History of Templemore

Tuadh Corca Teine
At the time of St Patrick (432-461), Teine, The son of the King of Connaught, came to the Templemore area, with his followers. . He built a large fort at Manna, later called Farran na Manna. Teine and his followers occupied a large area around Templemore, spreading out as far as Moyne, Two-Mile-Borris, and Moyaliffe, as can be seen in names like Ballyerk and Killvalure. Both Erk and Mavure were descendants of Teine, and the territory was called Tuadh Corca Teine (The Territory of the descendants of Teine)

Saint Silean (Naomh Shileain)
The first saint mentioned as living in Templemore was Saint Sileain, and is remembered in the townsland in which the town is built - Kiltillane (Sheelan's Church).

Barony of Ely
The ancient name for the area was Ely, and between 900 and 1000, Ely was divided between two old Celtic families- the O'Carrols and the O'Fogartys. This division of lands gives us the present baronies of Elyocarrol and Elyogarty.

Norman Invasion

1169 saw the end of the Irish culture and traditions, as they were then known with the Norman invasion. The new regime in the territory became the property of the Butlers, later the Earls of Ormond. The Butler family donated a small piece of land to the Abbey of St Thomas in Dublin, and about 1200 a large Abbey was built with a moated graveyard, the remains of which are still to be seen in the Town Park. Monastic settlements were located at the site of Teine's fort Farran na Manna (Land of the Monks) while St Sileans's monastery was also located nearby. Another monastery was located near Rosnaminiff, near Knockinroe. Before the Synod of Rathbrassil in 1111, there were no secular clergy and monks left from these monasteries to celebrate Mass for the locals.

Blackcastle

The Blackcastle as it is known, was built in the Town Park in 1450 by the Butlers. This building and its manor lands were occupied by them and leased to the families of Purcell of Loughmore and Morris of Knocka.

Church in the park

Most likely built in the 14thcentury, it was dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, consisting of a large building and residential accommodation attached, in order for priests to celebrate Mass in outlying areas. It was from this church the town derived its name An Teampall Mór = The Grand or Large Church. Records show Rev Fr Denis O’Donogan was appointed to the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Corkatenny in 1387.

Templemore - Name first appears in 1570

The name Templemore first appears in 1570,deriving its name from the big abbey church in the Town Park. It would appear that for some years following the reformation, this abbey was in use by Catholics, as a tomb in the adjoining graveyard records the burial of Father Edmundus Dulaney PP St Mary's Templemore in 1632. In 1684 the local Protestant Union was formed and the abbey was used until 1790 when it was in bad repair and vacated. The portion in use for service at that time can be seen through the entrance gate.

Mud walled chapels
Several mud walled churches were erected during the penal days, and were situated in Aughall wood, Borrisbeg and Eastwood that was in use up to 1815. Records show Carden destroyed the mud walled church at Borrisbeg by driving a herd of cattle over it.

First parish priest
Father Guilfoyle was appointed Parish Priest in 1704 and is unlikely to have any permanent residence, as priests were "hunted men" during Penal Days, administering to their flock by stealth.

Carden Cemetery at Old Church in Templemore Town Park
Photo courtesy of Malcolm R. Carden, Piedmont, California.

Around 1695 the Butlers sold extensive lands to an English family called Carden. From Cheshire, they settled in the area and also located at Barnane and Fishmoyne, This family over the next 200 years, were to play a very significant part in the history of Templemore and district.

