Now it is one of the sad and derelict, historic buildings in Carlow Town. Deighton Memorial Hall is located on the corner of Burrin Street and Kennedy Avenue.
It was built around the mid 1700′s. Half of the building was demolished in the 1920′s in order to install bathrooms and a kitchen.
The building has a long and varied past. It was once used as the Courthouse, a theatre, a ballroom, a meeting place and a cinema. Then it’s been lying empty and derelict for a number of years.
In 1909 the building has been sold to a well-known businessman. It was a plumber Joseph Deighton, who gave the premises its name and in the late nineteenth century it housed the Deighton Plumbers & Vulcan Foundry & Ironworks. Joseph Deighton later handed the building over to St Mary’s Church of Ireland parish for use as a parochial hall, and in the mid-twentieth century it was used as a ballroom.
The Courthouse had been the location of a number of Court martial’s in the aftermath of the 1798 Rebellion in Carlow. Up until the early 1830s this building functioned as the County Courthouse and was the seat of the Grand Jury (forerunner of the County Council). The prisoner holding cells were located in the basement with direct access to the courtroom. Now we have impressive and presentable Carlow Courthouse in Dublin Road.
Sometimes but very rare Deighton Memorial Hall is used by artists for exhibitions.
Location of Deighton Memorial Hall:
The Vulcan Foundry was not located at the Deighton Hall. Deighton purchased the building and lent it to The Church of Ireland.