Nobber
Encyclopedia
Nobber is a village in north County Meath
, Ireland
. The village is built near a river called the Dee
and near Whitewood Lake which is situated in the town land of Whitewood. It is on the Navan
–Kingscourt
road (R162
) about 12 miles (19.3 km) north of Navan. This places the village about 37 miles (59.5 km) from the M50 motorway
; the orbital motorway of Dublin. The town of Kells
is to the west and the town of Ardee
to the east and the town of Kingscourt is to the north. Villages that border the parish are Kilmainhamwood
, Moynalty
and Kilbeg to the west, Castletown to the south and Drumconrath
and Lobinstown to the east.
and Dundalk
to the midlands. When the Kingdom of Meath was granted to Hugh De Lacy
by King Henry II
in the mid 1100s, Hugh granted the Barony of Morgallion
to Gilbert de Angulo
, who constructed a moate and bailey
there. Recently several high crosses
were discovered in the village's old cemetery (St Johns) dating from possibly the 10th century. These are much smaller and less ornate than typical celtic high crosses. This find is significant because it suggests that a hitherto unrecorded monastic settlement
once existed on the site of the village. Moynagh Lake west of the village is the site of a multi-period crannog which dates to Mesolithic times. In the Medieval period Nobber was the chief town of the Barony of Morgallion
.
to Navan. This was purchased by the Midland Great Western Railway
in 1888. Until recent years it operated to haul gypsum from Saint-Gobain
Gypsum Industries plant in County Cavan
to the port of Drogheda
. Nobber railway station opened on 1 November 1872, closed for passenger traffic on 27 January 1947 and finally closed altogether on 1 April 1963.
s. They are:
Cruicetown is the largest townland and Leafin is the smallest.
County Meath
County Meath is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the ancient Kingdom of Mide . Meath 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,...
. The village is built near a river called the Dee
Dee
-Surname:*Arthur Dee, son of John Dee*Billy Dee*Bob Dee*Daisy Dee*Dave Dee*Ed Dee*Frances Dee, actress*Gandra Dee*Gerry Dee, Canadian comedian*Jack Dee, British comedian*Jeff Dee*John Dee, English mathematician and alchemist...
and near Whitewood Lake which is situated in the town land of Whitewood. It is on the Navan
Navan
-People:Navan was the childhood home of Pierce Brosnan, who appeared in the television series Remington Steele and was the fifth film actor to play James Bond. TV personality Hector Ó hEochagáin, and comedians Dylan Moran and Tommy Tiernan also hail from Navan....
–Kingscourt
Kingscourt
Kingscourt, historically known as Dunaree , is a town in County Cavan, Ireland. It is located near the Cavan-Meath border and has a population of over 3,000 making it the fourth largest town in Cavan. The town was founded near the site of the old village of Cabra, by Mervyn Pratt, towards the end...
road (R162
R162 road
The R162 road is a regional road in Ireland, linking Monaghan Town to Navan, County Meath. The route is long.-Route:Northwest to southeast the route starts in at a junction with the N54 in Monaghan, County Monaghan...
) about 12 miles (19.3 km) north of Navan. This places the village about 37 miles (59.5 km) from the M50 motorway
M50 motorway (Ireland)
The M50 motorway is a motorway in Ireland running in a C-shaped ring around the north-eastern, northern, western and southern sides of the capital city, Dublin. The northern end of the route is located at the entrance to the Dublin Port Tunnel. Anti-clockwise it heads northwest through the tunnel...
; the orbital motorway of Dublin. The town of Kells
Kells, County Meath
Kells is a town in County Meath, Ireland. The town lies off the M3 motorway, from Navan and from Dublin. In recent years Kells has grown greatly with many Dublin commuters moving to the town....
is to the west and the town of Ardee
Ardee
Ardee is a town and townland in County Louth, Ireland. It is located at the intersection of the N2, N52, and N33 roads. Ardee is on the banks of the River Dee and is approximately 20 km from Dundalk, Drogheda, Slane and Carrickmacross...
to the east and the town of Kingscourt is to the north. Villages that border the parish are Kilmainhamwood
Kilmainhamwood
Kilmainhamwood, historically simply Killmainham , is a village and townland in north County Meath, Ireland. The village is built on the River Dee and is situated north of Whitewood Lake. The town is located on local roads...
