Powell & Clarke's Irish Adventures

written by J.P. Browne

The Powell and Clarke Circus began on the 4^th of February, 1867 in a town called Dudley in England. The original Circus was started by three circus men called Anthony Powell, George Foottit and Alfred Clarke which they named “Powell, Foottit & Clarke’s Great Allied Circus”. Powell and Clarke were both equestrians, while Foottit was a clown. The Powell, Foottit and Clarke Circus began life as an English Midlands Circus with places like Worcester, Hereford and Leicester would have being their usual places for the season of tenting. Right from the start the circus got good notices and seems to be a hit. A review from 22nd December 1867 reads: “The variety and entertainment at this place of amusement continues to draw good houses…Messrs Anthony Powell and Clarke are clever horsemen...while the droll humour of funny Footitt does not fail to amuse all who see him” (Fitzroy, 1996).

All three men appeared to have their own companies or at least extended families of entertainers so it seems to have been a case of synergy to combine them meaning they went from a small circus troupe to one of the bigger circuses touring Britain at that time. Along with a strong company of entertainers and a good support staff they were able to build a large brick building in Portsmouth which was able to hold 3,000 people and sell it out most nights.

The Allied Circus continued to have strong success until the splitting of the partnership in 1871 with Powell and Clarke staying together and George Foottit leaving. The split was because of George Foottit’s chronic alcoholism. Foottit, a binge alcoholic would disappear for several days on a drinking binge before reappearing again to take up his duties. Eventually the other two grew tired of such behavior and Foottit left or was asked to leave. As Foottit had stumped up most of the cash he got the equipment and the horses he had invested in the venture, and continued alone in his newly renamed Circus ‘Foottit’s Great Allied Circus’. Regardless of the reasons the split seems to have been an amicable one as both Powell and Clarke occasionally appeared in Foottit’s Circus right up until his death in 1875.

With their partnership with Foottit now over Powell and Clarke spent the rest of the early 1872 season preparing their new circus which they called ‘Powell and Clarke’s Paragon Circus’. They launched it in 1872 and again it was a great success followed by two successful seasons until 1874 when they decided to move to Ireland. The Paragon Circus thus crossed the Irish Sea sometime between 10th May and 10th July, 1874 (Fitzroy, 1996). Its first season in Ireland was a massive success beyond what Powell and Clarke could have hoped for. Usually a great winter season would be to keep open for 8-9 weeks yet for its first winter season in Ireland Powell and Clarke’s played Londonderry/Derry City, where it stayed open for eighteen weeks straight.

With this type of profit, it must have been an easy decision for Powell and Clarke to stay another season in Ireland and if their 1874 season was profitable, their 1875 was superb. Opening in a purposely built building on October 11^th in Belfast they stayed open for six months straight. Their 1875 show was quite good with this being the following line-up:

POWELL CLARKE CIRCUS. TO-DAY AT TWO. TO-NIGHT AT SEVEN. MAZEPPA, THE WILD HORSE TARTARY; Great Troupe Equestrian, Jugglers, and Clowns. Afternoon Two. Evening at Seven. BENEFIT OF MRS. TEMPLETON, Who will appear the Female Jester, and in her Great Original Character in MAZEPPA, or the WILD HORSE of TARTARY. A Magnificent and Colossal Spectacle. A Number YOUNG MEN WANTED Travel with the Circus on a Tour through Ireland. Apply the Circus, or Mr. Yard, Monday and following Days. Prices—3s, 2s, Is, and Cd. Children Half-Price, except to Gallery. Notice —The Circus Company will shortly commence their Grand Provincial Tour, and will visit nearly every town in Ireland. Due Notice will be given of their arrival each town.

