History of Ardmayle 

Ardmayle Church  - St John the Baptist
The church and tower at Ardmayle have existed in one from or another since the middle of the 12th century. The first stone church was erected by the Normans in the 13th century under the auspices of the Knights Templar.  The church was badly damaged in 1315 and after been renovated or rebuilt is was again badly damaged in 1581 during the Desmond rebellion. The church and tower would change hands on many occasions during the course of history with the Protestants eventually taking up permanent residence after the Catholic church moved to Nodstown (Boherlehan) in 1813. The Protestant community continued to worship in Ardmayle until the late 1950's when due to dwindling numbers they closed the church. The Grubb family continued to look after the building until the 1980's when the Ardmayle heritage society with the help of Sean Woodward of Cashel, Cannon Morrissey and fr. Feehan of Boherlehan took over the church and completely renovated it. 
Fr Mannin who was curate in Ardmayle from 1736 to 1740 kept a very accurate account of all births, marriages and deaths and these are the oldest in the diocese.

Bianconi and Longfield House
Charles Bianconi was born in Tregolo, Italy on the 24th September 1786. He was one of five children reared on a small farm. He left school at 15 and later took up employment as an apprentice, framing and selling prints with a man called Faroni. He traveled to Dublin and continued in the trade until he finished his apprentice. He then moved south to Thurles and stayed with a Mrs. Tobin, Mother Superior of the Ursuline order. It was in 1806 while working and selling prints that he first came in contact with Ardmayle. While resting on the moat he saw Longfield House and though to himself that one day he would like to own it. During the following years he was to become a very wealthy man from his many business interests, one of which was the first from of organised transport in Ireland. He sent out fleets of horse drawn carriages connecting the main centres of population. 
In 1846 his wish to own Longfield House came to pass when he purchased the house and estate from the Long family. He was very well liked in the area and provided good employment which was badly needed in the years after the famine. He was also responsible for building many of the larger houses in Ardmayle and Bawnmore areas. He also built a small church near the parish church in Boherlehan and all his family are buried there. The last relative of Bianconi was Molly Watson how lived in Longfield house until the late 1960's. She is buried in Boherlehan. Longfield House is now the property of Coolmore Stud.

Goolds Cross to Cashel Railway
Following strong representation from the business people of Cashel and surrounding areas it was decided to build a branch line to Cashel with a small station at Ardmayle. The line was built by the Great Southern and Western Railway Company with the first sod been turned by Dean Kinane of Cashel on the 4th March 1903. The length of the line would by 5 ¾ miles with steel bridges spanning the rivers Suir and Argle.
Before work commenced workshops, canteen sheds and stores were built adjacent to where Ardmayle station would be. They also erected another store at Gortnaclough , which was later purchased by Tim Ryan who used part of the premises as a workshop and the rest as a shop. He also built a two story residence on the site that was originally owned by Dan Hayes of Kilbreedy. This property is now owned by the Hickey family who have carried out major renovations in recent years and it is now run as a very successful Bed and Breakfast accommodation.
The railway line when completed ran two passenger and one goods trains all stopping in Ardmayle. Specials were also ran to many of the major games involving Boherlehan and to An Tostal. The line eventually closed around 19544 and the tracks were removed in 1959/60. The Forristal family were the last people to be involved in the Ardmayle station and Maurice still resides in the Stationmaster's house.

Ardmayle Creamery
In 1898 a group of local farmers came together with the idea of building a creamery so that farmers could bring their milk to the one place and have it properly processed rather than trying to process it at home, which would prohibit  the development of the dairy industry. Work eventually began on the building of the creamery in 1901 and it went into production in the sprimg of 1902. Some of the people involved in the building of the creamery were Nicholas Ryan (Wall), Castlemoyle, James Kevin, Clonmore, John Delaney, Clonmore, D.C. Maher N.T., Ardmayle and Mike Hackett of Slatefield. The creamery was one of the most successful of it's kind and provided good employment in the area. At a later date the creamery purchased the Ardmayle Stores from D.C. Maher and later moved to the large stone residence of Muarice Ryan. At it's peak the total employed would have been about fourteen. The creamery was taken over by Mitchelstown Co-op in the early 1970's eventualyy closed in 1980. The stores are due to close this year (2002).
Once there was the creamery and stores with the constant noise of horse and cart coming and going and the old school on the hill with the laughter and playing of children. Today Ardmayle is a quieter place than before.

Become a fan on facebook