Virginia ()
is a town in
County Cavan
County Cavan ( ; gle, Contae an Chabháin) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Ulster and is part of the Border Region. It is named after the town of Cavan and is base ...
,
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 ...
. Founded in the 17th century as a plantation town, it now holds both local industry and commuter housing.
History
Foundation
Virginia was founded in the early 17th century, at Aghanure (),
[ during the Plantation of Ulster and was named Virginia after ]Queen Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth was the last of the five House of Tudor monarchs and is sometimes referred to as the "Virgin Queen".
Eliz ...
, the "Virgin Queen."
The settlement was started when an English adventurer named John Ridgeway was granted the Crown
The Crown is the state in all its aspects within the jurisprudence of the Commonwealth realms and their subdivisions (such as the Crown Dependencies, overseas territories, provinces, or states). Legally ill-defined, the term has different ...
patent in August 1612 to build a new town, situated upon the Great Road, approximately midway between the towns of Kells and Cavan. The chosen site was, according to tradition, where a ruined ''Ó Raghallaigh
O'Reilly ( ga, Ó Raghallaigh) is a group of families, ultimately all of Irish Gaelic origin, who were historically the kings of East Bréifne in what is today County Cavan. The clan were part of the Connachta's Uà Briúin Bréifne kindred a ...
'' (O'Reilly) castle stood, and was then described as Aghaler, a location once set within the ancient Lurgan
Lurgan () is a town in County Armagh, Northern Ireland, near the southern shore of Lough Neagh. Lurgan is about south-west of Belfast and is linked to the city by both the M1 motorway and the Belfast–Dublin railway line. It had a population ...
parish townland of Ballaghanea. The patented conditions of the settlement were to introduce English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
settlers to the area and build the town to incorporate 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 A ...
status. Ridgeway had difficulty in attracting sufficient English tradespeople and settler families into what was then regarded as a hostile territory outside of the protection of the Pale
The Pale (Irish: ''An Pháil'') or the English Pale (' or ') was the part of Ireland directly under the control of the English government in the Late Middle Ages. It had been reduced by the late 15th century to an area along the east coast st ...
, so he only managed to build a few wooden cabins and a corn mill near to the castle. His new town was situated close to the shores of Lough Ramor
Lough Ramor () is a large natural lake of 741 hectares situated near Virginia, County Cavan. From early records ''Vita Tripartita'' identified as being in the territory of Cenal Muinreamhair. The literal meaning of the term Muinreamhair is 'fat- ...
.
Ridgeway passed the patent on to another Englishman, Captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
Hugh Culme, who already possessed lands beside Lough Oughter
Lough Oughter () is a lake, or complex of lakes, in County Cavan covering more than . The complex of lakes lies on the River Erne, and forms the southern part of the Lough Erne complex. The lakes are bounded roughly by Belturbet in the north, ...
in County Cavan and had access to building timber. Culme persuaded the Plantation Commission to move the location of Virginia to its present site close to the Blackwater tributary river, whereupon he built a number of cabins for the settlers but still failed to meet the Commission's time frame for developing the town further before giving up on the task, probably for the same reasons as his predecessor.
The Plunketts
During November 1622, the Virginia estate came into the possession of the 10th Baron Killeen (who was created the 1st Earl of Fingall
Earl of Fingall and Baron Fingall were titles in the Peerage of Ireland. Baron Fingall was a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. The seat of the title-holders was, from its establishment until 1953, Killeen Castle in County Meath, Ireland ...
in 1628), who also held extensive lands around County Meath. Lord Killeen, who was a Catholic Anglo-Irish peer of Norman
Norman or Normans may refer to:
Ethnic and cultural identity
* The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries
** People or things connected with the Norm ...
descent, whose family had come to Ireland in the twelfth century, undertook to complete the patented project. Complaints from the Virginia inhabitants about the lack of development progress reached the Commission by 1638 whereupon Christopher Plunkett, 2nd Earl of Fingall
Christopher Plunket, 2nd Earl of Fingall and 11th Baron Killeen (died 1649) was an Irish politician and soldier. In 1641 he negotiated with the rebels on behalf of the Old English of the Pale and pushed them to join the rebellion. He fought fo ...
