Navan Historical Society

Watergate Street

Watergate St. was part of the Norman town of Navan, and is one of the 3 streets which were found within the Medieval Town Walls (leading down to the Water Gate near the river.) The other 2 streets are Trimgate St. and Ludlow St. once called Dublingate St.

(above) Watergate St. early 20th century looking towards Poolboy.

Watergate Street 2012 (above & below) Photo: © N&DHS

watergate st towards pollboy

Photo N&DHS

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Watergate Street in the 1940s

This list was compiled by Frank Lynch (postman) late of St. Finian's Tce. and came to us via Rose Smyth.

1. Seven Dwarfs Ice Cream Parlour

2. Guest House

3. John and Eamonn Crosbie Household Goods.

4. McCabe's Pub , laneway to side, Delany Solr. Office / Wallace Private Residence

5. Sheridan's Builder's Suppliers

6. Sheridan's Builder's Suppliers

7. McKeever's Chemist

8. John Mohan Children's Wear

9. Lorenzen Pork Butchers

10. Walsh's Jewellers [The Clock]

11. Perry's Cake and Bread Shop

12. Walsh Jeweller

13. Private Residence

14. " "

15. " "

16. " "

17. Forde Residence

18. Garda Barracks / Town Hall

19. Rogers Private Residence

20. Sheridan Private Residence

21. Muldoon Private Residence / Forge to rear

22. ??

23. Brennan's Second Hand Furniture

24. Hibernian Hall

25. Gaughran Grocery and Pub

26. Gaughran Private Residence

27. Gaughran Menswear

28. ??

29. Gerrards

30. Boyle Private Residence

31. O'Brien Private Residence

32. Campbell's Private Residence / ESB Office on upper floor

33. Campbell's Pub and Grocery

34. Lynch Shop and Residence

35. Murray's Private Residence / Wallace's to the rear of no. 35

36. Clarke's Greengrocer

37. Dr. Walsh, Residence

38. Marrons Shoe Shop Nos 38 & 39 - the home of Monseignor Marron

39. Marron's Sweet Shop

40. Christy O'Brien's Pub

41. Connell's Drapery

42. Hanley's Menswear

43. McKenna's Boot Shop

44. William Byrne Men's Hairdressers

45. Freddie Walsh pub / now Clems

46. Colliers Butchers

Entrance to Meath Chronicle Printworks

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Watergate Street Navan in 2004

John O'Grady

(Text in this colour relates to the street in the 1950s, was submitted by Tom Clarke through the website and is inserted an the end of the page.)

1. 2004: The Floor Shop. This was Fitzpatrick’s pork shop and after Timmy Fitzpatrick had an ice cream shop called The Seven Dwarfs.

2. 2004: Mandarin Chinese Restaurant. This was John Crosby hardware and household goods.

3. 2004: The Royal Bar. Frank (FJU) McCabe from Kingscourt was a county councillor and had a pub here. Electors List 1936/1937 Francis Mccabe. The lane beside the pub is Rafferty’s Lane.

4. 2004: Abrakebabra. This was Pat Sheridans office. Electors List 1936/1937 Andrew Sheridan, Annie Sheridan, Bridget Sheridan, Patrick Sheridan.

5. 2004: John Joyce. It was Pat Sheridan, grocery.

6. 2004: Ready Made Curtins. It was Pat Sheridan, hardware.

7. 2004: Hickey’s Pharmacy. Jimmy McKeever had a chemist shop. He was killed in a traffic accident in Paris. Electors List 1936/1937 James McKeever.

8. 2004: Donal Reilly & Co. John Mohan had a drapery shop.

9. 2004: Vacant. This pork butchers shop was called Lorenzens. Charles Lorenzen was from Germany and specalised in Haffners sausages. Electors List 1936/1937. Christopher Lorenzen.

10. 2004: Walsh Sons,
watches and jewellery. This business is in existence for over seventy years. Electors List 1936/1937 Alfred Walsh, Christopher Walsh, Emily Walsh, John Walsh, Julia Walsh, Mary Walsh, Patrick Walsh

11. 2004: Meath County Childcare Committee. Jimmy Perry had a cigarette and sweet shop. He was noted as a wall of death expert. Electors List 1936/1937 James Perry. It was later called the Boyne confectionery run by the Miss Tighes.

