0:00:05 > 0:00:10In 1840, one man transformed travel in Britain and Ireland.
0:00:10 > 0:00:12His name was George Bradshaw,
0:00:12 > 0:00:16and his railway guides inspired the Victorians to take to the tracks.
0:00:18 > 0:00:21Stop by stop, he told them where to travel,
0:00:21 > 0:00:23what to see and where to stay.
0:00:25 > 0:00:30Now, 170 years later, I'm making a series of journeys across the length
0:00:30 > 0:00:34and breadth of these islands to see what of Bradshaw's world remains.
0:00:52 > 0:00:55With the help of my guidebook, I'm discovering how small places
0:00:55 > 0:00:58often made a big splash in Bradshaw's day.
0:00:59 > 0:01:01I'm reaching the mid-point of my train journey
0:01:01 > 0:01:04across the Republic of Ireland, steered by my
0:01:04 > 0:01:06Bradshaw's Guide to Great Britain and Ireland,
0:01:06 > 0:01:10which in Victorian times formed a single state.
0:01:10 > 0:01:14I'm hoping to discover more about how rural Ireland adapted
0:01:14 > 0:01:17to the technological and social changes in the 19th century.
0:01:19 > 0:01:20On today's stretch,
0:01:20 > 0:01:23I'll try my hand at cutting marble, Victorian style...
0:01:27 > 0:01:29It just suddenly fell away!
0:01:29 > 0:01:33..uncover 19th century Ireland's surprising industrial heritage...
0:01:33 > 0:01:35It's a monumental mill, isn't it?
0:01:35 > 0:01:37Really impressive. It looks like a fortress.
0:01:37 > 0:01:38..and learn how the railways
0:01:38 > 0:01:41helped bring motorsport to the masses.
0:01:42 > 0:01:45They estimated that there would have been almost a million people
0:01:45 > 0:01:47- spectating on that event. - You're not serious?
0:01:47 > 0:01:48The first time there was ever
0:01:48 > 0:01:50a gathering of that amount of people in Ireland.
0:01:52 > 0:01:56Having sampled the pastoral charms of the Irish Republic's south,
0:01:56 > 0:02:00I'm now continuing along some of its most important Victorian tracks.
0:02:00 > 0:02:03I'm heading north, towards the heart of Ireland,
0:02:03 > 0:02:06before veering west to the spectacular Galway coast.
0:02:09 > 0:02:12Today's stretch takes me through counties Carlow and Kildare,
0:02:12 > 0:02:15finishing up in the market town of Athy.
0:02:18 > 0:02:21My first stop is Kilkenny, where this region's rich
0:02:21 > 0:02:24and complex history has left its mark.
0:02:25 > 0:02:28My Bradshaw's recommends Kilkenny Castle,
0:02:28 > 0:02:30the seat of the Marquis of Ormond.
0:02:30 > 0:02:34"Finely situated on a rock above the river, it contains much old
0:02:34 > 0:02:38"tapestry, as well as a gallery of the Butler portraits by Lely
0:02:38 > 0:02:44"and other portraits of Charles I, Charles II and James II."
0:02:44 > 0:02:47It was evidently a magnet for Victorian tourists,
0:02:47 > 0:02:49and I feel attracted too.
0:02:51 > 0:02:55According to my 19th-century guide, Kilkenny is,
0:02:55 > 0:02:59"the old capital of the pale, or limit, of English authority.
0:02:59 > 0:03:01"The Ormond or Butler family
0:03:01 > 0:03:04"have held possession of the town since 1,400."
0:03:06 > 0:03:09I'm going in search of their ancestral seat.
0:03:11 > 0:03:13Are you from Kilkenny, by any chance?
0:03:13 > 0:03:15- Yes. - Well, I'm here for the first time.
0:03:15 > 0:03:17What should I see whilst I'm here?
0:03:17 > 0:03:19What should you see? The castle.
0:03:19 > 0:03:21- Are you from Kilkenny?- Yes, I am.
0:03:21 > 0:03:24So what do you think of the castle? You must be very proud of that.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27Oh, I love the castle. It's the first place I send tourists.
0:03:27 > 0:03:30You do get an unbelievable amount of tourists here, don't you?
0:03:30 > 0:03:32Absolutely. We depend a lot on tourism.
0:03:32 > 0:03:33And how would I say welcome to Kilkenny?
0:03:33 > 0:03:36Failte roimh Cill Chainnigh.
0:03:36 > 0:03:37That's in Irish.
0:03:37 > 0:03:39Well, I guessed that.
0:03:39 > 0:03:41That's very, very nice. And how shall I say thank you to you?
0:03:41 > 0:03:44- Go raibh maith agat.- Lovely to see you. Thank you so much.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47And I'll say that to you, "Nach bhfuil ag gach".
0:03:47 > 0:03:48Does that mean, "Come back again"?
0:03:48 > 0:03:50No, that means, "Not at all".
