Stratford

History

Stratford-on-Slaney is a small village but has a notable industrial history, having played a very strategic role in the Irish cotton and linen industries in the 18th and 19th centuries. Edward Stratford, 2nd Earl of Aldborough, built this settlement from 1774, and gave it his family name, Stratford. It is built on the summit of a hill above the river Slaney. When Aldborough was in need of money in 1787 he attempted to sell to a merchant or manufacturer but didn't go through with it. During this time Stratford was known as a large town and had approximately 40 stone houses which were mainly occupied by Protestants. Aldborough clearly showed that he felt it was important for homes to be kept in good condition with no scraps left on streets and at doors, these homes were ideally to be owned by tradesmen and commendable manufacturers. A lot of houses and buildings were left unfinished at this time including 26 one-storeyed houses, a school, and a church. Cotton and calico printing works were established in Stratford-on-Slaney in 1792. There were at least thirteen public houses. There were twelve streets with 108 houses, four squares, Winetavern Street, Church Road and the Octagon. Stratford-on-Slaney was sold by the Aldborough family to Mr. Orr, who owned a company called Smith Orrs’ & Sons. This company had an address in Dublin at 8 Merchants Quay, operating from there between 1782 and 1795. According to Lewis's Topographical Dictionary of 1837, Stratford-upon-Slaney was at that time a market town in the barony of Upper Talbotstown 2¼ miles north north east of Baltinglass. At that time the town had 2,833 inhabitants. In 1837 Orr and Co. bought the factory from the Stratford family. Early in the nineteenth century, when Stratford-on-Slaney was at its busiest, Orr Smith…

Most-observed species

• Common Carder Bee

  Bombus pascuorum (Scopoli, 1763) · Insecta
  584
• White-tailed Bumble Bee

  Bombus lucorum (Linnaeus, 1761) · Insecta
  470
• Indian Balsam

  Impatiens glandulifera Royle · Magnoliopsida
  317
• European Robin

  Erithacus rubecula (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  312
• Large Red Tailed Bumble Bee

  Bombus lapidarius (Linnaeus, 1758) · Insecta
  308
• Buff-tailed Bumble Bee

  Bombus terrestris (Linnaeus, 1758) · Insecta
  234
• Eurasian Blue Tit

  Cyanistes caeruleus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  215
• Common Chaffinch

  Fringilla coelebs Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  209

Most recent

• M 3.2 — 2005-12-14
  27 km E of Wicklow, Ireland