1.
Republic of Ireland
–
Ireland, also known as the Republic of Ireland, is a sovereign state in north-western Europe occupying about five-sixths of the island of Ireland. The capital and largest city is Dublin, which is located on the part of the island. The state shares its land border with Northern Ireland, a part of the United Kingdom. It is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, with the Celtic Sea to the south, Saint Georges Channel to the south-east, and it is a unitary, parliamentary republic. The head of government is the Taoiseach, who is elected by the Dáil and appointed by the President, the state was created as the Irish Free State in 1922 as a result of the Anglo-Irish Treaty. It was officially declared a republic in 1949, following the Republic of Ireland Act 1948, Ireland became a member of the United Nations in December 1955. It joined the European Economic Community, the predecessor of the European Union, after joining the EEC, Ireland enacted a series of liberal economic policies that resulted in rapid economic growth. The country achieved considerable prosperity between the years of 1995 and 2007, which known as the Celtic Tiger period. This was halted by a financial crisis that began in 2008. However, as the Irish economy was the fastest growing in the EU in 2015, Ireland is again quickly ascending league tables comparing wealth and prosperity internationally. For example, in 2015, Ireland was ranked as the joint sixth most developed country in the world by the United Nations Human Development Index and it also performs well in several national performance metrics, including freedom of the press, economic freedom and civil liberties. Ireland is a member of the European Union and is a member of the Council of Europe. The 1922 state, comprising 26 of the 32 counties of Ireland, was styled, the Constitution of Ireland, adopted in 1937, provides that the name of the State is Éire, or, in the English language, Ireland. Section 2 of the Republic of Ireland Act 1948 states, It is hereby declared that the description of the State shall be the Republic of Ireland. The 1948 Act does not name the state as Republic of Ireland, because to have done so would have put it in conflict with the Constitution. The government of the United Kingdom used the name Eire, and, from 1949, Republic of Ireland, for the state, as well as Ireland, Éire or the Republic of Ireland, the state is also referred to as the Republic, Southern Ireland or the South. In an Irish republican context it is referred to as the Free State or the 26 Counties. From the Act of Union on 1 January 1801, until 6 December 1922, during the Great Famine, from 1845 to 1849, the islands population of over 8 million fell by 30%
2.
Telephone numbers in Europe
–
Telephone numbers in Europe are managed by the national telecommunications authorities of each country. The country calling codes start primarily with 3 and 4, however, some countries that by the Copenhagen criteria are considered part of Europe have country codes from the Asia range, the international access code has been standardized as 00. † = Disputed state, may not be recognized as an independent state by some or all European Union members, *A variable dialing plan has different dialing procedures for local and long distance telephone calls. A call within the city or within an area is dialed only by the subscriber number, while for calls outside the area. For fixed dialing plan it is required to dial all digits of the complete telephone number, including any area codes. Calls between member states would no longer require the use of the access code 00. Instead the digit 1 was proposed for these calls, replaced by +3 for call from outside the EU, each country would have a two-digit country code after the 1 or the +3. Calls inside each country would not be affected, option 3, Creation, in addition to providing numbers for special services, of a clear European numbering identity by using the number 3 to proceed current national country codes. This would liberate up to 50 new country codes within Europe and this would create four different ways of calling someone. For example, to call a number in Berlin, in Germany, a disadvantage would have been that every local number beginning with 1 would have had to be changed. wtng. info/wtng-reg. html#Europewide
3.
Commission for Communications Regulation
–
The Commission for Communications Regulation is the general communications regulator for Ireland, covering almost all possible types of communications. Founded on 1 December 2002, ComReg took over from the Office of the Director of Telecommunications Regulation, the first Director of Telecommunications Regulation was Etain Doyle, who was subsequently appointed Chairperson of ComReg, on its establishment. Under the Communications Regulation Act,2002 the Minister for Communications, Marine, no.510 of 2002 Communications Regulation Act 2002 Order 2002 and other acts. For a full list of legislation underpinning ComRegs responsibilities, in relation to terrestrial television and radio, the commission acts in conjunction with the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland. After the enactment of the Broadcasting Act 2009 RTÉ and TG4 authorities were disbanded, in September 2004, ComReg launched their consumer driven website, AskComreg. i. e. Communications in Ireland Official website AskComreg - ComRegs Consumer website Callcosts - ComRegs Consumer Operator Tariff comparison website ComregStat - ComRegs Industry Statistics website
4.
