Rathdowney, that’s where I’m from. Funny isn’t it, I’m the only one in the family who wanted to live there so now I live in Clough. I remember when I first heard that these houses were being built in Clough I said “Who would want to live in Clough?” – Just goes to show, you should always be careful about what you say :-) I like Clough, it’s nice and peaceful and I have that big field beside me to walk my dogs in and my cats love to hunt out here.
Back to Rathdowney. Here are a selection of photographs taken at different times. Rathdowney has a town square and St. Andrew’s Church of Ireland is at the top of that. The ‘Croppy’s Grave sign is located on a wall in the Square. We have a pond in the middle of the town and off the pond is a meat factory *but* that meat factory used to be Perry’s Brewery. The Lyons family moved to Rathdowney in 1968 in order to convert the Brewery into a meat factory – and as far as I am concerned I am from Rathdowney. When we moved to Rathdowney there used to be a swan called ‘Jack’ living on the pond and when he’d feel like it he would come off the pond by following the stream and then get fed by locals as he wandered a little bit around the place
After the meat factory you have the main street and things are certainly changing in Rathdowney as it seems to get quieter and quieter. Out the Johnstown road there is or was the Rathdowney ‘Outlet’. The Outlet closed this year.
Rathdowney is about 14 miles from Roscrea which is in Co. Tipperary, it is also only a few miles from Galmoy which is in Co. Kilkenny.
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- Side of entrance to Meat Factory
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- Mill Quarter
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- Post Office
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- Stream going into pond
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- Meat Factory used to be Perry’s Brewery
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- St. Andrew’s Church of Ireland
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- from Square up to Main St
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- Croppy’s Memorial
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- Church Street
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- Roman Catholic Church
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- The Square
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- O’Malley’s pub
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- Johnstown rd
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- Mill quarter – no snow
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- Used to be the Convent
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- Dead tennis court
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- Library
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- Meat plant, was Perry’s Brewery
Dr. Jane Lyons, From-Ireland.net
where is/was the gate with the trespassing sign
You’re about same age as me Martin, do you remember where the old tennis court was – the back of the Mill Quarter and close to those houses down near Delaney’s……around there, that’s where I took the photo
Where can I find out about schools in Rathdowney in 1901. My great uncle is in the 1901census listed as a scholar and boarding in Mill Street. He was from Coolrain and I’m interested to know which school he was at. I’ll be in the US in September meeting his daughter and grandchildren and would like to be able to give them this information.
Maria, what age was your great uncle in 1901?
I’m from Rathdowney and when I was a child the only schools there were the Protestant National School, the Girls National School and the Boys National School. Also, there was a Technical College for 3rd level education. I very much doubt the tech was there in 1901 and I think there would only have been a Protestant National School and a Catholic National School. National School deals with children up to the age of 11 or 12.
Coolrain is a bike ride away from Rathdowney, a few miles, we used to go over and back as kids.
Jane
Sorry about the delay in replying to you response-I was sidetracked..
My g. Uncle was 17 in the 1901 census he is listed as a scholar and boarder at I think it was no 2 Mill St.
I have been told by another source, as you said, no catholic school until 1903. The likelihood he was educated in a private house. Is this what’s known as a “hedge school”?
Maria, I’m sorry. I see you have made two other posts referring to the post to which I am writing a quick reply now. The message was posted on my blog yesterday and I have not had time to think about a reply to you since then.
I will in a few days time
Jane
I`m interested in schools in Rathdowney. My great gran and her sibling attended school there in the 1860s, would you have any idea where the catholic school would be at that time. I`m hoping to visit Rathdowney in June.
Thank you for any help.
George,
I honestly don’t know where the Catholic school would have been in 1860 but I’ll ask around and see if I can find out.
There is a new National School in Rathdowney, well, it’s not new, it’s the old boys National School with an extension added on and all the girls have now been moved up the road to it. The old National School is closed but I was asking about it recently to see if anyone could tell me something about what was going to happen it. A friend sent me a bunch of photographs of the school as I knew it and I intend putting them up on a blog post in the next few days. I’m hoping that people who have group photographs of the classes in the school will forward them to me to add to the photos I have.
I’m going to copy this message to you by email and I’ll say a few more words then.
Jane