Derry Journal - Monday 29 March 1875 page 2

The Mazeppa act made famous (or infamous) by Adah Isaacs Menken who became an international sensation playing Mazeppa in the 1860’s, was based on a poem by Lord Byron. In the spectacular climax she was strapped to a galloping horse on stage, apparently naked, although she actually wore flesh-coloured tights. The illusion was sufficiently convincing to cause enormous controversy (and titillation). While Mrs. Templeton wasn’t as well-known as Adah Isaacs Menken this still would have been a daring and slightly scandalous act to put on for the time.

Adah Isaacs Menken dressed as the Mazeppa

Mrs. Templeton seems to have taken a back seat for the summer tenting season with Johnny Paterson and her husband, Mr. W Templeton an American ‘stump orator and vocalist’ being the two main draws. The Irish Examiner newspaper (formerly the Cork Examiner) reviewed the show:

POWELL AND CLARKE'S CIRCUS. — Yesterday we had what has lately become an unusual spectacle in the city, a circus procession, and after it performances on the Bath Field. Messrs. Powell and Clarke's circus, at present "doing" the provinces, have given us a call, and will only remain for this day. They appear both at two and at seven o'clock. The troupe is a very good one, and some excellent feats are come through on the cross bar, while the equestrian ones are better than what we witness as a rule in travelling circuses. Amongst the company is the Irish clown, Johnny Patterson, who on his reappearance received a regular ovation from the audience. In his own peculiar style he proved himself exceedingly droll and afforded the house a great deal of amusement.

Irish Examiner June 17th 1875 page 2

Powell & Clarke Poster (1875?) picture courtesy of Killorglin Archives

There was one incident of note and that was Powell and Clarke were seemingly arrested and charged for not paying a substantial sum to a pharmacist whom they owed in Belfast. After Powell and Clarke protested vigorously and stated that they had a bookkeeper named Frederick Blackman for whom they had employed to make sure that this very thing did not happen a further investigation was undertaken with the result that Powell and Clarke had indeed not paid the pharmacist’s bill as the bookkeeper was embezzling from them. Blackman was subsequently arrested and tried with Powell and Clarke in the witness stand for the prosecution (Belfast NewsLetter Wednesday 01 December 1875 page 4). 

For the winter season in 1876 Powell and Clarke built yet another new theatre in Belfast with its inauguration making the front paper of the Belfast Telegraph newspaper:

GRAND INAUGURATION MESSES. POWELL & CLARKE’S CIRCUS, TOWN HALL STREET, BELFAST. WILL OPEN FOB THE WINTER SEASON. On MONDAY, 11th DEC., WITH combination of such vast and comprehensive magnitude as excite the amazement of the Belfast public and the amusement world, which nothing short of active experience of over forty years, and an outlay of princely magnitude, could possibly accomplish. The interior of the Circus has been entirely remodelled and superbly decorated. Great attention has been paid for the comfort of the visitors to every part of the building. The Stud is most complete for the perfect representation equestrian performances, and now consists of 73 Horses, Mules, and Ponies trained to perfection —equal to all, second to none. The company comprises the greatest Star combination ever seen any establishment. The great staff of clowns will be headed by the world-renowned, historic d, and Shakespearian Jester, Mr. HENRY BROWN. GRAND MORNING PERFORMANCES gas light; equal every respect the Evening’s entertainment, every Friday. oi.rs open at Two o’clock, performance commencing Half-past. Carriages may he ordered at Four. Evening’s Performance will take place at half past Seven. Doors open half-an-hour previous. Prices admission -Private boxes (reserved), 3s; stalls, pit and promenade. 1s; gallery, to which there is a separate entrance, 'ld. Half-price to children under ten years of age to all parts except gallery. Second price at nine o’clock. Boxes and stalls, 1s Cd; promenade. £d. No half-price gallery. Box Office open from Eleven till One. Ladies and Gentlemen taught the polite art of riding. For cards of terms, apply at the Box Office. Sale Proprietors Messrs. POWELL & CLARKE. 83G0 BELFAST SKATING RINK, BOTANIC ROAD. 