(who had succeeded his father in the earldom
Earl () is a rank of the nobility in the United Kingdom. The title originates in the Old English word ''eorl'', meaning "a man of noble birth or rank". The word is cognate with the Scandinavian form ''jarl'', and meant " chieftain", particula ...
in 1637) was ordered to submit a substantial bond with the Commission's court, and to build the church in Virginia or face forfeiture of his County Cavan lands. The Anglican Bishop of Kilmore
The Bishop of Kilmore is an episcopal title which takes its name after the parish of Kilmore, County Cavan in Ireland. In the Roman Catholic Church it remains a separate title, but in the Church of Ireland it has been united with other bishopr ...
, William Bedell
The Rt. Rev. William Bedell, D.D. ( ga, Uilliam Beidil; 15717 February 1642), was an Anglican churchman who served as Lord Bishop of Kilmore, as well as Provost of Trinity College Dublin.
Early life
He was born at Black Notley in Essex, and ...
, undertook to lay out the town in accordance with the Commission's requirement. However, events which led to the Irish Rebellion of 1641 and Irish Confederate Wars enveloped Virginia causing widespread destruction and depopulation. The summer of 1642 saw the outright destruction by government forces of the castle along with the burning of stocks of hay, corn and turf in a bid to punish the outlawed Lord Fingall
Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power (social and political), power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler. The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the Peerage ...
for his role in the Siege of Drogheda (1641)
The siege of Drogheda took place from 21 November 1641 to February 1642 during the Irish Rebellion of 1641. A Catholic force under Féilim Ó Néill laid siege to the town but failed to wrest the garrison from the Royalists. During the si ...
.
What remained of Virginia after the wars can be assessed through hearth tax
A hearth tax was a property tax in certain countries during the medieval and early modern period, levied on each hearth, thus by proxy on wealth. It was calculated based on the number of hearths, or fireplaces, within a municipal area and is ...
records from the 1660s, indicating a small resident community. During the following century estate surveys were undertaken for the absentee landlord (exiled since the Williamite wars of 1688-91) which tell of a wayside Inn that existed since the earliest times (exact location unknown), operated then in 1727 by a Cornelius Donnellan and was frequented around that time by Jonathan Swift
Jonathan Swift (30 November 1667 – 19 October 1745) was an Anglo-Irish Satire, satirist, author, essayist, political pamphleteer (first for the Whig (British political party), Whigs, then for the Tories (British political party), Tories), poe ...
during his several excursions to Co. Cavan.
The Taylours
The Virginia estate was eventually sold around the year 1750, on behalf of the Plunketts, to pay off mounting debts, with a new landlord family, the Taylors (later spelt as Taylour), taking over. Virginia and its surrounding estate were particularly developed by Thomas Taylor (1724-1795), who built up the town and succeeded where others had failed. Taylor (who changed the spelling of the family surname to Taylour) succeeded his father in the baronetcy
A baronet ( or ; abbreviated Bart or Bt) or the female equivalent, a baronetess (, , or ; abbreviation Btss), is the holder of a baronetcy, a hereditary title awarded by the British Crown. The title of baronet is mentioned as early as the 14th ...
in 1757. The then Sir Thomas Taylour, 3rd Bt., was created 1st Baron Headfort in 1760, and 1st Viscount Headfort in 1762. Lord Headfort was further advanced in the peerage to become The 1st Earl of Bective
Earl () is a rank of the nobility in the United Kingdom. The title originates in the Old English word ''eorl'', meaning "a man of noble birth or rank". The word is cognate with the Scandinavian form ''jarl'', and meant "chieftain", particular ...
in 1766. It is recorded that Lord Bective's great-grandfather, also a Thomas Taylor, was a cartographer who assisted Sir William Petty
Sir William Petty FRS (26 May 1623 – 16 December 1687) was an English economist, physician, scientist and philosopher. He first became prominent serving Oliver Cromwell and the Commonwealth in Ireland. He developed efficient methods to su ...
with the Down Survey
The Down Survey was a cadastral survey of Ireland, carried out by English scientist, William Petty, in 1655 and 1656.
The survey was apparently called the "Down Survey" by Petty, either because the results were set down in maps or because the s ...
during the previous century.
The Taylor (later Taylour) family had built a substantial mansion, Headfort House
Headfort House is a large country house on the southern outskirts of Kells in County Meath, Ireland.
History
The house was constructed in the 1760s for The 1st Earl of Bective to a design by the Irish architect George Semple. The interiors ...
