The first Loretto Nun’s came to Fermoy in 1853. In 1838 the Presentation Nuns came and opened a School and St. Colman’s College was opened in 1858. On the western side of Queen’s (Pearse) Square lies St. Patrick’s Catholic Church.	Loretto Convent, Fermoy
Blackwater River	Next you turn left into King Street,now MacCurtain Street, passing Abbey Street which connects with Ashe Quay formerly known as West Quay and Grubbs Quay on the southern bank of the Blackwater River. Next on the right there was a small street called Catherine Street which is now gone but the stone nameplate is still on the gable end wall of Mason’s shop. Catherine Street used to connect with Vulcan Street which is also known as Forge Lane. The Royal Irish Constabulary Barracks is on your right. This building was for many years the Fermoy Garda Station and more recently became the Fermoy Resource Centre. It was the only building that faced onto Catherine Street.
There are still what are believed to be, traces of the Cistercian Abbey called ‘Our Lady De Castro Dei’, which was founded in 1270 in the area behind this building (the Royal Irish Constabulary Barracks). Very little can be traced of this Abbey but it seems to have been in the area between King Street (MacCurtain St.) and the River and it probably stretched from Barnane, well downriver to the Bridge. In about the year 1540 when the Dissolution of Monasteries was ordered by Henry VIII, (1546-1541) the monks were driven from their Monastery and probably murdered. The lands were taken over by a Sir Bernard Grenville, son of Sir Richard Grenville; the beautiful Abbey was left desolated and uncared for and fell into ruin. Much of the limestone from the Abbey was re-used during the building of Fermoy town from the 1800s onwards.	Remains of the Abbey
Clarke Street	On the left side of King (McCurtain) Street is Clarke Street which was originally called Barrack Street and was also known as Pump Lane. This street connects King Street with Prince's Street, which is now Connolly Street. The British Military were housed in this area while waiting for the main Barracks to be built. The first barracks became occupied from about 1804. All the British Army’s property in Fermoy, the barracks, hospitals, stables, coach houses etc. were all burned to the ground during The Troubles in 1923. Prince's Street (now Connolly Street) was a very important centre and was home and business to many families.
In the 1920’s there were 72 houses occupied in Connolly Street and many of these houses had two or more families living in them. From Prince's Street you will go up Bridewell Hill now known as Kevin Barry Hill, which in the 1920’s had 18 families residing there. At the top of Bridewell Hill you come out onto Emmet Street which was then called William Street and in earlier years known as Newtown. From here you walk up Pound Lane (Devlin Street) to Springfield Cottages, which were at the top of Pound Lane. These cottages have long since gone. However, there are still visible signs of doors and windows on the wall at the top of Devlin Street. From here you make your way along the White Wall as far as the junction of Cross Street, which is now named Clancy Street	Clancy Street from Emmet Street