Belfast Telegraph - Wednesday 06 December 1876 page 1

The main star for that year was singing clown Henry Brown who was supposedly a talented singer/songwriter. I saw a poster of one of his late performances once and had a picture of it as he had printed the song lyrics on the poster so people could learn and sing the song along with him. It was a song he had written about his love of Ireland and if I remember it to be quite catchy. Tragically the computer I had the image saved on was accidentally destroyed.  

By the end of the nineteenth century Powell and Clarke’s Circus were hitting capacity crowds of 7,000 in a specially designed tent been one of the first circuses to make the transition from static specialty-built buildings to the far more mobile tent. This probably made them the biggest tenting show in Ireland and Britain (Stoddart, 2000).

With the type of profits, they were making it made strong financial sense to stay in Ireland as they were the top circus of the day here. The two families also began to intermarry, with Charles Clarke marrying Kate Powell making the two owners brothers-in-law.

While things went well for them there were mishaps, some of a very serious nature. In 1878 in Westport seating suddenly gave away in the 'Reserved stalls" which was fully occupied.  A Connacht Telegraph journalist who was at the event tells the tale. “Just as the gambols of a clown had succeeded in evoking some mirth, the stalls suddenly gave way, and all the occupants fell topsy-turvey from a height of about eight feet. The "gods" became alarmed, and no wonder, for a favorite known amongst them as “Dr. O'L—" was amongst the fallen brave. He complained in the morning of a sore ankle, but asserts that it became quite well on application of his magic XXX, which he says " makes an old man young' and is "good medicine when takes in moderation." The entertainment closed by a performance advertised as “The War in the East," which was a scene of the most complete and ridiculous nonsense” (Connacht Telegraph 19th October 1878 page 3). A more serious incident happened in Kildysart, Co. Clare when a trapeze apparatus gave way and two performers named Ruth and Lefonse fell a distance of twenty-five feet with Lefonse also being struck in the head by an iron bar. According to the Kerry Evening Post “he was removed insensible and now lies in a precarious condition. The accident caused intense excitement among the audience (Kerry Evening Post 25th September 1878 page 3). Luckily both performers lived.

The year after (1879) another tragedy struck when a member of the company called McGee drowned in the river Brosna near the village of Ferbane, Co. Offaly, when he went to water two horses after heavy rains. According to the inquest that was held the “horse which M'Gee was riding becoming restive he was thrown into the water. There was a strong current at the spot, and although over forty persons witnessed the occurrence no help could be rendered, and he was whirled down the river before their eyes and drowned (Freeman's Journal September 9th 1879 page 9).

Working in circuses back then was an incredibly hard undertaking with events that might happen to an ordinary person once in their lives (if they were unlucky) happening on an almost yearly basis to circus people. One of those incidents happened at Portlaw, Co. Waterford when a customer who was so drunk and obnoxious he was refused admission decided to get his own back. Obtaining a bottle of petrol, he soaked the canvas tent and set it on fire. According to the Freeman’s Journal who reported on it ‘600 to 700 persons were assembled’ (Freeman's Journal 26th May 1883 page 5) inside the tent when it caught ablaze. Luckily the fire was put out quickly and no one was hurt but such incidents show the precariousness of circus life. If the fire hadn’t being caught as early as it was hundreds of people could have been killed and the Powell and Clarke Circus would have been destroyed for good. A similar incident in Hartford, Connecticut in 1944 killed 167 people and wounded many more.  A similar incident happened to Paulo’s Circus in Cork with the family having to leave Ireland to find new work as their entire circus was destroyed and Carmo’s Circus suffering a similar situation of near ruin. The arsonist, Henry Hassell was caught and faced trial but I could not find whether he was convicted of the crime (Nenagh Guardian May 30th 1883 page 4).

