offalyhistoryblog

The Birr Weekly Journal: Birr’s first local newspaper, sidelights on the hazards of retailing in 1774. Michael Byrne. Offaly History blog no. 803 26 June 2026. Birr’s newspaper publishing tradition began in earnest 181 years ago with the issue of the King’s County Chronicle by Francis Sheilds of Emmet Square (or Duke or Cumberland Square as it then was). It was staunchly Protestant and unionist and grew out of the Leinster Express, first issued in 1831. The latter was intended to serve the counties of Kildare, King’s and Queen’s (Laois). Sheilds saw an opportunity and set up the Chronicle in Birr in September 1845. It was not the first Birr newspaper nor would it be the last. For the Midland Tribune was founded in Birr in 1881 as an antidote to the Chronicle’s unionism and Orangeism. The Chronicle spawned titles to gather in sales and advertising in Roscrea and Tullamore. The Tribune did likewise for Nenagh and Portumna, but its most important offspring was the Tullamore Tribune established in 1978. But what about Birr’s first local paper.

It seems that the first local paper was the Birr Weekly Journal issued about 1770 by one Alex McCulloch. We know this because John Wright, the editor of the Chronicle, who lived in Cumberland House in the square, saw a copy of the Journal in 1901. The issue that was brought to his office was owned by a Miss Bennett of Wilmer Terrace, Birr. What Wright saw can be quickly summarised as:

 1774 – ‘The 203^rd number of the Birr Weekly Journal bearing date 9 July 1774 and printed by Alexander McCulloh in Castle Street, Birr.’  It was a small sheet of four pages and twelve columns carrying chiefly foreign despatches and local advertisements. McCulloh may have been working from Newbridge Street but Castle Street is cited by the Chronicle report and Wright in his report is quite definite about this and other particulars.  A copy of the 203^rd issue has not been located and may not have survived. The number and date of the issue would suggest a commencement date for this newspaper of 1770. Fortunately, John Wright provided particulars of the 1774 newspaper in the King’s County Chronicle, 25 July 1901.

Wright reproduced stories of Lady Parsons being robbed at her house in Kildare Place; of trees maliciously cut down at Knockbarron, Kinnitty; a robbery at Gaynor’s in Frankford/Kilcormac and lettings at Cloneganna, near Dunkerrin and Sharavogue (for Henry Westenra).

Of more significance was an advertisement for the letting of Elmgrove House, Birr which it would seem was only recently built and was offered for letting in 1774:

“To Be Sold – The Interest in the Lease of the House and Demesne of Elm-Grove, near Birr, containing about 30 Acres of Choice Meadow and Pasture Ground: the House is large, convenient and quite new, and within Half or Quarter of a Mile of the Town of Birr. Any Person inclined to treat for the Place may be informed more particularly of the Nature of the Interest by applying to Mr George Powell, at said Place, who will receive Proposals, in Writing, and close with a Purchaser when the Value is offered. June the 18^th, 1774.”

What was of particular note were a few items that testified to the strength and quality of the retail shops in Birr – something that was still very much in evidence when trade directories were issued for the Offaly towns in 1824 (Pigot) and 1846 (Slater). In this case it was the break-up of a commercial partnership of the Kent merchants:

“On account of the Dissolution of Partnership between Jonathan and Thomas Kent, Merchants in Birr they desire that those to whom they are indebted will send in their Demands and Nature of them to Thomas in order to have them put in a Way of Payment and they most earnestly request that those who are indebted to them will immediately send in the amounts to Thomas, who is alone empowered to receive them. Otherwise they must be handed over to an Attorneyand sued at Law without further Notice. N.B…. Thomas Kent has removed to the House where Mr Luke Usher lately lived, and formerly occupied by Mr Thomas Antisell, where he has laid in a good Assortment of Iron and Steel, Hardware and Groceries, Stamped and Chequered Linens, &c, which he will sell on the most reasonable Terms by Wholesale and Retail for Ready Money.”

