Photo #21. The top of Upper Tullow Street, known as The Shamrock. This picture was taken in October 1913 when John Dillon M.F. arrived to deliver a Home Rule speech. The man in uniform leading the horse is Johnnie Power, he hired out char-a-banc cars. On the left of the picture is the public house of Dinny Mullane. Dinny had a notice displayed stating that he would pay £100 to any customer who could contradict his claim that all his whiskies were seven years old. The large building facing us was formerly the town house of the Fishbourne family built in 1782., in 1913 it was the 'Shamrock Hotel'; the shop in front of the house was a grocery and public house, to the rear were a hardware store, steam saw mill, coach-building workshop, joinery works, and iron-foundry, collectively known as 'Doyle's of the Shamrock'. The banner on the right reads: 'Ireland Sober is Ireland Free', appropriately enough it led the Graiguecullen Temperance Band.

Source: Michael Purcell

Doyle's of The Shamrock - Until a few years ago there stood here a large early eighteenth century house, which was built by the Hunt family in 1720 as their townhouse, it was at one time used as an officers quarters. Brown Street was once named Hunt Street, called after Arthur Hunt. A plaque on the gable wall of No. 15 Dublin Street, stated, “1776 Hunt Street,” in 1800 the third generation of Hunts went bankrupt and all their property was confiscated. Hunts house at the Shamrock became the townhouse of the Fishbournes.

Michael Ormonde and Sons had their corn stores at the back of Fishbournes. Ormonde also sold flour, bran, potatoes and seeds. William Byrne had a coal-market in another corner of what is now Doyle's yard. He used to drive his car around the streets shouting ‘Buy my coal and I’ll collect your ashes.” 1/- a bag, 2 bags and a penny for a florin. When he retired he claimed “carrying the coal done me no harm it was carrying the customers (on credit) that broke me”.

 

The shop (now demolished) was built by Joseph Kinsella, who was succeeded by Patrick Doyle, next came James Doyle who established a coach-works and a saw-mill as well as carrying on business in the public house and grocery shop. The large house was then known as “The Shamrock Hotel”. At the back of Doyle's was an area known as “The Paddock”: here football and hurling matches were played, travelling shows and circuses also used to set up here, after parading from the railway station through the streets of Carlow. It was here under a tree known as “the Jobbers tree”, that local women used to gather for hire as potato pickers and corn binders.

In 1900 James Doyle was registered as a hotel proprietor, the following is a list of people who lived in the Doyle house in 1900: James Doyle, Mary Doyle, Michael Doyle, engineer, and James grandson from Australia - James Doyle. Workmen who lived on the premises were Michael Noud, clerk; Dom Cryau, shop assistant; from Galway. Tom Maher, carpenter; James Coogan, painter; Thomas Donnelly, baker from Leitrim; M. Kehoe, shop assistant; Ellen Carr, family servant; Mary Griffin, general servant. At this time Doyle's also had a bakery. Henry Corcoran and Barney Raftery worked as bakers on the premises.

Among the 14 out-offices listed were 3 workshops, 1 stable, 1 coach house; 1 harness room, 1 forge, 4 animal houses and an ironmongery. The cast iron lettering over Nouds “A. McElhoney” across the street was made in Doyles forge and is an example of the excellent craftsmanship of the blacksmiths of that time.

 

In 1908 James Doyle claimed that he had the most up-to-date machinery for rubber-tyre wheels, he also had steam engines for hire.

Doyles list of goods for sale in their hardware in 1908 read as follows: bars, barbed wire, creels, carts and cars. stocks, spokes, staples, spools, paling stakes, plain wire, nails, wire strainers, vans, traps, wooden gates, wheels and all requisites for fencing.

Services offered included: shoeing, felloes always on hand and wheel repairing. 1992 Doyle's stocks and services are even more varied. The goodwill they have accumulated from the public should guarantee them many more successful years in business at the Shamrock.

James Doyle’s great grandson Michael Doyle has carried out extensive refurbishment and has expanded the business, making Doyles of the Shamrock the oldest retail business in Tullow Street still in the same family. This record may only be surpassed in the town of Carlow by Coleman's of Dublin Street.

Note:

Doyle's Of The Shamrock Company Profile

In 1884, James Doyle great-grandfather of the present owner Michael Doyle opened Doyle's of the Shamrock for business on 17th of March. This happened to be the birthday of St. Patrick the patron Saint of Ireland as well as the Irish National Holiday. He called the premises the Shamrock in honor of St. Patrick.

When Michael Doyle became Chairman and CEO of the company, it employed 10 people and consisted of a bar, grocery and a hardware store. He recognised that the retail industry in Ireland was developing and chose to concentrate on the hardware division to ensure future business success.

The company has grown from a small business into a major enterprise within Ireland, which now employs 135 people across seven separate divisions.

An exciting chapter of the company history was written in early 2004 with the development of an 11-acre site adjacent to the new bypass road in Carlow. The hardware and hire operations moved to a 5-acre portion on the site in Marc 2004, leaving Shamrock Square for the first time since 1884. The remaining 6-acres are being further developed as a Retail Park to complement the existing business.

 

Doyle's of the Shamrock is proud to say that they have won the national Builders Merchants of the Year Award in 1986-87, 1996-97, and 1998-99, a feat not equaled by any other firm in the country. The Builders Merchants Award is judged on tidiness of the store, range of product lines, support for Irish goods, health and safety staff training, marketing, display, customer service, staff knowledge and efficient management practices.