Mary Robinson unveils Sir John Gray plaque in Claremorris

UNVEILING Claremorris Historical Society members and guests pictured with former President of Ireland Mary Robinson, after she unveiled a plaque for Sir John Gray, patriot, publisher and philantropist, and who delivered the Vartry Water system to Dublin and was born on Mount Street, Claremorris, from left: Michael Walsh, Jimmy Lardner, Johnny Kirrane, Matt Masterson, Roderick Maguire, Mary Robinson, Pat Keane, Eamonn O’Boyle, Cllr Tom Connolly, Senator Catherine Noone, Adianne Reidy and Matt Macken. Unavoidably absent was Chairman ColmΡn Ó Raghallaigh. Pic: Trish Forde

Michael Commins

THE subject of water came up on a few occasions during the ceremony to mark the unveiling of a commemorative plaque in honour of Sir John Gray in Claremorris last Thursday. 
Born in Mount Street, Claremorris, in 1815, he is credited as the man behind bringing the first major water supply, known as the Vartry Scheme, to Dublin in 1863. A statue in his honour stands in O’Connell Street, Dublin.
John Gray was educated at Trinity College and obtained the degree of MD and Master in Surgery at Glasgow University in 1839.
He served as a Liberal Party Member of Parliament in the House of Commons in London for Kilkenny from 1865 until his death.  The patriot, publisher and philanthropist died in Bath, England, in 1875.
Pat Keane, chair of Claremorris Historical Society, said residents of Dublin in an earlier time composed a reminder of the statues on O’Connell Street from south to north in case their heroic characters would be forgotten. 
“Daniel O’Connell is looking into the water; William Smith O’Brien was transported across water; Sir John Gray brought water to Dublin; Horatio Nelson fought al is battled on water; Fr Matthew wants us to drink nothing but water; and Charles Stewart Parnell got into hot water!”
Mayo welcome
Pat extended a hearty Mayo and Claremorris welcome to the former President, Mary Robinson, and her husband Nick, and said they were thrilled to have her perform the unveiling of the first in a series of historical plaques around the town.
Mary Robinson said she felt very much at home at this gathering in Claremorris. She referred to the power of local communities and the essential role they play in making Ireland what it is.
She recalled how she was around 100/1 with the bookies when she received the nomination to contest the Presidential Election in 1990. One of her first canvass meetings was with the fishing community in Allihies in west Cork. “It always stands out as such a special moment and it helped me understand the saying that when you are on the periphery you are at the centre. It was a central moment in my entire election campaign that year.”
The former President congratulated Claremorris Historical Society for their excellent research in relation to the Sir John Gray plaque project and had special words of thanks for Pat Keane for his generous and kind welcome to Claremorris.
She said Sir John Gray was a Protestant nationalist who espoused the values of non violence along the lines of Daniel O’Connell. As joint proprietor of the Freeman’s Journal in 1841, he was in an influential position to further his beliefs on the political landscape of the times.

‘Huge role’
It was while he was a member of the Water Committee on Dublin Corporation in the 1850s that he pioneered the Vartry scheme which provided a proper water supply to Dublin at a time when conditions were extremely poor in the general region. It played a huge role in improving the living conditions for so many people at a time when cholera and other diseases were rampant in Dublin.
A break in the weather allowed a perfect clearing for Mary Robinson to formally unveil the plaque to Sir John Gray on the wall of Noone’s Art Gallery on Mount Street.  She was joined by members of the Historical Society and friends, the Noone family, and local residents.
Pat Keane expressed thanks to Dr Roderick Maguire for his diligence in initiating the project and getting it to fruition. He also expressed gratitude to Adrianne Reidy and the committee of the Historical Society, the Noone family for welcoming the plaque and their enthusiasm for the project, and the staff of the Dalton Inn Hotel. Among the attendance was Matt Macken from Crossboyne who has written extensively about Sir John Gray in former issues of the Crossboyne Parish magazine.