Ferbane
Encyclopedia
Ferbane is a small town
on the north bank of the River Brosna
in County Offaly
, Ireland
, between Birr
and Athlone at the junction of the N62
National secondary road
and the R436
regional road
. The name of the town is said to come from the white bog cotton which grows abundantly in the surrounding Bog Of Allen.
Ireland's first milled-peat fired power station
was commissioned by the Electricity Supply Board (ESB) at Ferbane in 1957. Since the station's closure in 2001, the Shannon Development agency
and the ESB have invested €1.4 million in the development of a new Business & Technology Park which opened in 2005. A new playschool was also built on the site which opened in September 2006.
Phase one was ready in January 2005
Since its establishment, Ferbane Enterprise Group has worked non-stop to develop a unique Business & Technology Park in its region.
That work is now bearing fruit in terms of jobs, investment and increased profile for the West Offaly town.
Over 100000 sq ft (9,290.3 m²) of office -Industrial units were completed since the park was opened with an additional 100000 sq ft (9,290.3 m²) approved -in planning process.
Bright Beginnings opens from 7.45am until 6.00pm, for 51 weeks per annum.
It closes for 1 week over the Christmas period.
These hours as may expand as demand for the services increases.
Trivia
On October 27, 2007 Ferbane assembled officially 142 area residents to participate in a globally simultaneous dance to the music of Michael Jackson
's Thriller
. Awaiting the official word from Guinness World Records
, this would be the world record; surpassing Toronto's 2006 record of 62.
Sir John MaCoghlan built Coole Castle on the banks of the Brosna in 1575. It was the last of the MacCoghlan castles to be built. He erected it as a present to his second wife Sabina O'Dallachain. Formerly there was a mural slab in the castle with a Latin inscription translated in English as "“This tower was built by the energy of Sir John MacCoghlan, K.T. chief of this Sept at the proper cost of Sabina O'Dallachain on the condition that she should have it for her lifetime and afterwards each of her sons according to their seniority".
The whereabouts of the mural is unknown at present.
In his will in 1590 Sir John left Coole Castle to his widow. Over the fireplace, in its original location, in the topmost room of the castle is a plaque written in Middle Irish which reads:
“SEAGHA (n) MAC (c) OCHL (ain) DO
TINDSCAIN O SEO SUAS 1575”
(“Sean Mac Cochlan began (this building) from this (date) 1575”)
Kilcolgan Castle (Court)
Terence Coghlan built Kilcolgan Castle in the early 1640s. In 1646 the Papal Nuncio was sent to Ireland; he stayed for some time in the castle and wrote admiringly of the castle demesne with its beautifully laid out gardens and peacocks strutting on the lawns. The castle continued to be in the possession of the MacCoghlans until the 18th century when it became uninhabited and fell into disrepair. The remains of the castle were demolished in 1954 and the stones used to make foundations for the power station at Lumcloon.
Gallen Priory
Less than a kilometre south of the town, on the site of an ancient monastery
founded by the Welsh missionary Saint Canoc in 492, stands Gallen Priory (formerly a convent
of the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Cluny
, now a nursing home).
Transport
Townlands and places in the Ferbane (Wheery or Fuithre) parish include:
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
on the north bank of the River Brosna
River Brosna
The River Brosna is a river in Ireland, flowing through County Westmeath and County Offaly.The river rises in Lough Owel north of Mullingar and is a tributary of the River Shannon. It meets the Shannon at Shannon Harbour.-Course:...
in County Offaly
County Offaly
County Offaly is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Midlands Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the ancient Kingdom of Uí Failghe and was formerly known as King's County until the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922. Offaly County Council is...
, Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
, between Birr
Birr
Birr is a town in County Offaly, Ireland. Once called Parsonstown, after the Parsons family who were local landowners and hereditary Earls of Rosse. It is also a parish in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Killaloe....
and Athlone at the junction of the N62
N62 road (Ireland)
The N62 road is a national secondary road in Ireland. It links the M6 motorway east of Athlone, County Westmeath with junction 6 of the M8 motorway south-east of Thurles in County Tipperary...
National secondary road
National secondary road
A national secondary road is a category of road in Ireland. These roads form an important part of the national route network, but are secondary to the main arterial routes which are classified as national primary roads. National secondary roads are designated with route numbers higher than those...
and the R436
R436 road
The R436 road is a regional road in Ireland linking Kilbeggan, County Westmeath and Ferbane, County Offaly. It passes through the town of Clara, County Offaly, Ballycumber, through cutaway peat bogs to Ferbane where it terminates at the N62.The road is long....
regional road
Regional road
A regional road in Ireland is a class of road not forming a major route , but nevertheless forming a link in the national route network. There are over 11,600 kilometres of regional roads. Regional roads are numbered with three digit route numbers, prefixed by "R" A regional road in Ireland is a...
. The name of the town is said to come from the white bog cotton which grows abundantly in the surrounding Bog Of Allen.
Ireland's first milled-peat fired power station
Power station
A power station is an industrial facility for the generation of electric energy....
was commissioned by the Electricity Supply Board (ESB) at Ferbane in 1957. Since the station's closure in 2001, the Shannon Development agency
Shannon Development
Shannon Development is an important regional development body for the Shannon Region of Ireland and encompases counties Clare, Limerick, and parts of Kerry, Offaly and Tipperary....
and the ESB have invested €1.4 million in the development of a new Business & Technology Park which opened in 2005. A new playschool was also built on the site which opened in September 2006.
