It was a notable event which the
large number of spectators witnessed at Strawhall, Carlow, on Tuesday,
when the first sod was turned by his Lordship Most Rev. Dr. Foley in
connection with the erection of a Sugar Beet Factory. Since the first
move was made in Carlow to secure the Factory a tremendous amount of
labour and organisation was necessary, and a great deal of explanation.
So expense was incurred. The organising Committee were faced with great
difficulties from the start. They had to contend against the
faint-hearted; and what was much worse, a feeling amongst many people
that such an industry as was proposed could not be a success in Ireland.
Irish men working on a sugar beet train.
By permission of Dungarvan Museum.
Source: http://www.askaboutireland.ie/learning-zone/ |
But such opinions were held only
by those who ignored the results of the experiments that had been
carried out under the direction of the Department of Agriculture, and
which proved beyond all doubt that the soil and climate in Ireland
including Carlow and the neighbouring counties, was the best to be found
in any part of the world for the cultivation of Sugar Beet. The members
of the organising Committee were intelligent, capable and enlightened
men. They were full of enthusiasm, and they grasped the opportunity
which presented itself to secure this great industry which will
eventually bring prosperity to the farmers and the workers, and which it
is confidently hoped, will open up a new era, in the Industrial life of
this country.
-
- This photo taken during the construction of the Sugar Factory,
in Carlow. My own Grandfather Michael Heary from Carlow is
pictured centre right. I am curious to know if anyone can name the
other individuals in the photo.
- Source: Gary Sétanta Heary c.2012
Facebook.
Dr. Foley in his address said “I
need hardly say that it gives me great pleasure to come here to-day to
turn the first sod of the…'foundations of the there great buildings'
…and next November at latest will be erected here and prepared to
receive the produce of the large acreage of sugar-beet.
- In this picture is
Rabbi
Zaiman Alony, a senior member of the Jewish
community in Ireland, supervising the packaging of
sugar to be sent to Israel in 1976 in the Carlow
Sugar Factory.
- Ann Delaney Crimmins believes the lady is Ann
Ramsbottom. She's married to Val Callinan from Oak
Park.
- Source: Facebook
|
So here I find myself now to
perform this little ceremony, I am more accustomed to laying foundation
stones of various buildings sacred and secular than I am to turning the
first sods, symbolical or real. If I be guilty of any awkwardness during
the process, I am sure you will make due allowance for my inexperience.
I am not sure that I understand the full symbolical meaning of the
ceremony; but I feel that I cannot be far astray when I say that it must
mean that a beginning is been made here of the openings for the
foundations of the great buildings that will occupy, so large a part of
this 20 acre field by next November at latest.
With these few words, I proceed to
perform the ceremony of turning the first sod, therefore declaring the
work of erecting the Sugar Beet Factory in Carlow has been actually
begun this day January 5th 1926, and I invite you to unite with me in
praying that the blessing of God may be on the project, and on all who
may have any part in furthering it, and that it may in God’s Providence
prove a great boom to the people of the town, and the farmers and
labourers of the area of supply and that it will be carried on in such a
manner and with such results as will reflect great credit on the Irish
Free State Sugar Beet Company, and on the Irish Free State (loud
applause).
His Lordship then performed the
ceremony of turning the first sod amidst loud applause.
Factory Location
Site of Sugar Beet Factory
First Preference For Barrow Valley
- Experts Reasons - Confident Of Success The reasons why, although
the site has not been definitely fixed on, first preference so far is
for the Barrow Valley were explained by M. Schurmans. The Belgian firm’s
expert said he was very optimistic as to the prospects of success of the
project. He commented on the reluctance of the people to come forward
and take shares in the undertaking, and said his firm did not wish the
Irish people to say later that the Belgian firm came to take money out
of the country. He prophesised the establishment of other such factories
all over the country.
At the time that Athy was
mentioned as the possible site, it was perfectly understood that
although the prospecting company had visited and explored the
potentialities of several counties, their final choice rested on the
area in the neighbourhood of Carlow, and that Athy had been favourably
considered. It transpires that, although no definite arrangement has
been made as the site, it will be in the neighbourhood of Carlow,
preferably in the Barrow Valley.
