Mayo county town's streets with no names
By Tom Gillespie
DOWN the years several attempts were made to rename the streets of Castlebar.
It started as far back as 1920 when members of the local Urban District Council (UDC) drew up a list of recommendations to reflect the changes independence from Britain had brought about.
A second set of proposals were drafted later that year. And again in 1939 the councillors were presented with alternative street names.
All of these efforts, it seems, were in vain, as the proposed changes were never adopted or introduced.
In 1920 the first formed committee of members of the UDC to oversee the changing of street names in the county town made their recommendations.
Historian Noel Campbell, author of A History of Castlebar - Municipal Government 1613 to 2014, researched the task, which was undertaken for a second time again that year, and yet later in 1939.
Despite all the consultation and recommendations, all of the streets have retained their original names.
However, it was heartening to see that in the first list, councillors, having regard to the historical significance attached to the names of Gallows Hill, Linenhall Street and Rush Street, said that they should stand.
In the first census the following changes were proposed:
Barrack Street could be renamed Ninety-Eight Street Lower, Bridge Street (Teeling Street); Castle Street (De Barry Street); Chapel Street Lower (Church Street Lower); Chapel Street Upper (Church Street Upper); Charles Street Lower (Wolfe Tone Street Lower); Charles Street Upper (Wolfe Tone Street (Upper); Church Street (O’Rahilly Street); Collectors Lane or Lucan Street (Sarsfield Street); and Ellison Street (John McBride Street).
Other changes recommended were: The Green or Mall (Fr. Conroy’s Green); Market Street (Humbert Street); Narrow Lane (Patrick Street); Newantrim Street (Thomas Davis Street); Newtown (Archbishop McHale Street); Poorhouse Hill or Staball (French Hill Street); Richard Street (Lord Edward Street); Rock Square (Roger Casement Square); Shamble Square (O’Donovan Rossa Square); Shamble Street (James Connolly Street); Spencer Street (Patrick Pearse Street); Thomas Street (Ninety-Eight Street); Thomas Street Upper (Ninety-Eight Street Upper); and Tucker Street (William Rooney Street).
It seems the renaming proposals were put on hold and later that year a second UDC committee was appointed to consider and report on the recommendations of the previous committee's renaming task.
On this occasion they came up with the following, listed in order of existing name, previous recommendation and the new recommendations:
Existing: Chapel Street Upper; Chapel Street Lower; Charles Street Lower; Church Street; Poor House Hill or Staball; Rush Street; Shamble Square; Thomas Street; and Thomas Street Upper.
Previous recommendations: Church Street Upper; Church Street Lower; Wolfe Tone Street; O’Rahilly Street; French Hill Street; Rush Street; O’Donovan Rossa Street; Ninety-Eight Street; and ’98 Street Upper.
New recommendations: Oliver Plunket Street; Robert Emmet Street; Thomasina Street; Church Street; Staball; Mitchel Street; O’Rahilly Square; O’Donovan Rossa Street and Sean MacDermot Street.
And as the seanachi once said, ‘Things rested so’.
Or did they?
It was another 19 years, when, in 1939, a motion proposed by Councillor J.J. Collins and seconded by Councillor Joe Chambers sought the following street name changes:
Barrack Street to be renamed Ninety-Eight Street Lower; Bridge Street - Teeling Street; Chapel Street Lower - Emmet Street; Chapel Street Upper - Oliver Plunket Street; Charles Street Lower - Wolfe Tone Street Lower; Charles Street Upper - Wolfe Tone Street Upper; Church Street - O’Rahilly Street; Collector’s Lane or Lucan Street - Sarsfield Street; Ellison Street - MacBride Street; The Green or Mall - Father Conroy’s Green; Market Street - Humbert Street; Narrow Lane - Patrick Street; Newantrim Street - Thomas Davis Street; Richard Street - Lord Edward Street; Newtown - MacHale Street; Rock Square - Casement Square; Shamble Square - O’Rahilly Square; Shamble Street - Connolly Street; Spencer Street - Pearse Street; Thomas Street - MacEvilly Street; Thomas Street Upper - O’Donovan Rossa Street, and Tucker Street - Rooney Street.
J.J. Collins of Castle Street, grandfather of auctioneer Thomas Collins, was chairman of the UDC from 1944/’45 and Joe Chambers of Knockthomas wore the chain of office from 1945 to 1948 and again from 1956/’57.
Mr. Campbell wrote: “The council’s nationalist philosophy was stamped on its every deed. J.J. Collins’ proposal that the streets be renamed to reflect the country’s break with its colonial master was accepted, as was a proposal to mark out a Republican plot in the cemetery for Volunteers S. McEvilly, T. O’Donnell, P. Staunton and J. Collins who were killed in action in Killeen.
“A proposal was also put forward to erect a monument on the Mall to mark the spot where Fr. Conroy was executed during the 1798 Rebellion. The remaining portion of the tree on which Fr. Andrew Conroy perished was to be moved to the council yard for protection.”
The Republican plot is there to be seen today in Castlebar’s old graveyard - just above the new car park at the start of the Lough Lannagh loop trail.
There is, sadly, no monument to Fr. Conroy.
In the 1970s the then UDC named a new housing estate in the town as Fr. Conroy Estate.
The new tenants, however, were not enamoured with the name, much out of ignorance, I guess, as to the plight of the Lahardane priest, and by way of plebiscite had the name changed to Riverdale Court (Knockthomas Estate).
Now I wonder want happened to the remains of the hanging tree which had grown opposite the Imperial Hotel and if it was ever moved to the council yard for safe keeping.