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Summerhill () is a heritage village in
County Meath County Meath (; gle, Contae na Mí 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 ...
,
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 located in the south of the county, between Trim and
Kilcock Kilcock () is a town and townland in the north of County Kildare, Ireland, on the border with County Meath. Its population of 6,093 makes it the ninth largest town in Kildare and 76th largest in Ireland. The town is located 35 km (22  ...
on the R158 and west of
Dunboyne Dunboyne () is a town in Meath, Ireland. It is a commuter town for Dublin. In the 20 years between the 1996 and 2016 censuses, the population of Dunboyne more than doubled from 3,080 to 7,272 inhabitants. Location Dunboyne is centred on the c ...
on the R156. It is the site of one of the most important battles in 17th century Ireland, the
Battle of Dungan's Hill The Battle of Dungan's Hill took place in County Meath, in eastern Ireland on 8 August 1647. It was fought between the armies of Confederate Ireland and the English Parliament during the Irish Confederate Wars. The Irish army was intercep ...
. Up until 1667, the village was known in English as 'The Knock' or 'Lynchs' Knock' (phonetic renderings of ''Cnoc an Línsigh'') as it was the ancestral home of the Norman-Irish Lynch family, whence came the Galway merchant family of the same name - one of the "
Tribes of Galway The Tribes of Galway ( ga, Treibheanna na Gaillimhe) were 14 merchant families who dominated the political, commercial and social life of the city of Galway in western Ireland between the mid-13th and late 19th centuries. They were the families ...
". However, in about 1667, it was renamed Summerhill by the Langfords, the landed gentry, builders of Summerhill House and planners of the village as it is today. The ruins of the large Lynch castle can be seen in the village today while, apart from the village layout, only the demesne walls and entrance pillars of Summerhill House still stand.


Summerhill House and Demesne

The ancient seat of the Norman-Irish Lynch family had been granted to Bishop Henry Jones for his services provided as Scoutmaster General to Cromwell's Army. Henry Jones,
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 l ...
Lord Bishop of Meath in 1661, sold Summerhill and many other townlands to Sir Hercules Langford. Lynch's Castle, located on the Sumerhill Demesne, was then occupied by the Langfords until it was abandoned in the 1730s when Summerhill House was built for Hercules Langford Rowley, the father of
Hercules Rowley, 2nd Viscount Langford Hercules Rowley, 2nd Viscount Langford (29 October 1737 – 24 March 1796), styled The Honourable Hercules Rowley between 1766 and 1791, was an Irish politician. Rowley was the son of Hercules Rowley and Elizabeth Upton, 1st Viscountess Langfor ...
. The old Lynch's Castle remained on the demesne as a
folly In architecture, a folly is a building constructed primarily for decoration, but suggesting through its appearance some other purpose, or of such extravagant appearance that it transcends the range of usual garden buildings. Eighteenth-cent ...
. The house is accredited to architects
Edward Lovett Pearce Sir Edward Lovett Pearce (1699 – 7 December 1733) was an Irish architect, and the chief exponent of Palladianism in Ireland. He is thought to have initially studied as an architect under his father's first cousin, Sir John Vanbrugh. He is ...
and
Richard Cassels Richard Cassels (1690 – 1751), also known as Richard Castle, was an architect who ranks with Edward Lovett Pearce as one of the greatest architects working in Ireland in the 18th century. Cassels was born in 1690 in Kassel, Germany. Alth ...
, although
John Vanbrugh Sir John Vanbrugh (; 24 January 1664 (baptised) – 26 March 1726) was an English architect, dramatist and herald, perhaps best known as the designer of Blenheim Palace and Castle Howard. He wrote two argumentative and outspoken Restor ...
is supposed to have had a great influence on the house, which can be seen in the great chimney stacks. The house was damaged by fire on a number of occasions and then on 4 February 1921, it was set on fire by the
Irish Republican Army The Irish Republican Army (IRA) is a name used by various paramilitary organisations in Ireland throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. Organisations by this name have been dedicated to irredentism through Irish republicanism, the belief t ...
and completely destroyed, after being looted. Summerhill House stood as a ruin until it was totally demolished in 1970 when the cut granite and stone was sold off.


