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Ballynacargy, or Ballinacarrigy, () is a small village in
County Westmeath "Noble above nobility" , image_map = Island of Ireland location map Westmeath.svg , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Ireland , subdivision_type1 = Province , subdivision_name1 = , subdivis ...
,
Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St George's Channel. Ireland is the s ...
on the
Royal Canal The Royal Canal ( ga, An Chanáil Ríoga) is a canal originally built for freight and passenger transportation from Dublin to Longford in Ireland. It is one of two canals from Dublin to the River Shannon and was built in direct competition ...
and the R393 regional road. The last official commercial navigation of the canal took place in 1955.


Public transport

Bus Éireann Bus Éireann (; "Irish Bus") is a state-owned bus and coach operator providing services throughout Ireland, with the exception of Dublin and the Greater Dublin Area, where bus services are provided by sister company Dublin Bus. It is a subsidi ...
route 448 provides a link to
Mullingar Mullingar ( ; ) is the county town of County Westmeath in Ireland. It is the third most populous town in the Midland Region, with a population of 20,928 in the 2016 census. The Counties of Meath and Westmeath Act 1543 proclaimed Westmeath ...
on Fridays only departing at 10.15 and returning from
Mullingar Mullingar ( ; ) is the county town of County Westmeath in Ireland. It is the third most populous town in the Midland Region, with a population of 20,928 in the 2016 census. The Counties of Meath and Westmeath Act 1543 proclaimed Westmeath ...
at 13.30. The nearest railway station is
Mullingar railway station Mullingar railway station serves the town of Mullingar in County Westmeath, Ireland; it is situated from Dublin, and from . Mullingar station is served by national rail company Iarnród Éireann's Dublin to Longford Commuter service and Dub ...
approximately 15 kilometres distant. Until August 2013,
Bus Éireann Bus Éireann (; "Irish Bus") is a state-owned bus and coach operator providing services throughout Ireland, with the exception of Dublin and the Greater Dublin Area, where bus services are provided by sister company Dublin Bus. It is a subsidi ...
route 118 (
Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 ...
-
Mullingar Mullingar ( ; ) is the county town of County Westmeath in Ireland. It is the third most populous town in the Midland Region, with a population of 20,928 in the 2016 census. The Counties of Meath and Westmeath Act 1543 proclaimed Westmeath ...
-
Longford Longford () is the county town of County Longford in Ireland. It has a population of 10,008 according to the 2016 census. It is the biggest town in the county and about one third of the county's population lives there. Longford lies at the mee ...
) served Ballynacargy on Saturdays only allowing passengers to travel into
Longford Longford () is the county town of County Longford in Ireland. It has a population of 10,008 according to the 2016 census. It is the biggest town in the county and about one third of the county's population lives there. Longford lies at the mee ...
for a few hours.


History

Ballynacargy is thought to have been largely established in the mid-18th century by the Malone family of Baronstown, who intended to create a
linen Linen () is a textile made from the fibers of the flax plant. Linen is very strong, absorbent, and dries faster than cotton. Because of these properties, linen is comfortable to wear in hot weather and is valued for use in garments. It also ...
industry in the area. While the linen trade failed to thrive, the village gained a harbour on the
Royal Canal The Royal Canal ( ga, An Chanáil Ríoga) is a canal originally built for freight and passenger transportation from Dublin to Longford in Ireland. It is one of two canals from Dublin to the River Shannon and was built in direct competition ...
which opened in 1817, and developed as a market serving the surrounding district. However, the origins of the village go back much further, and its immediate area includes some of the most important historical and archaeological sites in Westmeath. The first recorded reference dates from 1537 after the dissolution of the nearby monastery at
Tristernagh Abbey Tristernagh Abbey ( ga, Mainistir Thriostarnaí, IPA: ˈmˠanʲəʃtʲəɾʲˈhɾʲɪsˠt̪ˠəɾˠn̪ˠiː), also known as the Priory of Kilbixy or Kilbisky, Tristernagh Priory, or the priory of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Tristernagh, is a ru ...
.


