placenamesThomastown
Baile Mhic Andáin
The courthouse on Logan Street preserves a documented history of trials, detention and later proposals for reuse.
The name
These Irish name elements are associated with this record in the Logainm glossary.
An element’s translation is a clue, rather than a complete explanation of the name. Its form and meaning depend on local history and the full Irish name.
Recorded forms
- Baile Mhic Andáin · Irish · main form · validated name
- Thomastown · English · main form
Place & story
A court in operation from 1825
Cóilín Ó Drisceoil’s 2020 assessment cites an 1828 parliamentary report establishing that Thomastown’s courthouse and small bridewell were completed in 1825, with criminal cases heard there from that year. The court building stands back from Logan Street. Its central courtroom rises above lower entrance porches, while a separate masonry building behind it provided holding cells. [2]
An enlarged prison and later plans
The bridewell was rebuilt and enlarged around 1832, supported by a Board of Works grant of £530 11s. 8d. Blocked openings in its gables retained evidence of the earlier building. Court use ended in 2005, and the property passed to Kilkenny County Council. The 2020 assessment records that permission for a community arts centre had been granted in 2013, but that project had not proceeded; it was then considering a different educational use. [2]
Geographic information
Sources & further reading
- Logainm.ie — Thomastown. Place names and geographic record, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
- Archaeological Assessment: Sessions House, Thomastown,12March2020, pages18–19 and introduction · Cóilín Ó Drisceoil, Kilkenny Archaeology; commissioned by Kilkenny County Council
Name record retrieved 2026-10-25 · Source record modified 2025-01-10. How this page was prepared.