Empress of Austria

The
Empress Elisabeth of Austria Duchess Elisabeth Amalie Eugenie in Bavaria (24 December 1837 – 10 September 1898) was Empress of Austria and Queen of Hungary from her marriage to Emperor Franz Joseph I on 24 April 1854 until her assassination in 1898. Elisabeth wa ...
of the
Austro-Hungarian Empire Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe#Before World War I, Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with t ...
visited Summerhill House in February 1879 as
Empress of Austria This is a list of the Austrian empresses, archduchesses, duchesses and margravines, wives of the rulers of Austria. The monarchy in Austria was abolished at the end of the First World War in 1918. The different titles lasted just a little und ...
and Queen of Hungary. Meath hunted the best hounds in the British Isles at the time, and Summerhill was chosen due to its grandeur, size safety, and centrality. When she was on one hunt in Dunshaughlin, as they came to
Maynooth Maynooth (; ga, Maigh Nuad) is a university town in north County Kildare, Ireland. It is home to Maynooth University (part of the National University of Ireland and also known as the National University of Ireland, Maynooth) and St Patrick ...
, they came across two men repairing a demesne wall of the Catholic seminary. As the deer they were hunting jumped into the land of the college, she followed without knowing where she was going and nearly jumped on the president of the college, professor William Walsh, who later became Lord Primate of Ireland and Lord Archbishop of Dublin. In November 2010, a riding whip appeared in a country house auction in
Slane Castle Slane Castle (Irish ''Cáisleán Bhaile Shláine'') is located in the village of Slane, within the Boyne Valley of County Meath, Ireland. The castle has been the family seat of the Conyngham family since it was built in the late 18th century, on ...
held by Adams. This whip had been owned by Elisabeth of Austria and given to Robert Fowler of nearby Rahinston House who was the Master of the Meath Hounds at the time of her stay in Summerhill. The whip had been lost and had been found not long before the auction in Rahinston House. It was found in a mahogany presentation case with a silver crest plate bearing the imperial arms of Habsburg. The whip was sold for approximately €37,000 (£33,945).


Dangan Castle

Between Trim and the area of Summerhill stand the ruins of
Dangan Castle Dangan Castle is a former stately home in County Meath, Ireland, which is now in a state of ruin. It is situated by Dangan Church on the Trim Road. The castle is the former seat of the Wesley (Wellesley) family and is located outside the vill ...
, which was the childhood home of
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, (1 May 1769 – 14 September 1852) was an Anglo-Irish people, Anglo-Irish soldier and Tories (British political party), Tory statesman who was one of the leading military and political figures of Uni ...
. The remains of the old castle consist of the outer walls of the keep, to which a later mansion, built in the Italian style, has been subsequently added to the front of the castle structure. The demesne and castle were sold by
Richard Wellesley, 1st Marquess Wellesley Richard Colley Wellesley, 1st Marquess Wellesley, (20 June 1760 – 26 September 1842) was an Anglo-Irish politician and colonial administrator. He was styled as Viscount Wellesley until 1781, when he succeeded his father as 2nd Earl of ...
to a Colonel Burrows, and by him let to
Roger O'Connor Roger O'Connor (1762-1834) was an Irish nationalist and writer, known for the controversies surrounding his life and writings, notably his fanciful history of the Irish people, the ''Chronicles of Eri''. He was the brother of the United Irishman ...
. While in the possession of O'Connor it was destroyed by fire and it is now a ruin.


