Tramore Hidden History
Catherine Walsh and The Alms Houses of Tramore
The original houses were known locally as the twenty fours. This came about as there were twenty-four small houses in the development. There were 12 houses for men and 12 houses for women.
The finance for the construction of the houses was provided by the late Mrs. Catherine Walsh of Tramore in her will. She died in 1825. Very little is known about Catherine Walsh, yet her legacy to the people of Tramore still stands proudly at Convent Hill after 200 years.
In 2018 the original houses were redeveloped into a new housing scheme for the elderly. They were refurbished and the number of houses reduced to ten. This project was jointly developed by the Catherine Walsh Trust, Waterford City & County Council, and the Society of Saint Vincent DePaul.
This commemoration stone stands as a tribute to Catherine Walsh in the garden of the complex. The words have worn away over the years. Her contribution to the poor of Tramore and her legacy to the town, should not be forgotten and fade away as the writing on the stone has.
History by Paul Brent