0:03:50 > 0:03:54Oh, not at all! I was hoping you were asking me to come back!
0:03:54 > 0:03:55- God bless.- Bye-bye.- Take care.
0:03:57 > 0:03:59After such a warm welcome, it's high time
0:03:59 > 0:04:03I saw Kilkenny's famous fortress for myself.
0:04:03 > 0:04:05Bradshaw's tells me that one of the best views
0:04:05 > 0:04:07of the town is from John's Bridge,
0:04:07 > 0:04:11and certainly the castle on its mount above the river
0:04:11 > 0:04:14is imposing and impressive.
0:04:14 > 0:04:17In Bradshaw's day, the noble Butler family still lived here,
0:04:17 > 0:04:21and tours were strictly for only upper class visitors by appointment.
0:04:22 > 0:04:24My guide today is Frank Kavanagh.
0:04:24 > 0:04:25You're very welcome, sir.
0:04:25 > 0:04:29Thank you very much, and what a glorious castle you have here.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32Magnificent. The Windsor of Ireland.
0:04:32 > 0:04:34- I believe it, I believe it. - Yes. Oh, yes.
0:04:34 > 0:04:36There's been a castle on this site for 700 years,
0:04:36 > 0:04:40but following my guidebook, I'm heading straight for the gallery,
0:04:40 > 0:04:44added as part of a major refurbishment in the 19th century.
0:04:45 > 0:04:47Absolutely magnificent
0:04:47 > 0:04:50Wonderful Long Gallery. How long is it, Frank?
0:04:50 > 0:04:53It's 45 metres long, that's 150 foot long.
0:04:53 > 0:04:54ten metres high, 30 foot high.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57And nine metres wide. It's everything you expect in a castle.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00And this wonderful hammer beam ceiling?
0:05:00 > 0:05:02It was the work of John Pollen in 1858.
0:05:02 > 0:05:05So actually, just before my Bradshaw's guide,
0:05:05 > 0:05:06a Victorian masterpiece.
0:05:06 > 0:05:09There must have been a flow of tourists coming here?
0:05:09 > 0:05:12Yes, there would be. Indeed, you had many visitors coming here,
0:05:12 > 0:05:14by train, as it was the most convenient way of travel.
0:05:14 > 0:05:18The railway had reached Kilkenny in which year?
0:05:18 > 0:05:21The railway reached Kilkenny in 1848 to 1850.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24So absolutely perfectly timed for the whole thing.
0:05:25 > 0:05:27In the 1800s, a fashion for historical
0:05:27 > 0:05:32novels and paintings offered a romantic view of Britain's past.
0:05:32 > 0:05:34The Civil War of the 17th century was a popular topic,
0:05:34 > 0:05:38and the castle's collection of portraits would have fired
0:05:38 > 0:05:39Victorian imaginations.
0:05:41 > 0:05:42Following my Bradshaw's,
0:05:42 > 0:05:46I'm looking for Charles I, Charles II James II. Where would they be?
0:05:46 > 0:05:50Right behind us, looking upon us. King Charles I and King Charles II.
0:05:50 > 0:05:54The Butlers were staunch supporters of the Stuart cause,
0:05:54 > 0:05:57hence you have, of course, James Francis Stuart,
0:05:57 > 0:05:58father of Bonnie Prince Charlie.
0:05:58 > 0:06:02While the British Isles were torn apart by civil war, the Butlers,
0:06:02 > 0:06:05or Ormonds, stayed staunchly loyal to the British crown.
0:06:06 > 0:06:07Here in the Long Gallery,
0:06:07 > 0:06:11Victorian visitors could steep themselves in the story.
0:06:11 > 0:06:13All around you there are members of the family.
0:06:13 > 0:06:15James Butler, first Duke of Ormond,
0:06:15 > 0:06:18the most eminent member of the family,
0:06:18 > 0:06:22buried at Westminster Abbey, right close to his arch enemy, Cromwell.
0:06:22 > 0:06:26As well as admiring the paintings, tourists could marvel at the lavish
0:06:26 > 0:06:3119th-century restoration, which included a rather unusual material.
0:06:31 > 0:06:34This is the essence of our city, black marble.
0:06:34 > 0:06:36Bradshaw's talks about
0:06:36 > 0:06:39"Good stone and dark marble are abundant in this locality.
0:06:39 > 0:06:41"Most of the houses are of this material."
0:06:41 > 0:06:42This is what he's referring to?
0:06:42 > 0:06:44Exactly what he's referring to,
0:06:44 > 0:06:46the entire city of Kilkenny is built upon this marble.
0:06:47 > 0:06:49I'd love to linger in the Long Gallery,
0:06:49 > 0:06:53but this remarkable stone has sparked my curiosity.
0:06:53 > 0:06:57A Victorian favourite, it found fame around the world.
0:06:57 > 0:07:00And the story starts just east from Kilkenny.
