Lewis Topographical Dictionary - OSi Online Shop

WES
Dillon, Nugent, Hope, Ware, Nangle, Ledewich, Gene-
ville, Dardis, Gaynor, and Constantine. Subsequently,
the families of Darcy, Johnes, Tyrrell, Fitzgerald, Owen,
and Piers settled here at various periods previous to the
Reformation. The ancient Irish were not at once ex-
terminated by the new settlers: they made several at-
tempts to recover their former position, in one of which,
in 1329, Mac Geoghegan, chieftain of Moycashel,
defeated an English force under Lord Thomas le Botiller,
who was killed in. the action. Two years after the Irish
were defeated in a battle near Finae by Sir Anthony
Lucy, Lord Justice. Mortimer, Earl of March, who
married Philippa, daughter and heiress of Lionel, Duke
of Clarence, third son of Edward III., finding it ne-
cessary to conceal himself during the troubles that fol-
lowed the deposition of Richard II., chose this county
as his place of refuge, where he remained a long time in
concealment. In 1468, Delamar, abbot of Tristernagh,
was attainted by act of parliament for uniting with the
Irish enemies and English rebels in an insurrection in
which the town of Delvin was burnt. By an act of the
34th of Hen. VIII., the ancient palatinate of Meath
was divided, the eastern portion retaining its former
name and the western being distinguished by the ap-
pellation which it still retains. Longford was a portion
of the latter division, until it was formed into a distinct
county by Elizabeth. The plan for the insurrection of
1641 is said to have been concerted in the abbey of
Multifarnham, in this county, as being conveniently
situated in the centre of the island and a place of great
resort for religious purposes, so that the assemblage of
large numbers there at any particular time was less liable
to suspicion: and in the subsequent war between Wil-
liam and James the county was the scene of several
severe actions. So great was the change of property
occasioned by the confiscations after these wars, that
not one of the names of the persons who formed the
previous Grand Juries are found on the modern lists.
The principal families who obtained grants of con-
fiscated lands were those of Packenham, Wood, Cooke,
Stoyte, Reynell, Winter, Levinge, Wilson, Judge, Roch-
fort, Handcock, Bonynge, Gay, Handy, Ogle, Middleton,
Swift, Burtle, and St. George. Those of Smith, Fethers-
ton, Chapman, O’Reilly, Purdon, Nagle, Blaquiere, and
North obtained property by purchase or inheritance.
Among the recent settlers, the family of Nagle alone
claims from an ancient proprietor, having inherited in
the female line from the Mac Geoghegans. On the land-
ing of the French at Kilcummin a rising took place in this
county, in consequence of an erroneous report from the
north: the peasantry first assembled at the hill of Skea,
whence they proceeded to Lord Sunderlin’s park, but
retired without committing any act of hostility. After-
wards they attacked and plundered Wilson’s Hospital,
where there was a collection of arms, and having con-
verted it into a barrack, kept possession of it until
driven out by a detachment of the royal forces.
This county is partly in the diocese of Ardagh, but
chiefly in that of Meath, and in the province of Armagh.
For purposes of civil jurisdiction it is divided into the
baronies of Brawney, Clonlonan, Corkaree, Delvin,
Demifore, Farbill, Fartullagh, Kilkenny West, Moy-
ashel and Magheradernan, Moycashel, Moygoish, and
Rathconrath. It contains the market and assize town
of Mullingar, part of the borough and market town
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WES
of Athlone, the corporate and market town of Kil-
beggan; the market and post towns of Moate, Rath-
owen, Castletown-Delvin, Ballinacargy, and Clonmellon;
the market-town of Collinstown; and the post-towns of
Castlepollard, Kinnegad, Ballymore, Tyrrells-Pass, Kil-
lucad, Rochfort Bridge, and Drumcree: the largest villages
are Finae (which has a penny post), Coole, Castletown,
and Rathconrath. It sent ten members to the Irish
parliament, two for the county and two for each of the
boroughs of Athlone, Mullingar, Kilbeggan, and Fore,
the last of which is now a small village; since the
Union it has returned three members to the Imperial
parliament, two for the county, and one for the borough
of Athlone. The county constituency, as registered up
to the beginning of 1837, consists of 302 freeholders of
£50, 146 of £20, and 1079 of £10; 13 leaseholders of
£20, and 110 of £10; making a total of 1650 re-
gistered voters. The election takes place at Mullin-
gar. Westmeath is included in the Home Circuit:
the assizes are held at Mullingar, where the county
court-house and gaol are situated; general quarter
sessions are held alternately at Mullingar and Moate,
and at the latter place are a court-house and bride-
well. The local government is vested in a lieute-
nant, 7 deputy-lieutenants, and 94 other magistrates.
There are 47 constabulary police stations, having a force
of 1 stipendiary magistrate, 1 sub-inspector, 6 chief
officers, 50 constables, 222 men, and 9 horses. The
district lunatic asylum is at Maryborough, the county
infirmary at Mullingar, and the fever hospital at
Castlepollard: there are dispensaries at Glasson, Bally-
nacarrig, Multifarnham, Street, Killucan, Kinnegad, Tyr-
rell’s-Pass, Moate, Kilbeggan, Athlone, Castletown-Delvin,
Drumcree, Clonmellon, Milltown, and Castlepollard, sup-
ported by Grand Jury presentments and private sub-
scriptions in equal proportions. The Grand Jury pre-
sentments for 1835 amounted to £23,296. 14, 8¼., of
which £15. 7. 0. was for the roads, bridges, &c., being
the county charge; £609. 0. 10½. for the roads, bridges,
&c., being the baronial charge; £8837. 3. 4¼. for public
buildings, charities, officers’ salaries, and incidents;
£5618. 14. 3¾. for the police, and £8216. 9. 1¾. for
repayment of advances made by Government. In the
military arrangements the county is included in the
western district, of which Athlone is the head-quarters,
where there are two barracks, one for artillery and the
other for infantry, which, with an infantry station at
Mullingar, afford accommodation for 80 officers and
1806 non-commissioned officers and men, with 208
horses.
The surface of the county, though nowhere rising
into tracts of considerable elevation, is much diversified
by hill and dale, highly picturesque in many parts, and
deficient in none of the essentials of rural beauty, but
timber. In its scenery it ranks next after Kerry, Wick-
low, Fermanagh and Waterford. None of the hills are
so high as to be incapable of agricultural improvement.
Knock Eyne and Knockross, on the shores of Lough
Dereveragh, have on their sides much stunted oak and
brushwood, the remains of ancient forests. The former
of these hills is about 850 feet high. Benfore, near the
village of Fore, is 760 feet high. The lakes are large,
picturesque, and very numerous, mostly situated in the
northern and central parts, the southern being flat and
overspread with bog. The largest and most southern of