12. 2004: Chiropractor. Was Robert Walsh Jewellery aand Watch Shop

13. 2004: Doctors Surgery. It is Walshe’s private house.

14. 2004: Private house.

15. 2004: ESB. Mary and Josephine Brown lived here. Mary was known as Mary Blue Ribbon because she always wore a hat with a blue ribbon. Their mother Breege Brown sat outside knitting. Electors List 1936/1937 Bridget Brown, Mary Brown.

16. 2004: Part of ESB

17. 2004: Gunne. Fordes lived here. 1936/1937 Electors Register Eileen Forde, Thomas Forde.There was a railing in front.Watergate was at this location.

26/27. Demolished for road improvements. It was left of Boyle bookmakers. It was Gaughran’s bar, grocery and hardware and subsequently was Fox’s in the same business.

28. 2004: Boyle Sports, betting shop. It was Gerrard’s grocery shop.

29. 2004: Swan. Nurse McAuley, a maternity nurse, lived here.

30. 2004: Private house. It was occupied by O’ Briens. Pat Brien was in charge of Navan electricity before it was taken over by the ESB.

31. 2004: Foleys Deli. Joe and Pat Doherty had a butchers shop called Doherty Brothers.

32. 2004: The Lantern. This was known as the Miss Campbells pub.

33. 2004: Vacant shop.

34. 2004: Vacant. It was a saddlery shop owned by Lynches. (Mr.Lynch, a carpenter lived in one. Jack Hand a saddler, where I used to get leather to sole my shoes.)

35. 2004: Aidan Barry. This was Jack Wallace’s house and he kept lodgers. It was known as a doss house.

36. 2004: Mangans Home Bakery. The Clarke family lived here. (Phil Clarke and his son Billy had a greengrocer shop. Phil was my grandfather's brother.)

37. 2004 EBS Building Society. Dr Joseph Walsh lived here.

38. 2004: Raymond Potterton. Marrons shoe shop was here. This is Monsignor Marron’s family.

39. 2004: Camera Cabin Marron’s sweet shop.

40. 2004: Knights. Christy O’ Brien had a pub edwardian post box waergate st

which was Brassils later.

41. 2004: Knights. Peter Connell, draper was here.

42. 2004: Mullen Menswear. Willie Hanley had a shoe shop and pawnbroker with the three ball pawnbroker sign outside.

43. 2004 Valley Café. This was the post office before the post office in Trimgate Street was built in 1908. Edwardian Post Box (right) originally located at nearby corner.

It was Spencers; delph shop, then Eugene McKenna; shoe shop.

44. 2004: Byrnes Hairdresser. This business has been here for over seventy years.

45. 2004: Clems. This was Ward’s pub.

46. 2004: La Maison. Was Larry Collier, butcher.

17. 2004: Town Hall (above). It was previously the Garda Station and thebefore that the RIC Barracks.

18 to 24 Watergate Street include the Indian restaurant and adjoining house and the remainder were demolished for road improvements including No 24 the AOH hall.

21. B&M Joinery. For the best quality windows and doors off standard and standard.

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The text below, and all text in this colour has been submitted by Tom Clarke, a resident of Watergate St. in the 1960s.

After the Garda Station (now the Town Hall pictured above), was Mr and Mrs Rogers house - now a restaurant. Mr Rogers was a sheep dealer - his son now farms near Kells.

Next house was Tony Sheridans.

After this was Jack Muldoon's. Both himself and his brother Percy had a thriving blacksmith's forge behind this house.

Next Mr Shalvey (secondhand and antique furniture).

Then the Ancient Order of Hibernians Hall

(pictured towards the right of the street in photo below)

(above) Pollboy AOH Hall on right

Next house on right (across the bridge just out of the picture above) on Poolboy St, was Bridge House the Gaswork's manager's house. The tall chimney from the Gasworks is just visible in the top photo on the page. The gasworks closed in the war years and was later demolished.

The remaining site, unbuilt on today, was the location of the purifiers, engine shed and the open tank for storing tar and ammonia. The Manager's house was demolished and replaced by a restaurant and apartments.

The 2 houses opposite it in Poolboy St. were George Mortimer's (saw doctor in Elliot's Mill), Julia O'Malley, widow, who kept lodgers, and next to the bridge was John Donohue a wheelwright at Elliot's Mill. (see link Elliott's Mill)