The Priory, Templemore

We recently availed ourselves of a favourable opportunity to visit this splendid modern pile of building, which the munificence of Sir John Craven Carden is fast bringing to completion – and after passing along the handsomely wooded road leading from the little town of Templemore, we, in a few minutes reached, the entrance of the Priory. In the course of the present avenue and through the fine old plantations of the demesne, the visitor obtains some very pleasing peeps of the variety of mountain, hill, and dale, that surrounds the remnant of the old castle in which the Knights Templars are said to have held festive and courtly reign.
The Country here cannot boast of any striking natural feature, but it owes a great deal to a careful study of ornamental planting, - and something to the range of mountains that skirt the north-western suburbs of Templemore. When you emerge from the wooded avenue, the family mansion suddenly comes into view, and at once arrests attention. The noble Gothic pile of finely chiselled limestone, with its battlements, turrets, buttresses and extensive façade, and spacious arched doorway; the architraves of grouped columns, retreating to the depth of several feet, convey to the mind an idea of architectural grandeur seldom associated with the country residences of our gentry.
The southern front of this truly splendid mansion is ornamented with the arms of the Carden family, and shields and other armorial devices relieve the spaces between the large windows with their limestone framework. In continuation of this part of the building, a conservatory in the same style of architecture has been built, and awaits the arrival of a handsome cast iron roof, which has been manufactured after a design selected by Sir John, in England. This conservatory opens into a range of glasshouses, through which there is passage into a large racket-court the exterior and interior fittings of which are in perfect keeping with the beauty and style of the rest of the building.
The terraced gardens in this part of the grounds, with their custom borders, pedestals, and fountain basins, are in miniature somewhat after the style of Sydenham – that “mathematical precision” which too often has been allowed to detract from the luxurious negligence of nature is here in great degree subdued and the pure English landscape is not altogether forgotten. The house itself consists of sixty rooms, and the sum of, we understand £20,000 in round numbers, has been expended so far upon the building, - Upon entering the grand hall, through the massive oaken doorway, replete with medieval decorations, the visitor finds that ‘The Priory’ has been erected in a style of magnificence not very generally met with – it is floored en mosaique, in walnut and oak; the peculiar grotesque spirit of the Gothic style is not permitted to run riot through the rich oak carving, while that more beautiful element, tracery enters largely into the interior ornamentation – the oak painted ceiling richly stuccoed and the polished armour shields an banners that hang around with the erect figures in full suits of armour; the wide staircase in massive oak – the great doorways leading to the drawing –room at one side and to the library at the other – the rich and mellow light that comes through the beautiful stained glass window that forms the upper portion of the Gothic entrance, and through the lancet shaped sashes – all this bespeak a profuse liberality and taste of order.
The library is particularly deserving of attention – nay of admiration, its covered ceiling is so richly constructed that the stucco devices depend some eighteen inches, or two feet from the ceiling itself- the pillared windows look out on the terraces, and admit of some of the best views that can be had from the house. There is but one drawback to the grandeur of the scale upon which the building has been planned. The depth of the principal staircase is too shallow to be union with the proportions of everything around, however, this could not well be avoided, and to more than compensate for this relative deficiency of space, the walls and sides of the staircase are to be mirrored all over, and the great plates of glass are to be set in oak frames of purely Gothic pattern.
The entire place is to be lighted with gas, manufactured on the premises, and to be heated with hot water, the piper for the conveyance of which are run around all the rooms, and placed within a channel that is concealed with ornate iron and wood work. In the hall the pipes are coiled in large chambers, that are perforated into a metal tracery of a handsome description, which has been designed by Mr. James Stewart a local artificer. The building has occupied five years in construction, and in, we have been informed, the design of the late Augustin Pugin to whom the modern architecture of Great Britain owes so much. It will yet occupy twelve months before it is completed.
The remaining decorative works are now carried on under the superintendence of Sir John Carden himself, and during his absence, by his very intelligent land steward Mr. Morgan, who keeps in constant employment an efficient staff of workmen, as witnessed by the superior finish of the heavy stucco enrichments that hang from the covered ceiling, and which are chiefly the work of Mr. William Fitzgerald, formerly of Clonmel. A large quantity of the House furniture, manufactured specially, is at present in the Dublin Exhibition, and will be brought to Templemore early next year, when it is expected the worthy proprietor of the Estate, will take up his residence at the Priory – which in point of style and finish, is certainly a very handsome addition to the architecture of this part of Ireland. – Clonmel Chronicle.
Extract from "Tipperary Advocate", 30 November 1861.

The Mills

The Butlers built a large mill and is still in existence to this day. The town at that time consisted of approximately 20 houses surrounding the Mills. While not operational the façade is being incorporated into the new town library being built on the site. In 1701 Carden applied for a charter to hold cattle fairs, and ever since the town has been synonymous with fairs for cattle sheep, pigs and horses. It is through the holding of fairs that the town developed with its large market square, being attributed to the planning of Carden.

