Bianconi

Bianconi, CHARLES, born in Lombardy in 1786, came at the beginning of the century to Ireland as an itinerant vendor of cheap prints. Having accumulated a small capital, he started the first public conveyance between Clonmel and Cahir in 1815, at a time when the peace and the carriage-tax had filled the market with cheap horses and jaunting-cars. The enterprise succeeded, until, 40 years after, Bianconi's cars were working over 4000 miles of road daily. Having realised a large fortune, he retired in 1865, and died in September 1875, at his estate near Cashel. He was a devoted adherent of O'Connell, into whose family both his son and daughter married.