Limerick
–
Limerick is a city in county Limerick, Ireland. It is located in the Mid-West Region and is part of the province of Munster. Limerick City and County Council is the authority for the city. The city lies on the River Shannon, with the core of the city located on Kings Island, which is bounded by the Shannon. Limerick is also located at the head of the Shannon Estuary where the river widens before it flows into the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 95,854, Limerick is the third most populous area in the state. There are 102,161 people living in the Limerick City Metropolitan District, on 1 June 2014 following the merger of Limerick City and County Council a new Metropolitan District of Limerick was formed within the united council which extended the city area. The Metropolitan District includes the city area and extends outwards towards Patrickswell in the west. The City Metropolitan Area however excludes city suburbs located within County Clare, when included this increases the overall city and metropolitan area by a further 5,000 with a combined total population of 107,161. Limerick is one of the constituent cities of the Cork–Limerick–Galway corridor which has a population of 1 million people and it is located at a strategic position on the River Shannon with four main crossing points near the city centre. To the south of the city is the Golden Vale, an area of rich pastureland, historically, much of the citys industry was based on this rich agricultural hinterland and it is particularly noted for Limerick Ham. Luimneach originally referred to the area along the banks of the Shannon Estuary known as Loch Luimnigh. The earliest settlement in the city, Inis Sibhtonn, was the name for Kings Island during the pre-Viking and Viking eras. This island was also called Inis an Ghaill Duibh, The Dark- Foreigners Island, the name is recorded in Viking sources as Hlymrekr. Antiquitys map-maker, Ptolemy, produced in 150 the earliest map of Ireland, history also records an important battle involving Cormac mac Airt in 221 and a visit by St. Patrick in 434 to baptise an Eóganachta king, Carthann the Fair. Saint Munchin, the first bishop of Limerick died in 652, in 812 the Vikings sailed up the Shannon and pillaged the city, burned the monastery of Mungret but were forced to flee when the Irish attacked and killed many of their number. The Normans redesigned the city in the 12th century and added much of the most notable architecture, such as King Johns Castle, one of the kingdoms most notable kings was Brian Boru, ancestor of the OBrien Clan of Dalcassians. The word Thomond is synonymous with the region and is retained in place such as Thomondgate
5.
Shannon, County Clare
–
Shannon or Shannon Town, named after the river near which it stands, is a town in County Clare, Ireland. It was given town status on 1 January 1982, the town is located just off the N19 road, a spur of the N18/M18 road between Limerick and Ennis. It is the location of Shannon Airport, an airport serving the Clare/Limeric k region in the west of Ireland. Spearheaded by Brendan ORegan, it was built in the 1960s on reclaimed marshland alongside Shannon Airport, the residential areas were intended as a home for the thousands of workers at the airport, surrounding industries and support services. Population growth was never as fast as planned throughout the first few decades of the towns existence and this was partly due to the proximity of friendly places to live, such as Ennis town and Limerick city, or even the nearby village of Newmarket-on-Fergus. The planned nature of town did not necessarily result in a successful town. It was lacking in facilities, and the shopping centre was also of poor design. Shops fronted onto pedestrian malls that were uncovered, allowing estuary winds. The early low-cost housing was poor-quality terraced housing, Shannon was located in the parish of Newmarket-on-Fergus in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Killaloe, and at first a priest in residence of the airport served the population. In 1966 St. Senan’s School was opened and Mary Immaculate Church was built on Corrib Drive, on 24 December 1967 the parish of Shannon was created. For a short period a group of Dominican Sisters of England had a community in the parish, in 1974 they were replaced by the Sisters of Mercy. The church of Saints John and Paul was opened in Tullyvarraga in 1980, other churches are the Adoration Chapel in and the Shannon Airport Oratory. The population grew significantly in the 1990s, and new housing developments continued to be built. Facilities in the town are slowly improving, for example, a major supermarket opened. The main road through Shannon was remodelled following the opening of the bypass of Newmarket-on-Fergus, new units continue to open in the industrial estates. Shannon town currently has six schools, including a Gaelscoil. There is two second level education institutes in the town, St. Patricks Comprehensive School and St. Caimins Community School, St. Patricks Comprehensive School opened in 1966 as Irelands first comprehensive school. It has been serving the town since and is due an extension to increase its capacity to over 900 pupils, there is one third level institution in Shannon
6.
Cashel, County Tipperary
–
Cashel is a town in County Tipperary in Ireland. Its population was 2,936 at the 2006 census, the town gives its name to the ecclesiastical province of Cashel. Additionally, the cathedra of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cashel and it is part of the parish of Cashel and Rosegreen in the same archdiocese. One of the six cathedrals of the Anglican Bishop of Cashel and Ossory and it is in the civil parish of St. Patricksrock which is in the historical barony of Middle Third. The town is situated in the Golden Vale, an area of rolling pastureland in the province of Munster and it is located off the M8 Dublin to Cork motorway. Prior to the construction of the motorway by-pass, the town was noted as a bottleneck on the N8 Dublin to Cork route, Bus Éireann operates an expressway service between Dublin and Cork which calls at Cashel. Bus Éireann route 128X provides a link to Portlaoise via Urlingford, the Shamrock Bus Company operates a Thurles to Clonmel route via Cashel. The nearest rail station is Cahir railway station,17 kilometres distant and this station is particularly useful if travelling east to/from Waterford. However the most practical rail station for Cashel is at Thurles railway station as this is on the Dublin-Cork InterCity rail line, the nearest airports are Cork Airport and Shannon Airport, both of which are around 80 km away. The Rock of Cashel, to which the town owes its origin, is an isolated elevation of stratified limestone, rising abruptly from a broad. The top of this eminence is crowned by a group of remarkable ruins, originally known as Fairy Hill, or Sid-Druim, the Rock was, in pagan times, the dun, or castle, of the ancient Eoghnacht Chiefs of Munster. In Gaelic, Caiseal denotes a circular stone fort and is the name of places in Ireland. The Book of Rights suggests the name is derived from Cais-il, i. e. tribute stone, here Corc, grandfather of Aengus Mac Natfraich, erected a fort. Cashel subsequently became the capital of Munster and, like Tara and Armagh, at the time of St. Patrick, when Aengus ruled as king, Cashel claimed supremacy over all the royal duns of the province. In the 5th century, the Eóganachta dynasty founded their capital on, many kings of Munster have reigned here since. Saint Patrick is believed to have baptised Cashels third king, Aengus, in 977 the Dál gCais usurper, Brian Boru, was crowned here as the first non-Eóghanacht king of Cashel and Munster in over five hundred years. In 1101 his great-grandson, King Muirchertach Ua Briain, gave the place to the bishop of Limerick, thus denying it forever to the MacCarthys, the senior branch of the Eóganachta. The bishops had a school in Cashel and sent priests all over the continent, especially to Regensburg in Germany
7.