M.I.F. Schurmans, the adviser to
Mr. Lappens, head of the Belgian firm, discussing the whole situation
with an “Irish Independent” representative said that although no site
had yet been definitely fixed on, their first preference up to the
present was in the Barrow Valley.
- Source of image: "Collins 22 Society"
Some Important Facts
“It
is to our interests to get this 3,000 Irish acres guaranteed to get the
factory started somewhere near us. Cork is making a great effort to get
the factory because the Government had made an agreement with Messrs
Lippens the big sugar people in Belgium, to start this factory, giving
them a subsidy of, approximately, two million pounds in ten years on
certain conditions, one of which is that in the next three years they
will give the farmer for his beet, if it contains15 percent of sugar, a
price £2.10 per ton for washed roots, and after that, for the seven
years at least £2.10 per ton.
The Barrow Valley was one of the
most ideal and suitable places for the factory in Ireland. Messrs
Lippens had explored all the areas where it might be possible to start a
factory and they were quite satisfied it might be somewhere in the
vicinity of Athy or Carlow as the most suitable place for it. The only
thing that was delaying their final decision was the giving of the
guarantee for three years because they were satisfied that after that
time the farmers would realise the value of the crop and that no further
guarantee would be required.
Sugar Factory Public Meeting
The
tremendous gathering of people at the public meeting held at Hay Market
Carlow on Friday, 24th July and was worthy of the great occasion. A
casual visitor to the town in the forenoon, could not, but notice that
something important was on foot. Because of the large number of people
from the districts of Carlow and the surrounding counties. Who sauntered
about the main streets waiting to witness some important event.
Chars-a-banc, motor cars and all kinds of travelling devices poured into
the town and by twelve o’clock the streets were filled with town people
and country folk. Here and there women and men were to be met wearing
black, yellow and crimson tricolour of Belgium, and at Hay Market, a
large platform was erected over which the Belgian and Irish flags were
hoisted. All the business establishments were closed from 1 till 3
o’clock and many of the country folk arrived in town wearing the Belgian
tri-colour.
For half-an-hour before the
meeting started, a huge throng, probably the largest ever seen in
Carlow, filled Hay-Market. All eyes were reinvested on the platform, and
the arrival of his Lordship the most Rev. Dr. Foley was the signal of a
tremendous outburst of clapping that lasted several minutes. It was the
first time his Lordship had ever stood on a public platform and
addressed a public meeting and his presence undoubtedly put heart into
the people and added to the enthusiasm.
The farming community was of course, particularly well
represented but the business community was also there in its muster from
every town and village, not alone in Carlow but in Leix, West Wicklow,
Kildare, Kilkenny and Wexford. A very gratifying telling was the
interest taken by the workers into the proceedings. They probably more
than any other section were in high spirits, owing to the opportunity
which was about to be afforded of starting a great and thriving industry
in their midst.
Source: Adapted
extracts from the Nationalist and Leinster Times, January 9th 1926
J.K.L. and The Sugar Factory.
One instance of the foresight of the great Bishop Doyle—J.K.L.—is to be
found amongst the books of his that are still kept at Braganza House.
One of them, initialled as were all his books " J.K.L.'' is a work in
French on the manufacture of sugar from beet, a work which is still
acknowledged to be an authority on the subject. It seems that Dr. Doyle
had in mind the advantages of a Sugar Factory for this district, and was
studying the subject, though, I was told, his choice of a site would
have been Tullow, not Carlow. So if the saying be true that it takes a
great man to sow a tree which will live after himself, surely it will
take a very great man to conceive an idea which takes the rest of us
over a century to wake up and realise; as it is now realised in grey
concrete almost within a stone's throw of the Bishop's house.
From " The Parochial Library " by T. WALL, M.A.
Published in the
Carloviana. January
1947. Vol 1. No. 1. p. 28
Image source:
carlowcountymuseumblog
