College Street
College Street was named after the Royal School (or College). Before 1819, the school was located at the lower end of the street adjoining Railway Road. This street had formerly been known as the Broad Road or Mail Coach Road. In 1857 only the lower end (Close to Railway Road) was called College Street and the Upper end was called Waterside Street. This street was the site of the old Pork Market. The Town Commissioners decided to change the name on 17th February 1868 to College Street. This was done as a mark of respect to Rev. W Prior Moore who was the Headmaster of the Royal School because he was the Chairman of the Pork Market Committee and had given them the land on which to hold the market.
Junction of Bridge Street and College Street
This junction was historically the site of the Pork Market. On market days local residents used to bake food and open their doors to weary merchants and visitors and sell their refreshments to them. Another great example of Cavan’s marketing and entrepreneurial heritage!
An annual horse fair was held in May at the junction of Railway Road, Farnham Street and Abbey Street, (where Cavan Bus Depot is today). This was an exciting day for all and stalls and booths were aplenty, from selling horses and harnesses, second-hand clothes and even 15 or 16 Cavan apples for a penny. The trickster and conmen also had their stalls with games of chance, like “Find the Queen” or “Pluck a Prize”, to entice the farmers out of their hard earned money. But the fairs are remembered with excitement and even a touch of romance as they were seen as an escape from the every day.