Pollagh
Encyclopedia
There is also a Pollagh on Achill Island
, County Mayo
Pollagh also spelled Pullough is a village in County Offaly
, Ireland
, located in the midlands of Ireland. The name Pollagh comes from the Irish Poll ach, literally meaning expansive hole, but practically meaning "broad expanse of shallow water". It is a rural village on the Grand Canal and lies between Ferbane
and Tullamore
. Much of the surrounding area is bog
land, and is used to produce fossil fuels such as peat turf
. The River Brosna
flows close to the village. The Grand Canal was used for transporting peat and brick
s produced in the area. Pollagh benefited from the canal in earlier years when it brought investment and employment from Bord na Móna
, and it is now an important part of the tourist attraction. Pollagh is known for its church, particularly its bog oak altar and stained glass windows, designed by the Harry Clarke Studios.
Although people undoubtedly lived in this area throughout history,the first substantial settlements occurred after 1771, when a new law banned brick-making near Dublin. This stimulated the brick-making industry in the midlands. Pullough’s unique yellow
bricks, made from blue silt clay, were particularly prized. At first, the town’s bricks were placed on rafts on the River Brosna and pulled, by hand, to Ballycumber. Then, when the Grand Canal arrived in Pullough, it became possible to ship Pullough’s bricks throughout Ireland. Huge loads of Pullough brick passed beneath the arch of the Plunkett Bridge, which was finished in 1809. In 1837, 12 brickyards lined the route of the Grand Canal through Pullough and Rahan. By the end of the 19th century, there were 14 brickyards in Pullough alone. Each brickyard would have produced about 5,000 bricks a day, and another 200 “dog bricks” – extra bricks made because wild dogs almost always walked on the new raw bricks at night and ruined some of them. Lured by the brick-making industry, so many families moved to Pullough that in 1872, local authorities constructed the Pullough National School. The end of the 19th century also saw the birth of a new industry in Pullough. In the 1890s, Kieran Farrelly began a peat-harvesting business at Turraun Bog. By 1900, he had around 100 hectares (240 acres) of bogland under development and had built a factory to process the peat. After a flood destroyed Farrelly’s factory in 1903, he was forced to emigrate to America. The Turraun Peat Company was bought by a Welshman, Sir John Purser Griffith, in 1910. Griffith drained Turraun bog. Then, in the 1920s, he built a peat-operated power station that produced 4000 long tons (4,064.2 t) of sod turf each year. This turf was transported to Dublin via the Grand Canal. In 1936, the Turf Development Board purchased the company. During the fuel crisis of the Second World War, it opened Turraun Camp, where hundreds of workers from all over the country lived while they harvested peat. Shipped to Dublin via the Grand Canal, the peat was sold, from huge ricks, in the Phoenix Park. The Turf Development Board also experimented with the use of charcoal to produce a petrol substitute. Today, two walls at Turraun Wetlands are all that remain of this charcoal factory. In 1946, Bord na Móna was founded to oversee further development of the bogs and utilisation of peat. At Turraun, the production shifted from sod to milled peat. Bord na Móna became the major employer in Pullough. Turraun supplied high-density peat for the Ferbane Power Station until it was decommissioned in 2002.
Turraun is based around the former site of the Bord na Móna
operations in the area. Bord Na Móna produced peat in Turraun, but the plant has long since closed and is now the site of Turraun nature reserve. There is still some evidence of their operations here, such as the railway line, and factory floor. Nearby the factory ruins there are remnants of a charcoal
factory from this period. Much of the bog-land that was used for peat production is now under water, as a lake was created to encourage wildlife into the area. The lake is a popular spot for bird watching, and a wooden hut allows for a discreet view of the lake. A gravel road runs through the reserve leading eventually to further lakes and a heritage site. Following this route will lead to Lough Boora, which has been developed as a tourist attraction including environmental sculptures
and a mesolithic
site containing evidence of dwellings. The bog of Allen
surrounding the area is the largest example of raised bog in Ireland. Peat production has slowed more recently, due to the closing of the Ferbane
power station
and people changing to other forms of heat production. Because of this, some of the bogland in the area is being reclaimed and it is likely that peat production will be completely stopped to protect the remaining bogland. Similar to the Burren
, in County Clare
, the bogland is popular with tourists for its barren and unique environment.