Templemore 1814 (Parliamentary Papers of 1814, detail from the Maps of the Bogs in Ireland drawn by David Aher)

Military Barracks
In the early 1800's the British Government opted for Thurles as the location for its new military barracks. However due to its location near the Ursuline Convent and the ensuing furore, the War Office resited the barracks at Templemore. Sir John Carden donated a 17-acre site and also supplied the adjoining 40 acres for training and recreation. The barracks consisted of 2 squares, surrounded by company lines, stores, married quarters, officer's mess, military prison, church and hospital. Completely surrounded by a high wall, with protective/defensive posts at each corner, it had accommodation for 25 officers, married quarters for 48 other ranks, and 767 unmarried personnel. A total of 36 hospital beds and 15 guardroom cells were located within the complex as well as stabling for 27 officers horses. The Richmond barracks as it was named, and the surrounding area was quickly developed, with names such as Talevara Place, Vinemara Mall, and Regent Bridge, reminding all and sundry of the ongoing wars with which the barracks had become associated. The following units were stationed in Templemore; 11^th Depot Battalion, 59^th Glasgow Regiment, Tipperary Artillery Regiment, 4^th Battalion, Dublin Fusilier, Munster Fusiliersand the Northamptonshire Regimen. During the First World War, German prisoners of war were detained in the barracks. Mostly Prussian Guards, they were considered some of the best soldiers in the German Army. A feature of this period was the unique separate parades on Sundays of the different Faiths marching to Mass or Service while singing their own national songs. Sadly two soldiers died during their enforced stay and were buried locally. They were reinterred in the German National Cemetery at Glencree. During the War of Independence, the Northamptonshire Regiment was based at the Barracks and conducted reprisals in the town on two occasion, once for the shooting of D.I. Wilson in Patrick Street, when the Town Hall was destroyed by fire, and secondly in avenging a successful ambush on a convoy of Crown Troops by Nationalist Forces at Thomastown Castle. Two other premises in the town – Mrs Smiths and the Crescent (Billy Kelly’s) were burned down while other houses suffered minor damage. Following the Treaty in 1922, the Richmond Barracks was handed over to the Irish Provisional Government by Major Phibbs of the 10^th Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment, to Commandant Sean Scott, O/C, 2nd Battalion, Mid Tipperary Brigade. Under the command o Brigadier James Leahy, the 2^nd Mid Tipperary Brigade now took over the renamed McCan Barracks. Subsequently the troops decided to support the anti treaty side and a state of defence was in operation within the barracks. Through the intervention of Most Rev Dr Harty, Archbishop of Cashel & Emly, hostilities were avoided and the troops in possession of the barracks were allowed evacuate. The National Army remained there until 1929. World War II commenced in 1939, and the 10^th Uisneach Battalion was garrisoned at McCan Barracks, until the end of hostilities. In the 1950's, on the integration of the Fórsa Cosanta Áitiúil (Local Defence Force) and the Regular Army several large and successful reserve training camps were held in the barracks. This in turn led to the establishment of the 3^rd F.A. Regiment (Reserve) and being headquartered at McCan Barracks together with the 9^th Field Battery of that regiment. The recent refurbishment in 2001, with its state of the art offices, stores and training facilities, ensures the continuation of the military tradition in the town. As of October 2005 the 3rd Field Artillery Regiment has become the 31st Reserve Artillery Regiment (RDF).

The History of the Garda Síochána College
– by Sergeant John Reynolds, Garda College Museum.