Charleville, County Cork
–
Charleville is a town in north County Cork, Ireland. It lies in the Golden Vale, on a tributary of the River Maigue, Charleville is on the N20 road and is the second-largest town between Limerick and Cork. The Roman Catholic parish of Charleville is within the Diocese of Cloyne, significant industries in the town include Kerry Co-Op and the construction and services sectors. The old name for the place was Rathcogan, later Rathgogan or Rathgoggan, the name means Cogans rath, after the family of Miles de Cogan, granted lands there after the 12th-century Norman invasion. The new town begun by Roger Boyle, 1st Earl of Orrery in 1661 was named Charleville after Charles II, later Irish speakers referred to the town as An Ráth the rath, a short form of the older Irish name. The name Ráth Luirc was first attached to Charleville in an 1849 collection of 18th-century Irish-language poems with English translations, the translation of an aisling by Conchúbhar Máistir Ó Ríordáin interpreted Ráth Loirc as denoting the town of Charleville. T. F. ORahilly felt that Ráth Loirc, like the more common Clár Loirc, was a name for Ireland. D. A. Binchy felt the term, also used by Aogán Ó Rathaille, did refer to a specific place, after the 1920 local elections, Sinn Féin-dominated councils loyal to the self-proclaimed Irish Republic often sought to replace placenames having British monarchic allusions with older Gaelic names. Although Rathgoggan was mooted by Charleville Rural District Council, Risteárd Ó Foghladha advised that Ráth Luirc was the old name, Ó Foghladh claimed Lorc was an ancient king of Munster, in fact Lóegaire Lorc was a mythical High King of Ireland. Thus the town had the position that its English-language legal name was an Irish name different from its Irish-language legal name. The name Charleville remained in common use, in December 1989, a plebiscite of residents under the Local Government Act 1946 voted on four names, of 2200 electors,1500 voted, over 90% for Charleville. Official documents before and after 1989 have often used Rathluirc or similar formulations, Local sports teams have a rath or fort in their crest, reflecting the Irish name. Charleville was founded in 1661 by Roger Boyle, 1st Earl of Orrery, Roger Boyle had been a supporter of Oliver Cromwell in the English Civil War. When King Charles II was restored in 1660, he had to prove his loyalty to the crown and he did this by naming Charleville after the English king. During the time of the Penal Laws, practising the Catholic faith was illegal, as a result, the parish of Charleville was amalgamated with the parishes Bruree and Colmanswell, both in the Diocese of Limerick. Daniel Mac Namara of Bruree was registered as the Catholic priest for this very large pastoral area, the fact that Catholics had to attend Mass secretly meant that the old chapel in Holy Cross cemetery was abandoned. The remains of this church – now overgrown with ivy – are still to be seen in the centre of the graveyard. Upon one such gravestone is a Latin epithaph to none other than Seán Clárach Mac Domhnaill, who was, in his time, Charleville is geographically located at the heart of Munster, within the Golden Vale region
8.