Business
Ferbane Business and Technology Park Ltd is a non profit making company with charitable status owned by the community.Phase one was ready in January 2005
Since its establishment, Ferbane Enterprise Group has worked non-stop to develop a unique Business & Technology Park in its region.
That work is now bearing fruit in terms of jobs, investment and increased profile for the West Offaly town.
Over 100000 sq ft (9,290.3 m²) of office -Industrial units were completed since the park was opened with an additional 100000 sq ft (9,290.3 m²) approved -in planning process.
Community
Bright Beginnings Childcare Centre, FerbaneBright Beginnings opens from 7.45am until 6.00pm, for 51 weeks per annum.
It closes for 1 week over the Christmas period.
These hours as may expand as demand for the services increases.
Trivia
On October 27, 2007 Ferbane assembled officially 142 area residents to participate in a globally simultaneous dance to the music of Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
's Thriller
Thriller (song)
"Thriller" is a song recorded by American recording artist Michael Jackson, composed by Rod Temperton, and produced by Quincy Jones. It is the seventh and final single from his sixth studio album Thriller. It was released on January 23, 1984 by Epic Records...
. Awaiting the official word from Guinness World Records
Guinness
Guinness is a popular Irish dry stout that originated in the brewery of Arthur Guinness at St. James's Gate, Dublin. Guinness is directly descended from the porter style that originated in London in the early 18th century and is one of the most successful beer brands worldwide, brewed in almost...
, this would be the world record; surpassing Toronto's 2006 record of 62.
Sport
- Ferbane GAAFerbane GAAFerbane/Belmont GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association football club located in Ferbane in County Offaly, Ireland, 13 miles from Birr. The Ferbane GAA field is located in the town of Ferbane on the Ballycumber Road...
is the local Gaelic Athletic AssociationGaelic Athletic AssociationThe Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...
club. - Tony McTague is Ferbane's most famous sportsman. He won two All Irelands with Offaly in 1971 and 1972. He lifted the Sam Maguire CupSam Maguire CupThe Sam Maguire Cup, often called The Sam , is the name of the cup that is awarded to winners of the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, the premier "knockout" competition in the game of Gaelic football played in Ireland...
as captain in 1972. - Sean, Brendan & Michael Lowry (brothers) were part of the 1982 All-Ireland Winning Team.
Tourism
Coole CastleSir John MaCoghlan built Coole Castle on the banks of the Brosna in 1575. It was the last of the MacCoghlan castles to be built. He erected it as a present to his second wife Sabina O'Dallachain. Formerly there was a mural slab in the castle with a Latin inscription translated in English as "“This tower was built by the energy of Sir John MacCoghlan, K.T. chief of this Sept at the proper cost of Sabina O'Dallachain on the condition that she should have it for her lifetime and afterwards each of her sons according to their seniority".
The whereabouts of the mural is unknown at present.
In his will in 1590 Sir John left Coole Castle to his widow. Over the fireplace, in its original location, in the topmost room of the castle is a plaque written in Middle Irish which reads:
“SEAGHA (n) MAC (c) OCHL (ain) DO
TINDSCAIN O SEO SUAS 1575”
(“Sean Mac Cochlan began (this building) from this (date) 1575”)
Kilcolgan Castle (Court)
Terence Coghlan built Kilcolgan Castle in the early 1640s. In 1646 the Papal Nuncio was sent to Ireland; he stayed for some time in the castle and wrote admiringly of the castle demesne with its beautifully laid out gardens and peacocks strutting on the lawns. The castle continued to be in the possession of the MacCoghlans until the 18th century when it became uninhabited and fell into disrepair. The remains of the castle were demolished in 1954 and the stones used to make foundations for the power station at Lumcloon.
Gallen Priory
Less than a kilometre south of the town, on the site of an ancient monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
founded by the Welsh missionary Saint Canoc in 492, stands Gallen Priory (formerly a convent
Convent
A convent is either a community of priests, religious brothers, religious sisters, or nuns, or the building used by the community, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church and in the Anglican Communion...
of the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Cluny
Cluny
Cluny or Clungy is a commune in the Saône-et-Loire department in the region of Bourgogne in eastern France. It is 20 km northwest of Mâcon.The town grew up around the Benedictine Cluny Abbey, founded by Duke William I of Aquitaine in 910...
, now a nursing home).
Transport
- The Grand Canal, which links up with the River ShannonRiver ShannonThe River Shannon is the longest river in Ireland at . It divides the west of Ireland from the east and south . County Clare, being west of the Shannon but part of the province of Munster, is the major exception...
, passes through Gallen townland. - Ferbane railway station opened on 29 May 1884, closed for passenger traffic on 27 January 1947 and finally closed altogether on 1 January 1963.
Townlands and places in the Ferbane (Wheery or Fuithre) parish include:
- Ballyclare
- Ballylin
- Boora
- Curraghdown,
- The black Boreen
- Cages Bridge
- Creggan
- Skehanagh
- Moyclare
- Endrim Near
- Endrim Far
- Coole
- Derrica
- Ferbane Town
- Gallen
- Reynaun
- Ballyvora
- Rosfaraghan
- Noggus
- Newtown
- Kilcolgan & The Derries
See also
- List of towns and villages in Ireland.