(now a school), beside Kells in the north of County Meath
County Meath (; gle, Contae na MÃ or simply ) is a county in the Eastern and Midland Region of Ireland, within the province of Leinster. It is bordered by Dublin to the southeast, Louth to the northeast, Kildare to the south, Offaly to the ...
. The family (who were granted the title Marquis of Headfort in 1800) now turned their attention to making the unproductive lands around Virginia into profitable farms through land drainage and afforestation of low-lying areas, also resulting in increases in rent paid by the farm tenants. While this in itself was not unique among Irish landlords, an acre of land at twenty old pennies (20>240) became fifteen shillings (180>240) per acre before the end of the century with a premium paid by flax growers. The results of which brought employment and management to the Headfort estates and quickly led to the setting up of markets and fairs in Virginia where local produce including flax yarn and linen was traded on the streets. Virginia's population doubled between the census years of 1821 to 1841, and there was rapid construction in the town, leading to the Main Street as it is seen today. Successive Marquesses of Headfort
A marquess (; french: marquis ), es, marqués, pt, marquês. is a nobleman of high hereditary rank in various European peerages and in those of some of their former colonies. The German language equivalent is Markgraf (margrave). A woman wi ...
created their own private demesne and a hunting lodge (now Park Hotel) overlooking Lough Ramor.
Famine and emigration
The Great Hunger
The Great Famine ( ga, an Gorta Mór ), also known within Ireland as the Great Hunger or simply the Famine and outside Ireland as the Irish Potato Famine, was a period of starvation and disease in Ireland from 1845 to 1852 that constituted a h ...
, caused by successive failures in the potato crop and the export of other food sources by the indifferent English colonialists, brought with it extreme hardship for the poorer classes, with death due to diseases like typhus
Typhus, also known as typhus fever, is a group of infectious diseases that include epidemic typhus, scrub typhus, and murine typhus. Common symptoms include fever, headache, and a rash. Typically these begin one to two weeks after exposure. ...
and cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine by some strains of the bacterium ''Vibrio cholerae''. Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe. The classic symptom is large amounts of watery diarrhea that lasts a few days. Vomiting and ...
, prevalent due to poor sanitation, contaminated drinking water and other poor living conditions. Starvation, which impacted many parts of the country, was averted in Virginia due to the efforts of the local Famine Relief Committee, who made extra rations of Indian meal available in return for hard labour, this included women and children breaking stones for making roads and the building of the local Catholic church which took place during 1845 on lands donated by the landlord.
In subsequent years Virginia prospered with the introduction of a butter market in 1856, followed by the opening of the Great Northern Railway (GNR) line between Kells and Oldcastle in March 1863. Cattle and livestock could then be moved for export, however, this also meant that products such as coal and beer could be transported from the larger towns into rural areas which led to the closure of the local malt brewery and several bakeries in the town.
Perhaps the most famous Virginia emigrant was General
A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry.
In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...
Philip H. Sheridan
Philip, also Phillip, is a male given name, derived from the Greek (''Philippos'', lit. "horse-loving" or "fond of horses"), from a compound of (''philos'', "dear", "loved", "loving") and (''hippos'', "horse"). Prominent Philips who popularize ...
(1831-1888), whose parents came from nearby Killinkere
, native_name_lang = ga
, settlement_type =
, image_skyline =
, imagesize =
, image_alt =
, image_caption =
, pushpin_map = Ireland
, pushpin_label_position =
, pushpin_map_alt = Location of Killinkere within the Republic of Irelan ...
, left Ireland around 1830 and settled in America. Sheridan achieved success, and notoriety, through a military career, particularly during the American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
. President Lincoln stated, "this Sheridan is a little Irishman, but a big fighter", he eventually became commanding General of the US Army and had many honours bestowed upon him.
The closure of the Virginia Roads railway station, and GNR line, in 1958, came about as Ireland's population fell to its lowest levels - the 1951 census lists Virginia with a population of just 297 persons.
Modern development
In 2007 the local Development Association submitted a proposal to have a new Regional Hospital built near Virginia, on a site owned by Cavan County Council
Cavan County Council ( ga, Comhairle Contae an Chabháin) is the authority responsible for Local government in the Republic of Ireland, local government in County Cavan, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. As a county council, it is governed by the L ...
