Buttevant

On W bank of Awbeg River, on main Cork-Limerick road. In 1234 David de Barry obtained licence for weekly market and annual fair 'at his town of Buttevant' (O'Brien 1993, 93); there are references to burgesses from end of 13th century (Thomas 1992, vol. 2, 28); by 1310 the de Barrys had obtained a murage grant (see 14632) for the town (ibid.). Exact area enclosed by town wall uncertain (see 14632). It had a 'linear' main street (Bradley 1985, 448) between bridge (14811) to N and castle (14330) to S and probably two cross-lanes located to N and S of Franciscan friary (14382); rental of 1364 mentions 'Main Street' and 'Mill Lane' (MacCotter and Nicholls 1996, 194). Unusually, parish church (14404) appears to lie outside line of town walls, to S of castle (14330) and within its demesne. Subsequently it declined and 'suffered considerable devastation' (Grove White 1905-25, vol. 1, 337) in 15th century. By 1831 it contained 204 houses and consisted 'principally of one main street extending along the mail coach road' (Lewis 1837, vol. 1, 235). Lombard's Castle (14340) fronts onto W side of Main Street; 18th-century market house (14761) at S end of Main Street. (Zajac et al. 1995, 10) The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Cork.