St. Mary's Church
The local church, St. Mary's, was built in 1907, and is still in use today. Pollagh is in the Ballinahown parish, consisting of Ballinahown, Boher and Pollagh Churches. Inside the church the altar, backed by two large stained glass windows faces the door. The shape of the church is somewhat unusual, resembling an inverted "V", with the sanctuary at its point. The church is divided by a central isle, which was used to divide the congregation into men and women, but now there is no evidence of this partition remaining. The stained glass windows of the Harry Clarke Studios were installed in 1936, and depict the Blessed Virgin
and the Sacred Heart
. Between the two windows is the tabernacle
, which was part of the bog oak work, including the altar, seat and pulpit
. The altar depicts Jesus
on the front facing the congregation with his arms outstretched, as on the cross. In 2007 the carpet surrounding the altar was replaced with wood, in preparation for the celebration of mass live on Irish television channel RTÉ One.
Canal
The canal runs from Dublin to Shannon Harbour
in Offaly. The stretch of the canal that Pollagh is on was opened in 1804. The canal is separated by locks, allowing for a drop in height of the surrounding land. Pollagh is built on the longest stretch between locks on the canal. The canal divides Pollagh in two, and the Plunkett Bridge, built in 1809, is the only bridge in the nearby area that allows for passage across the canal. It is peculiar in shape, resembling an 'n', meaning the a driver must make two sharp turns at the peak of the bridge. In recognition of the importance of benefits of tourism from the canal the area along the canal has been developed to include a mooring platform for the boats, a walkway and a 'Bog-man' sculpture. The canal is increasing in popularity for cruises and draws a number of international tourists to Pollagh.
team which plays in the Pollagh Community Centre grounds. Due to the small size of the community, the team often struggles in league competition, hovering between intermediate and junior county championship level. A shortage of players in under-age teams means that a number of the local villages joined to form the Brosna Gaels. The community centre and adjacent football pitch
is equipped for a range of sporting activities, as well as hosting the local bingo.
Both the canal and river are popular for fishing
. The canal is used in coarse fishing competitions and attracts anglers from a variety of countries. The Brosna
contains salmon
and trout
and is also used for duck shooting. The Pollagh festival includes live music and some events, and is popular with tourists and locals.
http://www.offalyhistory.com/content/offaly/offaly_activities.htm
http://homepage.eircom.net/~clara/bog.html
Achill Island
Achill Island in County Mayo is the largest island off the coast of Ireland, and is situated off the west coast. It has a population of 2,700. Its area is . Achill is attached to the mainland by Michael Davitt Bridge, between the villages of Gob an Choire and Poll Raithní . A bridge was first...
, County Mayo
Pollagh also spelled Pullough is a village 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,...
, located in the midlands of Ireland. The name Pollagh comes from the Irish Poll ach, literally meaning expansive hole, but practically meaning "broad expanse of shallow water". It is a rural village on the Grand Canal and lies between Ferbane
Ferbane
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...
and Tullamore
Tullamore
Tullamore is a town in County Offaly, in the midlands of Ireland. It is Offaly's county town and the centre of the district.Tullamore is an important commercial and industrial centre in the region. Major international employers in the town include 'Tyco Healthcare' and 'Boston Scientific'. In...
. Much of the surrounding area is bog
Bog
A bog, quagmire or mire is a wetland that accumulates acidic peat, a deposit of dead plant material—often mosses or, in Arctic climates, lichens....
land, and is used to produce fossil fuels such as peat turf
Peat
Peat is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation matter or histosol. Peat forms in wetland bogs, moors, muskegs, pocosins, mires, and peat swamp forests. Peat is harvested as an important source of fuel in certain parts of the world...
. 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:...
flows close to the village. The Grand Canal was used for transporting peat and brick
Brick
A brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using various kinds of mortar. It has been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.-History:...
s produced in the area. Pollagh benefited from the canal in earlier years when it brought investment and employment from Bord na Móna
Bord na Móna
Bord na Móna , abbreviated BNM, is a semi-state company in Ireland, created in 1946 by the Turf Development Act 1946. The company is responsible for the mechanised harvesting of peat, primarily in the Midlands of Ireland...
, and it is now an important part of the tourist attraction. Pollagh is known for its church, particularly its bog oak altar and stained glass windows, designed by the Harry Clarke Studios.
