Glengoole/ New Birmingham

(Dr. Willie Nolan)

 He proposed in the Spring of 1802 to begin work on New Birmingham by building a town with a street of slated houses (7). He employed a Captain Robinson as agent and manager of his New Birmingham estate and a Mr. Lingwood as architect of the new town.  He provided sites around the Chapel of Glengoole for two hundred thatched cabin dwellings.  In the application for houses, preference would be given to Masons, Carpenters and Slaters. No rent would be charged until fifty houses were ready for habitation.  He wanted the town to have the usual social amenities, which enabled him to obtain a full license for fairs and markets.  Along with this he wanted there to be a link to the Grand Canal and also he negotiated a change in route for the Dublin-Cork Mail Coach which would in the future stop at New Birmingham.

 The surviving fragments of Sir Vere Hunt's diary show that as late as 1815 he was still struggling to make something of the town.  Unfortunately he had not got the necessary finance to support his ambitious project.  There is a local tradition that the first building erected had been the barrack and that no luck could come to such a place.  He built a courthouse which was never used and which was later turned into the Glengoole Church.

 From information received, there was both a Military Barracks and a police barracks.  The military barracks was situated at the southern end of the town constantly garrisoned by soldier.  The jail was also built at that end of the town.  A ‘pound’ was built next to the jail, where all the animals and goods that were confiscated by the police or by the military were kept.  Hunt also had a post office built, which was situated near the centre of the town, beside which was the police barracks.  Across from the jail, he had a hotel built which catered for eleven families.

 He established a ‘female charity school’ in the town and he subscribed a sum of money for temporary repairs to the old church which stood at the back of Kennedy’s house.  The site is now occupied by a haybarn.  Hunt gave financial support for the building of the new church in 1813.  He had John Neville as architect and James Kenna as builder of the new church.  It was built on the sit of the present church.  The female charity school is believed to have been situated across the road from the church.   

 The old school which still survives today, (as the FAS office and store), was built in 1831 from local funds only yards away from the church.  Prior to this there was another school in New Birmingham which was given by Sir Aubrey Hunt, Sir Vere’s heir.  It had two teachers named Thomas Carroll and John Banon (15). There is however, no evidence of where this school might have been. It could possibly even have been the Female Charity School but this cannot be verified.  

 The Post Office was built on the site where Brennan’s Pub is situated today.  Around the late 19th century it was owned and run by a Mrs. Coppinger. In later years, a family by the name of McDonald moved in.  They were the last family to live there before the Brennans.  

 The council housing estate is situated just in front of what was until a decade ago the substantial ruins of the old Jail.  This ruin was demolished a few years ago.  The lane way which ran in front of the Jail was called Robinson's Row.  There is a road in the estate called Aubrey Road and it got it's name from the official name road which runs in front of the estate, which was called Aubrey Street.  This street ran up as far as the cross roads and the continuation of this road was called Vere Street.  There were three streets joining this street to the back lane, which was then known as Oxford Street.  The three streets were Hardwicke Street, (which ran up by the side of Kennedys house), Limerick Street and Patrick Street, one of which ran where Brennans Pub is situated now.  Other street names devised for Hunt’s ‘new town’ were Donnybrook Road, Pargarave and Wellington Place but we have no information of where these planned or actual thoroughfares were situated.

 According to the "Department of Irish Folklore", there was a forge in the village of New Birmingham years ago.  The Smith's name was Bill Burke.  He was not a native of Glengoole, coming originally from Borrisoliegh.  Before he came to Glengoole, the forge was in a different part of the village and the Smith's name was Michael Harrigan.  Also in the village of New Birmingham were two cobblers, Tommy Cleere and Paddy Wall.

 From the point of view of history before Vere Hunt, like the rest of the parish, there are scanter records.  There were a number of ringforts in the immediate village area, many of which have now either been removed or have become overgrown. There is a large square fort in Glengoole North.  It can be found at the northern end and is situated about a half mile from the road.