Newtownforbes
Encyclopedia
Newtownforbes is a village in County Longford
, Ireland
. It was historically called Lisbrack, an anglicisation of the Irish name.
The N4 National primary route
passes through the Main Street of the village, which is situated 4 km northwest of Longford
Town.
Newtownforbes is a thriving village with its population listed at 668 in 2006. The national school is Scoil Mhuire. The village has a Catholic church, St. Mary's which has been recently restored. One feature of the renovation is the new west windows, by Joe Sheridan of Kilkenny which shows Virgin Mary with Jesus and St. John and a playfriend. It also shows St. Elither, a local saint, building the first Christian church of the village. The village also has public houses, shops and other amenities to cater for the expanding village. The sports complex has a superb floodlit pitch and indoor basketball court.
Newtownforbes is in the parish of Clonguish; its Irish name is Cluain geis which means The Meadow of the Swans. Clonguish is bordered by four other parishes, Killashee, Templemicheal, Killoe and Drumlish. The parish also shares a common boundary with the province of Connacht
in that it adjoins the parishes of Bornacoola and Gortletteragh in County Leitrim
and is separated by the Shannon from Kilbarry in County Roscommon
. The River Camlin flows through the south-western end of the parish.
On the approach to Newtownforbes from Longford, there is an old house called Minard House on the left. It was built in the 1760s and was the base to a local radio station.
There are three pubs - one of which is Casey's Public House. This pub was the last pub in the Midlands to stop the practise of bottling Guinness for the brewery and labeling it. Michael Collins
, 1916 rebel and Irish Free State
Commander drank in this pub from time to time. According to local rumors, Collins was once so intoxicated on tonic wine after visiting the local nursing home he had to be brought to the midlands hospital for medical treatment. This episode is said to have led to his pro-Anglo Irish treaty stance after witnessing the favorable treatment he received.
, who originated in Aberdeen and were granted lands in the area around 1621, and have been resident in Castleforbes since 1691. The family was in service to the Crown and successive generations were promoted to Viscount, Baronet and eventually Earldom. The family changed the name of the village from Lisbrack to Newtownforbes around 1750. Many of the houses in the original part of the village date from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
Castleforbes is situated about 5 km from Longford
town and stands between Newtownforbes and the River Shannon
. Built to the design of John Hargrave from Cork, Castleforbes is a 19th century structure of cut limestone. The entrance gateway of the castle is French style which is about one mile (1.6 km) from the castle itself. There are some narrow windows in the shape of an arch as well as the remains of some English style windows.
In 1909 following the marriage of the 8th Earl of Granard to Beatrice
, daughter of the wealthy Ogden Mills
of Staatsburg, New York
, the decoration of the castle was completed. Shortly after this the castle was in action. Lady Jane structured the original building of Castleforbes in 1624. Over the years, the Castle has been added to. In 1825 the castle was partly burned. It was saved by a dog called 'Pilot' whose barking woke everyone in the castle.
1286 acres (5.2 km²) of land was given to them in 1619. In 1854 together the castle covered 1346 acres (5.4 km²) of land within its demesne. It was the largest demesne in Longford. In 1876 the total estate, including parts of land from around the parish, Clonguish, Drumlish
, Killashee
and near Mullingar
, covered 14.978 acres (60,613.9 m²) of land. Today Lady Georgina, the present owner, owns only the land within the demesne, 1346 acres (5.4 km²).
Behind the castle is the legendary graveyard. In early times the deceased of the parish were buried there, but however the 4th Earl of Granard
passed a rule saying only his family could be buried there. This law made a lot of people angry and some even buried their relatives there under the cover of darkness. Usually Lord Granard found out about this and had the corpse thrown off the castles property and onto the road-side.
One notorious man of the parish felt sick at this time and when dying he asked his sons to bury him in the graveyard where his father rested before him and to put a blackthorn stick in his right hand so if anyone disturbed him people would hear about it. The man died and his directions were faithfully carried out. Lord Granard found the corpse and ordered it to be removed. The next day the people heard that the Earl of Granard was dead.