History
The name “Pullough” or “Pollagh” comes from the Irish words meaning “place of holes”, a reference to the boggy landscape.Although people undoubtedly lived in this area throughout history,the first substantial settlements occurred after 1771, when a new law banned brick-making near Dublin. This stimulated the brick-making industry in the midlands. Pullough’s unique yellow
bricks, made from blue silt clay, were particularly prized. At first, the town’s bricks were placed on rafts on the River Brosna and pulled, by hand, to Ballycumber. Then, when the Grand Canal arrived in Pullough, it became possible to ship Pullough’s bricks throughout Ireland. Huge loads of Pullough brick passed beneath the arch of the Plunkett Bridge, which was finished in 1809. In 1837, 12 brickyards lined the route of the Grand Canal through Pullough and Rahan. By the end of the 19th century, there were 14 brickyards in Pullough alone. Each brickyard would have produced about 5,000 bricks a day, and another 200 “dog bricks” – extra bricks made because wild dogs almost always walked on the new raw bricks at night and ruined some of them. Lured by the brick-making industry, so many families moved to Pullough that in 1872, local authorities constructed the Pullough National School. The end of the 19th century also saw the birth of a new industry in Pullough. In the 1890s, Kieran Farrelly began a peat-harvesting business at Turraun Bog. By 1900, he had around 100 hectares (240 acres) of bogland under development and had built a factory to process the peat. After a flood destroyed Farrelly’s factory in 1903, he was forced to emigrate to America. The Turraun Peat Company was bought by a Welshman, Sir John Purser Griffith, in 1910. Griffith drained Turraun bog. Then, in the 1920s, he built a peat-operated power station that produced 4000 long tons (4,064.2 t) of sod turf each year. This turf was transported to Dublin via the Grand Canal. In 1936, the Turf Development Board purchased the company. During the fuel crisis of the Second World War, it opened Turraun Camp, where hundreds of workers from all over the country lived while they harvested peat. Shipped to Dublin via the Grand Canal, the peat was sold, from huge ricks, in the Phoenix Park. The Turf Development Board also experimented with the use of charcoal to produce a petrol substitute. Today, two walls at Turraun Wetlands are all that remain of this charcoal factory. In 1946, Bord na Móna was founded to oversee further development of the bogs and utilisation of peat. At Turraun, the production shifted from sod to milled peat. Bord na Móna became the major employer in Pullough. Turraun supplied high-density peat for the Ferbane Power Station until it was decommissioned in 2002.
Amenities
Turraun Nature ReserveTurraun is based around the former site of the Bord na Móna
Bord na Móna
Bord na Móna , abbreviated BNM, is a semi-state company in Ireland, created in 1946 by the Turf Development Act 1946. The company is responsible for the mechanised harvesting of peat, primarily in the Midlands of Ireland...
operations in the area. Bord Na Móna produced peat in Turraun, but the plant has long since closed and is now the site of Turraun nature reserve. There is still some evidence of their operations here, such as the railway line, and factory floor. Nearby the factory ruins there are remnants of a charcoal
Charcoal
Charcoal is the dark grey residue consisting of carbon, and any remaining ash, obtained by removing water and other volatile constituents from animal and vegetation substances. Charcoal is usually produced by slow pyrolysis, the heating of wood or other substances in the absence of oxygen...
factory from this period. Much of the bog-land that was used for peat production is now under water, as a lake was created to encourage wildlife into the area. The lake is a popular spot for bird watching, and a wooden hut allows for a discreet view of the lake. A gravel road runs through the reserve leading eventually to further lakes and a heritage site. Following this route will lead to Lough Boora, which has been developed as a tourist attraction including environmental sculptures
Environmental sculpture
The term environmental sculpture is variously defined. A development of the art of the 20th century, environmental sculpture usually creates or alters the environment for the viewer, as opposed to presenting itself figurally or monumentally before the viewer...
and a mesolithic
Mesolithic
The Mesolithic is an archaeological concept used to refer to certain groups of archaeological cultures defined as falling between the Paleolithic and the Neolithic....
site containing evidence of dwellings. The bog of Allen
Bog of Allen
The Bog of Allen is a large raised bog in the centre of Ireland between the rivers Liffey and Shannon.The bog's 958 square kilometers stretch into County Offaly, County Meath, County Kildare, County Laois, and County Westmeath. Peat is mechanically harvested on a large scale by Bórd na Móna,...
surrounding the area is the largest example of raised bog in Ireland. Peat production has slowed more recently, due to the closing of the Ferbane
Ferbane
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...
power station
Power station
A power station is an industrial facility for the generation of electric energy....
and people changing to other forms of heat production. Because of this, some of the bogland in the area is being reclaimed and it is likely that peat production will be completely stopped to protect the remaining bogland. Similar to the Burren
The Burren
The Burren is a karst-landscape region or alvar in northwest County Clare, in Ireland. It is one of the largest karst landscapes in Europe. The region measures approximately 250 square kilometres and is enclosed roughly within the circle made by the villages Ballyvaughan, Kinvara, Tubber, Corofin,...
