Tyrrellspass (, IPA: �bʲaləxˈanˠˈtʲɪɾʲiəliː is a Georgian 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 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 from

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...

, in the south of the county on the R446 (formerly the N6)

road A road is a linear way for the conveyance of traffic that mostly has an improved surface for use by vehicles (motorized and non-motorized) and pedestrians. Unlike streets, the main function of roads is transportation. There are many types of ...

. Tyrrellspass 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 1969. As of the census in April 2016, the population of Tyrrellspass was 483.

History

The origins of the village settlement lie in the

Nine Years' War The Nine Years' War (1688–1697), often called the War of the Grand Alliance or the War of the League of Augsburg, was a conflict between France and a European coalition which mainly included the Holy Roman Empire (led by the Habsburg monarch ...

( 1594- 1603), also called Tyrone's Rebellion. In 1597 there was a battle in Tyrrellspass and the Irish, between 300 and 400 strong and led by

Richard Tyrrell Richard Tyrrell (c.1545 – c.1632) was an Anglo-Irish Lord of Norman ancestry who was a commander of rebel Irish forces in the Irish Nine Years War. Early life He was probably born in Spain in 1545, the son of Phillip Tyrrell and his Spanish w ...

, attacked and defeated the English army. Out of 1,000 English troops only one survived. There is a historic

castle A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...

on the edge of the town, built by

, a chief ally of

Aodh Mór Ó Néill Hugh O'Neill (Irish: ''Aodh Mór Ó Néill''; literally ''Hugh The Great O'Neill''; – 20 July 1616), was an Irish Gaelic lord, Earl of Tyrone (known as the Great Earl) and was later created ''The Ó Néill Mór'', Chief of the Name. O'Nei ...

in the

. It is the only remaining castle of the Tyrrells, who came to Ireland around the time of the Norman invasion. The current core of the village is a planned

estate village An estate village is a village wholly within and part of a private estate. Usually several hundred years old, they are often well preserved by the family that owns the estate. They often have small commercial operations such as pubs, craft shops, an ...

dating from the late 18th century, and was influenced by the English style of planned villages. The village has a distinctive green and crescent of houses, including 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 second ...

church and what was previously the court house, which was redeveloped c. 1820 under the patronage of Jane MacKey, Countess of Belvedere (d. 1836). The Catholic Church of St. Stephen is located across from Tyrrellspass Castle and the Church of Ireland church is St. Sinian's. The

Belvedere Protestant Children's Orphanage Belvedere Protestant Children's Orphanage or Belvedere Home was a Protestant-run children's orphanage in Tyrrellspass, Co. Westmeath which had a Church of Ireland ethos. The Orphanage was founded as a charitable institution at the bequest of Jane, ...

operated in Tyrellspass from 1842 until 1943. During the 1916

Easter Rising The Easter Rising ( ga, Éirí Amach na Cásca), also known as the Easter Rebellion, was an armed insurrection in Ireland during Easter Week in April 1916. The Rising was launched by Irish republicans against British rule in Ireland with the a ...

, some rebels barricaded a house in

Meedin Meedin (), also Meedian, is a village and townland in County Westmeath, Ireland. It is located in the south of the county on the N52 road, to the north of Tyrrellspass and Rochfortbridge and to the south of Mullingar. The village contains a 1 ...

, Tyrrellspass, with the intention of waiting for reinforcements and then attacking surrounding police barracks. Local legend has it that Michael Collins stayed in this house, the home of the Malones, who still occupy it. The RIC attempted to capture the house three times. Twice they were repelled with gunfire, before they eventually succeeded on the Wednesday after Easter week, and arrested the two remaining rebels,

Thomas Thomas may refer to: People * List of people with given name Thomas * Thomas (name) * Thomas (surname) * Saint Thomas (disambiguation) * Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and Doctor of the Church * Thomas the A ...

and Joseph Malone. They were the last two men captured under arms during the Rising.

Sport

The local

Gaelic football Gaelic football ( ga, Peil Ghaelach; short name '), commonly known as simply Gaelic, GAA or Football is an Irish team sport. It is played between two teams of 15 players on a rectangular grass pitch. The objective of the sport is to score by kic ...

team,

Tyrrellspass GAA Tyrrellspass GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club located in the town of Tyrrellspass in County Westmeath, Ireland. History The team was founded in 1961 and participates in both men's and women's leagues. The team won the Westmeath Seni ...

, team won the Westmeath Senior Football Championship in 1999, 2006 and defended their title in 2007. In the 2007 Leinster Club Football Championship they progressed as far as the final, where they were beaten by the eventual All Ireland Club champions St. Vincents of Dublin. The village also has a golf course, New Forest Golf Resort, which is located a mile outside the village. It is designed by golf course designer

Peter McEvoy Peter Aloysius McEvoy OBE (born 22 March 1953) was a leading British amateur golfer for many years, and is now a golf course designer, golf administrator, and golf writer. Early life McEvoy was born in London, but spent much of his childhood l ...

Notable people

* James Daly,

Connaught Rangers The Connaught Rangers ("The Devil's Own") was an Irish line infantry regiment of the British Army formed by the amalgamation of the 88th Regiment of Foot (Connaught Rangers) (which formed the ''1st Battalion'') and the 94th Regiment of Foot (wh ...

mutineer * Ray Kelly, priest and singer *

Tomás Malone Tomás Malone (1896-1981) was a volunteer in the Irish Republican Army (IRA), and later a schoolteacher. He was once described by Irish Free State Army general Richard Mulcahy as ‘''the most dangerous man in Munster''’. Early life Malone ...

, Irish War of Independence veteran * Seosamh Ó Mhaoileoin, president of

Republican Sinn Fein Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

Gallery

File:Tyrrellspass Castle.jpg,

Tyrrellspass Castle Tyrrellspass Castle, dating back to circa 1411, is situated in the town of Tyrrellspass, County Westmeath, Ireland. It is the only remaining castle of the Tyrrells, who came to Ireland around the time of the Norman Invasion. Architecture Th ...

File:IMG Tpass5733w.jpg, Church of St. Sinian, Tyrrellspass File:IMG Tpass5721w.jpg, The Clockhouse File:IMG Tpass5719w.jpg, St Sinians

References

External links

Village Website

The Tidy Towns of Ireland "Celebrating 50 years"
{{Authority control Towns and villages in County Westmeath Planned communities in the Republic of Ireland