Education

There are two primary schools in the parish. They are Coole National School and Dangan National School, both operate under the patronage of the
Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...
parish priest and education is through English. For Irish medium education or other ethos options at primary level, pupils travel to neighbouring towns, Scoil Uí Riada is the
Gaelscoil A Gaelscoil (; plural: ''Gaelscoileanna'') is an Irish language-medium school in Ireland: the term refers especially to Irish-medium schools outside the Irish-speaking regions or Gaeltacht. Over 50,000 students attend Gaelscoileanna at primary an ...
in
Kilcock Kilcock () is a town and townland in the north of County Kildare, Ireland, on the border with County Meath. Its population of 6,093 makes it the ninth largest town in Kildare and 76th largest in Ireland. The town is located 35 km (22  ...
while Gaelscoil na Bóinne is situated in Trim. Trim
Educate Together Educate Together () is an educational charity in Ireland which is the patron body to "equality-based, co-educational, child centred, and democratically run" schools. It was founded in 1984 to act as the patron body for the new multidenomination ...
National School is also located in Trim as well as St. Patrick's National School, with a Church of Ireland ethos. For second-level education, local students normally travel to Boyne Community School or Scoil Mhuire in Trim, or Scoil Dara in Kilcock. There are also secondary schools in the neighbouring towns of Enfield,
Dunboyne Dunboyne () is a town in Meath, Ireland. It is a commuter town for Dublin. In the 20 years between the 1996 and 2016 censuses, the population of Dunboyne more than doubled from 3,080 to 7,272 inhabitants. Location Dunboyne is centred on the c ...
,
Maynooth Maynooth (; ga, Maigh Nuad) is a university town in north County Kildare, Ireland. It is home to Maynooth University (part of the National University of Ireland and also known as the National University of Ireland, Maynooth) and St Patrick ...
, and Longwood. Coláiste Pobail Ráth Chairn provides second-level education through Irish in the nearby
Gaeltacht ( , , ) are the districts of Ireland, individually or collectively, where the Irish government recognises that the Irish language is the predominant vernacular, or language of the home. The ''Gaeltacht'' districts were first officially recog ...
of Ráth Chairn.


Coole National School

Coole National School originated in a house in 1824. In 1854 a Father Colgan applied to have the school at Garadice taken under the Board. He stated that it was his intention to build a more commodious house, but he could not get a site. The landlords of the time refused to provide land for a school. In 1856, Fr Colgan built a school in the chapel yard as Mr. Pratt Winter, the landlord, would not provide any land for it. The school was a two roomed slated building. It served the children of the parish for over 100 years. It became a mixed gender school in 1885. In 1956 the Board of Works built a three roomed school, with a third of the bill paid by the parishioners. It was officially opened by a Father Michael Moore P.P. of Summerhill. The school got an extension in 2007 of 3 new rooms, a sports hall and the renovation of the older building, with most of the bill paid by parishioners with fundraising. The extension was opened by the Minister for Transport,
Noel Dempsey Noel Dempsey (born 6 January 1953) is an Irish former Fianna Fáil politician who served as Minister for Transport from 2007 to 2011, Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources from 2004 to 2007, Minister for Education and Scie ...
, T.D. and was blessed by a Father Gavin P.P. of Summerhill. As of 2018, the enrollment figure was just 139 pupils.


Sport


Gaelic football

A
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 ki ...
team was formed in Summerhill in 1905 but, by 1914, this team had disbanded. The current club, Summerhill GFC, was formed in 1931 and won the Meath Junior Football Championship the same year. In 1972, the club rose to Senior ranks for the first time. Summerhill went on to win the Senior title four times in a row from 1974 to 1977 and becoming the first Meath team to capture the
Leinster Senior Club Football Championship The Leinster Senior Club Football Championship is an annual Gaelic football tournament played on a knockout basis between the senior club championship winners of the competing counties in Leinster. The current holders of the Leinster title are Bal ...
in 1977. Summerhill GFC have won several Meath Senior Football Championships, including in 2013.


Soccer

Summerhill is also the home of the soccer club Park Celtic Summerhill, which was founded in 2009 when local clubs Agher Park and Summerhill Celtic amalgamated to create one club for the area. The club competes in the North East Football League at Adult Level, and in the NECSL at underage level.