, Moynalty
Moynalty
Moynalty is a village in the north-west of County Meath in Ireland. It is located at the junction of the R194 and R164 regional roads north of Kells, near the border with County Cavan. It was part of the Kells Poor Law Union...
and Kilbeg to the west, Castletown to the south and Drumconrath
Drumconrath
Drumconrath or Drumcondra is a small historic village situated in north County Meath, Ireland. It is twinned with the village of Saltmills, County Wexford. The strong bond between the two villages was forged in the 1950s when engineers from Drumconrath helped to rebuild the historic bridge in...
and Lobinstown to the east.
History
The Normans were the first known people to settle at Nobber. It acted as a strong point on the road from the ports of DroghedaDrogheda
Drogheda is an industrial and port town in County Louth on the east coast of Ireland, 56 km north of Dublin. It is the last bridging point on the River Boyne before it enters the Irish Sea....
and Dundalk
Dundalk
Dundalk is the county town of County Louth in Ireland. It is situated where the Castletown River flows into Dundalk Bay. The town is close to the border with Northern Ireland and equi-distant from Dublin and Belfast. The town's name, which was historically written as Dundalgan, has associations...
to the midlands. When the Kingdom of Meath was granted to Hugh De Lacy
Hugh de Lacy, Lord of Meath
Hugh de Lacy, Lord of Meath was an Anglo-Norman magnate granted the lands of the Kingdom of Meath by Henry II in 1172, during the Norman Invasion of Ireland.-Early life:Hugh de Lacy was born before 1135...
by King Henry II
Henry II of England
Henry II ruled as King of England , Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France. Henry, the great-grandson of William the Conqueror, was the...
in the mid 1100s, Hugh granted the Barony of Morgallion
Barony of Morgallion
Morgallion is one of the baronies that comprise county Meath.The Múrna were pushed out of northern Meath sometime after 800 by the Gailenga Mora. The Gailenga left their name in the barony of Morgallion in northern County Meath...
to Gilbert de Angulo
Gilbert de Angulo
-Biography:A son of Jocelyn de Angulo, Gilbert held the barony of Machaire Gaileng . Upon his rebellion in 1195 all his lands were forfeited - given by Walter de Lacy to his brother, Hugh, about 1198 - and Gilbert and his brothers Phillip and William outlawed.Gilbert fled English jurisdiction and...
, who constructed a moate and bailey
Motte-and-bailey
A motte-and-bailey is a form of castle, with a wooden or stone keep situated on a raised earthwork called a motte, accompanied by an enclosed courtyard, or bailey, surrounded by a protective ditch and palisade...
there. Recently several high crosses
High cross
A high cross or standing cross is a free-standing Christian cross made of stone and often richly decorated. There was a unique Early Medieval tradition in Ireland and Britain of raising large sculpted stone crosses, usually outdoors...
were discovered in the village's old cemetery (St Johns) dating from possibly the 10th century. These are much smaller and less ornate than typical celtic high crosses. This find is significant because it suggests that a hitherto unrecorded monastic settlement
Monastic settlement
Monastic settlements are areas built up in and around the development of monasteries with the spread of Christianity.These settlements are of historic interest as the development of a monastery typically spurred other settlement developments over many hundred of years which may be rich in...
once existed on the site of the village. Moynagh Lake west of the village is the site of a multi-period crannog which dates to Mesolithic times. In the Medieval period Nobber was the chief town of the Barony of Morgallion
Barony of Morgallion
Morgallion is one of the baronies that comprise county Meath.The Múrna were pushed out of northern Meath sometime after 800 by the Gailenga Mora. The Gailenga left their name in the barony of Morgallion in northern County Meath...
.
Transport
A disused railway line dating from 1875 runs through the village which runs from KingscourtKingscourt railway station
Kingscourt Railway station is a former passenger station in Kingscourt, County Cavan, in Ireland. It was created by the Navan and Kingscourt Railway in 1865. This was purchased by the Midland Great Western Railway in 1888. The line ceased passenger services in 1947, and was then a freight only...
to Navan. This was purchased by the Midland Great Western Railway
Midland Great Western Railway
The Midland Great Western Railway was the third largest Irish gauge railway company in Ireland. It was incorporated in 1845 and absorbed into the Great Southern Railway in 1924. It served part of Leinster, County Cavan in Ulster and much of Connaught...
in 1888. Until recent years it operated to haul gypsum from Saint-Gobain
Saint-Gobain
Saint-Gobain S.A. is a French multinational corporation, founded in 1665 in Paris and headquartered on the outskirts of Paris at La Défense and in Courbevoie. Originally a mirror manufacturer, it now also produces a variety of construction and high-performance materials.The company has its head...
