Delvin () is a village in

County Westmeath "Noble above nobility" , image_map = Island of Ireland location map Westmeath.svg , subdivision_type = Sovereign state, Country , subdivision_name = Republic of Ireland, Ireland , subdivision_type1 = Provinces o ...

, Ireland; it is located on the N52 road at a junction with the N51 to Navan. The town is from Mullingar (along the N52). The word Delvin comes from Delbhna. That tribe settled in what is present-day Delvin, along with a branch of the Soghain, in '' Tricha céd na Delbna Móire agus na Sogan''.

Delvin Castle and Clonyn Castle

Delvin Castle (or Nugent Castle), now a ruin, was built in 1181 by

Hugh de Lacy, Lord of Meath Hugh de Lacy, Lord of Meath, 4th Baron Lacy (; before 1135 – 25 July 1186), was an Anglo-Norman landowner and royal office-holder. He had substantial land holdings in Herefordshire and Shropshire. Following his participation in the Norman Inva ...

for his brother-in-law, Gilbert de Nugent. De Nugent came to Ireland with de Lacy in 1171 and settled on some land in Delvin. De Nugent was granted the title Baron of Delvin within the

Lordship of Meath The Lordship of Meath was an extensive seigneurial Liberty (division), liberty in medieval History of Ireland (1169–1536), Ireland that was awarded to Hugh de Lacy, Lord of Meath, Hugh de Lacy by King Henry II of England by the service of fifty ...

, a title now held by the

Earl of Westmeath Earl of Westmeath is a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1621 for Richard Nugent, Baron Delvin. During the Tudor era the loyalty of the Nugent family was often in question, and Richard's father, the sixth Baron, died in prison ...

. The ruins of Nugent Castle (not publicly accessible) remain near the center of the town. A second castle was built several centuries later, hundreds of metres from the centre of the Delvin settlement of that time. This building, known as Clonyn Castle, is situated south of Delvin between the N52 and the Collinstown road. Built in the mid-19th century, by Lord and Lady Greville Nugent, it was sold by the Nugent family in 1922. Changing hands several times during the 20th century, it is now a private residence.

Amenities

The 18-hole Delvin Castle Golf Club is located near the town. There is a bank, church, hotel/guest house, schools, pubs, a few shops and a take-away in the town. There are also a few pubs on the main street. Between the 2002 and 2016 census, the population of the town more than doubled from 270 to 740 people. In addition to other developments, plans were unveiled for the provision of a new sports and leisure facility within the village To date, a walking track, floodlit football pitch and basic changing facilities have been provided on site.

Education

National (primary) schools in the area include St. Patrick's (Crowenstown), St. Tola's (Hiskinstown), and St. Ernan's National Schools.

People

* Sir Thomas Chapman, 7th Baronet, landowner and father of

T. E. Lawrence Thomas Edward Lawrence (16 August 1888 – 19 May 1935) was a British archaeologist, army officer, diplomat, and writer who became renowned for his role in the Arab Revolt (1916–1918) and the Sinai and Palestine Campaign (1915–1918 ...

, was brought up at a large manor house near Delvin * Laurence Ginnell, nationalist politician, was also from Delvin *

Brinsley MacNamara John Weldon (6 September 1890 – 4 February 1963; alternatively "A. E. Weldon"), known by his pen- and stage-name Brinsley MacNamara, was an Irish writer, playwright, and the registrar of the National Gallery of Ireland. He is the author of ...

, writer and Delvin native, set the 1918 novel ''

Valley of the Squinting Windows ''The Valley of the Squinting Windows'' is a 1918 novel by Brinsley MacNamara (born John Weldon), set in the fictional village of Garradrimna, in central Ireland. Setting While MacNamara insisted that Garradrimna could represent any village i ...

'' in Delvin (under the fictitious name of "Garradrimna") *

Mary McEvoy Mary may refer to: People * Mary (name), a feminine given name (includes a list of people with the name) Religious contexts * New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below * Mary, mother of Jesus, also calle ...

, actress who played Biddy Byrne in ''

Glenroe ''Glenroe'' was a television drama series broadcast on RTÉ One in Ireland between September 1983, when the first episode was aired, and May 2001. A spin-off from ''Bracken'' — a short-lived RTÉ drama itself spun off from ''The Riordans'' � ...

'' is from Delvin

References

External links

Delvin Village website

Delvin Parish
{{County Westmeath Towns and villages in County Westmeath