The Market House in Churchtown was completed in 1845 under the instructions of Sir Edward Tierney, agent for the Earl of Egmont. Edward Tierney, a lawyer was born in Rathkeale, Co Limerick and he inherited his title as Baronet of the United Kingdom from his brother. His brother, Mathew, was a doctor who received his Title for saving the life of the Prince Regent - heir to the crown - who was also seriously ill when his father George III died on 20th December 1820.
The derelict Market House came under the control of Gerry Murphy in 1997 and is now fully restored and extended. The first picture (below) was taken in Summer 1997.
Sir Edward envisaged the Market House primarily as an office for rent collections and as a place where he could meet tenants for private discussion. It was unoccupied in 1851 at the time of Griffith’s Valuation which listed the building’s annual rent at £9 10s 0d. On 30th May 1900, Lucy Countess of Egmont, 7 Eaton Square, London, sold the Market House to Captain Thomas Sandes Trench of Glenmalyre, Ballybrittas, Queen’s County (now County Laois) for £80. Captain Trench collected rents on behalf of the Egmont Estate at that time. On 19th April 1901, Captain Trench sold the Market House to Edward Flannery for £150 sterling.
The restored Market House in 2007.
Jerry O’Sullivan purchased the Market House and other adjoining buildings (including what is now Boss Murphy’s) in 1972 from the Flannery family. All these buildings, including the Market House, were acquired by Liam and Marie O’Herlihy on Christmas Eve 1992. The O’Herlihy family sold the property to Boss Murphy’s Ltd on 18th August 1997. On 6th November 2003, Gerry Murphy purchased the Market House from Boss Murphy’s Ltd. In 2000, the building was completely refurbished and it was further extended by Ballyhoura Construction Ltd in 2006, based on a design by architect Dana Hayes.
The garden to the Market House which is now overlooked by the Boardroom balcony.
