Carrickmacross

Carrickmacross is a market town which developed around a castle built by the Earl of Essex in 1630. The Convent of St Louis now stands on the original castle site, as the castle itself was destroyed in the late 17th century during the Williamite Wars.{{cite web|url = https://www.carrickmacross.ie/history | website = carrickmacross.ie| publisher = Carrickmacross-Castleblayney Municipal District| title = Carrickmacross History | access-date = 18 February 2020 }}

The town developed further as a market town during the 18th century, and a number of large municipal and religious buildings were built to serve the growing population during the 19th century. The town experienced population decline in mid- to late-19th century, during the Great Famine,{{cite web|url = http://www.aboutireland.ie/carrickmacross.htm | website = aboutireland.ie | title = Carrickmacross | access-date = 18 February 2020 }} with the population decreasing from 2,063 in 1861 to 1,779 inhabitants by 1891. The town's Poor Law Union Workhouse and Fever Hospital were built in this period - the latter later becoming the offices of the Urban District Council which was originally formed in 1899.{{cite web | url = http://www.monaghan.ie/carrickmacrosstc/carricktchistory.asp | publisher = Monaghan County Council | website = monaghan.ie | title = Carrick History | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070328190142/http://www.monaghan.ie/carrickmacrosstc/carricktchistory.asp | archive-date = 28 March 2007 }}

Among the historic buildings in the town is the Roman Catholic church which was completed in 1866 and is dedicated to Saint Joseph.{{cite web|url = https://www.buildingsofireland.ie/buildings-search/building/41310034/saint-josephs-church-oneill-street-drummond-otra-carrickmacross-county-monaghan | publisher = National Inventory of Architectural Heritage | website = buildingsofireland.ie | title = Saint Joseph's Church, Carrickmacross, County Monaghan | access-date = 18 February 2020}} It contains ten stained-glass windows which were designed by the artist Harry Clarke in 1925.{{cite book |last=Meehan |first=Cary |date=2004 |title=Sacred Ireland |url= |location=Somerset |publisher=Gothic Image Publications |page=65 |isbn=0 906362 43 1 |access-date=}} The town's Church of Ireland church, dedicated to Saint Finbarr, is older, and was built c.1770 before being remodelled c.1845.{{cite web|url = https://www.buildingsofireland.ie/buildings-search/building/41310063/saint-finbarrs-church-main-street-farney-street-drummond-otra-carrickmacross-county-monaghan | publisher = National Inventory of Architectural Heritage | website = buildingsofireland.ie | title = Saint Finbarrs Church, Carrickmacross, County Monaghan | access-date = 18 February 2020}}

Magheross Church, located on the outskirts of the town, is also of historical interest, and originally dates from c.1550.{{cite web|url = http://www.carrickmacrossworkhouse.com/index.php/magheross-cemetery | website = carrickmacrossworkhouse.com | title = Magheross Cemetery | access-date = 18 February 2020 }}{{cite web|url = https://www.buildingsofireland.ie/buildings-search/building/41310080/magheross-church-magheross-road-magheross-carrickmacross-county-monaghan | publisher = National Inventory of Architectural Heritage | website = buildingsofireland.ie | title = Magheross Church, Carrickmacross, County Monaghan | access-date = 18 February 2020}} Other notable buildings include the Carrickmacross Courthouse (built in 1837){{cite web|url = https://www.buildingsofireland.ie/buildings-search/building/41310005/carrickmacross-courthouse-main-street-drummond-otra-carrickmacross-county-monaghan | publisher = National Inventory of Architectural Heritage | website = buildingsofireland.ie | title = Carrickmacross Courthouse, Carrickmacross, County Monaghan | access-date = 18 February 2020}} and the restored Poor Law Union Workhouse (built in 1841).{{cite web|url = http://www.carrickmacrossworkhouse.com | website = carrickmacrossworkhouse.com | title = Carrickmacross Workhouse | access-date = 18 February 2020 }}

The grave of Patrick Byrne (1794–1863), the last major exponent of the Gaelic harp and the first Irish traditional musician ever photographed, is in the area.{{citation needed|date=January 2018}}

{{main|Carrickmacross lace}}

The town is known for the lace bearing its name. Carrickmacross lace is worked in an individual style, devised by Mrs Grey Porter, wife of the rector of Donaghmoyne, who introduced it in 1820. When she left the district the teaching of Carrickmacross lacemaking was continued by Miss Reid of Rahans, but it was only after the Great Famine in 1846, when a lace school was set up by the managers of the Bath and Shirley estates at Carrickmacross as a means of helping their starving tenants, that the lace became known and found sales.

Subsequently, the lacemaking declined, but in the last decade of the 19th century the Sisters of St Louis founded their own lace school to revive the craft, and this was quite profitable for several years.{{cite book |last=Ó Cléirigh |first=Nellie |title=Carrickmacross lace: Irish embroidered net lace |year=1985 |publisher=Dolmen Press |location=Mountrath, Ireland |isbn=0-85105-436-6}} Although the outbreak of the 1914–18 war marked the virtual end of commercial production of hand-made lace in Europe, the lace school kept the technique alive throughout most of the 20th century. In 1984 the St Louis Sisters assisted in the formation of the Carrickmacross Lace Co-operative, which maintains the tradition to this day.{{cite web |title=Carrickmacross lace gallery |url=http://www.carrickmacrosslace.ie/acatalog/index.html |access-date=20 May 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130520051550/http://www.carrickmacrosslace.ie/acatalog/index.html |archive-date=20 May 2013 |df=dmy}}

Although Ireland was neutral during World War Two, there were some incidents during the period. On 20 December 1940, as well as two bombs falling on Sandycove in Dublin, two more fell on Shantonagh near Carrickmacross, causing minor damage to house property.[http://www.irishtimes.com/news/the-day-they-bombed-dublin-1.54917 The day they bombed Dublin]

Carrickmacross railway station opened on 31 July 1886, the terminus of a branch from the Dundalk–Enniskillen line at Inniskeen. The station, and the branch, closed to passengers on 10 March 1947, but remained open for goods traffic until final closure on 1 January 1960.{{cite web |title=Carrickmacross station |url=http://www.railscot.co.uk/Ireland/Irish_railways.pdf |work=Railscot – Irish Railways |access-date=15 September 2007}}

File:Carrickmacross St. Joseph's Church Guests arrive to a Wedding.jpg

There are three primary schools in Carrickmacross:

• St. Joseph's Boys National School, situated near St. Macartan's Villas, is an all-boys national school which was previously run by the Patrician Brothers.
• Bunscoil Lughaidh Naofa, which is in Cloughvalley, is an all-girls school, was run by the St. Louis nuns who came to Carrickmacross in 1888.
• Scoil Rois is a Gaelscoil (an Irish language-medium school) in Carrickmacross. It is a mixed school that, having moved from the Convent Avenue, now occupies newer premises built across from Bunscoil Lughaidh Naofa.

The Patrician High School (or PHS) is one of three secondary schools in Carrickmacross.{{cite web|url = http://www.patricianhighschool.ie | website = patricianhighschool.ie | title = Patrician High School website}} It was set up by the Patrician Brothers, and was previously situated next to the Church on O'Neills street; that building is now the Scout Hall. It moved to Rockdaniel Road in 1970, and a new extension was opened in 2007.{{cite web|url = http://www.patricianhighschool.ie/School/HistoryofOurSchool.aspx | website = patricianhighschool.ie| title = History of Our School | access-date = 19 February 2020 }} As of 2015 it had approximately 500 pupils enrolled.{{cite web|url = https://www.education.ie/en/Publications/Inspection-Reports-Publications/Whole-School-Evaluation-Reports-List/report5_64750G.pdf | publisher = Department of Education | website = education.ie | title = Whole-School Evaluation Report - Patrician High School, Carrickmacross, County Monaghan | date = 15 January 2015 | access-date = 18 February 2020}}

Inver College, called the TEC by students and townspeople due to its being a technological school, is a mixed school situated on the Castleblayney Road.{{cite web|url = http://www.invercollege.ie | website = invercollege.ie | title = Inver College website}} As of 2019, it had approximately 320 students enrolled.{{cite web|url = https://www.gov.ie/en/school-report/37qkox-/ | publisher = Department of Education | website = gov.ie | title = Subject Inspection Report - Inver College, Carrickmacross, County Monaghan | date = 11 February 2019 | access-date = 3 March 2022 }} Inver College won the U16 VEC GAA County Championship for the second consecutive year in January 2011.{{citation needed|date=February 2020}}

St. Louis Convent is an all-girls secondary school set up by the St. Louis nuns in the 19th century. There were approximately 570 pupils enrolled in the school as of 2017.{{cite web|url = https://www.education.ie/ga/Foilseach%C3%A1in/Tuairisc%C3%AD-Cigireachta-Foilseach%C3%A1in/Cigireachta%C3%AD-%C3%81bhar-Tuarasc%C3%A1lacha-Liosta/64760J_Subject%20Inspection_6542_20180223.pdf | publisher = Department of Education | website = education.ie | title = Subject Inspection Report - Saint Louis Secondary Schoo, Carrickmacross, County Monaghan | date = 7 December 2017 | access-date = 18 February 2020}} The school was set up in honour of St. Louis (Louis IX of France). The motto of the school is Ut Sint Unum, Latin for 'that they may be one'. The school is situated on the Convent Avenue.

{{Main article|List of twin towns and sister cities in the Republic of Ireland}}

Carrickmacross is twinned with the commune of Carhaix, Brittany, in France.{{cite web|url = http://www.carrickmacross.ie/html/twinning/index.asp | website = carrickmacross.ie | title = Carrickmacross / Carhaix Town Twinning| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100624093805/http://www.carrickmacross.ie/html/twinning/index.asp |archive-date=24 June 2010}}

Carrickmacross town council elects 9 members and is responsible for the provision of local services. At the last local elections in 2009 three members were elected from Fine Gael and two each from Sinn Féin, Fianna Fáil and the Green Party. It forms part of the five-seat Carrickmacross Local Electoral Area for elections for Monaghan County Council.

In February 2010, the town council voted 5:4{{cite web |title=Carickmacross town council Minutes |work=carrickmacross.ie |url=http://www.carrickmacross.ie/html/Government/minutes/TownCouncil_February2010.pdf |access-date=6 June 2010}} {{dead link|date=November 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes}} to remove a page signed by the Israeli ambassador from the town's visitors' book in response to the illegal use of Irish passports by agents of Mossad in the assassination of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh.{{cite news |title=Council sparks diplomatic row by snubbing Israeli ambassador |work=Irish Independent |url=http://www.independent.ie/national-news/council-sparks-diplomatic-row-by-snubbing-israeli-ambassador-2083465.html |access-date=6 June 2010 |first=Maeve |last=Sheehan |date=28 February 2010}}

Carrickmacross Emmets is the local Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) club. The local soccer team is Carrick Rovers.{{fact|date=January 2025}} The town's basketball club, Carrick Cruisers, competes in competitions organised by Basketball Ireland.{{fact|date=January 2025}}

{{See also|Category:People from Carrickmacross}}

• Barry Conlon, footballer{{cite news |url=http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/the-match-i-hate-the-game-i-actually-hate-the-game-26701639.html |title=The match: 'I hate the game. I actually hate the game.' |last=McDonnell |first=Dan |date=22 November 2010 |work=Irish Independent |access-date=9 March 2017}}
• Noel Curran, RTÉ Director General, who was born in the town.{{cite news |url=http://www.irishtimes.com/news/new-generation-takes-charge-of-remote-control-1.379255 |title=New generation takes charge of remote control |date=27 September 2003 |newspaper=The Irish Times |access-date=9 March 2017}}
• Bernard Duffy, Irish barrister, novelist and playwright.{{Cite web|author=Allen, Nicholas|date=2009|title=Bernard Joseph Duffy|url=https://www.dib.ie/biography/duffy-bernard-joseph-a2807|website=Dictionary of Irish Biography|language=en-GB|archive-date=September 24, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240924214121/https://www.dib.ie/biography/duffy-bernard-joseph-a2807|url-status=live}}
• Francis Noel Duffy, Green Party politician{{citation needed|date=June 2020}}
• Thomas Hughes, Victoria Cross winner{{cite web |url=https://collection.nam.ac.uk/detail.php?acc=1959-09-155-1 |title=VC group awarded to Private Thomas Hughes, 6th Battalion, The Connaught Rangers, for his actions at Guillemont, 3 September 1916. |publisher=National Army Museum |access-date=9 March 2017}}
• Eileen Kennedy, Ireland's first female judge{{cite news |url=http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/archive/1983/1013/Pg013.html |title=First woman district justice dies aged 69 |date=13 October 1983 |newspaper=The Irish Times |page=13 |access-date=9 December 2016}}
• Thomas McMahon, convicted murderer of four including Admiral of the Fleet The 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, two children and an elderly woman
• Gerry Murphy, RTÉ weatherman{{cite web|url = https://www.rte.ie/weather/weather-team/2017/0117/845562-gerry-murphy/ | website = rte.ie | publisher = RTÉ | title = Weather Presenters - Gerry Murphy |access-date = 18 February 2020 }}
• Ardal O'Hanlon, comedian and actor{{cite news |url=http://www.independent.ie/entertainment/books/ardal-ohanlon-stand-up-for-a-life-well-lived-26851128.html |title=Ardal O'Hanlon: Stand up for a life well lived |last=Dwyer |first=Ciara |date=7 May 2012 |work=Irish Independent |access-date=10 March 2017}}
• Rory O'Hanlon, former Ceann Comhairle{{cite news |url=http://www.northernstandard.ie/2011/02/11/ohanlon-steps-down-after-33-years/ |title=O'Hanlon steps down after 33 years |date=11 February 2011 |work=Northern Standard |access-date=10 March 2017}}
• Henry O'Reilly, Irish-American businessman and telegraphy pioneer{{cite news |url=http://dlib.nyu.edu/findingaids/html/nyhs/oreilly/bioghist.html |title=Guide to the Henry O'Reilly Papers |access-date=27 October 2021}}
• Sephira, classical crossover group{{cite news |url=http://www.independent.ie/entertainment/music/ruth-and-joyce-oleary-we-had-a-goal-and-went-for-it-30437623.html |title=Ruth and Joyce O'Leary: We had a goal and went for it |last=Smith |first=Andrea |date=21 July 2014 |access-date=10 March 2017}}
• The Flaws, indie rock band{{cite web |url=https://www.hotpress.com/The-Flaws/news/WATCH-The-Flaws-make-their-comeback/11878823.html |title=WATCH: The Flaws make their comeback |date=11 July 2014 |work=Hot Press |access-date=10 March 2017}}

• List of towns and villages in Ireland

{{reflist}}

{{Commons category}}

{{EB1911 poster|Carrickmacross}}

• [https://carrickmacross.ie/ Carrickmacross.ie]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20070328190142/http://www.monaghan.ie/carrickmacrosstc/carricktchistory.asp History] Monaghan County Council
• [http://www.carrickmacrossworkhouse.com Carrickmacross Workhouse]

{{County Monaghan}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Civil parishes of County Monaghan

Category:Towns and villages in County Monaghan

Category:Former urban districts in the Republic of Ireland