The next several years seemed to have calmed down with Powell and Clarke only making the newspapers again in 1888 when they were inadvertently at fault for killing a man in Fermoy. A hotelkeeper named Denis Kiely was riding past the circus on a skittish pony when “some revolver shots were fired in the tent, the company just then giving some examples of life in the Wild West, which caused the pony to rear on its hind legs, and, it is generally believed, to fall backward on its rider (Irish Examiner May 30th 1888 page 2). Kiely survived the fall but later that day after “a short time to walk to the Commercial Rooms, and for a while talked quite sensibly, but in a short time became somewhat wandering in his speech, and… was not long there before he got unconscious” (Irish Examiner May 30th 1888 page 2). Kiely slipped into a coma and died shortly after.

In 1889 they toured an elephant, one of the first to be on these shores. As it turns out not a well-behaved one with the Newry Reporter running with the following headline ‘AN “ELEPHANTINE " BURGLAR’ — Powell Clarke. Circus visited town on Thursday, and amongst their collection of animals was an elephant. About five o'clock yesterday morning, as the tusked-one was leaving town by Queen Street in charge of a dusky keeper, and having not as yet partaken of his morning repast, naturally felt hungry. Of course this gnawing hunger had, if possible to be appeased. The odour of fresh bread from Mr. Livingstone's bakery reached the trunk of the animal, who ran against a gate leading into the yard, who, breaking it open, entered. His next dodge was to prevent the keeper from following and disturbing his repast, so he lifted a bag of flour lying near. and placed it against the door. The huge marauder, then turned several bags of meal, &c., over, and at last came on one of corn. This he speedily tore open, and commenced to regale himself. Now the elephant, not being silent in his " feeding" awoke Mr. Livingston from sleep, who, with the help of the coloured keeper, managed to enter on the scene of the burglary in spite of the bag behind the door, and drove the elephant out, not, however, before he had " gone for," and bidden away in the recess of his espacious stomach about half the bag of oats. Mr. Livingstone "claimed" for the oats, and was paid (Newry Reporter - Saturday 27 April 1889 page 3).

As annoying as this was it wasn’t the only case with their temperamental star once again making the papers for the wrong reasons in September for another similar incident. The Tuam Herald reported:

AN ELEPHANT AT LARGE IN TUAM

On Wednesday night Messrs Powell and Clarke's Circus performed to a large and admiring audience ; but the peaceable inhabitants of Tuam were not prepared (naturally) for the unexpected and untoward event which followed, after that performance. We, In company with our fellow citizens attended at the circus performance, enjoyed ourselves, went home, and got to our virtuous couch at the usual hour, unthinking and unexpectant of the thrilling event which afterwards stirred our hitherto sleepy city. The night, which was a misty, rainy one, dawned into a misty and rainy morning, and the day wore on, but everywhere it could be remarked that a peculiar and unusual smile (or shall we call it grin?) glimmered on the countenance of every individual member of the ignobie vulgus who had the honour of meeting us. We, of course, remarking this unusual manifesto, asked, inquired, pried, and with considerable success found out that the real reason of what was evidenced in the physiognomy of our friends, was that an elephant had broken bonds and got loose from the 'show'. This startling and unexpected announcement, coming as one might say, on the heels of our seeing the animal performing so quietly in the arena of the circus, took us completely by surprise; so much so indeed that we were not satisfied until we visited the establishments which, as it was alleged, had been injured by the depredations of the restless elephant. Well, in the beginning we heard that the shop of Mr Naughton, of Shop Street, had been gutted, smashed into atoms, and generally squashed, but on inquiry we learned that the damage done, was not so much as had been reported, but still travelled to a considerable extent. The members of Mr Naughton's establishment were, as our readers may well be aware, terribly shocked, when in the small hours of the morning, we understand about 2.30 a.m., the startling sounds of the monstrous intruder reached their most unexpecting and repose-loving ears; but they were effectually awakened and came down to find the great earth-shaking beast whirling his immense trunk about in a belligerent manner and exercising his all-absorbing digestion on the contents of a bag of flour and of a bag of bran. Think of it and dream of it hereafter dissolute man or man of any other temperament I think of it, an elephant appearing among your quiet fireside chattels at such an unearthly and unholy hour! but the dissolute man would be eared from his evil ways, might be tamed and domesticated for, aye, if he had the experience which was undergone by Mr O'Donnell, of Shop Street, and his family. We hear that at the hour of 4 o'clock in the morning, Mr O'Donnell's servant appeared in that gentleman's bedroom and shrieked out in tones which can be imagined (but not as the true bore says, cannot be described) that there was a "bear" in the house. Think what consternation, what amazement! must have been aroused by this announcement, consternation and amazement which have not worn themselves out at the time in which we write. Mr O'Donnell and his family quickly came upon the scene and discovered the cause of the excitement, which elephantive cause proceeded immediately to good humouredly attack any neighbouring obstacles that happened to suit its fancy. Mr O'Donnell and family received a fearful shock, a shock which was not alleviated by the conduct of the owners of the elephant or by the douceur which was so tendered. The police headed by Head Constable Lang, quickly made their appearance, and with the assistance of some employees of the circus, succeeded in dislodging the elephant who had by this time committed considerable harm both on the nerves and goods of the residents in Shop Street. It is certainly to be hoped that when Powell and Clarke's Circus does us the honour of visiting us hereafter, the owners of this huge beast will endeavor to curb it's wandering and predatory instincts.