0:07:00 > 0:07:04My search for the Irish black stuff, I refer, of course, to Kilkenny
0:07:04 > 0:07:06marble, has led me to Butler's Grove Quarry.
0:07:08 > 0:07:11In Victorian times, this was a thriving source of marble
0:07:11 > 0:07:13and building stone.
0:07:13 > 0:07:15However, when concrete increased in popularity
0:07:15 > 0:07:19in the early 20th century, the quarry was forced to close.
0:07:19 > 0:07:23It was resurrected in the 1970s by Jim Harding's father.
0:07:23 > 0:07:25- Hello, Jim.- Michael, how are you? - Good to see you.
0:07:25 > 0:07:27I've come in search of Kilkenny marble,
0:07:27 > 0:07:30- and I guess I've come to the right place?- You have.
0:07:30 > 0:07:33You've come to one of two old Kilkenny marble quarries.
0:07:33 > 0:07:35This is actually the only one that's left open.
0:07:37 > 0:07:40Marble was first quarried commercially in Kilkenny
0:07:40 > 0:07:44in the 1730s, and when the rails arrived a century later,
0:07:44 > 0:07:46they quickly became vital to the industry.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49The railways were extremely important in Victorian times.
0:07:49 > 0:07:51It was actually quite difficult
0:07:51 > 0:07:53to transport heavy blocks anywhere other than by rail.
0:07:53 > 0:07:56So they would have been brought from here to a railway station,
0:07:56 > 0:07:58then transported literally everywhere.
0:07:58 > 0:08:01Most of the bigger blocks that came out of here would have been shipped
0:08:01 > 0:08:04to Liverpool and then delivered by rail again out of Liverpool.
0:08:04 > 0:08:08The Victorians used the stone for everything from fireplaces to
0:08:08 > 0:08:12gravestones, and it was even employed to build railway stations.
0:08:12 > 0:08:15In geological terms, this particular marble is a sedimentary limestone,
0:08:15 > 0:08:21formed from a fine black mud 370 million years ago.
0:08:22 > 0:08:26And what is the quality of this stone that makes it so special?
0:08:26 > 0:08:29It's a really, really dense black material.
0:08:29 > 0:08:30That's actually quite scarce.
0:08:30 > 0:08:33There's not that many markings in it, and it's really good quality.
0:08:33 > 0:08:38Jim discovered a fresh seam of this rare stone a few years ago,
0:08:38 > 0:08:41allowing production, paused since the 1900s, to begin again.
0:08:43 > 0:08:45Methods have moved on since Bradshaw's day,
0:08:45 > 0:08:48but he's going to show me an old-fashioned technique
0:08:48 > 0:08:51used by Victorian quarrymen to split the blocks of stone.
0:08:52 > 0:08:54What do you do? Drop the two side ones in?
0:08:54 > 0:08:57These side ones have to go in one at a time. One down.
0:08:57 > 0:08:58Second one in.
0:09:00 > 0:09:01And now the actual wedges.
0:09:01 > 0:09:05This cunning system of pins and wedges should mean a gentle tap
0:09:05 > 0:09:07is all that's required.
0:09:07 > 0:09:09Now we move round to the back of the stone
0:09:09 > 0:09:10and we literally start to tap them.
0:09:24 > 0:09:26It just suddenly fell away.
0:09:26 > 0:09:28That's it. You hear it cracking first.
0:09:28 > 0:09:30I heard a little sound and then off it went.
0:09:30 > 0:09:33So, what have we done there? We've made quite a clean break.
0:09:33 > 0:09:36What you've done is you've cleaned it all the way across.
0:09:36 > 0:09:37Look at that!
0:09:37 > 0:09:40These days, machines do much of the work that was once done by hand,
0:09:40 > 0:09:44but the real magic occurs at the polishing stage.
0:09:45 > 0:09:47What you do is, you go up and down along it here,
0:09:47 > 0:09:50and you try and get as much of that heat and wax into that as possible.
0:09:50 > 0:09:52- Let's give it a go. - OK. That's it.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00Isn't it lovely how the black appears through the blue wax there?
0:10:00 > 0:10:03It is. That's what actually brings up the black polish on it.
0:10:03 > 0:10:06- Such a lovely stone. - It is a fabulous material, yeah.
0:10:07 > 0:10:08The best marble is still
0:10:08 > 0:10:12highly prized for fireplaces, just as it was in Bradshaw's day.
0:10:14 > 0:10:16- Well!- You're really getting into that.
0:10:16 > 0:10:18I think that's just about got it.
0:10:18 > 0:10:20Isn't that the most beautiful piece of stone?
0:10:20 > 0:10:21It is lovely, isn't it?
0:10:21 > 0:10:25- That would grace any fine house or castle.- It would and does.
0:10:26 > 0:10:30Sadly, I can't stay and hone my skills, as it's time for me
0:10:30 > 0:10:31to continue my journey.
0:10:38 > 0:10:40My next destination is something of a riddle.
