Finnea () is a small 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 ...

on the border with

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 ...

. It straddles the R394 road, in the northern portion of

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 ...

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 subsidia ...

route 447 provides a link to

Castlepollard Castlepollard ( or ''Cionn Toirc'') is a village in north County Westmeath, Republic of Ireland. It lies west of Lough Lene and northeast of Lough Derravaragh and Mullingar. Name The name ''Castlepollard'' comes from the name of a castle or fo ...

Crookedwood Crookedwood () is a small village in County Westmeath on the R394 regional road. Historically it was called ''Taghmon'' (), after the townland it occupies. Geography Overlooked by the dominating hill of Knockeyon to the north, the village r ...

and

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 Westmeat ...

on Thursdays only. The nearest railway station is

Edgeworthstown railway station Edgeworthstown railway station serves the town of Edgeworthstown (Mostrim) in County Longford, Ireland. Edgeworthstown station is served by national rail company Iarnród Éireann's Dublin to Sligo InterCity service and Dublin to Longford W ...

approximately 22 km. distant.

History

The village is known for its association with Myles "The Slasher" O'Reilly whose monument in the town (pictured) relates how he died on 5 August 1646 defending the Bridge of Finnea against English forces.

Percy French William Percy French (1 May 1854 – 24 January 1920) was an Irish songwriter, author, poet, entertainer and painter. Life French was born at Clooneyquinn House, near Tulsk, County Roscommon, the son of an Anglo-Irish landlord, Christopher F ...

also mentioned the Bridge of Finnea in his ballad "Come Back Paddy Reilly". Finnea lies on land between

Lough Sheelin Lough Sheelin (), in standard Irish ''Loch Síleann'', is a limestone freshwater lough (lake) in central Ireland. The lake is a part of the River Inny course, and ultimately of the Shannon system. Geography and geology Lough Sheelin lies at ...

and

Lough Kinale Lough Kinale () is a freshwater lake in the north midlands of Ireland. It is located on the borders of Counties Longford, Westmeath and Cavan. Lough Kinale forms part of the River Inny. The lake's inflow is from Lough Sheelin and the outflow is ...

, and the bridge crosses the River Inny flowing between them. Finnea is also the birthplace of writer

Dermot Healy Dermot Healy (9 November 1947 – 29 June 2014) was an Irish novelist, playwright, poet and short story writer. A member of Aosdána, Healy was also part of its governing body, the Toscaireacht. Born in Finea, County Westmeath, he lived in ...

. Thomas Davis celebrated Finnea with his ballad 'The Flower of Finnea'. Finnea is also known for its scenery, fishing and game shooting which attract many foreign tourists.

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...

recipient, General Sir

Mark Walker Mark Walker may refer to: Politics and law * Mark L. Walker (born 1941), member of the Illinois House of Representatives * Mark Walker (North Carolina politician) (born 1969), minister and U.S. House of Representatives member for North Carolina's 6 ...

, was born in Gore Port, Finnea. He was the brother of

Sir Samuel Walker, 1st Baronet Sir Samuel Walker, 1st Baronet, PC (Ire), KC (19 June 1832 – 13 August 1911) was an Irish Liberal politician, lawyer and judge. He was the first of the Walker baronets of Pembroke House. Career He was born at Gore Port, Finea, County Wes ...

, who was appointed

Lord Chancellor of Ireland The Lord High Chancellor of Ireland (commonly known as Lord Chancellor of Ireland) was the highest judicial office in Ireland until the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922. From 1721 to 1801, it was also the highest political office of ...

Gladstone William Ewart Gladstone ( ; 29 December 1809 – 19 May 1898) was a British statesman and Liberal politician. In a career lasting over 60 years, he served for 12 years as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, spread over four non-conse ...

in 1892.

Demographics

The area had a population of 317 in the 2006 Census, a 21.9% increase from the 2002 Census.

Notable residents

*General Sir

, recipient of the

and his younger brother

Gallery

File:IMGFinea 3777w.JPG, Finnea village, due north File:Nightfall on the River Inny, Finea..JPG, Painting by Bernard Reynolds of the River Inny at FinneaA painting of The River Inny
o
Bernard Reynolds website
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References