Robert Boles of Cahir, The Builder

His story per family tradition as recounted by his Great-Grandson, Bob Boles of Dublin

I would like to express my appreciation to Bob Boles of Dublin and Cahir for his help in putting this family history together, to Neil Sharkey for providing us with the basis for our research and for his feedback and guidance and to Mike Nolan for his early and thorough spadework which gave us our starting point.

Note: click on the small images on this page to see a larger picture.

St. Mary's Catholic Church, Cahir

See also Robert Boles of Cahir's Family Tree

Robert Boles is first on record in Cahir in 1833 as having been a major contractor in the construction of the St. Mary's Catholic church in Cahir in which he would be married in 1835. Family Tradition This was the start of three generations of builders in Cahir. The church's accounts book shows that Robert was one of four men who worked on building and slating the church's tower in May 1842. It's not yet known where he first lived in Cahir but in 1857 Robert acquired two adjacent military officer's residences on the central square of Cahir, known as the Daniels Houses, from Lord Cahir (of the Butler's of Ormonde family) in payment for some outstanding notes.

In them he established his building business, a grocery business and possibly also a pub. ref. Full Story In the back lot of the buildings he built a blacksmith or nail maker's shed, a carpenter's workshop, a mason's shed etc. He successfully built up his business with contracts to construct several buildings in Cahir and Clonmel.

Selected newspaper clippings re: Robert's work: (click on any clipping for a larger copy)

One significant project of his was the rebuilding and restoration of the City Hall in Cashel. Photos

note: The original contract for his work was for £395-10 but additional work was required as the project proceeded, his invoice for 'sundry work' done in addition to the work already specified in his contract added up to £221. A detailed record of that additional work on the town hall at Cashel was found in a manuscript auctioned by Fonsie Mealy Auctioneers in Dublin on July 1, 2014 which was catalogued as 'Item 349 Cost of Cashel Town Hall, co. Tipperary: manuscript: Admeasurement of Sundry Works executed at the Town Hall, Cashel by Mr. R. Boles, Builder, April 1867, 5 foolscap m/ss pages, total cost £221-5-10, signed off by the Architect, J. Rogers, 205 Great Brunswick Street, Dublin'. The architect's endorsement of the invoice states that this amount was in addition to the original contract's value.

When Robert died in 1886 he left the back lot and the side of the building containing his building business to his sons Robert and Neil and the other side which contained his grocery business to his daughters Catherine and Eliza. ref.

The sale of just a portion of Robert's equipment and materials after his death gives a good idea of the extent of his business

Robert's son Robert kept on the family business while Neil moved on to Clonmel where he became a well established builder ref. and built Gortmalogue House outside Clonmel in 1918. Memories of Gortmalogue House

Robert's daughter, Kate, continued to run the grocery business from the store front on one side of the building on the square. Eliza operated another shop next door with her husband, William Ryan.

This photo shows the Boles residence to the left of the arched doorway, the grocery store to the right of it and the building next door with the awning and the display of cloths is the Ryan's drapers shop.

In the next generation Robert Jr.'s son Robert, known as Bobby, took a grocer apprenticeship at the famous Harrod's store in London, starting as a 'meat boy' in 1905 but by the time he returned to Cahir in 1908 he had learned much about operating a grocers shop. At first he worked for a few years for his Uncle Cornelius Downing and then he opened a second grocery store in the side of the Boles building beside his Aunt Kate's. Not as her competitor as he aimed his shop at a different market. The knowledge that Bobby had gained during his time at Harrod's gave him the experience to identify and obtain the products sought after by the Anglo-Irish Gentry of the area. His shop developed a reputation for excellence specializing in items for a high end clientele such as pastas, olives, anchovies, salami etc. as well as Gin, Claret and Port wine and a selection of fine teas including his own blend Robert F. Boles' Golden Cup Tea.

In the 1930's Bobby Boles acquired his Aunt's side as well and the two stores were joined into one and traded as R. F. Boles Grocer and Seedsman. The buildings on The Square are also still in the Boles family today. They are joined together with a central corridor which is now the entrance way to a shop which extends across the front of the two buildings so that they appear as one building from the street. Full Story

R.F. Boles Grocer on Cahir Square in 1965

A photograph of Cahir Square taken in about the 1940's by Father Browne the photographer who was famous for having sailed on the Titanic from Belfast to Southampton to Cobh, county Cork and then disembarking before its fateful departure with the only surviving photographs of passenger life on the ship. The arrow on the Car Park sign is pointing directly at the Boles shop.

Killeigh Lodge, originally called Balgownie,built for Bobby Boles by his Uncle Neil Boles as an exact copy of Gortmalogue House in Clonmel. The Boles family still lives there today.