Heritage walk a great success

A large crowd turned out recently for the Griffiths Valuation Plaques walking tour of Templemore.

Beginning at the gates of the Garda College, the talk toured Richmond before winding its way down to the Mall, up Patrick Street and eventually onto the Town Square, finishing at John’s hair salon. The highlight for many was our visit to Pigfoot Lane as the majority had never been up there.

Griffiths Valuation recorded 36 houses on the Lane in 1846.

Each plaque tells its own unique story and gives a great insight into life in Templemore at the height of the famine. Willie Smyth from Clonmel explained that every single property, however big or small, was valued and it was interesting to note the variation in values from one street to the next.

We would like to thank Joe Kelly and Eoin Wolahan for kindly granting us access to their property in Richmond, and a special word of thanks to Willie, who is an expert on Griffiths Valuation.

His insights into its workings and the reasoning behind it provided the enthusiastic audience with a mine of information, which they lapped up.

As part of Griffith's work, they drew maps of each town and a beautiful map of Templemore from 1841 is now on display in Shortt’s window. Anyone interested in a copy can contact Ronan Loughnane on 087-7931721.