TEMPLEMICHAEL

In 1868, the parish of Templemichael contained the following places:

"TEMPLEMICHAEL, a parish in the baronies of Ardagh and Longford, county Longford, province of Leinster, Ireland. Longford is its post town. The soil is rich, but has a great proportion of bog. The parish is crossed by the road from Dublin to Sligo, and is traversed by the river Camlin and the Royal canal, which terminates here. There are quarries of a fine description of limestone. The living is a rectory in the diocese of Ardagh, value with two others £693, in the patronage of the bishop. The church, which has a tower and spire, is situated at Longford, and was renovated and enlarged in 1812 by means of a loan from the late Board of First Fruits. There are two Roman Catholic chapels, meeting-houses for Wesleyans and Presbyterians, and several schools. The principal residence is Clonbally. Here are the ruins of an old church."

"LONGFORD, an incorporated market and post town and capital of the county of Longford, in the parish of Templemichael, partly in the barony of Longford, but chiefly in that of Ardagh, province of Leinster, Ireland, 20 miles N.W. of Mullingar, and 75 W.N.W. of Dublin by road, or 76 by the Midland Great Western and Great Northern and Western of Ireland railway, which has a branch line to this town. This place, anciently called Athfadha, was the site of a monastery founded by St. Idus, a disciple of St. Patrick, and also of a Dominiean Abbey founded in 1400, and which continued to flourish till the Dissolution. The castle, a place of some strength, was taken by, the insurgents from the O'Ferrals in 1641, and the garrison put to the sword. In 1657 Francis Lord Aungier, Baron of Longford, who had become proprietor of the town, obtained from Charles II. the grant of a charter incorporating the town by the designation of the "sovereign, bailiffs, and burgesses of the borough of Longford," with the power of holding a court of record before his seneschal, of appointing bailiffs for his manor court, and maintaining a gaol for the manor and town. Previous to the Union it was a parliamentary borough, returning two members to the Irish parliament, but was then disfranchised.

The corporation still consists of a sovereign, two bailiffs, twelve burgesses, and other officers, but its functions are now little more than nominal. The assizes for the county and quarter sessions are held here. The population in 1861 was 4,535. The town, which stands on the left bank of the river Camlin, with a small portion on the opposite bank, is well built. It consists of several regular streets of good houses, and has recently been much improved. The streets are paved and well kept, being cleaned and lighted by a general rate. It contains the county court house, the county gaol, erected in 1825 on the radiating principle, a market-house, erected by the late Lord Longford, cavalry and artillery barracks, built on the right bank of the river, a principal police station, county infirmary and dispensary, and a branch of the bank of Ireland, which has been established here since 1834. The parish church of Templemichael is situated in the town, also a Roman Catholic cathedral recently erected, with a tower 200 feet high and a portico of six Ionic columns. Besides these there are Presbyterian and Methodist meetinghouses. The trade of the town has considerably increased since the extension into it of a branch of the Royal canal and a branch line of railway from the Midland Great Western of Ireland. It is now one of the best markets for corn, pork, bacon, and butter, and has a considerable trade in linen and coarse woollens. There are extensive storehouses in the town, also a whisky distillery, brewery, several tan-yards, a butter market, and shambles. At the termination of the new cut from the Royal canal a basin for boats was constructed by the late Earl of Longford, to whom the town is indebted for many of its improvements. The principal seats in the vicinity are Castle Forbes, of the Earl of Granard; Carrickglass, of the Lefroys; Mount Jessop, and Clonbolt. The Longford Poor-law Union comprises 19 electoral divisions in the baronies of Ardagh and Longford. Market days are Wednesday and Saturday, chiefly for corn, butter, bacon, pigs, hemp, and flax. Fairs are held on the 25th March, 10th June, 19th August, and 22nd October. The June and October fairs are most frequented."

[Transcribed from The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland 1868]
by Colin Hinson ©2018