The wife of the 5th Earl of Granard was much different in nature in comparison to those who had gone before her as she was a charitable and compassionate lady. Another story from 1780 tells of a man who was falsely charged with stealing sheep and was ordered to be executed (which at that time was very common) in Longford jail.The poor man pleaded innocent to this crime but was not believed and convicted. Luckily the executor did his job carelessly and the man came away with none more than a few serious spinal injuries. He lived out the rest of his days in secrecy in Casleforbes.
County Longford
County Longford 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 town of Longford.Longford County Council is the local authority for the county...
, 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,...
. It was historically called Lisbrack, an anglicisation of the Irish name.
The N4 National primary route
Roads in Ireland
The island of Ireland, comprising Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, has an extensive network of tens of thousands of kilometres of public roads, usually surfaced. These roads have been developed and modernised over centuries, from trackways suitable only for walkers and horses, to...
passes through the Main Street of the village, which is situated 4 km northwest of Longford
Longford
Longford is the county town of County Longford in Ireland. It has a population of 7,622 according to the 2006 census. Approximately one third of the county's population resides in the town. Longford town is also the biggest town in the county...
Town.
Newtownforbes is a thriving village with its population listed at 668 in 2006. The national school is Scoil Mhuire. The village has a Catholic church, St. Mary's which has been recently restored. One feature of the renovation is the new west windows, by Joe Sheridan of Kilkenny which shows Virgin Mary with Jesus and St. John and a playfriend. It also shows St. Elither, a local saint, building the first Christian church of the village. The village also has public houses, shops and other amenities to cater for the expanding village. The sports complex has a superb floodlit pitch and indoor basketball court.
Newtownforbes is in the parish of Clonguish; its Irish name is Cluain geis which means The Meadow of the Swans. Clonguish is bordered by four other parishes, Killashee, Templemicheal, Killoe and Drumlish. The parish also shares a common boundary with the province of Connacht
Connacht
Connacht , formerly anglicised as Connaught, is one of the Provinces of Ireland situated in the west of Ireland. In Ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for...
in that it adjoins the parishes of Bornacoola and Gortletteragh in County Leitrim
County Leitrim
County Leitrim is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the village of Leitrim. Leitrim County Council is the local authority for the county...
and is separated by the Shannon from Kilbarry in County Roscommon
County Roscommon
County Roscommon is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the town of Roscommon. Roscommon County Council is the local authority for the county...
. The River Camlin flows through the south-western end of the parish.
On the approach to Newtownforbes from Longford, there is an old house called Minard House on the left. It was built in the 1760s and was the base to a local radio station.
There are three pubs - one of which is Casey's Public House. This pub was the last pub in the Midlands to stop the practise of bottling Guinness for the brewery and labeling it. Michael Collins
Michael Collins (Irish leader)
Michael "Mick" Collins was an Irish revolutionary leader, Minister for Finance and Teachta Dála for Cork South in the First Dáil of 1919, Director of Intelligence for the IRA, and member of the Irish delegation during the Anglo-Irish Treaty negotiations. Subsequently, he was both Chairman of the...
, 1916 rebel and Irish Free State
Irish Free State
The Irish Free State was the state established as a Dominion on 6 December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty, signed by the British government and Irish representatives exactly twelve months beforehand...
Commander drank in this pub from time to time. According to local rumors, Collins was once so intoxicated on tonic wine after visiting the local nursing home he had to be brought to the midlands hospital for medical treatment. This episode is said to have led to his pro-Anglo Irish treaty stance after witnessing the favorable treatment he received.
History
Newtownforbes takes its name from the Forbes family, also known as the Earl of GranardEarl of Granard
Earl of Granard is a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1684 for Arthur Forbes, 1st Viscount Granard. He was a Lieutenant-General in the army and served as Marshal of the Army in Ireland after The Restoration and was later Lord Justice of Ireland...
, who originated in Aberdeen and were granted lands in the area around 1621, and have been resident in Castleforbes since 1691. The family was in service to the Crown and successive generations were promoted to Viscount, Baronet and eventually Earldom. The family changed the name of the village from Lisbrack to Newtownforbes around 1750. Many of the houses in the original part of the village date from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
Castleforbes is situated about 5 km from Longford
Longford
Longford is the county town of County Longford in Ireland. It has a population of 7,622 according to the 2006 census. Approximately one third of the county's population resides in the town. Longford town is also the biggest town in the county...
town and stands between Newtownforbes and the River Shannon
River Shannon
The 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...
