190 Year-Old Bank Notes Presented to Museum
Clare Champion, Friday, May 11, 2001
Clare Museum Curator,
John Rattigan, recently took possession of three bank notes dating back almost
200 years, to 1813 and 1815. The notes were purchased at Whyte's, a Dublin
auctioneering firm, by Roche Ireland and presented to Mr. Rattigan at the
museum. One of the notes, a guinea, was payment in the name of Peter Blake
to Henery McDonnell and witnessed by Thomas Kennedy. In accepting the notes
from John Liddy, Managing Director, Roche Ireland, Mr. Rattigan thanked Roche
Ireland for their gift and said, "the importance of gathering items from
our history cannot be stressed enough. Since the museum opened last year I
have had a lot of offers from people who have checked under the bed, in the
attic, garage and other storage areas for items that are relevant to our past.
I am constantly looking for items of historical interest. These notes fit
that category perfectly. They represent a number of things such as the long
tradition of the Tan Yard in Ennis and surrounding areas through the years.
The name Kennedy and McDonnell are well known in the area and many Blakes
can be traced to commercial interests and ventures through the years".
The notes read as follows:
…. "Peter Blake No 269 Ennis; One Pound, Two Shillings & Ninepence Sterling, (One Guinea), 1st March 1815 payable in Limerick Bank Paper to Henery McDonnell". "Ennis Tan Yard, Peter Blake, One Pound Sterling, Payable in Limerick Bank Notes, 4 May 1813. Witness Thomas Kennedy, Ennis"and National Bank of Ireland, Ennis, Bank of Ennis, One Pound, undated specimen.
John Liddy, Managing Director, Roche Ireland said, "Roche were delighted to have found these very fine notes. The Curator was correct when he stressed the importance of gathering items that referred to the county's history. Clare was steeped in marvellous history and culture and he was very proud to be able to contribute to the wonderful collection in the Clare Museum with these notes.
Employees at our plant have seen many changes in the area in the past quarter of a century and we would like to think we have been contributing to the history of the area all that time. These notes take us back many years and I know that they will generate much interest when they go on display", said Mr. Liddy.
There has been significant local interest in the museum since it opened and as the traditional tourist season approaches it is hoped that there will be many visitors through the doors.