Gorey Main Street Survey

Welcome to our historical survey of Gorey Main Street, Gorey, County Wexford. This historical project was carried out over the period of 2018 and 2019 by members of North Wexford Historical Society. This survey has been sponsored by North Wexford Historical Society under the direction of John Nangle and the Leader Development Program of Wexford County Council. We would like to record our appreciation to our sponsors and everyone who helped with the survey.

The project involves recording information on the individual shops of Gorey Main Street from the cancellation books which now are in storage with the Valuation Office. These books are now no longer used so they became “cancelled” whilst the current book for the current year was being used. The cancellation books list the landlord and occupier and type of property involved and their rateable valuation. The cancellation books also record the years when properties changed occupancy and ownership. Therefore the cancellation books are useful historical sources when carrying out family research for individuals who had connections with businesses on Gorey Main Street. We have covered the period 1853 to early 1940’s in our historical survey.

Each annual round of revision in the book was allocated a coloured ink code (by pen) for the particular year. When a change of occupancy occurred the name of the previous householder or owner was crossed through and the new owner’s name written above it; in the same colour ink. The date was recorded in the right hand column in the same ink colour. All manner of observations are also noted to the size of the physical structure of the land/property in the cancellation books.Over time; occupiers were given assistance by the Land Commission to buy their properties if they wished from the landlord. If this happened the occupier was recorded as being “in fee”.

The Project
The project team members have selected each property on the main street and recorded the landlord and occupiers for the period of time in a timeline format. Various Gorey families lived or worked in these shops or as we see eventually owned the properties when they changed from “occupiers” to being “in fee”. We have selected families which occupied the properties and delved a little bit more into some of them to give social and historical context to the tapestry of life on Gorey Main Street. We hope you enjoy it especially if you have a family connection.

Historical Context
Businesses were run on Gorey Main Street and changed occupiers and landlord’s over a period of time. This change can be observed in the timeline on each property in the attached webpages. It is important to note businesses were ran as shops; but also rooms above were let to other businesses or people had lodgings. In some instances the family who ran the business also lived over the shop so this may explain different names connected with the property or recorded in the census of 1901 or 1911. Also some families may have lived elsewhere.

Gorey Main Street Numbering on the Shop Fronts
The numbering system on Gorey Main Street does not follow the correct numerical pattern. Indeed the census of 1901 and 1911 do not follow the properties numerically so this should be noted if you are doing any historical research. In addition in the early times of Gorey Main Street; there were properties knocked down to make way for progress – an example would be shops were knocked down and removed to make space for the new Avenue which joined at the top of Gorey Main Street. So whilst these shops disappeared; the numbers along Main Street never changed to compensate for the adjustment.

No 1 Gorey Computer Solutions No 60 to 62 Cancellation Book

No 3 Euro Giant 63 Cancellation Book

No 4 Tweed in the Valley 64 Cancellation Book

No 5 Skyfall 65 Cancellation Book

No 6 Liz Collins Shoe Style 66 Cancellation Book

No 7 Lar Murphy 67 &68 Cancellation Book

No 8 Gown Gallery 69 Cancellation Book

No 9 Book Station 69 Cancellation Book

No 10 Astor 70 Cancellation Book

No 11 Vodafone 71 Cancellation Book this one

No 13 SuperValu No 73 Cancellation Book

No 14 Roche’s Pharmacy 74 Cancellation Book

No 15 Roche’s Pharmacy 75 Cancellation Book

No. 16 Main Street Joannes No 76 Cancellation Book

No 17 Funges No 77 Cancellation Book

No 18 Maloccas No 78 and 79 Cancellation Book

No 19 and 20 Dealtz 80 and 81 Cancellation Book

No 21 Munchins 82 Cancellation Book

No 22 and 83 Regatta Cancellation Book

No 23 Permanent tsb 84and 85Cancellation Book

No 24 Pamela Scott 86 Cancellation Book

No 27 Donals 89 Cancellation Book

No 36 Boyle Sports 97-97a Cancellation Book

No 37 Whitmores Jewellers No 97b Cancellation Book

No 38 Ming Garden 98 Cancellation Book

No 39 Bedlinen 99 Cancellation Book

No 40 Bedlinen 100 Cancellation Book

No 41 Jewellery Workshop 101 Cancellation Book

No 42 Halfords Hairdresser 102 Cancellation Book

No 43 Sally West 103 Cancellation Book

No 44 Tara Stores 104 Cancellation Book

No 45 Browns Pub 108-108a Cancellation Book

No 46 Powers 109 Cancellation Book

No 47 Powers 110 Cancellation Book

No 48 Powers 111 Cancellation Book

No 49 Entrance Way 112 Cancellation Book

No 50 Eco 113, 114, 115 Cancellation Book

No 51 Vintage Clothing 116, 117, 118, 119 Cancellation Book

No 52 Rams Arms Hotel (Car Park) 120 Cancellation Book

No 53 Willoughbys (Row of Houses) 120 Cancellation Book

No 57 AIB 6 Cancellation Book

No 59 AIB 8 Cancellation Book

No 60 Gibbons 9 Cancellation Book

No 61 Wright Ins 10 Cancellation Book

No 62 D’Arcy 11 Cancellation Book

No 63 Nell Sweeney’s 12 Cancellation Book – Copy

No 64 The 64 13 in Cancellation Book

No 65 The Club 18 Cancellation Book

No 66 Rays Fish Shop 19 Cancellation Book

No 67 Mylie Doyles 20 Cancellation Book

No 68 Black Amber 21 Cancellation Book

No 69 McCabes Pharmacy 22 Cancellation Book

No 70 XL Gorey 23 Cancellation Book

No 72 McGoverns 25 Cancellation Book

No 73 Paddy Power 26 27 Cancellation Book

No 74 Hale Vape no 28 Cancellation book

No 75 M Walshe 29 Cancellation Book

No 76 Wades 30 Cancellation Book

Market House 31 Cancellation Book

No 77 Giffney Byrne Smith 32Cancellation Book

No 78 Katie Daly’s 33 Cancellation Book

No 79 Jack Dunnes and Bargain Den 34 Cancellation Book

No 80 Alder Jewellers 35 Cancellation Book

No 81 Kool Kidz 36 Cancellation Book

No 83, 84 Sports Direct 38&39 Cancellation Book

No 85,86,Boots and Book Cafe 40&41 Cancellation Book

No 87 House to Home 43 Cancellation Book

No 88 Byrnes 44 Cancellation Book

No 90 Loch gCarman Arms Hotel 46 Cancellation Book

No 91 Fifth Avenue 47 Cancellation Book

No 92 Shu 4 U 48- 49 Cancellation Book

No 93 Partridges 50 Cancellation Book

No 94 Partridges 51 Cancellation Book

No 95 Phone Care Browns 52 Cancellation Book

No 96 Stock Market 53 Cancellation Book

No 99 Contra Clothing 54 Cancellation Book

No 100 Chill Restaurant 55 Cancellation Book

No 101 For Rent 56 Cancellation Book

No 102 EBS 57 Cancellation Book

No 103 Ulster Bank 58 Cancellation Book