Kilbixy

It is thought that the village of Ballynacargy initially grew as a result of the decline of nearby Kilbixy, an important town in Meath 500 years ago. Kilbixy (from the
Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
''Cill Bigsighe'') developed around an early Christian church reputedly founded by Saint Bigseach, a handmaiden of
Saint Brigid Saint Brigid of Kildare or Brigid of Ireland ( ga, Naomh Bríd; la, Brigida; 525) is the patroness saint (or 'mother saint') of Ireland, and one of its three national saints along with Patrick and Columba. According to medieval Irish hagiogr ...
whose feast day was celebrated on 28 June and 4 October. A castle was built here by Walter de Lacy in 1192, following which a Norman settlement grew up and was granted
Borough A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History In the Middle Ag ...
rights. Kilbixy was said to have once had twelve burgesses and a mayor,Casey and Rowan ''The Buildings of Ireland: North Leinster'', p.346 along with the castle, church, a market and a dock on the shore of Lough Iron, but declined and was deserted during the 15th century after being repeatedly attacked and burned, first in 1430 by Owen O'Neill, King of Tyrone, and then by the locally powerful Geoghegan family.Woods, ''Annals of Westmeath'', 1907, p.290 By the 17th century only a few ruins remained of the former town. Despite the town's disappearance, the parish still bears the name of Kilbixy. The
Church of Ireland The Church of Ireland ( ga, Eaglais na hÉireann, ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Kirk o Airlann, ) is a Christian church in Ireland and an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. It is organised on an all-Ireland basis and is the sec ...
parish church, dedicated to St Bigseach, is located within the former area of Kilbixy town itself, in Baronstown Demesne
townland A townland ( ga, baile fearainn; Ulster-Scots: ''toonlann'') is a small geographical division of land, historically and currently used in Ireland and in the Western Isles in Scotland, typically covering . The townland system is of Gaelic orig ...
to the north of Ballynacargy village. It was built, probably on the same site as Kilbixy's original church, in 1798 to the designs of
James Wyatt James Wyatt (3 August 1746 – 4 September 1813) was an English architect, a rival of Robert Adam in the neoclassical and neo-Gothic styles. He was elected to the Royal Academy in 1785 and was its president from 1805 to 1806. Early life W ...
, one of the greatest architects of the time: the area around it remains one of the best-preserved examples of a deserted medieval borough in Ireland.St Bigseach's Church of Ireland
Buildings of Ireland
In 1980 a 7th-century stone was discovered in the circular churchyard, showing it to have been a very early foundation.Ambitious Plans to Restore 5th-century Kilbixy Church
'Westmeath Examiner'', 22-09-10
The 1798 church was funded by The 1st Baron Sunderlin, and is a good example of a church of the period sited to provide a picturesque landscape view from the local big house.Howley, ''The Follies and Garden Buildings of Ireland'', 2004, p.171 Lord Sunderlin also built a large mausoleum next to the church: Sunderlin's brother, the celebrated Shakespearean scholar
Edmond Malone Edmond Malone (4 October 174125 May 1812) was an Irish Shakespearean scholar and editor of the works of William Shakespeare. Assured of an income after the death of his father in 1774, Malone was able to give up his law practice for at first p ...
, is also buried there. In the 19th century, St Bigseach's churchyard still remained a favoured place of interment for local Catholic families, as well as Anglicans.O'Hanlon, ''Lives of the Irish Saints'', vol X, p.44 There is a
holy well A holy well or sacred spring is a well, spring or small pool of water revered either in a Christian or pagan context, sometimes both. The water of holy wells is often thought to have healing qualities, through the numinous presence of its guar ...
, ''Tobar Bigsighe'' ("the well of Bigseach") nearby.


