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Carlow County - Ireland Genealogical Projects (IGP TM)


Mr. Joseph C. Deighton

Source: CARLOVIANA 1994/1995 edition. by William Ellis


Visitors to the exhibition in the Deighton Hall during the 1994 Eigse were asking the question:

Who was Deighton?

A question which prompted William Ellis to look up the files of The Nationalist and Leinster Times seeking information about this man’s life.


The issue of January 21,1932, had a brief obituary notice which read as follows:

“The death on Tuesday of last week of Mr. Joseph C. Deighton at his residence, “Coolarne,” Silchester Road, Glenageary, Co. Dublin, was learned with feelings of deep regret in Carlow where he spent the greater portion of his active life.

Deceased came to Carlow as a young man in the capacity of a plumber, and as a result of his extraordinary industry and business acument he soon became one of Carlow’s leading businessmen. He with other trades people established the Carlow Gas Co., an enterprise which has had many vicissitudes and which had often to be financed by the late Mr. Deighton in order to preserve its existence.

He had the pleasure in later years of seeing the Company in a most flourishing condition; in fact, it is one of the most successful undertakings in the country. Deceased was extremely honourable in commercial affairs and a very loyal colleague.

Had he lived another month he would have celebrated his hundredth birthday. Almost to the end he retained complete use of all his faculties, and took a keen interest in passing events.

The funeral, which was private, took place on Thursday, 14th inst. from “Coolarne” to Killeshin Cemetery, Carlow.”

His place of business was in Burrin Street, in the premises to the left of the present Credit Union premises, where he established a thriving iron works.

A varied number of items were manufactured there, some still surviving, such as fireplaces, gates, bollards and ornate lamp brackets.

A news item in The Nationalist and Leinster Times of December 8, 1888, read: “Mr. Deighton’s tender to supply an ornamental lamp over the Town Hall door for £10-7s was accepted after some alterations in the specification, by Carlow Town Commission on Tuesday, December 4, 1888.”

During the recent demolition of Corcoran’s Mineral Water factory, a cast iron bollard was noticed which had the inscription: “Deighton Vulcan Works Carlow.”

Up to the time the present courthouse was built (1830s) the Deighton Hall was the County Courthouse and was much bigger than at present. There was another apartment, which extended into Kennedy Avenue, which was demolished to widen the Avenue.1

In November 1909, Mr. Deighton handed over the building to St. Mary’s Parish, to be used as a parochial hall.


1 Carloviana, Vol. 1, No. 1, 1947.

(Thanks to Mr. Victory Gray for help in compiling this article, and to Mr. Tommy Alcock for bringing to our notice the bollard at Corcoran’s).

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