Historical background:
The Garda College, Templemore in County Tipperary was originally built in 1809 as Richmond Barracks after a Government decision to build a number of new Barracks in Ireland. Tipperary had a history of lawlessness, once causing the Chief Secretary Robert Peel to comment; ‘you can have no idea of the moral depravation of the lower orders in that county’. Peel, in later correspondence with Lord Liverpool, attributed the cause of ongoing disturbance in Ireland to ‘that natural predilection for outrage and a lawless life which I believe nothing can control’.
The Peninsular War was in progress while the Barracks was being built, and to commemorate recent victories in that campaign, streets in Templemore were named after locations associated with the Peninsular War, such as Wellington Mall, Talavera Place, Vimerma Mall and Bussaco Street. The barracks was named in honour of the Duke of Richmond, who served under the Duke of Wellington. Between construction in 1809 and Irish Independence in 1922, almost 100 different Regiments of the British Army served in Templemore. Richmond Barracks was built on a 57 acre site owned by Sir John Carden, a member of the dominant local family. An unpopular figure, as he had evicted many tenants from his estates, thereby earning the nickname ‘Woodcock’ because ‘those who shot at him always missed’.
Richmond was one of the largest barracks in Ireland, and in 1837 it was reported that; ‘Templemore contains extensive military barracks with accommodations for 54 officers, 1500 men and 30 horses, and an hospital for 80 patients; a bridewell; a fever hospital and a dispensary, ball, news and reading rooms, and a public billiard table.

In 1847 sixteen year old Henry Loft of the 64^th Regiment of Foot was stationed in Richmond Barracks. In a letter to his mother dated 28^th May 1847, Henry refers to the journey to Templemore from barracks in Wexford; ‘Altogether we marched 84 English miles from Wexford to Templemore. These are splendid barracks, with two large squares, and all the buildings three storeys high. The officer’s quarters are very good, with all the rooms newly papered and painted. My rooms are on the top floor, with a beautiful view. The town is a wretched place… there is only one street with three or four respectable shops’. Along with the economic benefits which accrued to a town as a result of having a barracks in the locality, The British army was also a critical source of employment for Irishmen, and huge numbers enlisted, for a variety of reasons.

The large proportion of Irish soldiers in the army and their loyalty to the crown was an ongoing cause of concern to the government. In 1886, W.H Smith, the secretary of state for war, proposed that the chief secretary should seek to improve the employment prospects for army reservists in Ireland and commented that ‘They are probably disposed to be loyal, but it would be just as well to make it worth their while to remain so’. In December 1865 the Nenagh Guardian newspaper reported that the 11^th depot battalion in Templemore had been sent to Newry & Enniskillen to be replaced by the 59^th Regiment from Glasgow;

The reason assigned for the transfer of the troops is that it was strongly suspected that the regiment was tainted with Fenianism. Templemore is that headquarters of a depot battalion, and the majority of those soldiers are recruits, drafted from several parts of Ireland, but Tipperary men predominate. Several of these soldiers were constantly entering public houses and associating with persons whose feelings of loyalty were not strong. The commanding officer, Colonel W. Irwin spoke to the troops, but his words had no effect. Those troops are now being replaced by an English battalion.

Between September 1914 and March 1915, over 2,300 German Prisoners of War were interned in Richmond Barracks. Four huge cages complete with searchlights, barbed wire and sentry towers were built on the parade ground, and the POW’s were kept in these cages. Two of the Prisoners died while captive in Templemore, and both were buried in local cemeteries with full military honours. In spring 1915 the British authorities decided to move all of the prisoners to England, and they were eventually interned in an old Mill in Leigh, Lancashire called ‘Lilford Mill’.

After the German prisoners had departed, Richmond became a large training depot for Irish recruits joining the British army, particularly the Royal Munster Fusiliers, the Leinster Regiment. & the Royal Dublin Fusiliers. Thousands of Irishmen were trained in Templemore, and many did not return. It is estimated that in excess of 300,000 Irishmen joined the British Army during WWI, and over 40,000 died. Soldiers from Templemore were sent to Dublin in 1916 to reinforce the garrison during the Easter rebellion.

