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Droichead Nua (Newbridge) Town Commissioners' Minute Books
Identity Statement
Repository Code: IE 2036
Archive Reference: KCA/DRNTC/M/
Title: Minute books of Droichead Nua (Newbridge) Town Commissioners
Creation Dates: 1891-1898, 1931-1957, 1977-1998, with gaps
Extent Medium: 8 volumes
Context
Administrative History: Newbridge, described in 1837 a market and post-town of very recent origin, developed following the erection of extensive barracks for cavalry in 1816 on the property of Thomas Eyre Powell, Esq. Situated on the river Liffey, at that time it consisted of one street on the western bank of the river with 577 inhabitants The barracks were described as spacious, consisting of two parallel ranges of building, connected by a central range at right angles, capable of accommodating two regiments, with apartments for officers and an hospital for 100 patients. Two free markets were held on Tuesday and Friday each week, and two fairs on 03 May and 15 August. There was also a constabulary police station, a dispensary, and a Catholic chapel with a friary. Nineteenth century reforms of local government led to the establishment of the first town commissioners in Ireland under the Lighting of Towns (Ireland) Act 1828 and the abolition of most Irish boroughs by the Municipal Corporations (Ireland) Act 1840. The 1854 Towns Improvement (Ireland) Act allowed electors of populous places to choose to establish town commissioners and enabled many newer communities such as Newbridge, which had never had municipal status, to gain local government bodies. The adoption of the act in Newbridge was approved by the Lord Lieutenant on 13 February 1865. The provisions of this legislation allowed the town commissioners to provide basic services such as lighting, cleaning, and paving. Services were funded by the levying of a rate on property in the town valued at £4 or over. In October 1920 the Commissioners changed their name to Droichead Nua Town Commissioners.
Content and Structure
Scope and Content: The minute books record those present at each monthly meeting, the annual election of commissioners, the appointment and payment of staff, including the town clerk, the weighmaster, rates collector and lamplighter. The Commissioners dealt with public lighting, housing, the management of the Town Hall, the use of the buildings and lands of the former Military Barracks, as well as various committees. The books record the proposals for works, works carried out, contracts, tenders for new works, payments and the correspondence of the Commissioners and their resolutions, resolutions of sympathy and resolutions made regarding matters of local and national significance. There is only one surviving nineteenth century minute book and no surviving minute books for the years 1899-1930. The minutes are recorded in bound volumes which include handwritten or typed pages.
Arrangement: Manuscript and printed bound volumes are arranged chronologically.
Conditions of Use and Access
Access Conditions: Minutes from 1891-1898 and 1931-1984 are available online here. Full access by appointment only and subject to the conditions of Kildare County Archives' access policy.
Conditions Governing Reproduction: Permission from archivist required.
Creation Dates: 1891-1898, 1931-1957, 1977-1998, with gaps
Extent Medium: 8 volumes
Material Language: English
Allied Materials
Copies Information: Seven Droichead Nua Town Commissioners minute books for the years 1891-1898 and 1931-1984 have been digitised and can be accessed here. The volumes contain handwritten and typed minutes; OCR has been applied to the typed pages. Please note that many of the bound volumes contain one or more years of minutes. There are also some gaps in the minutes where volumes have not survived. The digitisation of the minute books was supported by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media under the Commemorations fund 2024.
Publications: From Connell to Droichead Nua, Aspects of the History of Newbridge, Co. Kildare, by Mary Connolly (2001).