Roches St, Limerick
O'Mara's bacon factory
and a number of other family businesses
were on
Roches St, centre of new town, Limerick city.
- Things to do: Get images of the following:
-
Stephen O'Mara
letterhead of
19 June 1877,
from 22 Roches St.
-
Stephen O'Mara
letterhead of
8 Sept 1877,
from 22 Roches St.
-
Stephen O'Mara
letterhead of
July 1879,
from 22 Roches St.
-
Stephen O'Mara
letterhead of
24 June 1884,
from 31 and 32 Roches St.
Street numbering
The numbering of buildings on Roches St seems to have changed multiple times.
Trying to make sense of the numbers over the years:
- James O'Mara lived on Roches St for a time.
- O'Mara's bacon factory.
- Stephen O'Mara lived on Roches St for a time.
Though the addresses may confuse his house and his office.
- He is at no.22 in 1871-1880.
- He is at no.31 in 1882-1886. (Letterhead of 1884 says 31 and 32 Roches St.)
- O'Mara shop.
- As at the 1930s, the "James O'Mara" shop (not the factory) was at 37 Roches St,
across the road from the factory.
- Andrew Lynch
and his dau and son-in-law
Kate Lynch and Michael Spain
and their son
Michael Spain.
- They are at no.33 in 1870-1881.
- They are at no.45 in 1882-1893.
- They are at no.39-40 in 1912.
- They are at no.40 in 1912-1920.
- Richard Ray
and his son
Jim Ray.
- They are at no.46 in 1885-1893.
- They are at no.37 in 1912.
- They are at no.41 in 1913-1935.
Stephen O'Mara
letterhead of
think 4 Sept 1877,
from 22 Roches St.
See
full size.
O'Mara's letterhead, Limerick, 1886.
Shows the factory at 31 Roches St.
They were on the
telegraph.
See larger
and full size.
Roches St in
[Guy's, 1893, vol.D, p.79].
O'Mara's bacon factory (multiple locations between no.29 and no.42).
Lynch and Spain (no.45).
Richard Ray (no.46).
This is incorrectly labelled in
[Guiry, 2016, p.29]
as 1949.
Roches St in
[Guy's, 1912, pp.80-81].
Stephen O'Mara at the factory at no.33 (his house is elsewhere).
Richard Ray at no.37.
Michael Spain at no.39-40.
- It is clear that the street has been re-numbered.
- Lower part is the same: Barrett is at no.1-2 in both. Casey is at no.5 in both.
- But upper part is re-numbered: Ray and Spain (and Irwin and McNamara and O'Mealy) show re-numbering further up the street.
The modern numbering.
From modern NIAH map.
Note 37 and 40 and 41 Roches St, across the road from the factory (now the car park).
O'Mara shop, 37 Roches St
Not the factory.
Across the road from the factory.
James O'Mara shop at 37 Roches St.
Photo 1930s.
See
full size.
From
Tipperary Archive.
Tipperary Studies Photographic Collection.
This shows how confusing the numbers are.
The Ray shop was no.37 in 1912, and then changed by 1913.
Is this the old Ray shop of 1912, or was there a re-numbering?
The modern no.37 looks like the same building.
From street view.
Lynch and Spain, 40 Roches St
Map in
[Guiry, 2016, p.26].
This has "M. Spain" (purple) covering quite a bit of the area around 40 Roches St.
Orange is O'Mara's.
Lynch and Spain, 40 Roches St.
Photo 1970s or early 1980s.
Courtesy of Nicole Spain.
The modern 40 Roches St
is clearly the same building.
From street view.
Ray shop, 41 Roches St
Richard Ray shop at 41 Roches St.
Photo 1930s.
See
full size.
From
Tipperary Archive.
Tipperary Studies Photographic Collection.
-
This shop, "Richard Ray", was a retail outlet for O'Mara's bacon factory up until O'Mara's closed in 1986.
-
Limerick Leader, 8 Mar 1986
says O'Mara's are closing the main factory and also their retail outlet, "Richard Ray".
The modern no.41 looks like the same building.
From
street view.