Templecross

Northeast of the village in the townland of Tristernagh Demesne are the ruins of Templecross Church, from where the ruins of
Tristernagh Abbey Tristernagh Abbey ( ga, Mainistir Thriostarnaí, IPA: ˈmˠanʲəʃtʲəɾʲˈhɾʲɪsˠt̪ˠəɾˠn̪ˠiː), also known as the Priory of Kilbixy or Kilbisky, Tristernagh Priory, or the priory of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Tristernagh, is a ru ...
are visible. Templecross is probably late-medieval in date, with a west tower built in c. 1575.Templecross Church, County Westmeath
Buildings of Ireland
Within the church is the tomb of the landowner
Henry Piers Henry Piers, Esq (1568–1623), also spelt Henry Pierce or Perse, was an Anglo-Irish landowner and Member of Parliament who owned the estate of Tristernagh Abbey in the early 17th century. Life He was the only son of William Piers, a Yorkshi ...
(1568-1623), who after embracing Catholicism and travelling widely in Europe, restored the Abbey buildings and church: at the tomb's foot was a memorial to Gerald Farrell and his wife Elizabeth, who had been foster parents of
Sir Henry Piers, 1st Baronet Sir Henry Piers 1st Baronet (1629–1691), of Tristernagh Abbey, County Westmeath, Ireland was an Anglo-Irish landowner, soldier, Member of Parliament, Sheriff of Counties Longford and Westmeath, Sheriff of St Johnstown, and an antiquarian. Bi ...
.''Association for Preservation of Memorials of the Dead, Ireland'', Journal for 1901, Vol 5, 1, 119 By the late 17th century the building had been converted to a Protestant church, as the main church at Kilbixy was then derelict. Templecross churchyard contains a number of historic monuments: there are several to 19th-century Catholic priests who served Ballinacargy, including the Rev. John Cantwell, PP, who was well known locally for his work with the poor and his promotion of education.Woods, 1907, p.311 The base of an early stone cross is also located in the churchyard. A lane known locally as ''Bóithrín na marbh'' ("little road of the dead") once ran from the north side of the churchyard to Ballynacroghy or Gallowstown townland.Ballynacargy
National Folklore Collection, UCD


Tristernagh Abbey

The house of
Augustinian canons Canons regular are priests who live in community under a rule ( and canon in greek) and are generally organised into religious orders, differing from both secular canons and other forms of religious life, such as clerics regular, designated by ...
, also known as the Priory of Kilbixy, was founded in 1192 by Geoffrey de Constantine. Attached to the monastery was a leper hospital, a rarity at that time. The priory achieved some fame from its establishment until 1536 when the commissioners of the English
King Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disa ...
ransacked and destroyed it.


Notable people

*
Joe Dolan Joseph Francis Robert Dolan (16 October 1939 – 26 December 2007) was an Irish entertainer, recording artist, and pop singer. Chiefly known in Ireland for his association with showbands and for his innovative style and high pitched singing v ...
(1939–2007), Irish entertainer, recording artiste, and pop singer. * Michael Duggan (1827-1888), emigrated to
Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest ...
in 1859 and made a vast fortune as a sheep farmer: at the time of his death he was thought to be the richest Irishman in the world.Sheehan, ''Worthies of Westmeath: A Biographical Dictionary with Brief Lives of Famous Westmeath People'', 1987, p.36 *
Anthony Malone Anthony Malone (5 December 1700 – 8 May 1776) was an Irish lawyer and politician. Life The eldest son of Richard Malone of Baronston (or Baronstown) House, Ballynacarrigy, County Westmeath, who was a barrister like his three eldest sons, and ...
(1700-1776), the main local landowner and also an eminent lawyer and politician. He was the uncle of Lord Sunderlin and his brother Edmund. *
Willie Penrose Willie Penrose (born 1 August 1956) is a former Irish Labour Party politician who served as Chairman of the Labour Parliamentary Party from 2016 to 2020 and a Minister of State from March 2011 to November 2011. He served as a Teachta Dála (TD ...
(b.1956), politician and member of Dáil Éireann from 1992 to 2020 as a representative of the Labour Party. *
Robert Troy Robert Troy (born 24 January 1982) is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Longford–Westmeath constituency since 2011. From July 2020 to August 2022 he served as Minister of State at the Department of ...
(b.1982), politician and Member of Dáil Éireann since 2011 as a representative of the Fianna Fáil party.


See also

* List of towns and villages in Ireland


References

{{Authority control Towns and villages in County Westmeath