0:10:51 > 0:10:54As I travel north from Kilkenny, according to my Bradshaw's guide,
0:10:54 > 0:10:56we soon reach Bagenalstown.
0:10:56 > 0:10:58But there's no trace of it on the map,
0:10:58 > 0:11:01so I'm going to alight at Muine Bheag and investigate further.
0:11:10 > 0:11:13With no Bagenalstown mentioned on the railway map,
0:11:13 > 0:11:17I'm going to have to dig deeper to find the spot described in my guide.
0:11:21 > 0:11:23- Thank you very much.- You're welcome.
0:11:23 > 0:11:25- I'm looking for Bagenalstown. - You're in it.
0:11:27 > 0:11:29- Doesn't say so.- Muine Bheag.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32- Ah, that's the Irish.- That's the Irish for Bagenalstown.
0:11:32 > 0:11:34What does that mean? Is that a translation of Bagenalstown?
0:11:34 > 0:11:36Small wood.
0:11:36 > 0:11:39- Small wood, OK. Do you know who Bagenal was, who had the town?- No.
0:11:41 > 0:11:44- Well, OK. So I'm in the right place. - You're in the right place.
0:11:44 > 0:11:45- I just have to find Bagenal now. - That's it.
0:11:45 > 0:11:47- Thank you.- No problem.- Bye. - All the best.
0:11:47 > 0:11:51It seems the locals are as in the dark as I am.
0:11:51 > 0:11:55I'm hoping historian Pat Nolan can unravel the mystery.
0:11:55 > 0:11:57- Pat!- Hello, Michael. Welcome to Bagenalstown.
0:11:57 > 0:12:00Well, you call it Bagenalstown. I thought it was called Muine Bheag?
0:12:00 > 0:12:02Depends who you talk to, really.
0:12:02 > 0:12:04It was Bagenalstown because the Bagenals were here
0:12:04 > 0:12:08since 1585, and they built a lot of this town.
0:12:10 > 0:12:13By the 1920s, the idea of naming a town after the local landed
0:12:13 > 0:12:15gentry had begun to seem outdated.
0:12:17 > 0:12:19I imagine the name was changed after Irish independence?
0:12:19 > 0:12:22Yes, well, the attempt was made, after Irish independence,
0:12:22 > 0:12:24in the mid-1920s.
0:12:24 > 0:12:26A chap called Cleary got quite heated about the whole thing,
0:12:26 > 0:12:29and he wanted to be changed from Bagenalstown,
0:12:29 > 0:12:32which he felt had the wrong connotations,
0:12:32 > 0:12:38and call it Muine Bheag from an old Irish name, a very old Irish name.
0:12:38 > 0:12:40What happened, anyway, was nothing.
0:12:40 > 0:12:42Because people who used to call it Bagenalstown continued to do so,
0:12:42 > 0:12:45and people who called it Muine Bheag continued to do so.
0:12:46 > 0:12:50In the 1950s, there was even a public vote on the matter,
0:12:50 > 0:12:52and the locals opted to stick with Bagenalstown.
0:12:53 > 0:12:58But surprisingly, a few years later, the station was officially named
0:12:58 > 0:12:59Muine Bheag.
0:12:59 > 0:13:01No-one is quite sure why that is,
0:13:01 > 0:13:04but there is a tradition that our Irish national rail system
0:13:04 > 0:13:07tend to use the Irish forms of names quite considerably.
0:13:07 > 0:13:10It's the use of the Irish language rather than anything else.
0:13:10 > 0:13:14And Muine Bheag is accepted as the name in Irish of this town.
0:13:16 > 0:13:19It's not just the name of this place that confuses visitors.
0:13:19 > 0:13:20Back in the 1700s,
0:13:20 > 0:13:24one of the Bagenal clan left behind an incongruous legacy.
0:13:24 > 0:13:27To see it, you have to walk through the public library.
0:13:33 > 0:13:36What a transformation from one side to the other.
0:13:37 > 0:13:39Yes, it's quite something.
0:13:39 > 0:13:42- It is amazing.- This was part of his grand plan.
0:13:42 > 0:13:45Bagenal had the idea of creating another Versailles
0:13:45 > 0:13:47here in Ireland.
0:13:47 > 0:13:50He had terrific ideas,
0:13:50 > 0:13:52and indeed he created some of them,
0:13:52 > 0:13:54and then, guess what, the money ran out.
0:13:54 > 0:13:56It doesn't look anything like Versailles!
0:13:56 > 0:14:01- No, it doesn't.- It's modelled on the Athens Parthenon.
0:14:01 > 0:14:05So he was somewhat geographically confused, you might say.
0:14:05 > 0:14:09And so here this mini-Parthenon sits, amongst the suburban houses
0:14:09 > 0:14:12and the municipal buildings, and the sheds with their tin roofs.
0:14:12 > 0:14:14Quite a contrast, really.