, in County Clare
County Clare
-History:There was a Neolithic civilisation in the Clare area — the name of the peoples is unknown, but the Prehistoric peoples left evidence behind in the form of ancient dolmen; single-chamber megalithic tombs, usually consisting of three or more upright stones...
, the bogland is popular with tourists for its barren and unique environment.
St. Mary's Church
Mary (mother of Jesus)
Mary , commonly referred to as "Saint Mary", "Mother Mary", the "Virgin Mary", the "Blessed Virgin Mary", or "Mary, Mother of God", was a Jewish woman of Nazareth in Galilee...
and the Sacred Heart
Sacred Heart
The Sacred Heart is one of the most famous religious devotions to Jesus' physical heart as the representation of His divine love for Humanity....
. Between the two windows is the tabernacle
Church tabernacle
A tabernacle is the fixed, locked box in which, in some Christian churches, the Eucharist is "reserved" . A less obvious container, set into the wall, is called an aumbry....
, which was part of the bog oak work, including the altar, seat and pulpit
Pulpit
Pulpit is a speakers' stand in a church. In many Christian churches, there are two speakers' stands at the front of the church. Typically, the one on the left is called the pulpit...
. The altar depicts Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
on the front facing the congregation with his arms outstretched, as on the cross. In 2007 the carpet surrounding the altar was replaced with wood, in preparation for the celebration of mass live on Irish television channel RTÉ One.
Canal
The canal runs from Dublin to Shannon Harbour
Shannon Harbour
Shannon Harbour older name Cluain Uaine Bheag)is a small village on the banks of the Grand Canal of Ireland. There are facilities for boats to park up on the edge of the canal. There are two pubs in the village, McIntyre's and the Canal Bar....
in Offaly. The stretch of the canal that Pollagh is on was opened in 1804. The canal is separated by locks, allowing for a drop in height of the surrounding land. Pollagh is built on the longest stretch between locks on the canal. The canal divides Pollagh in two, and the Plunkett Bridge, built in 1809, is the only bridge in the nearby area that allows for passage across the canal. It is peculiar in shape, resembling an 'n', meaning the a driver must make two sharp turns at the peak of the bridge. In recognition of the importance of benefits of tourism from the canal the area along the canal has been developed to include a mooring platform for the boats, a walkway and a 'Bog-man' sculpture. The canal is increasing in popularity for cruises and draws a number of international tourists to Pollagh.
Activities
The village has a Gaelic footballGaelic football
Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
team which plays in the Pollagh Community Centre grounds. Due to the small size of the community, the team often struggles in league competition, hovering between intermediate and junior county championship level. A shortage of players in under-age teams means that a number of the local villages joined to form the Brosna Gaels. The community centre and adjacent football pitch
Association football pitch
An association football pitch is the playing surface for the game of association football made of turf. Its dimensions and markings are defined by Law 1 of the Laws of the Game, "The Field of Play".All line markings on the pitch form part of the area which they define...
is equipped for a range of sporting activities, as well as hosting the local bingo.
Both the canal and river are popular for fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
. The canal is used in coarse fishing competitions and attracts anglers from a variety of countries. The 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:...
contains salmon
Salmon
Salmon is the common name for several species of fish in the family Salmonidae. Several other fish in the same family are called trout; the difference is often said to be that salmon migrate and trout are resident, but this distinction does not strictly hold true...
and trout
Trout
Trout is the name for a number of species of freshwater and saltwater fish belonging to the Salmoninae subfamily of the family Salmonidae. Salmon belong to the same family as trout. Most salmon species spend almost all their lives in salt water...
and is also used for duck shooting. The Pollagh festival includes live music and some events, and is popular with tourists and locals.
See also
- List of towns and villages in Ireland
See also
http://www.offalycottage.com/http://www.offalyhistory.com/content/offaly/offaly_activities.htm
http://homepage.eircom.net/~clara/bog.html