Clonmel - Factories - late 1800's

[cam12]

Hi - researching from Canada.

Armstrong family lived on Morton Street from about 1880 - 1900.  The patriarch of the family (Simon) died in Dec. 1896, leaving his wife Margaret with 8 children, ages 5 - 23. She took 7 of the children and moved to Leicester, England by the 1901 Census, where the 5 of eldest children are shown working in shoe and hosiery factories.

I am trying to confirm a story passed down from a now deceased grandchild of Simon & Margaret: that, aside from Simon's death, the other reason that Margaret and the children left Clonmel was because the older children worked in a factory there ... and there was a great fire ... so they moved to England seeking employment.

I have seen references to a cotton mill/factory ... but that it closed in 1876 ... which would have been before the Armstrongs came to Clonmel.  Were there any other factories near Clonmel where they might have worked?  And did any of them burn down during this time period?

I reached out to Leicester as well ... and there was indeed a shoe factory fire ... but it was in January 1901 ... and in the 1901 Census (taken 1 April 1901) shows the family as employed making shoes and hosiery.

Any input would be appreciated.  Thanks.  Hope you are all well & safe on your side of the Atlantic!

[Sinann]

Manon Mills, Bridge Street was gutted by fire 1894.
1897 at Mitchelstown Clonmel Mr Harvey's stationary, toy and fancy goods warehouse burned down.
That's all the fires in work places reported in the newspapers apart from the one in the store room of the Asylum which gets the most results.

Of course there could be other where the name Clonmel did feature in the report.