Newtowncashel () is a village located near
Lough Ree
Lough Ree () is a lake in the midlands of Ireland, the second of the three major lakes on the River Shannon. Lough Ree is the second largest lake on the Shannon after Lough Derg. The other two major lakes are Lough Allen to the north, and Lou ...
in
County Longford,
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
. It is within the
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 ...
of Cornadowagh. Newtowncashel won the
Irish Tidy Towns Competition
Tidy Towns ( Irish: ''Bailte Slachtmhara'') is an annual competition, first held in 1958, organised by the Department of Rural and Community Development in order to honour the tidiest and most attractive cities, towns and villages in the Republic ...
in 1980.
History
Name
Situated on the north-eastern shore of Lough Ree on the
River Shannon, Newtowncashel was previously known as ''Cor na Dumhca'' in Irish - an ancient name meaning the 'Round Hill of the Cauldron'.
Built heritage
There are a number of
ringfort sites close to the village, including several in the
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 ...
s of Cornadowagh, Ballyrevagh and Cross.
Five castles are recorded in the area, including Elfeet, Caltramore, Corool, Portanure and the castle of Baile Nui (Newtown).
The ruins of Elfeet Castle can still be seen.
George Calvert
George Calvert, 1st Baron Baltimore (; 1580 – 15 April 1632), was an English politician and colonial administrator. He achieved domestic political success as a member of parliament and later Secretary of State under King James I. He lost m ...
, the owner of a 15th-century tower house in the area, was involved in the colonisation of the
Province of Maryland in America.
Religious sites
Two historic religious sites in the Newtowncashel area are
Inis Clothrann (or Quakers Island) where
St Diarmuid founded an abbey in 540 AD, and Saints' Island where St Kevin founded a monastery in 544 AD. The ruins of the old parish church, St Catherine's, are on the side of Cashel Hill overlooking Lough Ree.
During the period of the
Penal Laws, when Catholic observances were outlawed, people in the parish of Cashel assembled for worship at
mass rocks close to Lady Well (in Derrydarragh townland) and at Derryhaun.
The current Roman Catholic church was built in 1833 in a
Gothic revival style.
Amenities
Culnagore Wood (Wood of the Oak) covers an area of 90 acres along the edge of Lough Ree. Also nearby is Carrowmore Wood, a forest of pine and spruce on a hill within the parish. A short distance from the town is Lough Slawn, which is surrounded by meadows and bog lands.
Cashel Commons ('The Ranch') is a 200 acre commonage which has several walking routes.
Barley Harbour is cut-limestone harbour located outside the village on the lakeshore. Four groups of islands are in the parish of Cashel: the Black Islands; Clawinch, Priests' Island and
Inis Clothrann. On Saints' Island are the ruins of an Augustinian monastery where a canon Augustine McGradion (Uighistin Mag Ráidhin) compiled the Annals of
llSaints (Annales Prioratus Insulae Omnium SS) in the 15th century.
This island can now be accessed via a causeway.
References
{{Tidy Towns (Ireland)
Towns and villages in County Longford
Mass rocks