Historic town

The National Monuments Service's description

On N bank of Blackwater River (see 14793), on main Cork-Limerick road. Though Anglo-Normans probably had castle (14373) here in late 12th century, earliest references to town are murage grant of 1286 (Zajac et al. 1995, 73) and reference in 1298 to 'the burgagers of the vill of Mallow' (Berry 1894, 17). By this time Mallow manor was a possession of Fitzgeralds of Desmond (ibid.). Thomas (1992, vol. 2, 232) is doubtful if town was ever walled. Survey of 1584 found nine 'vills' within manor of Mallow, all 'now lying waste' (Berry 1893, 22); four of these appear to contain settlements, none of which is named Mallow though 'The Shorte Castell' contained 'a great town' (ibid.; see 14313). Town re-established as part of Munster Plantation and by 1611 twenty five settlers 'held houses and gardens in the towne of Mallow' (Berry 1906, 11); by 1641 town contained 'nearly 200 houses, thirty of which were of stone, strong and slated' (ibid., 14), but it suffered greatly in 1642 when the Irish 'set fire to the town in several places' (ibid., 15). However, town survived and in 1659 had a population of 463. It further developed in 18th and 19th centuries as market and spa town (Myers 1984; Crowley 1992, 1993, 1997). Principal buildings of present town of 18th- and 19th-century date though some may contain late 17th-century core; two recently demolished houses on Davis Street (see photograph Zajac et al. 1995, 72), part of terrace of four houses, contained 'central dividing wall composed of timber uprights, 0.01m apart, with mud infilling between them, and timber laths nailed across the uprights' (ibid., 73). Recent archaeological investigations at E end of town did not reveal any features earlier than late 17th century (pers. comm. S. Lane). Former parish church (14719) on S side of Main Street.

The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Cork. Volume 4: North Cork' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2000). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Date of upload/revision: 14 January 2009

References

Zajac, S., Cronin, J. and Kiely, J. 1995 Urban archaeological survey - county Cork (2 vols.). Unpublished report commissioned by the Office of Public Works, Dublin.

Thomas, A. 1992 The walled towns of Ireland, 2 vols. Dublin. Irish Academic Press.

Myers, K. 1984 The Mallow spa. Mallow Field Club Journal 2, 5-17.

Crowley, S. 1992 The manor of Mallow: part 1. Mallow Field Club Journal 10, 5-16.

Crowley, S. 1993 The manor of Mallow: part 2. Mallow Field Club Journal 11, 37-49.

Crowley, S. 1997 The development of Mallow town. Mallow Field Club Journal 15, 105-13.

Berry, H. 1893 The manor and castle of Mallow in the days of Tudors. Journal of the Cork Historical and Archaeological Society 2, 21-5.

Berry, H. 1894 The manor of Mallow in the thirteenth century. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 4, 14-24.

Berry, H. 1906 The English settlement in Mallow under the Jephson family in the 17th century. Journal of the Cork Historical and Archaeological Society 12, 1-26.