Change Comes To Clonmel Co. Tipperary, Ireland 1967

Clonmel in County Tipperary is a town caught between modern progress and ancient traditions.
Clonmel on the River Suir in County Tipperary is town at the crossroads of change. Controversy arose when the town’s municipal theatre became a bingo hall. Given the way social life has changed in Clonmel if the theatre was revived, would there be an audience for it anymore?
Another dispute has arisen over the future of old buildings in the town, such as the Main Guard, a seventeenth-century building in the very centre of Clonmel; and the nineteenth century West Gate which separates O’Connell Street from Irishtown, the old historic suburb of Clonmel.
Some shopkeepers and business people believe the West Gate cuts them off unfairly from the main part of town and sees it as a handicap to development and progress. The West Gate is also in a poor state of repair. Tom Reilly is chairman of a committee that proposes to take over and preserve the Gate. He disagrees the West Gate divides town and this will be borne out when western side of the town develops.
Another resident of Clonmel is novelist and playwright Una Troy, who has also written under the name Elizabeth Connor and is married to Dr Joe Walsh. To date she has completed eight books, four plays for the Abbey Theatre, short stories, serials and collaborated on a film script. Clonmel and the surrounding countryside are inspirational to her work.
I think one of the most wonderful things about writing is that you can escape from the worries of everyday life, and you go away into a world own, where can make all your characters do exactly what you want them to do.
This episode of ‘Discovery’ was broadcast on 16 March 1967. The programme was produced by Colm O’Laoghaire the presenter is by PP O’Reilly.

[@jamesbradshaw3389]

Bingo brought serious gambling problems to many, I knew an old well-off lady who lived near our home when we were young kids, at first she started going to Bongo nights 2 times a week shortly after it became 3 nights a week, and within 3 months it was 7 night a week, as she began to lose her money she started selling off her best of her hunting horses, followed by the cows and a little later all of her sheep, the last to go was the old donkey who had not worked for 18 years.

[@brianoceallaigh8714]

Town "Planner's" past and present have Our Old Town desecrated sadly over the years devoid of its once charm and character that people of the town and the many visitors loved, painful memories for myself and sure for many other to see it today 😢

[@danbreen6946]

I Bid Fair Well To Old Clonmel I Never More Will See

[@clem740]

Galtee mountain boy

[@danbreen6946]

​@clem740 Good Man Mo Chara 🇮🇪👍

[@jasonmeehan1269]

I was in Clonmel 4 years ago and was quite shocked by the amount of African men in this small town. Looking a lot different from when I used to visit as a kid in the 80s and 90s.

[@chiron6699]

Diversity is our strength said no common man. Bit by bit the invasion and dissolution of the indigenous culture goes on. The liberal elite claps it's hands as we head into the war between different cultural ideologies

[@LaurenceOConnor-fg4dk]

Muslims.

[@AndreyRubtsovRU]

- it is not historic as it was only built in 19 century
Americans: 😮😮😮😮😮

[@tc6070]

what did they do in the end with the bridge that was causing a bottle neck and that building made in the 1800's and the theater?

[@georgel74]

All still there..

[@tc6070]

@@georgel74 sound, thanks

[@cabaiste]

The theatre is now a furniture shop although the building is the same, the main guard 1800s building has been restored and the west gate is still there.

[@StevenOBrien]

The west gate is still there and is in excellent condition (I've honestly never heard of anyone complaining about it as a traffic bottleneck). The Main Guard was restored to its original state in the early 2000s. The Regal Theatre did become a theatre again, but struggled financially, and is now a furniture shop.