Killarney
–
Killarney is a town in County Kerry, southwestern Ireland. Its natural heritage, history and location on the Ring of Kerry make Killarney a popular tourist destination, Killarney won the Best Kept Town award in 2007, in a cross-border competition jointly organised by the Department of the Environment and the Northern Ireland Amenity Council. In 2011, it was named Irelands tidiest town and the cleanest town in the country by Irish Business Against Litter, Killarney has featured prominently in early Irish history, with religious settlements playing an important part of its recorded history. Its first significantly historical settlement was the monastery on nearby Innisfallen Island founded in 640 by St. Finian the Leper, Innisfallen or Inishfallen is an island in Lough Leane, one of the three Lakes of Killarney in County Kerry, Ireland. It is home to the ruins of Innisfallen Abbey, one of the most impressive archaeological remains dating from the early Christian period found in the Killarney National Park, the monastery was founded in 640 by St. Finian the Leper, and was occupied for approximately 850 years. Over a period of about 300 of these, the monks wrote the Annals of Innisfallen, the monks were dispossessed of the abbey on 18 August 1594, by Elizabeth I. The location of the monastery on the island is thought to have given rise to the name Lough Leane, according to tradition the Irish High King Brian Boru received his education at Innisfallen under Maelsuthain OCarroll. Maelsuthain has been credited as the originator of the Annals. It is possible for tourists to visit the island during the summer months, Aghadoe, the local townland which overlooks present day Killarney, may have begun as a pagan religious site. The site has also associated with the 5th century missionary St. Abban. According to legend, St. Finian founded a monastery at Aghadoe in the 6th or 7th century, the first written record of a monastery dates from 939 AD in the Annals of Innisfallen where the Aghadoe monastery is referred to as the Old Abbey. Following the Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland in 1169, the Normans built Parkavonear Castle, the castle was perhaps intended as an early warning outpost due to its views of the entire Killarney valley and lakes region. Ross Castle was built on the shore in the late 15th century by local ruling clan the ODonoghues Mor. Ownership of the castle changed hands during the Desmond Rebellions of the 1580s to the Mac Carty Mor, Muckross Abbey was founded in 1448 as a Franciscan friary for the Observantine Franciscans by Donal McCarthy Mor. The abbey was burned down by Cromwellian forces under General Ludlow in 1654, Killarney was heavily involved in the Irish War of Independence. The town, and indeed the county, had strong republican ties. The Great Southern Hotel, was for a while taken over by the British, One notable event during the war was the Headford Ambush when the IRA attacked a railway train a few miles from town. A day after the Ballyseedy Massacre, five Republican prisoners were murdered in Killarney in retaliation, killarneys tourism history goes back at least to the mid 18th century, when Thomas, fourth Viscount Kenmare, began to attract visitors and new residents to the town
9.
Kenmare
–
Kenmare is a small town in the south of County Kerry, Ireland. The name Kenmare is the form of Ceann Mara meaning head of the sea. Kenmare is located at the head of Kenmare Bay, sometimes called the Kenmare River, where the Roughty River flows into the sea, and at the junction of the Iveragh Peninsula and the Beara Peninsula. It is also located near the Macgillycuddys Reeks, Mangerton Mountain, nearby towns and villages are Tuosist, Ardgroom, Glengarriff, Kilgarvan, Killarney, Templenoe and Sneem. It forms part of the Kerry South electoral constituency, mark Daly, elected a member of Seanad Éireann in 2007, is from Kenmare. The entire area was granted to the English scientist, Sir William Petty by Oliver Cromwell as part payment for completing the mapping of Ireland and he laid out the modern town circa 1670. The three main streets that form a triangle in the centre of the town are called Main Street, Henry Street and this name was also later applied to Shelbourne Road in Dublin. However, the area has more ancient roots, one of the largest stone circles in the south-west of Ireland is close to the town, and shows occupation in the area going back to the Bronze Age, when it was constructed. The circle has 15 stones around the circumference with a boulder dolmen in the centre, vikings are said to have raided the area around the town which at that time was called Ceann Mhara, which means head of the sea in Irish. A suspension bridge, which is claimed to be the first in Ireland, over the Kenmare River was opened in 1841, the town has been a winner in the Irish Tidy Towns Competition in 2013,2000 and was a runner-up in 2003 and 2008. The Catholic Church in the town, The Holy Cross was consecrated in 1864 and it was built under the guidance of Archdeacon Fr. John OSullivan - who is interred within the church, the church has stained glass windows by OConnor London, by Caseys Dublin and by Earley Dublin. The organ is by Telford & Telford, buried in the church grounds is Monsignor P F Cremin, who was a periitus or theological expert at Vatican II. He was a native of Kenmare and had been Professor of Canon Law and Moral Theology at St Patricks College, the town library is one of the Carnegie Libraries funded by Andrew Carnegie. It opened in 1918, and the architect was R. M, the Church of Ireland church of St Patrick celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2008. Kenmare lies on two noted Irish tourist routes, the Ring of Kerry and the Ring of Beara, approximately 32 kilometres from Killarney, as a result, it is a popular tourist destination and many of the businesses in the area cater to tourists. The town is noted for its food and pubs, Kenmare has a range of restaurants and traditional pubs. Since the late 1990s the tourism industry has driven local construction work, Kenmare was home to composer Ernest John Moeran for a number of years up to his death and a local bar was named after him but has since been renamed
10.
