By Historian Sean Collins
Recently I noticed on social media a great interest in the Whitworth Monument, once a feature on the streets of Drogheda, now sadly gone. What was it exactly and why was it erected in Drogheda ? Nicholas Whitworth and his family, natives of Manchester, and having lived in Philadelphia, USA for some years, arrived to live in Drogheda in 1824. An active entrepreneur, in no time at all, Nicholas set up business premises in Trinity St, and on Merchant’s Quay.
Nicholas’s sons and daughters like their Father took a great interest in the business affairs of Drogheda, particularly Benjamin , his fifth son. Benjamin was educated at Drogheda Grammar School in Laurence St., and at the age of sixteen moved back to Manchester to learn the fustian or linen trade. He had a very successful career in Manchester and in 1864 he built a large cotton mill at Greenhills. Once in operation under the name of Whitworth Bros, upwards on a thousand people were employed there. He later built the Boyne Mill, and Westgate Mill [Donaghey’s Mill]. The combined mills had 1500 looms producing linen and creating over 4,000 jobs in the town.
Whitworth was a generous benefactor to Drogheda in providing the Whitworth Hall for the townspeople and more importantly leading and mainly funding the waterworks and reservoir at Killineer. This was the first fresh water supply created for the town. At Killineer there is an underground river, which is the largest source of freshwater in the vicinity of Drogheda. Before this innovation, the people of the town relied on donkey carts with barrels of water being brought around the town for their supplies of fresh water. A number of drinking fountains were placed in the town supplied from Killineer or Barnattin to be more precise.
In 1876 a monument and water fountain was erected by public subscription in honour of Benjamin Whitworth to acknowledge his benevolence and support of Drogheda and it’s townspeople. It was placed at the bottom of Peter St[ see picture]. The site was chosen to help wipe from memory the fact that the town’s gallows had once been there. In the year of liberty, 1798, on June 3 rd , Boylan was hung there for being a United Irishman, and in July 25 th Anthony Marmion and John Hoey were hanged there for the same crime.
The monument was unveiled by Alderman Chadwick in the presence of Benjamin Whitworth. The local paper noted, “ In doing honour to such a man, Drogheda was doing honour to itself”.
Sadly due to traffic congestion the monument was moved in 1894 to the Mall [ see picture]. The monument stood on the Mall until 1965 when it was demolished to make room for larger lorries servicing the quays. One is forced to ask, WHY, O! Why O! Why.
