Tumelty brothers painted mayors in their civic robes
January 1970
FREQUENT visits to the Council Chamber of the Droghcda Corporation over the years prompted me to say a few words of the two splendid oil pointings of our past mayors of Droghcda which grace the walls of the Chamber.
There are also oil paintings of West Street and Laurence Street and photographs of past members and officials of the Corporation all of whom took on active part in the municipal affairs of this ancient historic Borough of Drogheda.
Hanging over the chimney-piece is a three-quarter-size portrait of Mr. James Matthews, J.P., Mayor of Drogheda, 1847, 1853. 1865 and 1968.
On the opposite wall hands the portrait of Mr. Thomas Carthy, Mayor of Drogheda, 1843, 1844, 1856 and 1857.
Both paintings of ex-mayors depicts them in their civic robes of office. Interesting to recall when Thomas Carthv was elected mayor of Drogheda in 1843, he was the first Catholic mayor of the reformed Corporation. One of the first Catholic magistrates, he played a most important part in the public affairs of Drogheda. For many years Mr. Carthy was one of the most popular men in Droghcda. No man occupied a larger share in public attention. He was a member of every board in Drogheda.
He was the largest property owner and the largest shareholder in the Steampacket Company, Mr. Carthy suffered with his coreligionists. After the passing of Emancipation his position and influence pointed him out with a few leading Catholics as worthy of being invested as mayor. He got the Commission of the Peace, and took his seat on the bench. He was frowned on by those who considered a monopoly of office their constitutional right.
He asserted the rights of the Catholic majority, and fought their battle unflinchingly.
There wos a sting of bitterness with Catholics and Protestants in the early 1800’s. When Thomas Carthy wos elected Mayor of Drogheda in 1843, he spoke out shorply. He stated that when as a young man, a Catholic could not walk the ‘streets of. Drogheda, or stand on the Tholsel steps, without receiving insult. Thank God those days are passed away, and we live in the light of a better world.’
Son of a respectable Catholic merchant, he lived in one of the largest mansions of West Gate known to-day as the Garda Barracks. He was a generous subscriber to all charities and various institutions, both Catholic and Protestant in Drogheda. He was kind to the poor.
The moyor’s salary during his mayorship of four years he handed over to the poor. He could have given in subscriptions much larger sums, perhaps he did not wish to exceed his business friends. After several weeks illness, with many visits from the clergy, and his intimate friends, he died on February 7, 1872, and was interred in St. Mary’s Churchyard, Mary Street. All the clergy of the town with many from the country country parishes, were present. Unfortunately he made no will disposing of his immense accumulated wealth, estimated at £300.000.
Thomas Carthy was such a great favourite with many friends, not one of them had the courage to say to him: “Tom have you got your affairs settled?” afraid they would offend him. His money would have been a great boon to the poor and hungry people of Drogheda at that period, who were living in very poor circumstances.
It took several years to divide Carthy’s money, the legal profession receiving a good portion of the money.
The most neglected family grave in St. Mary’s Churchyard to-day is Carthy’s. The railings surrounding the grave have not been painted for the past 90 years. In 1872 there was a great sickness, smallpox, fever, etc to add to the workers’ sufferings in Drogheda which included unemployment.
Another mayor whose painting hangs in the Chamber is James Matthews who was a very kind gentleman. He was brother of Fr. Matthews, P.P., St. Mary’s (old). They were natives of Mount Hanover. The parishioners erected a decorated brass tablet in St Mary’s Church, James Street, in 1895, in appreciation to the Matthews family for their great kindness. On the Brass Tablet there is a figure engraved of St. Patrick.
The artists who painted the portraits of ’ the ex-mayors Carthy and Matthews in civic robes were the Tumelty brothers who had their studio at No.2 Freeschool Lane and carried on their work for a number of years with the aid of candles and oil.