. Although widely supported by the community and the region's political representatives, the bid was abandoned with a government announcement that there was not a 'red penny' available for such a project. Road transport links to Virginia have seen some improvement since the opening in 2010 of the M3 motorway linking Virginia to Dublin. This has led to a continued rise in local developments, with many new houses and commercial businesses being built.
Geography
The town is situated close to Lough Ramor
Lough Ramor () is a large natural lake of 741 hectares situated near Virginia, County Cavan. From early records ''Vita Tripartita'' identified as being in the territory of Cenal Muinreamhair. The literal meaning of the term Muinreamhair is 'fat- ...
, one of the larger lakes in County Cavan, stretching approximately 7 km in length by 1 km at the narrowest point, and feeding into the Blackwater and Boyne river systems.
Transport
Virginia is on the N3 route approximately 85 km northwest of 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 ...
, and was once a staging and rest point for the coaches plying between Enniskillen
Enniskillen ( , from ga, Inis Ceithleann , ' Ceithlenn's island') is the largest town in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. It is in the middle of the county, between the Upper and Lower sections of Lough Erne. It had a population of 13,823 a ...
and Dublin. Virginia is connected to Dublin by an hourly bus service from Cavan town 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 subsidia ...
. The M3 motorway was completed in 2010 and links the North-West of Dublin to the nearby town of Kells, 20 km from Virginia. This has cut journey times to Dublin considerably and has made the town more favourable for commuters.
A 12.5 km long bypass for the town of type 2 dual carriageway, intended to reduce congestion going through the town centre was planned but suspended in the late 2000s. In February 2018, the project was placed as a key project in the National Development Plan, part of 'Project Ireland 2040'.
Economy
Sometimes regarded these days as a commuter town
A commuter town is a populated area that is primarily residential rather than commercial or industrial. Routine travel from home to work and back is called commuting, which is where the term comes from. A commuter town may be called by many o ...
with its proximity to larger trading towns east and west, the local industry consists mainly of farming and milk processing at the local Glanbia
Glanbia plc ( ) is an Irish global nutrition group with operations in 32 countries. It has leading market positions in sports nutrition, cheese, dairy ingredients, speciality non-dairy ingredients and vitamin and mineral premixes. Glanbia produc ...
factory (formerly Virginia Milk Products), which produces skim milk powder and cream for the world-renowned brand Baileys Irish Cream
Baileys Irish Cream is an Irish cream liqueur, an alcoholic drink flavoured with cream, cocoa and Irish whiskey. It is made by Diageo at Nangor Road, in Dublin, Ireland and in Mallusk, Northern Ireland. It is the original Irish cream, invent ...
liqueur. Other local manufacturers include the Fleetwood brand of paint products.
Virginia won the Tidy Towns Competition in 1964 and 1965.
Culture
The Ramor Theatre opened in 1999, and is funded by Cavan County Council
Cavan County Council ( ga, Comhairle Contae an Chabháin) is the authority responsible for Local government in the Republic of Ireland, local government in County Cavan, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. As a county council, it is governed by the L ...
and the Arts Council. It is the only professional performance space in the county. The theatre is a member of the NOMAD network of venues, and home to the ''Livin' Dred Theatre Company''. The theatre also engages in community-based and amateur work through ''Ramor Players'' who present a number of shows each year.
Virginia has been home to the annual Virginia Agricultural Show for over seventy years and hosted Ireland's only pumpkin festival in 2007. The Virginia Pumpkin Festival takes place every October bank holiday weekend at Halloween. It took a break in 2017.
Demographics
The town population was 2,648, as of the 2016 census. The ethnic makeup (of those stated) was 81% White Irish, 12% Other White, 2% Black/Black Irish, 2% Asian/Asian Irish and 2% Other.[
]
Education
A large primary school in the town is St Mary's NS, located next to St Mary's Roman Catholic Church. The school's population is over 400 pupils. The primary school received an extension in 2014.
Virginia College, Cavan, formerly Virginia Vocational School, is the only secondary school in Virginia. Situated beside Lough Ramor, it is a mixed school educating approximately 740 pupils. With three extensions built over the years (most recent in 2012), the school now has three ICT suites and a language lab. The Virginia school celebrated its 50th anniversary in September 2012, this was later followed by a visit to the school by the President of Ireland
The president of Ireland ( ga, Uachtarán na hÉireann) is the head of state of Ireland and the supreme commander of the Irish Defence Forces.
