Calls for former Kilkenny laneway to be marked!

Have you ever heard of Williams’ Lane in St John’s Parish?

Cllr Eugene McGuinness is calling for a name plate to be installed in the location where it ran, before the name fades into obscurity.

The topic was raised at this month’s meeting of the elected members of Kilkenny City Municipal District.

According to documents and the account from Cllr McGuinness in the council chamber, Williams’ Lane ran along a section of where the O’Loughlin Road currently runs now.

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At present, there is a plaque at the old cemetery on O’Loughlin Road referring to the burial site there as “William’s Lane / O’Loughlin Road Cemetery” - however there is no name plate alongside the road itself denoting its previous name.

According to a 1962 article in the Old Kilkenny Review by John Finn & Claire Murphy entitled ‘John Street - North and South Sides’: “William’s Lane (sic) derived its name from a Mr Williams who owned a salt works in the location.”

Their research also stated that “the name is now changed to O’Loughlin Road after Count O’Loughlin, who built St John’s Church.”

An old poem by Martin O’Carroll entitled Kilkenny’s Narrow Alleys also references the lane in the lines: “The Continent has Kelly’s Lane and Williams’ old boreen...”

Council officials agreed to research the lane, and stated that they would get back to the councillor on the matter.

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