0:14:14 > 0:14:18It is, but at least it's now serving a practical current,
0:14:18 > 0:14:23present day use as the library, so you know, some good came out of it.
0:14:23 > 0:14:27The curiosities that I uncover with my Bradshaw's guide
0:14:27 > 0:14:28never cease to amaze.
0:14:29 > 0:14:31And just up the road from this charming town,
0:14:31 > 0:14:34I've found the perfect place to break my journey.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40Walter Bagenal did not succeed in completing his new Versailles,
0:14:40 > 0:14:43but many people still think that their town bears his name,
0:14:43 > 0:14:44and certainly this inn does,
0:14:44 > 0:14:46and this is where I shall spend the night.
0:14:57 > 0:15:01I'm now rejoining my route along the Waterford branch of the famous
0:15:01 > 0:15:03Great Southern & Western railway,
0:15:03 > 0:15:07built to connect the rural hinterland with Dublin.
0:15:07 > 0:15:10Its engineer was the Irish Brunel, William Dargan,
0:15:10 > 0:15:12born and bred in these parts.
0:15:13 > 0:15:17I find myself on a very busy train, and I'm just going one stop
0:15:17 > 0:15:21to Carlow, which my Bradshaw's tells me is the capital town of the county
0:15:21 > 0:15:25with a population of about 9,900, who return one member -
0:15:25 > 0:15:27Bradshaw's loves to tell us
0:15:27 > 0:15:30how many Members of Parliament are sent to Westminster -
0:15:30 > 0:15:32and are employed in the grain and butter trade.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35It's built on the east bank of the River Barrow.
0:15:35 > 0:15:37Now where you get grain, and where you get a river,
0:15:37 > 0:15:39you'd normally get mills.
0:15:39 > 0:15:41And mills were a source of wealth, and of jobs.
0:15:44 > 0:15:46I'm bound for a mill which was once
0:15:46 > 0:15:49so important it had its own station, Milford.
0:15:50 > 0:15:53Sadly, the stop went out of service in 1969
0:15:53 > 0:15:56so I'm leaving the train at Carlow.
0:15:56 > 0:16:00- Morning! How are you?- How was your trip?- Very nice, thank you very much.
0:16:00 > 0:16:03And I've spotted some very important work going on.
0:16:03 > 0:16:05Oh, wow, you're putting in the signs saying you've got to
0:16:05 > 0:16:07- stand behind this line.- Yeah.
0:16:07 > 0:16:10- In Irish.- Are you only doing them in Irish today?
0:16:10 > 0:16:12No, Irish and English.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15Now I've often seen this sign in Irish, how do you pronounce it?
0:16:15 > 0:16:21Fan Taobh Den Line. Den...Li...
0:16:21 > 0:16:24We just put it down!
0:16:24 > 0:16:26My Irish lesson over,
0:16:26 > 0:16:29I'm heading up the road to the banks of the River Barrow.
0:16:30 > 0:16:33In the early days of the Industrial Revolution,
0:16:33 > 0:16:36forward-thinking landowners sought to make the most of this
0:16:36 > 0:16:37valley's fertile countryside.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42Here at Milford Mills, their legacy is unmissable.
0:16:43 > 0:16:45- Hello, Shay. - Michael, welcome to Milford.
0:16:45 > 0:16:48Thank you. It's a monumental mill, isn't it? Really impressive.
0:16:48 > 0:16:51- It looks like a fortress. - Absolutely.
0:16:51 > 0:16:54You wouldn't expect to find a major industrial site
0:16:54 > 0:16:56in this quiet rural setting,
0:16:56 > 0:17:00but at its peak, it was the largest mill complex in Ireland.
0:17:01 > 0:17:04Historian Shay Kinsella has been researching the story.
0:17:05 > 0:17:07Well, this is an enormous and impressive building,
0:17:07 > 0:17:10but am I right in thinking there was even more than this, originally?
0:17:10 > 0:17:12Absolutely, this is only one of three buildings.
0:17:12 > 0:17:14This is the only one that's survived.
0:17:14 > 0:17:15This was the oatmeal mill,
0:17:15 > 0:17:19there was also a massive flour mill and a huge malthouse, as well.
0:17:19 > 0:17:22The mills were the brainchild of John Alexander,
0:17:22 > 0:17:25a Belfast man who, by 1790, had brought together
0:17:25 > 0:17:29the power of the river and the area's agricultural riches.
0:17:29 > 0:17:31By the time the railways came half a century later,
0:17:31 > 0:17:34his son was running the thriving mill.
0:17:34 > 0:17:36The second John Alexander of Milford
0:17:36 > 0:17:38was a great believer in the power of the railways.
0:17:38 > 0:17:41When the mill started to become extremely successful here,
0:17:41 > 0:17:44he decided that a railway would be the best access up to Dublin
0:17:44 > 0:17:47and down to Waterford, for transporting the goods from here.
0:17:47 > 0:17:51And that railway station was named Milford railway station.