Local attractions

Local history sites include
Dangan Castle Dangan Castle is a former stately home in County Meath, Ireland, which is now in a state of ruin. It is situated by Dangan Church on the Trim Road. The castle is the former seat of the Wesley (Wellesley) family and is located outside the vill ...
and Lynches Castle. Agher Church is associated with
Jonathan Swift Jonathan Swift (30 November 1667 – 19 October 1745) was an Anglo-Irish satirist, author, essayist, political pamphleteer (first for the Whigs, then for the Tories), poet, and Anglican cleric who became Dean of St Patrick's Cathedral, ...
who was Rector there. The church, which is still in use today, is known for its east window made in
Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 ...
by Thomas Jervais, it is the second earliest known piece of Irish-made stained glass. Larocor Church (of which Reverend Jonathan Swift was also Rector) has since been deconsecrated and is now a private house. Summerhill Community Center has a bowls room, office space, a large indoor sports hall, 3 renovated sand based tennis courts, an outdoor basketball court, a playground, an outdoor gym, a bar and restaurant, and a theater. Nearby sporting facilities include Summerhill Golf Course,
Kilcock Kilcock () is a town and townland in the north of County Kildare, Ireland, on the border with County Meath. Its population of 6,093 makes it the ninth largest town in Kildare and 76th largest in Ireland. The town is located 35 km (22  ...
Golf Course, Summerhill Tennis Courts (at the Community Centre), and the grounds of Summerhill GFC.


Health

Summerhill Primary Care Center was opened by The Minister of State with responsibility for Primary Care Alex White TD on Thursday 5 June 2014. It accommodates a medical and health centre, including a doctors surgery and the local health nurses, as well as the National Third Age Centre.


Religion

The majority of the parish is Roman Catholic according to the 2016 census. However, there is a rising number of people who say they have no religion.


Roman Catholic

Roman Catholic churches serving the area include Church of the Assumption, Coole and Our Lady of Lourdes, Dangan. (The latter church was consecrated on Rosary Sunday, 4 October 1914).


Church of Ireland (Anglican)

Agher Church is in the
Rathmolyon Rathmolyon (; ) is a village in the southern portion of County Meath, Ireland, situated 8 km south of Trim. It is situated at the junction of the R156 regional road and the R159 regional road connecting Trim to Enfield. Rathmolyon se ...
and
Dunboyne Dunboyne () is a town in Meath, Ireland. It is a commuter town for Dublin. In the 20 years between the 1996 and 2016 censuses, the population of Dunboyne more than doubled from 3,080 to 7,272 inhabitants. Location Dunboyne is centred on the c ...
Union of parishes and holds a very important stained-glass window made by Thomas Jervais. It is the second-earliest known Irish-made stained-glass window. The window was originally erected in the private chapel of
Dangan Castle Dangan Castle is a former stately home in County Meath, Ireland, which is now in a state of ruin. It is situated by Dangan Church on the Trim Road. The castle is the former seat of the Wesley (Wellesley) family and is located outside the vill ...
, the seat of the Wellesley family (whom the 1st Duke of Wellington is a member), which burnt down in the 1809. The window was presented to Agher by the O'Connor family, who were then occupying Dangan. Soon after the new Agher church was constructed, Samuel Winter of Agher Pallis erected a family burial vault in the churchyard. Agher church was re-built in 1902. The church's history goes back to 1407 when The Reverends N. Vale and W. Edwards were a part of the clergy. The poet, political writer, and clergyman
Jonathan Swift Jonathan Swift (30 November 1667 – 19 October 1745) was an Anglo-Irish satirist, author, essayist, political pamphleteer (first for the Whigs, then for the Tories), poet, and Anglican cleric who became Dean of St Patrick's Cathedral, ...
(1667–1745) was also rector here.


