Market House - Town Hall

This four arched building acted as Town Hall and Market House and the site was the civic centre of the tow from 1642 until 1953. Richard Boyle settled one hundred families mainly from Somerset, England at Clogh Na Kylte and obtained a charter for the town in 1613. "By the charter of James 1, dated 5th May 1613 the inhabitants were incorporated under the designation of the "Sovereign, Free Burgesses and commonality of the Borough of Cloghnikilty, and Richard Boyle was constituted lord of the town with power to appoint several of the officers. The first mention of a Market House was in 1642 when the English residents of Cloghnikilty were taken prisoners, by the rebelling Irish and confined in the Market House. This rising saw much bloodshed in the streets of Clonakilty with two full companies of Scottish troops being cut to pieces. When relief came the English troops backed the Irish onto the island of Inchydoney when, the tide coming in, upwards of 600 of the were drowned. Turn right at the bottom of the hill and your last stop is under the archway on the left half way up the main street.