0:17:51 > 0:17:55John Alexander II invested £6,000 in the Great Southern & Western
0:17:55 > 0:17:58railway, and soon the trains were taking his business to ever
0:17:58 > 0:17:59greater heights.
0:17:59 > 0:18:03Mr and Mrs Samuel Carter Hall, the travel commentators, visited here
0:18:03 > 0:18:05in the early 1840s and said these mills were fitted to astonish
0:18:05 > 0:18:08Englishmen, that Milford was laying down the gauntlet even for
0:18:08 > 0:18:11the cotton mills and the flour mills of Manchester,
0:18:11 > 0:18:12and that the capacity of the river
0:18:12 > 0:18:15and hydropower that should be harnessed across the UK.
0:18:16 > 0:18:20From the early 1800s, British and Irish producers got a further boost
0:18:20 > 0:18:24from the Corn Laws, which protected them from international competition.
0:18:24 > 0:18:28Then, in the 1840s, famine struck Ireland, and the government's
0:18:28 > 0:18:32response marked the beginning of the end for Milford's heyday.
0:18:32 > 0:18:35The idea was to flood the market with cheap accessible flour
0:18:35 > 0:18:38so that bread could be produced for the population in distress,
0:18:38 > 0:18:41but at the same time it put huge pressure on the milling
0:18:41 > 0:18:44industry here to compete with these foreign imports, and unfortunately,
0:18:44 > 0:18:45the Milford mills here
0:18:45 > 0:18:48definitely went into decline from that date onwards.
0:18:48 > 0:18:50What happened to the mill after that?
0:18:50 > 0:18:52From the 1860s up to 1890, this building was left idle,
0:18:52 > 0:18:53the plant was left idle,
0:18:53 > 0:18:56and the building started showing definite signs of decay,
0:18:56 > 0:18:59until another John Alexander decided it was time to give this building
0:18:59 > 0:19:02a new lease of life and make history for Carlow and Ireland at same time.
0:19:02 > 0:19:05Towards the end of the 19th century,
0:19:05 > 0:19:08the best minds in science and engineering
0:19:08 > 0:19:12discovered how to harness the power of a new technology, electricity.
0:19:13 > 0:19:17The world's first power station was built in 1882, and
0:19:17 > 0:19:21just nine years later, the invention gripped even this sleepy town.
0:19:23 > 0:19:26In 1890, then, John III was approached with an idea,
0:19:26 > 0:19:28to install a dynamo here
0:19:28 > 0:19:31which would have generated electricity by hydropower.
0:19:31 > 0:19:34A very pioneering idea at the time.
0:19:34 > 0:19:37John III was himself a bit of an innovator, a pioneer,
0:19:37 > 0:19:41a very progressive thinker, so he latched onto this with both hands.
0:19:41 > 0:19:43Carlow was the first inland town in Ireland
0:19:43 > 0:19:47and Britain to be lit throughout by hydro-electricity.
0:19:47 > 0:19:49The plant ran for a decade,
0:19:49 > 0:19:53but closed when a new generator was built, closer to the town centre.
0:19:53 > 0:19:56But that wasn't the end of Milford's energy story.
0:20:00 > 0:20:02Hello, Michael. Come on in.
0:20:02 > 0:20:04Hello, John. Lovely to see you. Thank you, sir.
0:20:04 > 0:20:07The latest in this line of remarkable men
0:20:07 > 0:20:11is John Alexander V, who still lives in the ancestral home.
0:20:11 > 0:20:15So, John, I imagine this is a display of your ancestors, is it?
0:20:15 > 0:20:17Yes, the ones lived in Milford, yes.
0:20:17 > 0:20:19Which one first put an electricity turbine in the mill?
0:20:21 > 0:20:23My grandfather, who I remember well.
0:20:23 > 0:20:25He was born in 1850, but I can remember him well growing up.
0:20:27 > 0:20:29This house, I suppose, being very close to mill,
0:20:29 > 0:20:31- must have benefited from electricity.- Yes, it did.
0:20:31 > 0:20:33Was this one of the early houses?
0:20:33 > 0:20:37I think it's one of the first, certainly in rural Ireland,
0:20:37 > 0:20:39to be electrified, yes.
0:20:39 > 0:20:43In the 1980s, John decided to build a new turbine in the old mill hall,
0:20:43 > 0:20:46which still generates enough electricity
0:20:46 > 0:20:49to power nearly 200 lightbulbs continuously.
0:20:49 > 0:20:51You're still putting electricity into the grid?
0:20:51 > 0:20:53Absolutely, right now quite a lot,
0:20:53 > 0:20:55because we've had quite a lot of rain today.
0:20:56 > 0:20:59It's an amazing history, isn't it?
0:20:59 > 0:21:02Five of you here in Milford called John Alexander,
0:21:02 > 0:21:07five of you wedded, in various ways, to the mill.
0:21:07 > 0:21:08Absolutely, yeah.
0:21:08 > 0:21:10Well, you're a very worthy John Alexander.