Public 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 subs ...
route ''115C'' links Summerhill to
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 Westmea ...
, and in the opposite direction to
Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 ...
via connections available at
Kilcock Kilcock () is a town and townland in the north of County Kildare, Ireland, on the border with County Meath. Its population of 6,093 makes it the ninth largest town in Kildare and 76th largest in Ireland. The town is located 35 km (22  ...
. Westbound services terminate at
Mullingar railway station Mullingar railway station serves the town of Mullingar in County Westmeath, Ireland; it is situated from Dublin, and from . Mullingar station is served by national rail company Iarnród Éireann's Dublin to Longford Commuter service and Dub ...
or Killucan, while eastbound services terminate in Kilcock. There are 4 services westbound and 4 eastbound Monday to Friday, 4 services westbound and 5 eastbound on Saturdays, and 3 services each way on Sundays and Public Holidays. These enhanced services started on 14 October 2018. Local Link route ''115C'' is a daily bus service from Ballivor to
Kilcock Kilcock () is a town and townland in the north of County Kildare, Ireland, on the border with County Meath. Its population of 6,093 makes it the ninth largest town in Kildare and 76th largest in Ireland. The town is located 35 km (22  ...
via Summerhill in the morning with a connection to Dublin available from Bus Éireann in Kilcock, a return journey is available in the evening. Local link provide a bus service called the ''MH 111'' from Summerhill to
Navan Navan ( ; , meaning "the Cave") is the county town of County Meath, Ireland. In 2016, it had a population of 30,173, making it the tenth largest settlement in Ireland. It is at the confluence of the River Boyne and Blackwater, around 50&nbs ...
via Trim on Friday mornings with a return service in the afternoon. Local Link also provide various evening services including the ''MH 115C'' return service from Ballivor to Navan via Summerhill and Trim on Friday and Saturday evenings, ''MH 406'' from Summerhill to Crumlin Bingo on Tuesday evenings, ''MH 407'' from Summerhill to Allenwood Bingo on Wednesday evenings, and a local bus ''MH 408'' to the Summerhill Bingo on Thursday evenings. ''Streamline Coaches'' provide journeys to/from
Maynooth University The National University of Ireland, Maynooth (NUIM; ga, Ollscoil na hÉireann Mhá Nuad), commonly known as Maynooth University (MU), is a constituent university of the National University of Ireland in Maynooth, County Kildare, Ireland. It w ...
during term time.


Notable people

*
Roger O'Connor Roger O'Connor (1762-1834) was an Irish nationalist and writer, known for the controversies surrounding his life and writings, notably his fanciful history of the Irish people, the ''Chronicles of Eri''. He was the brother of the United Irishman ...
, Irish nationalist and writer who occupied Dangan after the Wellesley family left. **
Feargus O'Connor Feargus Edward O'Connor (18 July 1796 – 30 August 1855) was an Irish Chartist leader and advocate of the Land Plan, which sought to provide smallholdings for the labouring classes. A highly charismatic figure, O'Connor was admired for his ...
, son of Roger and leading Chartist, brought up in Dangan **
Ambrose O'Higgins Ambrosio Bernardo O'Higgins y O'Higgins, 1st Marquess of Osorno (c. 1720 – 19 March 1801) born Ambrose Bernard O'Higgins (''Ambrós Bearnárd Ó hUiginn'', in Irish), was an Irish-Spanish colonial administrator and a member of the O'Higgins ...
, 1st Marquis of Osorno, Viceroy of Peru, grew up in Summerhill having moved there as an infant in 1721. **
Francisco Burdett O'Connor Francisco Burdett O'Connor (12 June 1791 - 5 October 1871) was an officer in the Irish Legion of Simón Bolívar's army in Venezuela. He later became Chief of Staff to Antonio José de Sucre and Minister of War of Bolivia. Aside from Simón Bo ...
, son of Roger who became a Bolivian general and politician, brought up in Dangan * Gordon Elliott, horse trainer of several
Cheltenham Gold Cup The Cheltenham Gold Cup is a Grade 1 National Hunt horse race run on the New Course at Cheltenham Racecourse in England, over a distance of about 3 miles 2½ furlongs ...
, Aintree Grand National and
Irish Grand National The Irish Grand National is a National Hunt steeplechase in Ireland which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Fairyhouse over a distance of about 3 miles and 5 furlongs (5,834 ...
winners. * Mick Lyons, two time All-Ireland medal winner and Meath captain


See also

* List of towns and villages in Ireland


References


External links


summerhillgfc.comParkceltic-summerhill.ie
{{Authority control Towns and villages in County Meath Planned communities in the Republic of Ireland