. Built to the design of John Hargrave from Cork, Castleforbes is a 19th century structure of cut limestone. The entrance gateway of the castle is French style which is about one mile (1.6 km) from the castle itself. There are some narrow windows in the shape of an arch as well as the remains of some English style windows.
In 1909 following the marriage of the 8th Earl of Granard to Beatrice
Beatrice Mills Forbes, 8th Countess of Granard
Beatrice Mills, OBE was an American-born heiress. The daughter of the very wealthy Ogden Mills, she was a twin to Gladys, and brother to Ogden. In 1909, she married Bernard Forbes, 8th Earl of Granard with whom she had four children...
, daughter of the wealthy Ogden Mills
Ogden Mills
Ogden Mills was an American financier and Thoroughbred racehorse owner.-Life and career:Born in Millbrae, California, he was the son of Jane Templeton Cunningham and her husband Darius Ogden Mills, a highly successful banker and investor who in 1910 left Odgen Mills and his sister an estate valued...
of Staatsburg, New York
Staatsburg, New York
Staatsburg is a hamlet in Dutchess County, New York, United States. The population was 911 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the larger New York–Newark–Bridgeport, NY-NJ-CT-PA Combined...
, the decoration of the castle was completed. Shortly after this the castle was in action. Lady Jane structured the original building of Castleforbes in 1624. Over the years, the Castle has been added to. In 1825 the castle was partly burned. It was saved by a dog called 'Pilot' whose barking woke everyone in the castle.
1286 acres (5.2 km²) of land was given to them in 1619. In 1854 together the castle covered 1346 acres (5.4 km²) of land within its demesne. It was the largest demesne in Longford. In 1876 the total estate, including parts of land from around the parish, Clonguish, Drumlish
Drumlish
Drumlish is a village in County Longford, Ireland on the R198 regional road north of Longford Town.-See also:*List of towns and villages in Ireland-External links:*...
, Killashee
Killashee
Killashee is a village in County Longford, Ireland. It is situated on the N63 midway between Lanesborough and Longford, near the Royal Canal and east of the River Shannon.-Sport:Killashee is home to St...
and near Mullingar
Mullingar
Mullingar is the county town of County Westmeath in Ireland. The Counties of Meath and Westmeath Act of 1542, proclaimed Westmeath a county, separating it from Meath. Mullingar became the administrative centre for County Westmeath...
, covered 14.978 acres (60,613.9 m²) of land. Today Lady Georgina, the present owner, owns only the land within the demesne, 1346 acres (5.4 km²).
Behind the castle is the legendary graveyard. In early times the deceased of the parish were buried there, but however the 4th Earl of Granard
Granard
Granard is a town in the north of County Longford, Ireland and has a traceable history going back to 236 A.D.. It is situated just south of the boundary between the watersheds of the Shannon and the Erne, at the point where the N55 national secondary road and the R194 regional road...
passed a rule saying only his family could be buried there. This law made a lot of people angry and some even buried their relatives there under the cover of darkness. Usually Lord Granard found out about this and had the corpse thrown off the castles property and onto the road-side.
One notorious man of the parish felt sick at this time and when dying he asked his sons to bury him in the graveyard where his father rested before him and to put a blackthorn stick in his right hand so if anyone disturbed him people would hear about it. The man died and his directions were faithfully carried out. Lord Granard found the corpse and ordered it to be removed. The next day the people heard that the Earl of Granard was dead.
The wife of the 5th Earl of Granard was much different in nature in comparison to those who had gone before her as she was a charitable and compassionate lady. Another story from 1780 tells of a man who was falsely charged with stealing sheep and was ordered to be executed (which at that time was very common) in Longford jail.The poor man pleaded innocent to this crime but was not believed and convicted. Luckily the executor did his job carelessly and the man came away with none more than a few serious spinal injuries. He lived out the rest of his days in secrecy in Casleforbes.
See also
- List of towns and villages in Ireland