0:21:10 > 0:21:12- A great pleasure to meet you. - Well, thank you.
0:21:16 > 0:21:20I'm now embarking on the last leg of today's journey, and there's
0:21:20 > 0:21:24just time to see how Carlow's sprucing up is coming along.
0:21:24 > 0:21:27Smell of fresh paint. They've done the line,
0:21:27 > 0:21:29but they haven't yet redone the words.
0:21:38 > 0:21:40My next stop is just 20 miles north.
0:21:43 > 0:21:45I'm now heading for Athy,
0:21:45 > 0:21:47which my Bradshaw's tells me is on the Barrow,
0:21:47 > 0:21:50where there is an old castle built by Lord Kildare in 1506.
0:21:50 > 0:21:53In fact, he gave his name to the county.
0:21:53 > 0:21:56But I'm attracted to Athy for something that happened there
0:21:56 > 0:21:59long after my Bradshaw's was published
0:21:59 > 0:22:01which made it internationally famous.
0:22:03 > 0:22:05In the last decades of Victoria's reign,
0:22:05 > 0:22:08a new rival to the railways emerged from the workshops
0:22:08 > 0:22:11of the Industrial Revolution, the automobile.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15The age of mass motor travel was still a long way off,
0:22:15 > 0:22:16but for the elite,
0:22:16 > 0:22:20this new machine opened up a fresh world of pleasure and excitement.
0:22:21 > 0:22:24Veteran car enthusiast Laurence Roe can tell me
0:22:24 > 0:22:28how this small Irish town played a big part in the story.
0:22:28 > 0:22:29Laurence!
0:22:30 > 0:22:33Michael, nice to meet you. Welcome to Athy.
0:22:33 > 0:22:34Thank you very much.
0:22:34 > 0:22:36What a beautiful collection of vintage cars.
0:22:36 > 0:22:39What is the connection between Athy and cars?
0:22:39 > 0:22:43Well, Athy's connection dates back to 1903,
0:22:43 > 0:22:45when the first closed circuit race ever
0:22:45 > 0:22:48to take place took place here.
0:22:48 > 0:22:50Prior to that, the previous
0:22:50 > 0:22:53races were on open roads, where there was other traffic, little
0:22:53 > 0:22:55control of spectators,
0:22:55 > 0:22:58and this was actually the first closed circuit ever.
0:22:59 > 0:23:02It subsequently became known as Grand Prix, really.
0:23:03 > 0:23:07The groundbreaking event was the fourth in a series of international
0:23:07 > 0:23:12races sponsored by newspaper baron James Gordon Bennett Jnr.
0:23:12 > 0:23:14Famous for his passion for adventure,
0:23:14 > 0:23:18he backed everything from polar expeditions to balloon races.
0:23:18 > 0:23:20Is this THE Gordon Bennett?
0:23:20 > 0:23:22It is THE Gordon Bennett, yes.
0:23:22 > 0:23:24So when one says, "Gordon Bennett!",
0:23:24 > 0:23:26- one's referring to this gentleman? - Yes.
0:23:26 > 0:23:29Bennett was known for his playboy lifestyle,
0:23:29 > 0:23:32and the story goes that it was a New York party that saw his name
0:23:32 > 0:23:35become an expression of incredulity.
0:23:35 > 0:23:38He arrived at the party slightly inebriated
0:23:38 > 0:23:42because Gordon Bennett lived on lamb chops and champagne.
0:23:42 > 0:23:45And when he arrived in the house,
0:23:45 > 0:23:47he decided he wanted to use the facilities.
0:23:47 > 0:23:50And the facilities in these old houses were
0:23:50 > 0:23:52usually down a dark corridor.
0:23:52 > 0:23:55So he decided to do what he had to do
0:23:55 > 0:23:57in the front room into the fireplace,
0:23:57 > 0:23:59So his friends said, "Oh, Gordon Bennett!"
0:23:59 > 0:24:01I've often used the exclamation myself
0:24:01 > 0:24:03with no idea what I was getting myself into.
0:24:03 > 0:24:04Well, there you are now.
0:24:04 > 0:24:08The first Gordon Bennett races were held on the continent, on the open
0:24:08 > 0:24:13road, but in 1902, the event was won by Selwyn Edge representing England.
0:24:13 > 0:24:16So it was down to the United Kingdom of Great Britain
0:24:16 > 0:24:19and Ireland to host the next event, but with strict speed
0:24:19 > 0:24:22limits on the British mainland, it was decided to hold it across
0:24:22 > 0:24:26the Irish sea, where restrictions were temporarily relaxed.
0:24:26 > 0:24:30The area around Athy was chosen for its convenient location.
0:24:30 > 0:24:34The railways were important to bring in the drivers or the spectators?
0:24:34 > 0:24:38Bring in the spectators, because they estimated there would have been
0:24:38 > 0:24:41- almost a million people spectating on that event.- You're not serious?
