{"id":230,"date":"2007-11-20T20:33:44","date_gmt":"2007-11-20T20:33:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/54.229.91.100\/libraryandarts\/library\/ehistory\/?p=230"},"modified":"2025-10-29T11:12:54","modified_gmt":"2025-10-29T11:12:54","slug":"monasterevin-industrial-heritage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kildarelibraries.ie\/ehistory\/monasterevin-industrial-heritage\/","title":{"rendered":"MONASTEREVIN – INDUSTRIAL HERITAGE"},"content":{"rendered":"
Some thoughts on the industrial heritage of Monasterevin<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
by<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
Barry Walsh<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Cassidy’s Distillery<\/strong><\/span><\/div>\n
I want to make particular mention of the domed keeve behind the main\u00a0 <\/span>building\u00a0 <\/span>which is not visible from the road. As a structure I believe it is unique.\u00a0 <\/span>Its\u00a0<\/span>purpose was apparently to store the turf used to fire the boilers. Folk\u00a0<\/span>memory <\/span>maintains that the dome was constructed using as a form a huge\u00a0 clamp of <\/span>turf.<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Across the road from the distillery is Cassidy’s Brewery where St. Patrick’s <\/span>Pale Ale was brewed. At the rear in what is now a private garden is the <\/span>cooling <\/span>pond (filled in) with its network of hot water pipes used to cool water from <\/span>the <\/span>industrial processes.<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
The pond was fed by a stream that flows down Drougheda Row. The stream <\/span>deserves <\/span>mention a it is under threat of being piped by the Council. It is however an <\/span>important out\u2011work of the Distillery. The stream runs under Dublin Street <\/span>(the <\/span>N7) and splits into two branches which enter the River Barrow either side of <\/span>the <\/span>Town Bridge. One branch drove a waterwheel inside Cassidy’s the other was<\/span><\/div>\n
used <\/span>to control the flow of water.<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Samuel E. Holmes Engineering<\/strong> <\/span><\/div>\n
Occuipying the site of the distillery the Engineering works also have <\/span>industrial <\/span>archaeological importance as a record of mechanical engineering in Ireland <\/span>from <\/span>the 1920’s to the 90’s. Holmes did a variety of engineering work including <\/span>war <\/span>work for the Irish government during the Emergency, production of surgical <\/span>scapels for opthalmic surgeons and pumps for the US Navies research<\/span><\/div>\n
facilities.<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/strong><\/div>\n
Gas Production<\/strong><\/span><\/div>\n
Before electricty there was of course gas which had to be manufactured <\/span>locally. <\/span>One such gas works was behind Cassidy’s and provided gas for Moore Abbey <\/span>house.<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Malt Houses<\/strong><\/span><\/div>\n
The preparation of malt in malt houses was an important industry associated <\/span>with <\/span>distilling. Several malt houses survive in Monasterevin.<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
The Factory Field<\/strong><\/span><\/div>\n
Now Ard Evin estate this was a quarry used for clay. The clay was for a <\/span>chemical <\/span>industry use rather than brick making or other.<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Textiles<\/strong><\/span><\/div>\n
Kinitware industry in Monasterevin occupied several buildings which were <\/span>either <\/span>constructed for the purpose or converted.<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Glanbia<\/strong><\/span><\/div>\n
As an example of modern idustrial i.e. second half of the 20th century the <\/span>Glanbia creamery should be noted as well as bulk milk handling and storage <\/span>there <\/span>are the grain drying and storage silos at the back.<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Gravel Quarrying<\/strong><\/span><\/div>\n
To the north of the town along the esker line have been several gravel <\/span>quarries.<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Limestone and shale Quarrying<\/strong><\/span><\/div>\n
Before the planting of Moore Abbey Wood the hill which is a limestone <\/span>outcrop <\/span>was extensively quarried.<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Turf production<\/strong><\/span><\/div>\n
Although not carried out on an “industrial scale” the bogs around <\/span>Monasterevin <\/span>supplied industries such as Cassidy’s. In addition the first briquet works <\/span>was <\/span>located in the Ballykelly area.<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Electrical Production<\/strong><\/span><\/div>\n
Pre ESB the town was elecrified from several privately run power houses one <\/span>of <\/span>these was on the site of the present Credit Union and severed the Canal end <\/span>of <\/span>the town. I believe that Moore Abbey converted from gas to electricity and <\/span>the <\/span>power house may have been near the gasworks.<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\u00a0B.C. Walsh<\/span><\/div>\n
Secretary & Webmaster at MHS<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Monasterevin Historical Society<\/span><\/div>\n
http:\/\/kildare.ie\/monasterevin\u2011historical\u2011society<\/a> <\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
e\u2011mail: monhistsoc@eircom.net<\/a> <\/span><\/div>\n


\nWhen we were looking for information on the Industrial Heritage of Co. Kildare Liam Kenny received a detailed response from Barry Walsh of the Monasterevin Local History Group. Our thanks to Barry\u00a0\u00a0 <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When we were looking for information on the Industrial Heritage of Co. Kildare Liam Kenny received a detailed response from Barry Walsh of the Monasterevin Local History Group. Our thanks to Barry<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29,119],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-230","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-industrial-heritage","category-places"],"blocksy_meta":[],"featured_image_src":null,"featured_image_src_square":null,"author_info":{"display_name":"Kildare Local Studies","author_link":"https:\/\/kildarelibraries.ie\/ehistory\/author\/localstudies\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kildarelibraries.ie\/ehistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/230","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kildarelibraries.ie\/ehistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kildarelibraries.ie\/ehistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kildarelibraries.ie\/ehistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kildarelibraries.ie\/ehistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=230"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/kildarelibraries.ie\/ehistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/230\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7939,"href":"https:\/\/kildarelibraries.ie\/ehistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/230\/revisions\/7939"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kildarelibraries.ie\/ehistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=230"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kildarelibraries.ie\/ehistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=230"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kildarelibraries.ie\/ehistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=230"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}