The killing of two members of the Royal Irish Constabulary (R.I.C), Constables James McDonnell, and Patrick O’ Connell, on 21^st January 1919 at Solohedbeg near Tipperary town is generally regarded by historians as the first formal engagement of the Anglo-Irish war. Dan Breen, a member of the ambush party, stated that;
"We felt that we were merely continuing the active war for the establishment of an Irish republic that had begun on Easter Monday 1916. We felt that there was grave danger that the volunteer movement would degenerate and was degenerating into a purely political body…the only regret we had, following the ambush, was that there were only two policemen in it instead of the six we expected, because we felt that six dead policemen would have impressed the country more than a mere two. "

The Solohedbeg ambush was unauthorised by I.R.A General Headquarters (G.H.Q), but acted as a catalyst for I.R.A members who were anxious to take military action. In Templemore, action had been planned against the police and military for some time prior to the Solohedbeg ambush. The 1^st battalion of the Northamptonshire regiment occupied Richmond Barracks from 1919–1921, and on two occasions the Regiment carried out reprisals in Templemore, once for the shooting of RIC District Inspector Wilson by the I.R.A, and on a second occasion to avenge an IRA ambush which killed soldiers. The Town Hall, and several shops were burnt down and much property destroyed. During the Anglo – Irish War, Templemore was occupied by both the;

These reserve units of the R.I.C were recruited from the many hundreds of thousands of ex - British Army soldiers demobbed after World War 1 ended in 1918. In total 14,000 of these men were sent to Ireland. The Tans were based in the local RIC Barracks, and the Auxiliaries commandeered Templemore Abbey, home of the Carden family as a barracks. This house was burnt down by the IRA on the orders of Michael Collins when the Auxiliaries left.

On the 11^th July 1921 a truce between the Irish Provisional Government and British Government came into force, and in November Richmond Barracks was handed over to the local I.R.A at a ceremony on the front square. Major Phibbs of the 10^th Battalion, the Northamptonshire Regiment signed on behalf of the British, and Commandant Sean Scott O/C 2^nd Battalion (mid.) Tipperary Brigade IRA represented the new Irish Provisional Government. The Northamptonshire Regimental diary recorded that; ‘The Barracks was handed over to a motley force calling themselves the Irish Army’. Richmond was renamed McCan Barracks to commemorate a local I.R.A Commander, and the first M.P for Mid-Tipperary, Pierce McCan, who had died in Gloucester prison in 1919.

The Civil War began on the 28^th June 1922 and ended on the 24^th May 1923. The situation in Templemore was very tense, with the anti-treaty I.R.A (irregulars) occupying McCan Barracks. National Army soldiers from Thurles, Dublin & Athlone were drafted into the town, and preparations made for an assault on the barracks to recapture it. A truce was arranged by the local Archbishop, Dr. Harty, which allowed the barracks to be vacated by the anti-treaty forces, and the National Army took over.

When World War II began in September 1939, a state of emergency was declared in Ireland, which remained neutral. McCan Barracks was occupied by the 10^th Uisneach Battalion, and until the war ended in 1945 a very large garrison was stationed in Templemore. McCan Barracks was then vacated except for regular F.C.A (Reserve Defence Forces) camps during the 1950’s, and when the F.C.A was integrated with the regular Army, McCan became the Headquarters of the 3^rd Field Artillery Regiment. A new building was constructed recently within the walls of the Garda College for the regiment, thereby maintaining the long association between the military and Templemore.

In 1963 the Government decided to move Garda training from the Phoenix Park Depot in Dublin where it had taken place since 1842 to McCann Barracks, which was renamed as the Garda Training Centre (GTC).On February 14th 1964, Recruits & training staff marched from the Phoenix Park Depot to Heuston railway Station to board the ‘Templemore Special’ train. On reaching Templemore railway station, the group marched in formation to the GTC. On February 21st 1964, the Garda Training Centre was officially opened by Mr. Charles J. Haughey, then Minister for Justice, and Mr. Dan Costigan, Commissioner.

WINDOW on The PAST

Extract from Quarterly Pay List of the Nineteenth of Foot Regiment
who served in Templemore 1837/38.

Photo by courtesy of Mr Tom Hollingsworth, Holly Gardens, Bonners Ferry, Idaho, U.S.A.
whose Great Grandfather James Hollingsworth, (b. Ballycanew, Co.Wexford) served with the Nineteenth of Foot Regiment, in Templemore, at this time.

The parish contains 8108 statute acres, as allotted under the tithe act, about 700 of which are very good land, the property of the Provost and Fellows of Trinity College, Dublin, agriculture has much improved of late years, and the parish has in it some of the finest pasture and meadow land. The limestone quarries are very good, affording blocks of 20 feet, if required. The manor courts have been discontinued, but petty sessions are held every Wednesday in the court or market-house, a handsome decorated building in the centre of the town.