0:24:41 > 0:24:44The first time there was ever a gathering of that amount of people
0:24:44 > 0:24:47in Ireland, and the railways played a big part from all over the country,
0:24:47 > 0:24:50bringing people to see this amazing scene.
0:24:50 > 0:24:54- I had no idea it was on that scale.- Absolutely.
0:24:54 > 0:24:57For safety, the roads were closed off to other traffic,
0:24:57 > 0:25:00setting the template for the Grand Prix, which began in 1906.
0:25:01 > 0:25:05And the race also gave birth to another tradition.
0:25:05 > 0:25:10Each country had a colour. America was red, Germany was white,
0:25:10 > 0:25:14France was blue, and the British chose emerald green.
0:25:14 > 0:25:16Partly as a gesture to
0:25:16 > 0:25:18Ireland for hosting the race
0:25:18 > 0:25:21and this subsequently became British racing green.
0:25:21 > 0:25:24So it was a tribute to the host nation, to the Emerald Isle.
0:25:24 > 0:25:28Sadly, racing green failed to triumph, as the trophy was
0:25:28 > 0:25:29won by a German car.
0:25:30 > 0:25:34The '03 Gordon Bennett race was won by Camille Jenatzy,
0:25:34 > 0:25:35driving a 60 hp Mercedes at an average
0:25:35 > 0:25:41speed of 49.2 mph, which was remarkable speed at that time,
0:25:41 > 0:25:44over a circuit which was 327.5 miles.
0:25:44 > 0:25:48I can't believe they were averaging nearly 50mph
0:25:48 > 0:25:53- over 300-and-something-mile circuit in 1903.- Yep, absolutely amazing.
0:25:53 > 0:25:55And to get those speeds, they would have had to do over 70mph
0:25:55 > 0:25:58in some of the straight stretches to try and achieve that.
0:25:59 > 0:26:01Much of the original course can still be
0:26:01 > 0:26:05driven on the roads around Athy, and the race is commemorated
0:26:05 > 0:26:09every year by members of the Irish Veteran and Vintage Car Club.
0:26:11 > 0:26:13And they're out for a drive today.
0:26:13 > 0:26:15The first thing we have to do is pump up the fuel.
0:26:15 > 0:26:17- Here?- Yes.
0:26:17 > 0:26:21These days, a turn of the key is all that's needed to send fuel from
0:26:21 > 0:26:23the tank to the engine.
0:26:23 > 0:26:26But in the 1900s, it was rather harder work.
0:26:26 > 0:26:27OK!
0:26:30 > 0:26:33Laurence takes the wheel of his 1906 Wolseley
0:26:33 > 0:26:36to give me a taste of the race that attracted
0:26:36 > 0:26:37a million awe-struck spectators.
0:26:40 > 0:26:42I'm guessing that, at the beginning of the 20th century,
0:26:42 > 0:26:45the population of Ireland can't have been more than five or six million.
0:26:45 > 0:26:48It's impossible to think of any sporting event now
0:26:48 > 0:26:50that would gather a fifth or a sixth of the population.
0:26:50 > 0:26:51Absolutely.
0:26:51 > 0:26:54I suppose when you think about it, most people hadn't seen a motor car.
0:26:54 > 0:26:56They didn't know what they looked like.
0:26:56 > 0:26:59To have this piece of machinery travelling at amazing speeds
0:26:59 > 0:27:01would have been really spectacular.
0:27:07 > 0:27:10On the open road with Laurence, you begin to realise
0:27:10 > 0:27:15how extraordinary the sight of a speeding car must once have been.
0:27:15 > 0:27:19First locomotion, then the internal combustion engine,
0:27:19 > 0:27:22the 19th century truly brought transport revolutions.
0:27:24 > 0:27:26This part of my journey has made me
0:27:26 > 0:27:28think about the role of great men in history.
0:27:31 > 0:27:35The Dukes of Ormonde, of Kilkenny, Walter Bagenal of Bagenalstown,
0:27:35 > 0:27:38five generations of John Alexander, and Gordon Bennett.
0:27:40 > 0:27:43And I'd like to add one more name, the railway engineer who built
0:27:43 > 0:27:48this line, and many others, a native of Carlow, William Dargan.
0:27:54 > 0:27:57On my next journey, I'll visit the Irish National Stud.
0:27:58 > 0:28:00A bucking experience!
0:28:01 > 0:28:03Oh, the horse is going very fast now!
0:28:03 > 0:28:05This is absolutely exhausting!
0:28:05 > 0:28:09I'll discover how harsh life was for the Irish poor.
0:28:09 > 0:28:12When you came in here, you gave up everything
0:28:12 > 0:28:15and you signed up to a life within the workhouse.
0:28:15 > 0:28:18And I'll uncover an astronomical feat of Victorian engineering.
0:28:20 > 0:28:23- What a construction. - It was known locally as The Monster.
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0:28:53 > 0:28:55E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk