Photo Gallery

 Abbeyleix in Pictures,

                    Old and New

Abbeyleix Lore

                      In this picture taken in 1904, the poster on the nearest lime tree advertises the excitement of a circus coming to town. One of the first motors in town can be seen just emerging from behind the pony and trap. Note also the coming to town of the telephone. One pole has its cross beams attached while two others await theirs, and lust beside the lady crossing the town stream is one of the paraffin street lamps,

             About one mile south of the town, towards the southern end of the parish,  lived a Miss Murphy who was a shining example of the enterprise and initiative typical of  many Abbeyleix people during the first 

couple of decades of the century. Miss Murphy lived in what was known as The Schoolhouse, Bluegate, beside the Cork road, and she was almost one hundred years ahead of her time, in that she operated  what nowadays would be called a playschool or kindergarten for the very young children of the area. As soon as they could walk, the two and three year olds were taken to the schoolhouse, and were entertained and educated by Miss Murphy until  as one of her  past pupils,  John Kelly of Killamuck put it,  "their little legs were strong enough to carry them into town to the nuns". Around 1920, as many as fifty toddlers attended Miss Murphy's playschool daily and were gently prepared for the life and times ahead of them.  As well as being involved in local lace-making,  the same Miss Murphy started the Abbeyleix Irish Knitting Industry and Abbeyleix Work School, and organised many of the local women as knitters in their own homes.  In 1912,  at the national Rural Industries Fair in Dublin, Stand 24 exhibited many beautiful embroidered frocks, which had been manufactured in the Work School in Bluegate House.   Much of their produce was exported to England and America,  and provided a very welcome additional income in many of the houses, and it was unfortunate that when Miss Murphy retired in the middle 1920s, her school closed down and the knitting business faded away.   As a matter of interest, Abbeyleix Carpets were on display also at the same Fair, with a price tag of £40 for a large carpet. 

 

The Schoolhouse, Bluegate

Miss Murphy of Bluegate School

           Lace Cottage on the Estate which for many years of the late 1800s was the centre of lace making in Abbeyleix. Abbeyleix Lace was in demand for many years aspecially in London. It is obvious that the standard of lace making was very high as many awards were won particularly at the Cork Exhibition of 1883 where Bridget Mc Evoy a local lace worker won the prestigious  Silver Award for Quality.

The Lace Cottage

           Photo courtesy of Beverley Riley

How many can you recognise in these photos

Macra Na Feirme  1953

Pupils and Teachers

Church of Ireland South School

2010