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Kilkenny Background

Johanna’s grandparents moved into Piltown, Co. Kilkenny, in the 1840s when it was a thriving “Model Village”. The village was built by the Earl of Bessborough in the early 19th century as a model for all landlord estate villages1. Piltown was the largest of his estate villages and adjoined his demesne. Owning (pronounced “Ooning”) was another one. Lewis' Topographical Dictionary[7] describes it as a market and post-town2, 9 miles (Irish miles – equivalent to 11.5 statute miles) from Waterford city, containing 624 inhabitants.

It was an attractive location in which to set up home.

Piltown is located close to the southern border of Co. Kilkenny, on the old road between Carrick on Suir and Waterford City.

The map shows Piltown and the surrounding area. The Bessborough Estate with its grand Georgian house was sold by the ninth Lord Bessborough in the late 1930s. A religious order established a seminary there in 1941, before selling it in 1971 to the Department of Agriculture. Since 1980 the grounds have been the home of Kildalton Agricultural College. Amongst the places which figure later in this story, the townland of Jamestown is located on the L1035 just south of the hairpin bends and Templeorum is located a little further north where the road has a loop.