Tuam Herald September 28th 1889 page 2

The 1890 season didn’t get better for them with a more dangerous incident happening in Cobh. “Powell and Clark's Circus visited this town today and the immense canvas tent in which the entertainments are given was erected in a field situated on one of the highest parts of the town. An afternoon performance for 2.30 of which hour about 400 people comprising men, women and children assembled in the tent, when a violent squall from the northwest struck the tent and tore the Immense canvas and capsized the seats which rose in tiers from the ground to a height of about fifteen feet precipitation men, women, and children to the ground. A scene of great excitement followed. Woman screamed and fainted children were crying, and men, thinking only of themselves rushing around in a state of panic” (Connacht Telegraph Circus Blown, 1890).

After the canvas tent incident which happened on a Monday, that very same week there was another incident also in Cobh at the Wednesday night show. “About ten o'clock last night the performance in the circus of Messrs. Powell and Clarke, who have been giving entertainments in the town during Monday and Tuesday, was brought to a very abrupt termination by the rowdy action of some soldiers, sailors and marines. Towards the close of the entertainment one of the items on the programme was the tying of a female and putting her in a box, which was locked and corded, but from which she, in some mysterious manner, almost instantaneously escaped free and unbound. The sailors, whose conduct during the previous portion of the performance was most unruly, expressed themselves dissatisfied with the way in which the tying was effected, and asserted that there was gross deception and entering the ring demanded that they should get the privilege of tying the female and placing her in the chest. The managers not being disposed to accede to the demand of the sailors. The latter took charge of the chest, and created a great row in which they were joined by soldiers and marines. The managers appealed to two members of the constabulary force, who happened to be among the audience, for protection, but the aggressors resented the interference of the police, who received rather rough treatment, one of them got received a serious cut in the head. After some time, however, order was restored, but the managers of the circus fearing a repetition of the disorderly conduct brought the performance to a sudden close.” (Freeman's Journal 3rd July 1890 page 6).

