. See Offaly in the Great War and Tullamore in 1916.]

Ashe	Albert Victor	Head of Family	COI	26	Civil Engineer	M	Armagh
Ashe	Maude Louisa	Wife	COI	24		F	England
Ashe	Sydney Mac Donald	Son	COI			M	Kings Co
Heffernan	Jane	Servant	RC	19	Domestic Servant	F	Kings Co
Heffernan	Bridget	Servant	RC	16	Domestic Servant	F	Kings Co

1911 Census return.

In 1911 number of households was 41 (two vacant) and 38 inhabited dwellings but this included at least two new houses on Clonminch Road. The total number of persons was 205 of which 94 were male and 111 female. Roman Catholics were 167, Church of Ireland 18, others 2, Presbyterians 11, Methodists 6. Heads of households (starting at the junction with High Street) were:

1. We are uncertain as to who was in the first house on the western side of the terrace – more information needed.

• As in 1901 Richard Barry (5), the nail-maker
• Matthew Killeavy (7), a butcher aged 32.
• Patrick R. Carroll (7), aged 54, ex-Serg. R.I.C.
• As in 1901 but now Maria Chawner (4)
• Patrick Rourke (5), a railway porter from Kildare
• As in 1901 Elizabeth Taylor (2)
• As in 1901 Elizabeth Downes (4), family included two coach painters

• Thomas R. Dixon (moved to the Ashe house of 1901), the Presbyterian maltster, now with 3 children, and from Darlington, England. Dixon served on the urban council from 1913 and left Tullamore for Belfast in 1918. He was employed by Tarleton Maltsters while in Tullamore.
• John Browne – a two-room house, but location in the street not clear, aged 45 and occupation given as packer in warehouse, illiterate and dumb.

The number of families there in 1901 and in 1911 was less than one-third of the total allowing for the three new houses on the Clonminch Road.

Fifty years later few of these families were left judging by the registered voters for 1967-68. However that polling list did include Christina Downes, Martin Fitzpatrick, the Gilson family and Mary Angela Parker.

1911 Census (no.31) The Barry family lived in a 2^nd class private dwelling made of brick and slate roof. The house had 2 windows to the front. The Barry family occupied 4 rooms. Husband, Wife, 1 son, 1 daughter and 1 stepson occupied the home.

Barry	Richard	Head of Family	RC	67	Nail maker	M	Co. Tipp
Barry	Emily	Wife	RC	54		F	Kings Co
Barry	John	Son	RC	14	Scholar	M	Kings Co
Barry	Fanny	Daughter	RC	9	Scholar	F	Kings Co
Thomas	Patrick	Step Son	RC	22	Butcher	M	Dublin city

1911 Census Earl Street (no.32) The Killeavy family occupied a 2^nd class private dwelling made of brick and slate roof. The house had 5 windows to the front. The Killeavy family occupied 5 rooms. Husband, Wife, 3 daughters, 1 son and 1 boarder occupied the home.

Killeavy	Matthew	Head of Family	RC	32	butcher	M	Kings Co
Killeavy	Annie	Wife	RC	29		F	Tipperary
Killeavy	Michael	Son	RC	8	sch	M	Kings Co
Killeavy	Eileen	Daughter	RC	7	sch	F	Kings Co
Killeavy	Annie	Daughter	RC	3	sch	F	Kings Co
Killeavy	Mary	Daughter	RC	1		F	Kings Co
Nolan	Leo	Boarder	RC	22	Provision assistant	M	City of Dublin

1911 Census Earl Street (no.33) The Carroll family lived in a 2^nd class private dwelling made of brick and slate roof. The house had 5 windows to the front. The Carroll family occupied 7 rooms. Husband, Wife, 1 daughter, 2 sons and 2 boarders occupied the home.

Carroll	Patrick J	Head of Family	RC	54	EX sgt R.I.C	M	Dublin city
Carroll	Elizabeth	Wife	RC	46		F	Wexford
Carroll	Mary E	Daughter	RC	16	Typist	M	Kings Co
Carroll	Thomas	Son	RC	14	scholar	M	Kings Co
Carroll	John A	Son	RC	12	scholar	M	Kings Co
Brazil	Thomas F	Boarder	RC	26	Railway Clerk	M	Waterford
Yarnell	John E	Boarder	COI	23	Solicitor’s clerk general	M	Galway

1911 Census Earl Street (no.34) The Chawner family lived in a 2^nd class private dwelling made of brick and slate roof. The house had 5 windows to the front. The Chawner family occupied 6 rooms. Mother, 2 daughters and a visitor occupied the home.

Chawner	Maria	Head of Family	COI	68	widow	F	Queens Co
Chawner	Annie	Daughter	COI	30		F	Kings Co
Chawner	Maria	Daughter	COI	25		F	Kings Co
Smith	Lena	Visitor	COI	27		F	Kings Co

1911 Census Earl Street (no.35) The Rourke family lived in a 2^nd class private dwelling made of brick and slate roof. The house had 2 windows to the front. The Rourke family occupied 4 rooms Husband, Wife, 1 daughter, 1 son and 1 visitor occupied the home.

Rourke	Patrick	Head of Family	RC	32	Railway Porter	M	Co Kildare
Rourke	Margaret	Wife	RC	29		F	Kildare
Rourke	Jane	Daughter	RC	5	Scholar	F	Carlow?
Rourke	William	Son	RC	2		M	Kings Co
Sweeney	Mary	Visitor	RC	69		F	Co Kildare

1911 Census Earl Street (no.36) The Taylor family lived in a 2^nd class private dwelling made of brick and slate roof. The house had 3 windows to the front. The Taylor family occupied 4 rooms. Mother and daughter lived in the home.

Taylor	Elizabeth	Head of Family	RC	75	widow	F	Kings Co
Taylor	Mary	Daughter	RC	36	single	F	Kings Co

1911 Census Earl Street (no.37) The Downes family lived in a 2^nd class private dwelling made of brick and slate roof. The house had 3 windows to the front. The Downes family occupied 5 rooms. Sister, 2 Brothers and 1 niece occupied the home.

Downes	Elizabeth	Head of Family	RC	30	single	F	Kings Co
Downes	Patrick	Brother	RC	40	Painter/si	M	Kings Co
Downes	James	Brother	RC	34	Painter/si	M	Kings Co
Downes	Gladis	Niece	RC	11	Scholar	F	England

1911 Census Earl Street (no.38) The Dixon family lived in a 1^st class private dwelling made of brick and slate roof. The house had 8 windows to the front. The Dixon family occupied 10 rooms. Husband, Wife, 3 sons, 1 brother and a servant occupied the home.

Dixon	Thomas Robert	Head of Family	PRES	35	Brewer and maltster	M	England
Dixon	Lily Jane	Wife	PRES	33		F	England
Dixon	John Barry	Son	PRES	9	Scholar	M	Kings Co
Dixon	Daniel Edward	Son	PRES	5	Scholar	M	England
Dixon	Bernard	Son	PRES	4	Scholar	M	England
Dixon	John	Brother	COI	21	Brewer	M	England
O’Neill	Teresa	Servant	RC	17	General Servant	F	Kings Co

Brown

John

Head of Family

RC

45

Packer in warehouse

M

Kings Co

Brown was in unit no 39 –1911 Census Earl Street (no.39) John Brown lived in a 2^nd class private dwelling made of brick and slate roof. The house had 2 windows to the front. Mr Brown occupied 2 rooms in the home and lived there alone.  Dumb ‘only. Cannot read or write. Browne was no. 30 in the 1901 census and was living with his mother. The numbering does not match that in 1901.