In April 1900, an incident occurred in Tipperary after a large Limerick firm arranged a special trip for their employees based in Clonmel and Carrick-on-Suir. The trip gave the workers a chance to experience Dublin during Queen Victoria’s visit. The firm chartered a special train for the occasion to ensure the employees could travel smoothly.
However, upon its return to Tipperary, the train was met by a large crowd who seemed displeased with the excursion. Several of the passengers, predominantly young women, were subjected to rough treatment by the gathered crowd. Amidst this chaos, a bale of hay on a nearby farm was set alight, leading to calls for help. The military was the only group to respond and attempt to extinguish the fire, discovering that the water hose had been deliberately cut. Unfortunately, the bale of hay was completely destroyed in the incident.
The unsettling events in Tipperary raised questions about the motivations behind the crowd’s actions, revealing underlying tensions that may have arisen due to the Queen’s visit and the firm’s decision to arrange the excursion. These incidents exposed the potential for unforeseen consequences and conflicts in seemingly innocuous decision-making during a politically charged period.
Western Daily Press – Monday 09 April 1900