The same month that these two events happened worse was to follow when Alfred Clarke was arrested for killing a teenager in Cork City. The Circus was having a parade through the streets of Cork City to advertise. Inevitably in these circumstances children and teenagers would jump on the wagons of the circus in the excitement of the event. Therefore it was the job of circus staff to keep them away from the wagons for their own safety. Unfortunately, this time they were not successful. ‘To-day as the procession in connection with Powell and Clarke's Circus was going through the North Main street, a sad fatal accident occurred, A number of youths were seated on a chain under one of the heavy wagons when it unaccountably broke, and one of the number, named John Slavin, aged 14, was caught and rolled over by the wheel which passed over his chest and killed him instantaneously. On being conveyed to the North Infirmary and examined by Dr. Mahony, it was found that his breast bone was fractured and the blood vessels terribly ruptured, Mr. Alfred Clarke, part proprietor, and John Purcell, groom, were arrested in connection with this accident and were brought before Mr. H E Redmond, R M, on a charge of murder… After giving the usual caution, Mr. Clarke stated he had been driving the car, and Purcell stated he used a whip to keep the boys away from the side of the car” （Freeman's Journal July 3rd 1890a page 6）. The death was ruled accidental with neither man convicted but must have deeply affected both of them.

Parades, while always a mainstay of circus life were like most things back then precarious. Circus men and women while having to perform also had to keep an eye on the public to stop them doing something either stupid or malicious. For example, in Dun Laoghaire in 1862 during a parade hosted by Bell’s Circus a gentleman named Kelly having come too closely in contact with a cage full of wild pumas which he was looking into curiously and was seized by two of the cats with one puma grabbing his head and another puma his arm in its teeth. According to a reporter who saw the incident “the unfortunate man's left arm… at a single wrench was smashed across the elbow, and fearfully lacerated” (Leinster Express July 19th 1862 page 4). The unfortunate Kelly was then taken to a hospital and had to have his arm amputated.  

As bad as 1890 was for Powell and Clarke’s Circus it got worse as there was a serious incident in Lisburn in October of that year. Powell and Clarke were at a fair in Lisburn in pride of place at the Cattle Mart when they once again had to turn out a bunch of locals for drunkenness. The constabulary were again involved and it seems to have been quite the fight. The drunks this time did not go quietly. They managed to pull down the tent (no mean feat considering it could take 7,000 people) while simultaneously fighting the police. They also stole a large wagon which they threw into the Lagan river where it sank to the bottom while the “mirrored glass and ornamentation of the other cars were smashed and destroyed” 09/10/1891 page 5 freeman’s journal. The Freeman’s Journal used the headline “Disgraceful conduct in Lisburn” with Powell and Clarke suffering over £350 in damages (roughly 300,000–400,000 in today’s money) caused to the Circus. Roughly two weeks later the circus company went on strike in Clones, Co. Monaghan for higher wages. Powell and Clarke refused and the company got their tent erected with the assistance of locals, unlike the locals of Lisburn who tore it down (Anglo- Celt September 27th 1890 page 3).

A year later (1891) a member of the company Patrick McNamara a stud groom was arrested in Coleraine when he kicked a boy named Thomas Sharkey in the face after McNamara caught him sneaking in under the tents badly wounding the boy with McNamara being arrested for it (Freeman's Journal September 16th 1891 page 4). While this type of behaviour was abominable it must have also played on the nerves of the Circus staff to be constantly on vigil for incidents that could be set off regardless of circumstances.

It seems 1891 was the last season that Powell and Clarke’s Circus went out. In its day Powell and Clarke’s was one of the premier circuses of the 19^th Century with the early Irish Fossett Circus piggybacking on their name to get their own start in the 20^th century as Powell and Clarke’s Circus was such a brand of quality here. Powell and Clarke’s Irish Adventures are, in many ways, the story of the circus itself in the late 19^th century. What began in Dudley in 1867 as a partnership between Anthony Powell, Alfred Clarke and George Foottit developed into one of the most successful travelling circuses in Britain before Powell and Clarke turned their attention to Ireland in 1874. Their success here was remarkable. They could fill purpose-built theatres for months at a time, attract thousands of people to their tented performances and build a reputation that lasted well beyond the careers of its original owners.

Yet the story of Powell and Clarke was not simply one of success. Their years in Ireland demonstrate just how precarious the circus business could be in the nineteenth century. Performers were injured, members of the public were killed, tents collapsed, fires were deliberately started, elephants escaped, audiences rioted and employees went on strike. Even the ordinary business of moving horses, wagons and performers through crowded streets could become dangerous. For a circus, almost every aspect of daily life contained some degree of risk as it still does today.

