The Quakers of Mountmellick

The Religious Society of Friends, more popularly known as The Quakers, has made a significant contribution to the cultural and economic history of Mountmellick.

The first Quaker families arrived in Mountmellick in he mid 1600’s. Their industrious nature and honest ways created prosperity, wealth and employment and they development Mountmellick into a town of great commercial importance. The Quakers who originated from England, belonged to all levels of society and over the years, they set up brewing, weaving and other manufacturing industries throughout the area. Many also settled on farms and developed skilled trades.

William Edmundson, a former Cromwellian soldier, was the first Quaker in Ireland and, with five other Quakers, Richard Jackson, John Edmundson, John Thompson, William Moon and John Pim, settled in Mountmellick in 1659.

Mountmellick, at this time, had a population of 175, of which 95 were English and 80 were Irish. It was the third largest town in Co. Laois after Mountrath (population 223) and Maryborough (now Portlaoise – population 198). From these small beginnings, the town of Mountmellick grew and expanded into a thriving industrial centre of the midlands and the Quakers have been synonymous with this expansion to the present day.

Over the years, the Quakers went on to gain a major reputation as reformers. They opposed slavery and warfare. They were involved in prison reform and attempts to abolish the death penalty. Quaker schools were regarded highly for the quality of their education. Throughout Ireland, the Friends gained recognition for their work in famine relief particularly during the Great Famine of the 1840’s when, many of the Quakers in Mountmellick endured severe losses.

The central belief of the Quakers is the concept of the "Inner Light" representing the spirit of Jesus Christ and they believe in a direct line of communication between God and man without the need for clerical intervention. They believe in a personal interpretation of scripture and, over the years, the phrase "plainness in speech, behaviour and apparel" became the standard by which the Quakers lived.