Ennis
–
Ennis is the county town of Clare, Ireland. The Irish name is short for Inis Cluain Ramh Fhada, the town is on the River Fergus, north of where it enters the Shannon Estuary,19 km from Shannon Airport. In 2011, Ennis had a population of 25,360, making it the largest town in Clare, the name Ennis comes from the Irish word Inis, meaning island. This name relates to an island formed between two courses of the River Fergus on which the Franciscan Friary was built, the past of Ennis is closely associated with the OBrien family, who were descendants of Brian Boru. In the 12th century, the OBriens, who were Kings of Thomond, left their seat of power in Limerick, in 1240, King Donnchadh OBrien ordered the construction of an extensive church which he later donated to the Franciscans. The centuries which followed bore great activity, the Friary was expanded and students came in great flocks to study at the theological college. The Friars, who were free to move about, met the needs of the local population. It was a religious centre until the Dissolution of the Monasteries and it became a thriving market town in the late 18th century and this expansion continued unabated throughout the 19th century, except the period after the Famine c. 1850. in the period, a number of landmark structures were constructed, including the Mill. The town contains a number of old military barracks, most notably the Old Military Barracks on the Kilrush road, many locals served in the British Army in the First World War. The Clare Road and Clonroad areas contain terraced cottages built in the early 20th century to house soldiers, on Station Road, then called Jail Road, a gaol once stood. Politically, Ennis has always considered a Fianna Fáil stronghold. However, in the 2009 local elections the party was reduced to just one out of nine on Ennis Town Council. A monument to Éamon de Valera, founder of the party and former President of Ireland, the River Fergus runs through the middle of Ennis, and is a well-known trout and salmon fishery. At one time, small sailing boats made their way up river from the Shannon, a new pedestrian bridge, Harmony Row Bridge, was built over the river Fergus in June 2009. Clare became a county under the rule of Elizabeth I and Ennis was chosen as its capital by the Earls of Thomond because of its central location and great influence. Ennis received a grant to hold fairs and markets in 1610 and some years later a Charter for a Corporation with a Provost, Free Burgesses, Commonalty, Ennis continued to expand in the following centuries, mainly as a market town and later as a manufacturing and distributing centre. Many commodities were conveyed by river to Clarecastle for shipment abroad, Ennis is an historically important market town
11.
Tralee
–
Tralee is the county town of County Kerry in the south-west of Ireland. The town is on the side of the neck of the Dingle Peninsula. The towns population including suburbs was 23,693 as of the 2011 census making it the 7th largest town, Tralee is well known for the Rose of Tralee International Festival which has been held annually in August since 1959. On this old track is located a large boulder sometimes called Scotias Grave, anglo-Normans founded the town in the 13th century, which became a stronghold of the Earls of Desmond, who built a castle. John Fitz-Thomas FitzGerald founded the monastery of the Dominican order and was buried there in 1260, the medieval town was burnt in 1580 in retribution for the Desmond Rebellions against Elizabeth I. Elizabeth I in 1587 granted Tralee to Edward Denny and it was recognised in 1613 by Royal Charter, Sir Edward was the first of the Dennys to settle in Tralee, the Dennys did not occupy the castle of the Earls of Desmond until 1627. Sir Edwards son was Arthur Denny, in whose lifetime the towns charter was granted by King James, the third English settler, another Sir Edward, married Ruth Roper, whose father Thomas Roper was the lease holder of the Herbert estate centred on Castleisland. This Sir Edward was a royalist and he fought for the King in the wars of 1641. He died in 1646, before the triumph of Oliver Cromwell over affairs in England and Ireland and he granted the circuit of the Abbey to the corporation set up under the charter, in return for the fees of the town clerk. His son Arthur Denny married Ellen Barry, granddaughter of Richard Boyle, the latter held many land titles in West Kerry and also claimed property in Tralee. Sir Edward Denny, 4th Baronet was a landlord in his day, during the time of the Great Famine, he maintained rents to suit his tenants. He was a notable Plymouth Brother, the modern layout of Tralee was created in the 19th century. Denny Street, a wide Georgian street, was completed in 1826 on the site of the old castle, a monument commemorating the 1798 rebellion plus the rebellions of 1803,1848 and 1867 – a statue of a Pikeman - stands in Denny Street. First unveiled in 1905, the original Pikeman stood until the Irish War of Independence, in 1921 the Black and Tans dragged it from its pedestal and destroyed it. In June 1939 a replacement Pikeman was installed, created by renowned Dublin sculptor Albert Power, Tralee Courthouse was designed by Sir Richard Morrison and built in 1835. It has a monument of two cannons commemorating those Kerrymen who died in the Crimean War and the Indian Rebellion, ballymullen Barracks was the depot of the Royal Munster Fusiliers. The Tralee Ship Canal was built to accommodate larger ships sailing into Tralee, the House of Commons authorised an Act of Parliament in June 1829 for the canal, with work beginning in 1832. Issues with funding meant that the canal was not completed until 1846 when it was opened, the canal was 2 miles long with a new canal basin built in Tralee, and lock gates and a wooden swing bridge constructed in Blennerville
12.