What is perhaps most striking is how resilient Powell and Clarke proved to be. Despite accidents, lawsuits, fires, financial disputes, industrial unrest and the occasional spectacular failure of an elephant to behave itself, the circus continued to tour Ireland for nearly two decades. By the 1880s it had become one of the dominant circus companies in the country, with the Powell and Clarke name itself becoming a mark of quality.

Their story also illustrates how the circus was changing during the nineteenth century. Powell and Clarke moved from relatively small touring operations into substantial permanent buildings and eventually into enormous travelling tents capable of holding thousands of spectators. They combined equestrian performances, clowns, music, spectacular theatrical productions such as Mazeppa, exotic animals and increasingly elaborate displays to create a form of mass entertainment that could appeal to almost everyone.

Whatever ultimately brought the company to an end, its legacy in Ireland was considerable. The later Irish circuses that emerged in the early twentieth century could build upon an audience and a tradition that Powell and Clarke had helped establish.

The surviving newspaper accounts therefore give us more than stories of a nineteenth-century circus. They provide a glimpse into the hazards, ambitions and everyday lives of the people who worked in one of Ireland's great travelling entertainments. Powell and Clarke's history was sometimes spectacular, sometimes tragic and occasionally absurd but above all, it was a remarkable Irish adventure.

Bibliography:

Anglo - Celt (1890). Strike of Circus employees. Anglo - Celt Newspaper , 27 Sept., p.3.

Belfast News Letter (1875). Police news. Belfast NewsLetter Newspaper, 1 Dec., p.4.

Belfast Telegraph (1876). Grand inauguration  . Belfast Telegraph Newspaper, 6 Dec., p.1.

Connacht Telegraph (1878). Powell and Clarke’s Circus . Connacht Telegraph Newspaper, 19 Oct., p.3.

Connacht Telegraph (1890). Circus blown. Connacht Telegraph Newspaper.

Derry Journal (1875). Powell and Clarke’s Circus . Derry Journal Newspaper, 29 Mar., p.2.

Fitzroy, D. (1996). The Early Years of Powell and Clarke’s Circus . D. Fitzroy.

Freeman’s Journal (1879). A Circus driver drowned . Freeman’s Journal Newspaper, 9 Sept., p.9.

Freeman’s Journal (1883). Alleged attempt to set a Circus on fire. Freeman’s Journal Newspaper, 26 May, p.5.

Freeman’s Journal (1890a). A Boy killed by Wagon. Freeman’s Journal Newspaper, 3 July, p.6.

Freeman’s Journal (1890b). Disorderly conduct in a Circus . Freeman’s Journal Newspaper, 3 July, p.6.

Freeman’s Journal (1891a). Disgraceful conduct in Lisburn. Freeman’s Journal Newspaper, 9 Oct.a, p.5.

Freeman’s Journal (1891b). Freeman’s Journal Newspaper, 16 Sept., p.4.

Irish Examiner (1875). Powell and Clarke’s Circus . Irish Examiner Newspaper, 17 June, p.2.

Irish Examiner (1888). Sad accident in Fermoy. Irish Examiner Newspaper, 30 May, p.2.

Kerry Evening Post (1878). Accident in a Circus. Kerry Evening Post Newspaper, 25 Sept., p.3.

Leinster Express (1862). Bell’s Circus accident. Leinster Express Newspaper, 19 July, p.4.

Nenagh Guardian (1883). Nenagh Guardian Newspaper, 30 May, p.4.

Newry Reporter (1889). An “elephantine " burglar . Newry Reporter Newspaper, 27 Apr., p.3.

Stoddart, H. (2000). Rings of desire. Manchester: Manchester University Press, p.39.

Tuam Herald (1889). An Elephant at large in Tuam. Tuam Herald Newspaper, 28