Gypsum Industries plant in County Cavan
County Cavan
County Cavan is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Cavan. Cavan County Council is the local authority for the county...
to the port of Drogheda
Drogheda
Drogheda is an industrial and port town in County Louth on the east coast of Ireland, 56 km north of Dublin. It is the last bridging point on the River Boyne before it enters the Irish Sea....
. Nobber railway station opened on 1 November 1872, closed for passenger traffic on 27 January 1947 and finally closed altogether on 1 April 1963.
Amenities
- The village has two schools: Nobber National school for primary school children and O'Carolan College which is a comprehensive secondary school.
- The church of Saint John the Baptist is the Roman Catholic churchRoman Catholic ChurchThe Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
in the centre of the village which also has a fire station, Garda SíochánaGarda Síochána, more commonly referred to as the Gardaí , is the police force of Ireland. The service is headed by the Commissioner who is appointed by the Irish Government. Its headquarters are located in the Phoenix Park in Dublin.- Terminology :...
(police) station and a branch library.
People
- It is reputed to be the birthplace of the blind harpist Turlough Carolan.
- There is a statue in memory of him at the southern end of the village.
- Famous technical graphics teacher Gerry McGiveny, is originally from Nobber.
- Nobber is also known for having two of the best footballers in Ireland that have represented Meath footballers in the past (Gerry McEnteeGerry McEnteeGerry McEntee was the manager of the 2008 Dublin minor football team and is a retired inter-county Irish Gaelic footballer for County Meath in Ireland. He enjoyed much success playing inter-county football in the Eighties & early Nineties on the Meath teams managed by Sean Boylan, for whom he...
)and also Brian Farrell who currently represents Meath.
Geographic Location
Town Lands
Nobber has 22 townlandTownland
A townland or bally is a small geographical division of land used in Ireland. The townland system is of Gaelic origin—most townlands are believed to pre-date the Norman invasion and most have names derived from the Irish language...
s. They are:
- Altmush, Arrigal,
- Brittas,
- Cloughmacoo, College, Cregg, Cruicetown,
- Garmanagh,
- Hennigan,
- Julianstown,
- Kilbride,
- Leafin,
- Moydorragh, Moynagh, Muff,
- Newtown, Nobber,
- Possexstown,
- Rathe, Rathgillen,
- Seller, Spiddal.
Cruicetown is the largest townland and Leafin is the smallest.
Sport
- Nobber has only one Gaelic FootballGaelic footballGaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
team called Nobber G.F.C.Nobber GAANobber GFC is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in Nobber, County Meath, Ireland. The club competes in Meath GAA competitions. The club has won the Meath Senior Football Championship once when North Meath GAA won the title in 1950...
In 2003, Nobber won the All-Ireland Junior Club Football ChampionshipAll-Ireland Junior Club Football ChampionshipThe All-Ireland Junior Club Football Championship is a Gaelic football competition started up in 2004 to be played by the winners of the Junior Club Championship from each County. Prior to that a number of unofficial competitions were held...
, beating KilmeenaKilmeenaKilmeena is a small village in County Mayo, Ireland, near Westport. The village has a Catholic church and a school.-History:The Kilmeena ambush was the scene of a defeat for the local Irish Republican Army during the Irish War of Independence. On May 19, 1921, British troops surprised an IRA ambush...
of MayoMayo- Places :Ireland* County Mayo* Mayo * Mayo * Mayo * Mayo East * Mayo North...
. Nobber are reigning Meath Intermediate football Champions. Nobber are currently in the Meath Senior Football Championship, which they have never won. Nobber's main Gaelic Football rival is Kilmainhamwood G.F.C. The Nobber colours are black and amber.
- The local soccer team are Electro Celtic FC who are currently in Division 3B of the Meath and District League.
Festivals and Events
The Nobber Fair Day is an annual event that is held on the third Sunday of May and has revived the tradition of the old fair that was held in the village for centuries.See also
- List of towns and villages in Ireland