The Prestigous Cross Street by Ronan Killeen (Revised 2019)

The above photograph was taken by the Dublin photographer Robert French sometime between 1880-1900. The photograph was entitled Main Street although we all call it Cross Street. Across from Mahon's Travel Agency you can see a Royal Irish Constabulary barracks with a Constable standing outside.
The Below Photograph you can see that Mahon's Travel Agency is thatched roof but the above photo you can see that it has become modernised in to a full stone building (as I have said I stand open to correction on this article).

My article on Cross Street, Athenry, has recently been published by South East Galway Archaeological and Historical Society Newsletter.

Across from Mahon's Travel Agency one can see a Royal Irish Constabulary barracks with a Constable standing outside and this image has been used previously in this journal. 

This is a street with a rich history and the late local historian Aggie Qualter in the book Athenry Since 1780: History Folklore, Recollections (1989), noted that  Cross Street is a prestigious street. In the above photograph one can see Mahon’s (now Iggy’s Bar) across the street was the old Royal Irish Constabulary barracks. The barracks is now a resteraunt called the Old Barracks Pastry and Restaurant (I have previously written a detailed account of the Athenry RIC in SEGHAS Winter 2017 edition). 

In the early 20th century Iggy's Bar was P. Mahon's who was a grocer and emigration agent in the 1901 census and Nora Mahon was mother to writer Mary Lavin. The building is architecturally significant and was built circa 1860 as a three bay two-storey house. It is built with limestone (a very common stone used in building 19th century buildings in Athenry). A camber-arch of red brick is around the windows. This was a common feature .

Iggy's bar , Cross street, Athenry. Image from google images.

One aspect of the social history of Iggy's Bar is the tragedy of the Titanic. It was in 15 April 1912 when the Titanic sank with over 1,500 passengers.  
Two people from Athenry were aboard, namely Andy Keane (a member of the Derrydonnell hurling team), and Annie Kate Reilly from Athenry.                                                                                                      

Local lore suggests a third Athenry native had a lucky escape. On the 2 May 1912, according to the Irish Independent , 'An Athenry woman whose son had intended to sail on the Titanic dreamed three nights in succession that the vessel had done down with all aboard, and she succeeded in prevailing upon him to defer his departure'. 

The mentioned Andy Keane is referenced in a detail in Jarlath Cloonan's Athenry G. A. A. Story: A History of Gaelic Games in Athenry:"Gaels from all over the County attended a Solemn Requiem Mass in the Parish church , Athenry in July, celebrated by Very Rev. Cannon Canton P. P. for the response of the soul of Andy Keane. An enthusiastic Gael and member of the victorious Derrydonnell team Andy was on board the ill-fated Titanic and was drowned with hundreds of others. 
Having decided to emigrate, his sister who was already in America, sent him the far of £8 and he booked through Mahon's Travel Agents, Athenry. Mahon advised him to go on a different ship where conditions would be much better but he decided to take the Titanic. He had with him a dozen hurley's, a melodeon and his County medal. 

The large congregation that attended the mass included all the prominent G. A. A. officials in the County, teammates and representatives of the various clubs. 'The departed comrade was dearly loved by his associates in the movement. At the county convention later in the year the Board presented a potrait of the deceased to his brother Patrick." 

According to Qualter,  Cross Street has a ‘six-stone faced houses which were built in 1902’. You can see this marking above what was old Noel Treacy / Fianna Faíl office on Cross Street. Qualter continues that ‘It was built by the landlord Lambert on what was then a waste-ground. During this era there were many modern amenities such as long  gardens, out-offices, and a right of way’. 
Qualter points out that ‘Nearly all the houses from the Western Hotel (We know it as the New Park Hotel) to Fox’s Lane (A reader has informed me that Thompson's was formerly owned by Tommy Fox-thus, Fox's Lane) were occupied by the Royal Irish Constabulary such as Sergt. Condron; Constable Gibbons; Sergt. Kells; Sergt. McGlade : Sergt. Minchen; Constable. Curran; Constable McLoughlin.  


Many of us would know that the famous author Mary Lavin lived in Athenry for a while. Her parents were Tom Lavin and Nora Mahon. Nora was the daughter to Patrick Mahon.  The families of Cross Street in 1911 were the following Kells; Hardiman; Duly; Ruthledge; Curley, Connolly, Higgins, MacNamara, O’ Heidin; Quinns; Commons; Payne; Beatty; Daly; Mahon; Harris; Judge; Kelly; Sweeney; Minichin; Davies; Nayes; Mulligan; Curran; Grady; Caslin; Daherty; Murphy; O’Neill; Corry; Moloney; Flanagan; Ryder; O’Dowd; Lardiner; Fergusan; Coake; Lynch; Condon; Bourke; Crossen; Blake-Davies?; Given; Horton; MacDermott; Coleman; Farrel; O’Reely; Conelly; Morrissey; Holland; Wyer; Meehan