COLUMN: Stories of old have found a home at the brand new library in Kilkenny city

With a few days off my countrywide touring and not keen on catching up on gardening, I headed to Kilkenny early last week for a ramble through the old city, a pastime I never tire of and how would you, because it’s such a beautiful place and steeped in history.

As a family we lived on Patrick Street Kilkenny and a favourite spot, during the winter months especially, was a weekly visit to the old Carnegie Library building on John’s Quay.

Of course, our favourite books were the Enid Blyton ones titled ‘The Famous Five’ and later ‘The Secret Seven’ as well as the Nancy Drew books.

For the past few years anyone passing through Irishtown could see the redevelopment of the old Mayfair Ballroom into a modern library.

For my generation and older it was sad to see the closing of the old John’s Quay library, but when I paid a visit to the new one in Irishtown, I was amazed with its size, light and facilities and realised a move to a new building was essential.

The place was alive with lots of people, especially families as they searched through the children’s section.
Upstairs was a very different experience as you step into the computer/ study room where there was total silence. Lots of the desk space was occupied with people studying and researching.

All of the upstairs is filled with nonfiction books as well as lots of historical journals and in one corner you can relax in comfortable chairs and read the daily papers or pick up a book.

Having read through the Irish Examiner, I then came across lots of copies of the ‘Old Kilkenny Review,’ dating back to 1948, sitting on a shelf.

To be honest I have never picked up a copy of the book and looking through the indexes I came across lots of historical information relating to Callan in the books, especially since the foundation of the Callan branch of Kilkenny Archaeology Society in 1982. Joe made the first submission to the journal for the 1983 edition.

From that time one person has been ever present and that is Joe Kennedy of Moonarch who served as Honorary Secretary for many years.

Joe has been a great friend of the Callan notes over the years and will delight in giving some snippets from the ‘Old Kilkenny Review’ from time to time.

Callan Doctors
In an interesting piece written by Mrs. Margaret M Phelan, in the 1982 Old Kilkenny Review, she relayed a history of doctors that had served in Callan.

According to Mrs Phelan, who was a founder member of Kilkenny Archaeological Society, according Pigotts Directory the first recording of a doctor in Callan was in 1824. Thomas Butler, Bridge Street and Geoghegan’s Castle.

The second doctor in 1824 is Abraham Cronyn.
People remember his descendants living in Flag Lane, Callan. He was a non-Catholic and seems not to have been too popular.

The third doctor recorded was Dr Patrick Keating who was a native of Callan, lived in Mill Lane and was a graduate of Edinburgh University.
He returned to Callan in 1825 and may have got the dispensary after 1851. He held the post till 1878 when Dr. Patrick Walsh took over. He was a great friend of Humphrey O’Sullivan who speaks of him frequently in his diary.

A native of Callan, living in Mill Street, Doctor Richard Stuart Ryan married into the Heron family, like Dr Butler before him. His wife was daughter of Michael Heron, and aunt to Charlotte Heron.

The early 20th century brought Dr Patrick J. Phelan. He came from Cashel, Co Tipperary, and lived just off the Clonmel Road where Mrs. Madge Cunningham lives today.
He was the eldest son of Ellen Shelly of Green Street, Callan, and grandson of Thomas Shelly, draper, artist and historian.

He was appointed to Callan Hospital in 1915 and retained that post until the hospital was closed in 1922. He married in 1941 Brigid Lucy Torpey of Rathculbin. Paddy Phelan died in July 1962 and is buried at Kilbride.

Many will certainly remember Doctor Milo Bradley from Bridge Street who practiced in Callan as well as Kilkenny.
But his early death at the age of 46 in 1981 was a great grief to his family, friends and the community of Callan. He was a son of Michael Bradley, pharmacist.

Dr Patrick Hyland came to Callan in the late 1960’s and served the community at the old dispensary at Collins Park. Dr Jim Ryan from County Waterford came as a young GP in the 1990s.