Dingle
–
Dingle is a town in County Kerry, Ireland. The only town on the Dingle Peninsula, it sits on the Atlantic coast, principal industries in the town are tourism, fishing and agriculture, Dingle Mart serves the surrounding countryside. In 2011 Dingle had a population of 1,965, Dingle is situated in a Gaeltacht region. There used to be two schools but they have now amalgamated to produce Pobalscoil Chorca Dhuibhne. An adult Bottlenose dolphin named Fungie has been courting human contact in Dingle Bay since 1983, a large number of Ogham stones were set up in an enclosure in the 4th and 5th centuries AD at Ballintaggart. In Ireland the town was developed as a following the Norman invasion of Ireland. By the thirteenth century more goods were being exported through Dingle than Limerick, by the fourteenth century, importing wine was a major business. Maurice FitzGerald, 1st Earl of Desmond, who held palatine powers in the area, by the sixteenth century, Dingle was one of Irelands main trading ports, exporting fish and hides and importing wines from the continent of Europe. French and Spanish fishing fleets used the town as a base, connections with Spain were particularly strong, and in 1529 Thomas Fitzgerald, 11th Earl of Desmond and the ambassador of Charles V of Spain signed the Treaty of Dingle. Dingle was also a major port for pilgrims to travel to the shrine of Saint James at Santiago de Compostela. The parish church was rebuilt in the century under Spanish patronage. In 1569 the commerce of the town was increased when it was listed as one of fifteen towns or cities which were to have a monopoly on the import of wine, the Dingle Peninsula was the scene of much of the military activity of 1579–80. On 17 July 1579 James FitzMaurice FitzGerald brought a fleet of ships to Dingle. He made landfall, launching the Second Desmond Rebellion, but was to die soon after in a skirmish with the forces of a cousin. The fleet left the town three days, anchoring at Dún an Óir at the western end of the peninsula, leading eventually to the Siege of Smerwick of 1580. The residents of Dingle applied in 1569 for a grant to construct walls around the town. The grant was not forthcoming on that occasion, following the defeat of the Desmond Rebellion, Queen Elizabeth directed that a royal charter be granted to incorporate the town as a borough, and to allow for the construction of walls. Traces of these walls can still be seen, while the street layout preserves the pattern of burgage plots
13.
Nenagh
–
Nenagh is the county town and second largest town in County Tipperary in Ireland. It is a parish in the historical barony of Ormond Lower. It is also an Ecclesiastical parish in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Killaloe, Nenagh was originally a market town, and its name in Irish means The Fair of Ormond – a reference to the Ormond Fair, of which it was the site. Nenagh is today a commercial town and is governed by Nenagh Town council. The Silvermine Mountain range lies to the south of the town, the Silvermines have been intermittently mined for silver and base metals for over seven hundred years. Traces of 19th century mine workings remain, the towns historic attractions include Nenagh Castle, the Heritage Centre and the ruined Franciscan abbey. It has a climate, with the average daily maximum in July of 19 °C. Nenagh is located in the Barony of Ormond Lower which was the territory of the OKennedys prior to the Norman invasion of Ireland. This land was included in the grant made by King John of England to Theobald, Theobald was subsequently appointed Chief Butler of Ireland. Nenagh Castle was built c.1216 and was the castle of the Butler family before they moved to Gowran. The family later purchased Kilkenny Castle which was to be the seat of their power for the next 500 years. The town was one of the ancient manors of the Butlers who received the grant of a fair from Henry VIII of England and they also founded the medieval priory and hospital of St John the Baptist, just outside the town at Tyone. A small settlement grew up around the castle, but it never seems to have been of any great importance other than as a market throughout the medieval period. The Abbey was in use for six hundred years, Fr. Patrick Harty, the Butlers who descended from the 1st Baronlater became Earls of Ormond. Nenagh remained their principal seat until 1391 when it was moved to Kilkenny Castle, in the rebellion of 1641 Neagh Castle was garrisoned by Sir George Hamilton for the twelfth Earl. After the Restoration, Sir William Flower came along in 1660 on behalf of the Marchioness of Ormond who had the ownership of the Manor on her marriage settlements, the last Marquess died in 1997. Without a male heir the marquessate became extinct, while the earldom is dormant, the town seems to have been refounded in the 16th century. In 1550 the town and friary were burned by OCarroll, in 1641 the town was captured by Red Owen ONeill, but shortly afterwards it was recaptured by Lord Inchiquin
14.