Templemore is remarkably healthy, and well supplied with water and fuel; and every encouragement is given by the proprietor to induce the inhabitants to adopt improvements. The town is clean, well built, and modern; it is approached on all sides by handsome avenues of ash trees, and owes its very improved condition to the exertions of the late proprietor, Sir John Craven Carden, Bart., father of the present proprietor, who granted the ground on which is stands at a nominal rent, and under whose auspices the public buildings were erected.

The neighbourhood is adorned with many fine seats and elegant cottages, having ornamented grounds. The castle was, so lately as a century ago, the family residence of the Cardens, but in consequence of its accidental destruction by fire they removed to another house in the demesne, which was lately pulled down for the purpose of erecting a new mansions on a more elevated spot, since the demolitions of the old house, Sir H.R. Carden's family has resided at the Priory, a modern building adjoining the Park, erected by the late baronet for his son, the demesne, exclusively of the large plantations, comprises 200 statute areas, it is situated within 1 1/2 mile of the town, and is surrounded with rich gardens and shrubberies tastefully laid out. One of the entrances to the Park is a remnant of the castle of the Knights Templars, the park is well wooded, and contains a large sheet of cater, it is surrounded by excellent land and backed by a range of mountains, the largest of which is called 'The Devil's Bit,' from its singular shape, appearing as if a portion had been taken out.

Lloydsborough is the seat of J. Lloyd, Esq,; part of the demesne is in Killea, though the mansion is in the parish of Templemore; it is a handsome residence a well-planted demesne. The other principal seats are Woodville Lodge, the residence of D.J. Webb, Esq,; Belleville, of the Hon. C.J.K. Monck; and Eastwood, of T. Bennett, Esq. The living is a vicarage, in the diocese of Cashel, united by act of council to the rectories and vicarages of Killavenogh and Killea, and in the patronage of the Archbishop; the rectory is impropriate in J. Lloyd, Esq. The tithes amount to £641, of which £420 is payable to the impropriator, and the remainder to the vicar; the gross tithes of the benefice are £811. 16. 4 3/4. Here is an ancient glebe of 147 acres, in dispute. but there is a glebe of 20 acres; for which the incumbent pays £30 per ann. rent, on which the glebe-house was built by the late incumbent, Dr. Graves.
The church is remarkably handsome, both internally and externally. it was erected about 50 years since, and has a fine spire; the interior is highly finished and very commodious, and furnished with a good organ, the gift of the lat baronet; the window over the altar is enriched with a representation of the Crucifixion in stained glass; the Ecclesiastical Commissioners have lately granted £169 for the repairs of the church. The R.C. union or district is co-extensive with that of the Established Church, and in each of the parishes is a chapel; that of Templemore is a handsome and capacious building, on a plot of ground given rent-free y the late Sir. J.C. Carden. Here is also a handsome Wesleyan Methodists' chapel.
A school under the trustees of Erasmus Smith's charity affords instruction to about 70 children; it has a good school-house, with a square tower, for the erection of which the trustees gave £300, and the late Sir J.C. Carden defrayed the remainder of the cost. The late incumbent, Dr. Graves, also left £50, the interest to be applied for the benefit of this school. There are six private schools, in which are about 200 children. George Bennett, Esq., vested £200 in the old 3 per cent. annuities, the interest of which is placed at the disposal of the incumbent for the benefit of the poor.
There are remains of several ancient castles, built at different periods, but all of very remote date. In a cave in the Devil's Bit mountain was found in 1790, a MS. copy of the Gospels in Latin, but in the ancient Irish character, apparently written in the thirteenth century; it was enclosed in an ease, partly of silver, ornamented with crystal and coloured glass, and is now in the possession of Sir W. Betham, Knt., Ulster King at Arms.

