Page 80 - GAHS Journal Volume 9
P. 80
WICKLOW'S INDUSTRIAL HISTORY
funds for road repairs, maintenance, and construction of new
routes; thereby taking over the function of the parishes until
1898.
In1800 the Military Road was started and finished in 1809 to
secure military access into remote areas of the countryside.
Considerable improvement took place in Blessington after
the construction of a new turnpike road from Dublin to Carlow,
by way of Baltinglass, in 1829, by which the Waterford mail, the
Kilkenny day mail, several coaches and cars to the counties of
Wexford and Carlow, travelled through it. [7]
Arklow '… Macadamised the principle street and laid down
foot pavements…' before 1832 [7]
In 1831 the Irish Board of Works took over the responsibility
of managing the road network.
In 1898 the Local Government (Ireland) Act required
democratically elected County Councils to take over the
administrative functions of the Grand Juries.
Market Towns began to form important transition points for
trade and exchange of ideas. Markets and/or fairs were held in
Arklow, Ballymore-Eustace, Ashford, Ballinacor, Baltinglass,
Blessington, Bray, Carnew, Dunlavin, Rathdrum, Roundwood,
Stratford-upon-Slaney, Tinahely, and Wicklow Town.
The produce list is also surprising which includes Butchers’
2
3
meat, Cattle, Corn, Flannels , Friezes , Horses, Pigs, Potatoes,
Poultry, Sheep, Vegetables, and Woollen cloth.
Many of the market towns were also post towns that would
have been connected by the mail coaches on the improved road
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