Listowel
–
Listowel is a Heritage town and a market town in County Kerry, Ireland, and is situated on the River Feale,28 km from the county town, Tralee. The combined population of Listowel Urban and Rural Districts is 22,668, the town is sometimes described as the Literary Capital of Ireland, and a number of internationally known playwrights and authors have lived there, including Bryan MacMahon and John B. Of Listowel, the latter wrote, Beautiful Listowel, serenaded night, sweet, incomparable hometown that shaped and made me. Listowel is on the N69 Limerick - Foynes - Tralee road, bus Éireann provides daily services to Tralee, Cork, and Limerick. The nearest railway station is Tralee, the station building has been preserved as a private residence. Listowel is located at the head of the North Kerry limestone plain, positioned in the very heart of North Kerry, on the River Feale, its hinterland is an area of mainly dairy agricultural use. The barony of Iraghticonnor is to the north, with the barony of Clanmaurice to the south, surrounding villages include Asdee, Ballybunion, Ballyduff, Ballylongford, Causeway, Duagh, Lisselton, Lixnaw, Moyvane, Finuge and Tarbert. Listowel’s long history back to 1303 where it first appears in the Plea Roll. Fortress to the Fitzmaurice family, the town developed around Listowel Castle, the last bastion against Queen Elizabeth I in the Desmond campaign, Listowel Castle was built in the 15th century and was the last fortress of the Geraldines to be subdued. It fell after 28 days siege to Sir Charles Wilmot on 5 November 1600, the castle became the property of the Hare family, the holders of the title of Earl of Listowel, after reverting away from the Fitzmaurices, Knights of Kerry. It is now a national monument, today, the remnants of the castle include two of its four towers, which are joined by a heavy curtain wall, and the unusual feature of an arch below the battlements. Archaeological excavations and records of the reveal that it was originally of similar form to Bunratty Castle. In 2005, restoration works were commenced by the Office of Public Works who operate the Irish Heritage Service. The stonework has been cleaned by a team of craftsmen, while the upper section, an external staircase, in keeping with the architecture of the structure has been erected to enable the public to access the upper stories. One of the best examples of Anglo-Norman architecture in Kerry, the castle has now restored by the Office of Public Works to some of its former glory. A small team of OPW tour guides are based at the seven days a week during the summer tourist season. Another smaller castle at Woodford, Listowel, was built in the period by the Knight of Kerry. A unique part played by Listowel in Irish railway history is that of having hosted the worlds first monorail operation, the Listowel and Ballybunion Railway was built to the Lartigue system, with a double-engined steam locomotive straddling an elevated rail
15.
Newcastle West
–
Newcastle West or simply Newcastle is a town in west County Limerick, Ireland. It is the largest town in the county, excluding Limerick city, the crest of the town carries the image of a wild boar. Newcastle West is on the N21 road from Limerick to Tralee, in 2011, the urban population was 4,880. Newcastle West grew up around a castle, the ruins of which are located off the town square, the large castle ruins are well maintained. The castle was built by the FitzGerald family who arrived at some point after 1194, the town then came to be known as Newcastle, West Limerick, but over time the west became part of Newcastle and the town was known by the current name Newcastle West. According to Begley, the parish was called Newcastle and Ardagh in 1704, Newcastle was joined with Monagea from 1722 until 1764 when it became a separate parish. Lewis stated that parts of Monagea and Killeedy were in the parish of Newcastle West, sir William Courtenay, the local landlord, held 10,500 acres of land in Newcastle West in the late 16th century. He was a staunch Catholic, and suffered persecution for his beliefs and his son George may have practiced his faith in secret. Their home was reputed to have had a room in which priests were hidden, William Courtenay was denounced in the House of Commons as a papist recusant in 1624. During the reign of Elizabeth I, three battles were fought near here, tradition has it that the locals killed many of the Knights Templar. The town was sacked in 1302 and destroyed in 1315, two of the Earls of Desmond died here. Garrett in 1399, and James, the 8th earl, in 1462, markets were held on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. Large numbers used to attend Thursdays hiring fairs for farm workers, fairs were held on April 1, May 3, July 12, August 20, October 1, and December 10. The motto that goes with the coat of arms is As Dúchas Dóchas. The town now has a population of around 11,000, the urban area has passed well beyond the old town boundaries which are due for redefinition. Michael Hartnett, poet Philomena Lee, subject of The Lost Child of Philomena Lee by Martin Sixsmith, huge changes have occurred during the last 20 –30 years seeing the expanding of the town as a services centre for West Limerick, also bringing an increase in population. Many people who work in Limerick City live in Newcastle West and its environs, however, Newcastle West itself is now a large centre of employment with a strong business and entrepreneurial culture. Large to medium employers include Pallas Foods, Rettig Myson, Ballygowan Spring Water, there are dozens of Businesses employing 10-50 including PSE Power Systems, Brian A Flynn, Brian Scully Services and Nolan Products
16.
Sligo
–
Sligo is a coastal seaport and the county town of County Sligo, Ireland, within the western province of Connacht. With a population of approximately 20,000 in 2014, it is the second largest urban centre in the West of Ireland, the Sligo Borough District constitutes 61% of the countys population of 63,000. Sligo is a historic, cultural, commercial, industrial, retail, served by rail, port and road links, Sligo exerts a significant influence on its hinterland. Sligo is also a popular tourist destination, being situated in an area of outstanding beauty, with many literary. Sligo is the anglicisation of the Irish name Sligeach, meaning abounding in shells or shelly place and it refers to the abundance of shellfish found in the river and its estuary, and from the extensive shell middens in the vicinity. The river now known as the Garavogue meaning little one was originally called the Sligeach. It is listed as one of the seven rivers of Ireland in the 9th century AD tale The Destruction of Da Dergas Hostel. The river Slicech is also referenced in the Annals of Ulster in 1188, the Ordnance Survey letters of 1836 state that cart loads of shells were found underground in many places within the town where houses now stand. The whole area, from the estuary at Sligo, around the coast to the river at Ballysadare Bay, is rich in marine resources which were utilised as far back as the Mesolithic period. The importance of Sligos location in prehistory is demonstrated by the abundance of ancient sites close by, for example, Sligo towns first roundabout was constructed around a megalithic passage tomb at Abbeyquarter North in Garavogue Villas. This is an outlier of the group of monuments at Carrowmore on the Cuil Irra peninsula on the western outskirts of the town. The area around Sligo town has one of the highest densities of archaeological sites in Ireland. It is the place in which all classes of Irish megalithic monuments are to be found together. Knocknarea mountain, capped by the cairn of Miosgan Maeve. Cairns Hill on the edge of the town also has two very large stone cairns. This is the oldest causewayed enclosure so far discovered in Britain or Ireland and it consists of a large area enclosed by a segmented ditch and palisade, and was perhaps an area of commerce and ritual. These monuments are associated with the coming of agriculture and hence the first farmers in Ireland, during the early medieval period the site of Sligo was eclipsed by the importance of the great Columban monastery 5 miles to the north at Drumcliff. By the 12th century there was a bridge and small settlement in existence at the site of the present town, the annalists refer to this Sligo as a sraidbhaile which seems to have consisted of the castle and an attached defensive bawn
17.