Cricket in Templemore, by Patrick Bracken, Templemore Library

Prior to the foundation of arguably the world's greatest amateur sporting organisation, the Gaelic Athletic Association in 1884, cricket was the most widespread field sport in County Tipperary, with Templemore and its surrounding districts being one of the hot bed areas for the game.
From the 1840s cricket became a regular feature of sporting recreation in and around Templemore as initially the local social elites, the Cardens of Templemore and Barnane, Trants of Dovea, and the military officers at Richmond Barracks competed against other teams from various locations in Tipperary. It was no coincidence that the military officers and privates were active participants as, in 1840, the Board of Ordnance directed that cricket grounds were to be laid out for the use of troops at Cahir, Templemore, Fethard and Tralee.
How soon after this date a cricket team came to be established in the barracks is unclear. In 1847 when Lieutenant Harry Loft [64th Regiment of Foot Second Staffordshire)] was garrisoned in the barracks, he wrote, in one of his many letters home to his mother, that the men in the barracks soon hoped to start a cricket club as "there is a capital field close to the barracks". By June 1849 this was a reality as the members of the 49th regiment, stationed in the town easily defeated Clonmel CC.
Another cricket field was laid out to the rear of the Sir John Carden's Priory residence. Cricket matches involving teams from all over Tipperary were of a 'friendly' nature. There were no leagues or competitions to be won, as is so prevalent with the modern codified sports.
Cricket, in its formative years in Tipperary would not have been a part life of the ordinary Templemore citizen. It was largely the preserve of the landed gentry, professional men, and the military class. However, the local newspaper evidence from the early 1860s suggests a great growth of cricket clubs around Tipperary, and this was also evident in and around Templemore. Another factor which would have facilitated this growth was the railway network which ran through the county, with clubs at Templemore, Thurles, Dundrum, Cahir, Clonmel, Nenagh, Fethard, Carrick on Suir all being regular participants. But the growth of teams also suggests that there was a great deal of local knowledge about cricket, and its laws, in Tipperary.
In Templemore, a local team was established in 1861, they having their pitch in Cloone. Their first outing against the local military ended in defeat, but in the return fixture, a couple of weeks later, they ran out easy victors. The town team on this day, September 1861, was T. Woods; J. Carey; P. Gill; J. Everard; J. Casey; P. Kirwan; J. Clancy; J. O'Raftery; J. Harvey; L. Markly; D. O'Connell. The following year they were playing under the name of the Templemore Shamrock CC. Playing a local derby against Sir John Carden's Priory CC, the town club were victorious.
Ten years later a Dovea and Barnane selection, principally composed of members of the Trant and Carden families, were also competing. One could infer that this team may have given some enthusiasm for 'local' men to try their hand at this sport.
In 1874 Dovea CC took to the field with John Lowry; John Bourke; Pat Bourke; John Brolan; John Long; Edward Ryan; Patrick Lowry; Edward Long; M. Connolly, J. Johnston; and F.J. Trant appearing when they lost out to Templemore CC. Another local team, which had their grounds at Cottage, Templemore, took the field under the name of their patron, Mr Hanly's eleven.
By now, in the mid-1870s cricket was peaking in popularity in Tipperary. More clubs became established bearing local names. Sorrell Hill CC, Knockenroe CC, Strogue CC, Templemore Commercial CC, Killoskehane CC, Barnane CC, Templemore Astonishers CC, all played their part in the heyday of cricket in Tipperary, in the latter half of the 1870s. One particular match, between the Sorrell Hill and Templemore Commercial clubs, took place in August 1878, on the lands of Mrs Corcoran, at Clontaffe.
However, the onset of the land wars and civil unrest signalled a decline in all sporting activities in Tipperary, inclusive of cricket playing, after which several clubs failed to re-appear. Another prime factor for this not happening was the foundation of the GAA, in 1884.
Meanwhile, across the water in England, a Templemore native, John Usher, made his one and only first class appearance for Yorkshire County Cricket Club in 1888. Born on February 26, 1859, in the match he took two wickets for thirty-one runs, and he scored seven runs in his two innings. His appearance was all the more noteworthy as Yorkshire CCC was famous for insisting that its players must have been born within the traditional county of Yorkshire, a rule not dropped until 1992. John Usher died in August 1905.
In spite of the GAA being very active in the community Templemore CC, and Templemore Garrison CC continued to play cricket. The town club was quite active in the mid 1890s, with James Kelly, Gus Casey, and Patrick Davoren being among its prominent members. This popularity continued until 1909, when the military vacated the barracks, though the lack of press reports suggest that the town club had met its demise in the closing years of the nineteenth century. By 1909 the Carden family had also vacated the Abbey and with it one may surmise any vestige of local support for cricket in Templemore.

