THE FIRST LOCAL AUTHORITY HOUSING IN ATHY

The first local authority housing in Athy

James Durney

The first local authority houses built in Athy were built on three different sites in the town in 1912-13. A site at Pound Field, for eleven houses, was bought for £464 18s. 4d. The cost of the erecting the houses was given at £2544 7s. 11.d., with estimated extras at £300. The site at Woodstock Street, for six houses, was bought for £207 5s. and the builder paid £1264. 2s. 10d., with £100 for estimated extras. The Meeting Lane site, for five houses, was purchased for £533. 8s. and the builder awarded £704 10s. with £20 for extras. A loan of £6,600 was required from the Local Government Board to cover the cost of the scheme, but total costs, including architects fees, advertising and printing, legal and council fees, came to £6593. 12. 3d. and an extra £600 was then applied for. Tenders were advertised for the three different sites for the erection of twenty-one ‘working-class dwellings’ in July 1912. On 15 July 1912 Messrs. D. & J. Carbery, Athy, were accepted as tender for the building of ten number one class houses at Pound Field; Mr. Michael Sweeney, Portarlington, was accepted as tender for six number one class houses at Woodstock Street; Mr. Daniel Toomey, Leinster Street, Athy, was accepted as the contractor to build five number two class house at Meeting Lane. By October 1912 work was in progress and one more house, at a cost of £250, was added to the Pound Field site. In December 1912, the architect, Mr. Reade, approved £500 out of the loan account to be paid to the three contractors stating that the quality of the materials and the workmanship continued to be satisfactory.

At a meeting of Athy UDC in the Town Hall, on 3 March 1913, a letter dated 1 March 1913 was read by Mr. Reade, Architect, enclosing certificates in favour of Messrs. Sweeney and Carbery, amounting to £300. He reported that the work at both of these sites was proceeding satisfactorily and he expected the sixteen houses would be finished before the end of the month. Mr. Reade ordered payments be made to the contractors and that a framed wooden gate be erected under the archway at the end house in Woodstock Street and an ordinary field gate, at the outside fence in John Kelly’s field. It was ordered that the following advertisement be inserted in the two local newspapers and posted throughout the district, re the letting of the newly built houses:

Athy Urban District.

Letting of 22 working-class houses.

The Athy Urban District Council will at a Meeting to be held in the Town Hall, Athy on Thursday, the 20th day of March 1913, receive and consider Applications for the tenancy of the following Houses, which have been built under the Housing of the Working Classes Act: —

9 Houses, at the Pound Field, at a Rent of 5s. a week.

2 Houses, at the Pound Field (end houses adjoining Leinster Street), at a Rent of 5s. 6d. per week.

5 Houses in Woodstock Street, at a Rent of 4s. 6d. per week.

1 House in Woodstock Street (end house), at a Rent of 3s. 6d. per week.

5 Houses in Meeting Lane, at a Rent of 3s. a week.

The tenants will have to pay the Poor and Town Rates in full, and also the Water Rates.

Applications, in writing, will be received by me not later than Eleven o’clock a.m. on the above date.

By Order.

J. A. Lawler, Town Clerk.

In March 1913 the Council proceeded to consider applications from prospective tenants for the twenty-two houses, seventeen of which were intended for artisans and five for labourers. There were only seventeen applications for the twenty-two houses as follows: Pound Field, nine; Woodstock Street, one; Meeting Lane, four. Prior to the rents being fixed there were thirty-three applicants for the houses. It was thought that the rent was too high for most of the prospective tenants.

Mr. J. A. Duncan suggested that the new houses in Pound Field be named ‘St. Michael’s Terrace.’ The name he said, was a hallowed and ancient one and associated with the locality for centuries and thought it a most appropriate one. It was agreed that the new estate be named ‘St. Michael’s Terrace.’

At a meeting of the UDC on 20 March 1913 the following applicants were accepted as tenants:

Pound Field 1-10. Mrs. H. M. Smith, Duke Street, Athy.

Mr. H. Painting, Vice-principal, Technical School, Athy.

Mr. J. W. Smith, the Foundry, Athy.

Mr. J. May, Woodstock Street, Athy.

Mr. P. J. Devereux, Emily Row, Athy.

Mrs. Kelly, maternity nurse, Athy.

Mr. T. Kane, hairdresser, Athy.

Mr. Michael Sweeney, Offaly Street, Athy.

Woodstock Street (end house). Mr. P. Dooley, Woodstock Street, Athy.

Meeting Lane 1-5. Mr. P. Cunningham, Meeting Lane, Athy.

Mr. J. Murphy, Butler’s Lane, Athy. (Later withdrew application).

Mr. D. Fox, postman, Athy.

Mr. M. McHugh, Meeting Lane, Athy.

Mr. John Walsh, Jamesville Lane, Athy.

At a meeting of the UDC on 7 April 1913 the following applicants were accepted as tenants:

Pound Field. Robert Bloomer, Duke Street, Athy.

Meeting Lane. Thomas Byrne, painter, Jamesville Lane, Athy (replaced J. Murphy).

At a meeting of the UDC on 5 May 1913 the following applicants were accepted as tenants for five houses in Woodstock Street 1-5:

Mr. D. Shaughnessy, bricklayer.

Mr. M. Keys, postman.

Mrs. B. Butler, Woodstock Street, Athy.

Mr. T. May, shoemaker.

Mr. James McCrossan, tailor.

Despite the problem in finding tenants all the houses were occupied by June 1913. However, the tenancy changed over the years as some found it hard to pay the required rent.

Note: My thanks to Peter Connell for help with this article.