Charles Bianconi – by Alessia Mazzola
Primary Children's Competition
Charles Bianconi.
Carlo Bianconi was born in Italy on 24th of September, 1786. He travelled to Ireland in 1802 and changed his name to its English version, Charles.
He worked as an engraver and printer in Dublin from when he was 16. He moved to Clonmel in 1815 and opened his own printshop in Carrick-on-Suir.
He invented public transport in Ireland. The first public transport was Bianconi’s horse drawn carriage. Before this people went by boat, and it took five to eight hours to get from Clonmel to Cahir. But it only took two hours with Bianconi’s horse drawn carriage. This made him really rich and made him earn £35,000 yearly.
He married Eliza Hayes in 1832 and they had three children. He died on the 22nd of September 1875 at Longfield House, Boherlahan, County Tipperary. He donated the land that the parish church was built on. He and his family were buried in a side chapel beside the parish church in Boherlahan.
Alessia Mazzola, 6th class, Ballytarsna NS.
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