First Catholic church
Fr Morrissey was Parish Priest in 1814 and Carden provided the site for the first Catholic Church to be built in the town, at Eastwood. In 1815 it was converted to use as a school by Fr Fant, who was later buried in the grounds.

Church Bell
On November 5^th 1854, the peal of bells from a Catholic Church was heard for the first time since the Reformation. Weighing several hundredweight (cwt) it cost £70 a colossal sum in those days.

Graveyard
The town cemetery was opened in 1861 and was consecrated by Archbishop Leahy of Cashel & Emly.

Hospital
A fever hospital was located in the town situated above Tigh Mhuire (above) as you approach the Catholic Church from McDonagh Terrace. This street was known as Hospital Row.

Sisters of Mercy
The Sisters of Mercy arrived in the town in 1863 to provide spiritual, temporal and educational benefits to the poverty stricken locals.

Church of the Sacred Heart
On January 1^st 1877, Archbishop of Cashel & Emly, Dr Croke, laid the foundation stone for the Church of the Sacred Heart, on the site of a former residential Erasmus Smith school. Completed without the spire, Mass was celebrated for the first time, by Fr (later Canon) Meagher on Saturday 28^thJuly 1883. The building in use as a church up to that time was then transformed into a school, in 1890 It is located at the south-eastern end of Main Street, it is now part of Our Lady's Secondary School, and is situated immediately inside the entrance gate. Prior to this the town 's main school was located at New Row, and was until recently the site of Tipperary Glass.

Other historical facts
In the 1880's Templemore and its environs were, like most of Ireland, in the fight for the land. The town had its Land League, and the usual evictions or arrests, were quite common. The fight for the land included the efforts to get Home Rule by constitutional means, and both objectives were encouraged in the town by the many cultural, social and political organisations that existed in Templemore. As well as the Land League, the National Federation was formed in 1802, with the Parish Priest Fr Meagher as its Chairman. In 1804 the Evicted Tenants Fund was opened providing great help to those unfortunate people who suffered financial hardship through no fault of their own. Up to 1898 the local authority for the town was the Templemore Town Commissioners, but under the Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898, elections were held for the new Templemore Urban District Council, where thirty-one candidates contested the fifteen seats. Under the same Act, Sir John Carden was elected the first County Councillor for Templemore, while his wife Lady Sybil Martha Carden, was elected a member of Thurles Poor Law Guardians for the Templemore Area. In 1902, the local Landlord Sir John Carden and his wife decided to separate and the estate was placed in charge of Carden's agent Henry Morgan, until 1922 when it was sold. Population of Templemore.

Black & Tans
During the Black & Tans War 1919-21 The town had a large garrison of the Northamptonshire Regiment, in Richmond Barracks, while the Auxiliaries were billeted in Sir John Carden’s extensive household at the Abbey, and the Police Barracks at Main Street housed both the Royal Irish Constabulary and The Black & Tans. The Centenary Co-Op now occupies the site of the RIC barracks in Main Street. The Abbey was burned down in 1922 and the Cistercian Monks in Roscrea bought the “dressed stone” for 500 Pounds. The remaining uncut stones were used in local road building

The Christian Brothers arrived in Templemore in 1932 and the Monastery (now Social Services) was built Funding was provided locally for both Primary and Secondary education.

First Factory
Lancegaye Ireland Ltd Came to town 1935. Later became Triplex and more recently bought by American Company Taylormade Ltd.

Garda Training College
In 1964, following the Governments decentralisation scheme, a large portion of McCan Barracks was assigned to the Garda Síochána (Guardians of Peace) Massive reconstruction took place with every facility required for a comprehensive training centre.

Garda Training Centre 1964
(by kind permission of Sgt John Reynolds, Garda Museum and Garda Commissioner)