The president holds office for seven years, and can be elected for a maximum of two terms.Constitu ...
, Michael D. Higgins
Michael Daniel Higgins ( ga, MÃcheál Dónal Ó hUigÃnn; born 18 April 1941) is an Irish politician, poet, sociologist, and broadcaster, who has served as the ninth president of Ireland since November 2011. Entering national politics throug ...
.
Common surnames
The most common Virginia surnames to appear during the census of 1901/1911 were: Kellett, Fitzsimons, Sheridan, Smith, Reilly, Carroll, O'Reilly, Lynch, Brady, Reynolds, Duffy, Hopkins, Soden, McNamee, Preston, McEnroe, Skelly.
Notable people
*Jonathan Swift
Jonathan Swift (30 November 1667 – 19 October 1745) was an Anglo-Irish Satire, satirist, author, essayist, political pamphleteer (first for the Whig (British political party), Whigs, then for the Tories (British political party), Tories), poe ...
(1667–1745), penned his well-known novel '' Gulliver's Travels'' while staying nearby at Quilca, the home of his cleric friend Thomas Sheridan.
*Thomas Sheridan Thomas Sheridan may refer to:
*Thomas Sheridan (divine) (1687–1738), Anglican divine
*Thomas Sheridan (actor) (1719–1788), Irish actor and teacher of elocution
*Thomas Sheridan (soldier) (1775–1817/18)
*Thomas B. Sheridan (born 1931), America ...
(1687-1738), who kept a classics school and later became headmaster of Cavan's Royal School.
*Richard Brinsley Sheridan
Richard Brinsley Butler Sheridan (30 October 17517 July 1816) was an Irish satirist, a politician, a playwright, poet, and long-term owner of the London Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. He is known for his plays such as '' The Rivals'', '' The ...
(1751–1816), playwright and grandson to Thomas Sheridan.
* Thomas Fitzpatrick (1832-1900), a noted London physician.
* Sir Josias Rowley (1765-1842), 1st Bt. and Royal Navy Admiral, who was a native of County Leitrim
County Leitrim ( ; gle, Contae Liatroma) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Connacht and is part of the Northern and Western Region. It is named after the village of Leitrim. Leitrim County Council is the local authority for the ...
, had links here through his brother The Rev. John Rowley. John Rowley was an Anglican clergyman and incumbent at Virginia during the period that the First Fruits
First Fruits is a religious offering of the first agricultural produce of the harvest. In classical Greek, Roman, and Hebrew religions, the first fruits were given to priests as an offering to deity. In Christian faiths, the tithe is similarl ...
church was built. Admiral Rowley also helped to finance the rebuilding of the church after a major fire destroyed the roof on Christmas night in 1830.
* Annie Lynch (1870-1938), known as Mother Mary Xavier, Provincial of Australasia for the Sisters of the Little Company of Mary
See also
*Lough Ramor
Lough Ramor () is a large natural lake of 741 hectares situated near Virginia, County Cavan. From early records ''Vita Tripartita'' identified as being in the territory of Cenal Muinreamhair. The literal meaning of the term Muinreamhair is 'fat- ...
*Agnes O'Farrelly
Agnes O'Farrelly (born Agnes Winifred Farrelly; 24 June 1874 – 5 November 1951) ( ga, Úna Nà Fhaircheallaigh; nom-de-plume 'Uan Uladh'), was an academic and Professor of Irish at University College Dublin (UCD).RÃona Nic Congáil, ''Úna Nà ...
from Rafoney, Virginia and 1914 leader of Cumann na mBan
*Clayton and Bell
Clayton and Bell was one of the most prolific and proficient British workshops of stained-glass windows during the latter half of the 19th century and early 20th century. The partners were John Richard Clayton (1827–1913) and Alfred Bell (1832 ...
Stained glass church window maker
Sources
* ''Virginia - One for the Road'' by local historian Chris Kirk ~ a survey of the past 400 years using archive material, maps and photographs.
Griffiths Valuations
References
External links
"Virginia 400"
- The Virginia community website marking the town's 400 years, with a list of cultural and historic events taking place during 2012
News website for Virginia and its surrounding communities
{{Authority control
Towns and villages in County Cavan
Populated places established in the 17th century
Planned communities in the Republic of Ireland