A little town called Carrick

I was asked to do something about my home town. For one of the Australian girls. This girl is quiet intrigued by Ireland and she wants to learn more.

So here is a little story about a town called. Carrick- On- Suir.

Carrick-on-Suir is a town in South Tipperary, Ireland. It lies on both banks of the River Suir. The CSO 2006 Census gives the population as 5,906 and shows that it has grown by 5.7% since 2002.
Pretty small place in comparison to what they know as a small town over here. But it a place that many of us do call home. On social media networks we often here about the flaws of this town but today, I think the good things should be highlighted.

 

 

 

 

 

20th Century in Carrick On Suir:

 

With the coming of Independence and the civil war, Carrick was initially occupied by the Anti-Treaty IRA until the town fell to the Free State army in 1922. By this stage, industrialisation had reached Carrick with the establishment of cotton factories and a local creamery. Most significant however for the economic development of the town was the arrival of the tanning industry in the 1930s, This provided the town with frequent and secure employment for the first time.
 The local town council also embarked on building social housing projects in an effort to deal with appalling living conditions in the town for those economically disadvantaged.
Despite these developments, opportunities became limited in the 40/50's recession and it led to people migrating to Dublin, Britain and the states. (very similar to what's happening now)

The closure of the Pollack & Plunder tannery in 1985 caused huge hardship in the town, at this time there was around 4000 people living in the town and they were all dependant on there jobs here at the tannery.  Carrick suffered a recession throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, again leading the population to drop due to emigration - a fate suffered by other small, rural Irish towns during the period. By the late-1990s, the economy of the town was on the upswing - unemployment had dropped, the Sram bicycle component factory had opened as had numerous small businesses, and the population began to increase again for the first time in two centuries.

This was starting to now become a national issue, Ireland was back in a recession and people are migrating yet again.

Although there is little or no job opportunities available in the town, it still strives in
and expands with ongoing significant house building projects. The future of Carrick is likely to be that of a commuter town, servicing those working in Waterford and Clonmel - a role it has been performing for decades.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

River Suir

The river is tidal through the town and the tide turns above Glanbia upstream of Carrick-on-Suir. Flood waters spill onto the land above Glanbia on the County Waterford side of the river. Carrick has a 1-in-50-year flood defence system with quay walls ranging in height from 1.2m to 1.5m. Currently the walls give protection from flooding caused by high tides. Carrick is less than 10 m above sea level and could be affected by global warming in the future. Flooding still occurs along the Glen/Mill River.

 

 

 

 

Landmarks

In 1447 a stone bridge was built, now known as the "Old Bridge". A new, more modern bridge (later named after John Dillon) was built in the early 20th century. The central part of the Old Bridge (and likewise the Dillon bridge) was destroyed by retreating IRA forces in 1922 in an attempt to slow the advance of the Free State army, but both were rebuilt by 1927.
Carrick's Town Clock was erected in 1784. A public park was created in the Fair Green in the 1860s. The town fair continues to this day, having been moved from the Fair Green in the 1920s to a new site just west of the Fair Green.

 

Churches

There are three Catholic churches. The largest church in Carrick Mór is St Nicholas' churchwhich was built in 1879, replacing an earlier church of the same name built in 1804. In Carrick Beg are the small St Molleran's parish church (parts of which date back to the 13th century) and the larger Franciscan friary. The Franciscan order's presence in Carrick dates back to 1336 with the granting of land for a friary by the 1st Earl of Ormond. However, the suppression of monasteries by Henery VIII led to the closure of the friary. Just prior to the invasion of Ireland by Cromwell, the friars had returned for an 11-year period, before being shut down again and the friars having to go underground to avoid persecution. It was not until 1820 and the onset of Catholic Emancipation that the friars were able to fully return and a new chapel was built. The friars served the local community until the lack of vocations to the order led to the order finally leaving Carrick-Beg in 2006.
The Church of Ireland community was relatively substantial until independence community's church on Main Street was abandoned until the late 1980s, when the church building and grounds were renovated and now serve as a heritage centre

Sport

• There are three Gaelic Athletic Association clubs.
• Carrick Swans who play in the Tipperary GAA area                     
• Carrick Davins (named after the first GAA president Maurice Davin) who play in the Tipperary GAA area

• St. Molleran's who play in the Waterford GAA area.

The 1904 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship final was played in Carrick-on-Suir. The match was held on Maurice Davin's land on 24 June 1906 between Cork and Kilkenny. Kilkenny won by a single point, 1-9 to 1-8.
Tipperary is also known as the premier county!

• Soccer
  • Carrick United AFC, is a junior (non-league, amateur) soccer team that plays in the Waterford & District League. The club has enjoyed considerable success in the Waterford & District League, Munster Senior and Junior Cups and also in the FAI Junior Cup^. The club moved to new grounds in the last 10 years called Tom Drohan park.

• Rugby
  • The amateur rugby team, Carrick-on-Suir RFC, plays in the Munster Junior League Division II. The club grounds are located in Tybroughney, on the Tipperary side of the Suir.
• Golf - 18-hole Golf Club
• Humphrey's driving range
• Sean Kelly swimming pool and fitness centre.

• Tennis
  • Castleview Lawn Tennis Club, with four artificial grass courts.

• Handball and Racquetball
  • Carrick-on Suir Handball and Racquetball Club, Davin Park Indoor courts, Clonmel Road.

• Boxing
  • Carrick-on-Suir Boxing Club
  • St. Nicholas Boxing Club

• Cycling
  • Iverk Produce Carrick Wheelers
  • Carrick Wheelers Road Club

• Triathlon
  • Carrick-on-Suir triathlon club

 

Clubs and Societies

The Carrick-on-Suir Musical Society (formed in 1943) is a well-known and national award–winning musical and amateur operatic society. The Musical Society recently bought and refurbished the Strand Theatre on Main Street for use by the Society. The Brewery Lane Drama Society (formed

in 1955) performs several major productions a year at their 75 person capacity theatre, which was formerly a malt house owned by Smithwicks.

The Irish Traction Groupies based in Carrick-on-Suir, where restoration work is carried out on vintage diesel locomotives.

Carrick-on-Suir also has a Republican Flute Band which plays at many Irish Republican and Sinn Féin events.

 

 

Pubs

As requested here is some information on the local pubs that are in Carrick. Going to a pub to socialise is a very common thing in every town in Ireland, be your age be 18 or 80, everyone has a pub to call there local! Here are some of the pubs in Carrick.

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is all you some information about The town of Carrick- On- Suir. There are also many other  qualities it has which will ben seen in the next blog, such as the Tudor Manor, the Ahenny crosses, The Slate Quarrys and much more :)

 

 

But it does give a little in sight to the town in which many of us call home! :)