Another was that for John Wilkinson (a name of a later postmaster):

“To Be Sold by John Wilkinson for Ready Money, 20 per Cent, under first Cost, a large and elegant Assortment of Nankeen and Blue China Dishes and Plates Queen’s Ware ditto, several hundred sets of Enamelled and Blue China Cups and Saucers, Chocolate and Coffee ditto, a large Parcel of Quart and Pint cut and plain Decanters, Croffs Beer, Champaigne, Wine and Sweetmates, Glasses of various Patterns, and Sundry other Articles in the China, Roan and Glass Ware. As he intends quitting this Business his whole Stock will be disposed of without Reserve. Birr, 1^st July.

An opportunity to get into distilling was offered by Michael Kearney (of the Kearneyville,Birr family). He was a Collector for the Excise and may have seized the following:

“To Be Sold for ready money at Birr a Pump, Copper Still and Boyler, a Square Cooler, fourteen Backs, a Keeve, a Flake Stand and Worm, a Parcell of Hogsheds, and other Vessels, belonging to the Distillery Business; are good in their kind. Applications to be made to Mr Michael Kearney, Surveyor of Excise, Birr. Any Person who would want the like might find it to their advantage to view them.”

Also on the retail side was the theft from the shop of Henry Palmer in Castle Street of valuable silver items for which the leading inhabitants offered a reward. These included four women.

“Whereas Mr Henry Palmer of Castle street, in the Town of Birr, in the King’s County, was on the Night of the second Day of June Inst, robbed, and his shop broken open, And, on the Night of the 5^th Instant, the House of Mr William Brett, in the said Town, and also broken open, and one 2 Handled Silver Cup marked 14 Ounces, 12 Penny w, with the Goulding’s Arms on it, being a Dragon, vertbetween eight Marlets Azure; the Crest, a Hand couped at the Wrist proper, pierced through with an Arrow pointed, One Sauce Boat with the above Crest ; One Pair of the 14^th Regimental Buckles, and many other Articles of Value. Now we, the principal Inhabitants of the said Town of Birr, do promise the several Sums annexed to our names, to any Person or Persons who will discover of the Persons concerned in the above Robberies, so as to prosecute to Conviction as aforesaid, be entitled to the Reward, and Application made to Government for their Pardon, provided the Discoveries be made within the space of six Kalendar Months from the 10^th Day of June, 1774.”

The names of the principal inhabitants can be identified with some of those who were involved in house purchase in Emmet Square, others may have been freemasons for which we have some good records. McCulloh, the printer put his name last.  He published Birr’s first printed book (we think) in 1775. It was the The Young Arithmetician’s Guide printed by Alex McCulloh in Newbridge Street, Birr.

Wright added the Birr names of those who offered a reward back in 1774

Here follow the names and amounts, beginning with W. Parsons, £5 13s 9d, and ending Alex. McCulloh, 11s 4^1/2 d, the other subscriptions being the latter sums, and £1 2s 9d, excecting £2 5s 6d, by H. Palmer and W Brett. Thenames arein this order:

W Parsons, Thomas Bernard, Matt Freeman, Geo Clarges, Abra Downs, sen ; Ab. Downs, jun., James Jackson, Rob. Harding, Nath. Coates, Dan. Newman, Rob. Palmer, Henry Palmer, Cha. Mellsop, Matt Hobart, Issac Cusack, Edw. Keenan, John Wilkinson, Roger Finch, Pat. Carroll, Rod. Buchanan, Joseph Hobart, Tho. Talbot, John Kent, Bryan Kennedy, David Langton, Jer. Hanks, Tho. Smith, Wm. Brett, Sam Hobart, Simon Prescott, H. Frazer, Tho. Antisell, Jona. Kent, Mary Fleming, Tho Hanks, Nat. Hobart Tho. Kent, Joseph Marshell, Major Upton, James Gonnisk, John Ryals, Widow Palmer, Miss Palmer, Mrs Conroy, Francis James, Alex. M’Culloh.

‘It is within the bounds of probability that some of the outfit of the “Birr Journal” may still be in the existence as there is in the “King’s County Chronicle” Office a part of a printer’s frame bearing the date “1787.”’ Now that last comment was back in 1901. John Wright died in 1915 and his son Archie in 1954. I met his widow in 1989 when launching a reprint of John Wright’s King’s County Directory (Birr, 1890).

The second issue of 1989 almost 100 years after Wright’s first issue.