Field Club initiative showcases Mallow’s rich cultural heritage ‘WE HOPE THAT PEOPLE WILL ENJOY GUIDING THEMSELVES AROUND OUR FASCINATING, HISTORIC TOWN’
THE Mallow Field Club has invited locals and visitors to immerse themselves in the town’s rich and vibrant heritage by taking a leisurely stroll through the historic old town.
Last year the Field Club conducted two fascinating guided walks through the heart of the town, taking in many locations of historical and cultural importance to Mallow.
Unable to repeat the guided walks this summer, due to the Covid-19 restrictions, the Club’s committee has produced a comprehensive map for people to use, containing more than 50 points of reference all within easy walking distance.
Bay Windows - A Note
Mallow has two distinct traditions of sash window. The earliest is the projecting window which occurs quite regularly on the upper floors of the houses along the Main St.
The oldest surviving example is at No. 106 Davis St. The second type is the double sash which became popular in the mid-19th century.
1. William O’Brien (1852 – 1928):
BEFORE you cross Mallow Bridge into town, look back up to Upper Ballydaheen. About half way up, on the right-hand side, is the house where William O’Brien was reared.
2. Joan Denise Moriarty (1912? – 1992):
AGAIN before crossing the bridge, turn left into what was Broom Lane.
There were houses here on the left side, now demolished, once owned by the Moriarty family. (Reputed to have also lived in Sandfield House, also demolished, which once stood where Scoil Ghobnatan is now situated). Further on from the turn off the Bridge watch out for a plaque on a garden wall on the terrace on the left, called Bolster Terrace. It commemorates Joan Denise Moriarty. She was born in England. Adopted as a small child by the Moriarty family of Mallow, then living in England, she came to Mallow with them on their return to Ireland in 1933. She was an accomplished Irish step-dancer, warpipes player and
Over the following two editions The Corkman will reproduce the map together with a brief summary outlining the importance of each of the sites along the way.
“We are inviting people to take a virtual stroll through the town of Mallow, beginning at the bridge over the River Blackwater. We hope that people will enjoy guiding themselves around our fascinating, historic town,” said Field Club chair Helen O’Connell.
“More comprehensive information on the major sites and historic personages can be consulted on laminated information sheets in Mallow Public Library by enquiring at its information desk,” she added.
ballet dancer. She devoted her life to the development of ballet in Ireland.
3. Mallow Bridge:
LOCATED on the route from Cork to Limerick where it crosses the river Blackwater. In 1175 the Normans built a castle here to secure the crossing.
The first bridge was built around this time. We have no record of this bridge, but it was destroyed some time before 1579. The next bridge was possibly a timber structure. It is mentioned in official letters in 1628 as having been carried away by an extraordinary flood.
The next bridge mentioned is in 1650 when Lord Broghill had to get two siege guns across the river. He hauled them through the water, as the bridge there could not bear the weight of the guns.
This bridge was burned in1689 by the English army for tactical reasons. The next bridge was built of stone in 1712.
It had 14 arches. It was breached in 1853 by a large flood that swept away 10 of its arches leaving four arches intact. The 10 arches were replaced by four large arches. This combined 8-arch bridge,has stood up to the shocks of several big floods to date.
4. The Old Castle:
The castle ruin was one of the first ‘fortified houses’ built in the late years of the 16th century.
The building still provided defensive features, but the aim was also to make it a more comfortable house in which to live. The castle was built on the site of the earlier Desmond fortress for Sir Thomas Norreys, when he had been granted the manor of Mallow in the aftermath of the Desmond rebellion.
However, it was very badly damaged by 17th century wars and was rendered uninhabitable.
5. The New Castle:
Stables and outhouses were gradually adapted to serve as the Manor house and as the residence for the Jephson family. The castle was embellished during the 19th century by Sir Denham Jephson Norreys. The entrance block at the eastern end was built by Brigadier Jephson in the mid 1950’s. The castle was occupied as a family home until 2006.
6. The White Deer:
The herd of white deer is in continuous occupation in the park adjoining the castle since a pair of white deer were given as a gift by Queen Elizabeth 1, who was godmother to Elizabeth Norreys, whose marriage to Sir John Jephson brought the Manor of Mallow under the control of the Jephson family for almost 400 years.
7. The Clock House:
PERHAPS Mallow’s greatest landmark; it was built in 1861 by Charles Denham Orlando Jephson of Mallow Castle.
Jephson was an amateur architect and was inspired by the style of buildings he saw while on an Alpine holiday.
He had previously designed the Market House in 1823 and the Spa House in 1828. It was built on part of the site of the Long Room which had been constructed to provide a place of entertainment for those visiting the Mallow Spa. It was famously associated with the ‘Rakes of Mallow’. Many businesses have operated in the Clock House until the present owners F.D.C. Group purchased it in 2015 and invested substantially to restore it to its former glory.
7a The “Little Man”:
The “Little Man” statue and animal drinking trough stood in the middle of the street in front of the Clock House, having been presented to the towns