County Leitrim
–
County Leitrim is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Connacht and is part of the Border Region and it is named after the village of Leitrim. Leitrim County Council is the authority for the county, which had a population of 31,972 according to the 2016 census. Leitrim is the 26th largest of the 32 counties by area and it is the smallest of Connacht’s 5 counties in both size and population. Leitrim is bordered by the counties of Donegal to the north, Fermanagh to the north-east, Cavan to the east, Longford to the south, Roscommon to the south-west, Fermanagh is in Northern Ireland while all the other neighbouring counties are within the Republic. There are five historic baronies in the county, while baronies continue to be officially defined units, they are no longer used for many administrative purposes. Their official status is illustrated by Placenames Orders made since 2003 and they are Carrigallen, Drumahaire, Leitrim, Mohill and Rosclogher. Leitrim has the shortest length of coastline of any Irish county that touches the sea, at Tullaghan, the coastline is only 2.5 kilometres long. The Shannon is linked to the Erne via the Shannon-Erne Waterway, notable lakes include, Lough Melvin Lough Allen Lough Gill is to the northwest of Dromahair, Parkes Castle is located on the lake shore. Belhavel Lough is also located in Dromahair, within the parish of Killargue, Lough Scur, and Saint Johns Lough, on the Shannon–Erne Waterway. Other lakes include Upper Lough MacNean, Glencar Lough, Glenade Lough, Garadice Lough, Rinn Lough, Lough Scannal, Lough Erril, in ancient times Leitrim formed the western half of the Kingdom of Breifne. This region was influenced by the ORourke family of Dromahair. The Normans invaded in the 13th century and occupied the south of Breifne, much of the county was confiscated from its owners in 1620 and given to Villiers and Hamilton. Their initial objective was to plant the county with English settlers, English Deputy Sir John Perrot had ordered the legal establishment of Leitrim County a half-century prior, in 1565. Perrott also demarcated the current county borders around 1583, many of these great forests were denuded for the making for Charcoal for Iron works around Slieve Anierin. The population subsequently continued to decrease due to emigration, after many years, the wounds of such rapid population decline have finally started to heal. Agriculture improved over the last century, Leitrim now has the fastest growing population in Connacht. Working of the rich deposits of iron ore began in the 15th century
18.
Donegal
–
Donegal or Donegal Town is a town in County Donegal, Republic of Ireland. The name was written in English as Dunnagall or Dunagall. Donegal gave its name to County Donegal, although Lifford is now the county town, until the early 17th century, Donegal was the capital of Tyrconnell, a Gaelic kingdom controlled by the ODonnell dynasty of the Northern Uí Néill. Donegal sits at the mouth of the River Eske and Donegal Bay, the town is bypassed by the N15 and N56 roads. The centre of the town, known as The Diamond, is a hub for music, poetic, there is archaeological evidence for settlements around the town dating to prehistoric times, including the remains of ringforts and other defensive earthworks. The first clan to convert to Christianity as the result of St Patricks efforts was Clan Connaill, connall was a son of Niall of the Nine Hostages. Their original homeland lay further to the north in the area of Kilmacrennan, from the 15th to the 17th century, they were an important part of the opposition to the colonisation of Ireland by England. The town itself contains Donegal Castle, on the banks of the River Eske, the Annals of the Four Masters may have been partially written in the old abbey in the 1630s. The story of Hugh Roe ODonnell, Lord of Tyrconnell, was the inspiration behind many books and films, not least, in 1601 the Siege of Donegal took place during the Nine Years War. Viscount Brookeborough was granted the castle around 1611 and he proceeded to carry out reconstruction work. The current plan of the town was laid out by Brooke. From the late 17th until the early 20th centuries, Donegal Town formed part of the vast estates of the Gore family and it was during their ownership that the town took on its present appearance. Donegal Borough returned two members to the Irish House of Commons, the house of the Parliament of Ireland. Evidence of the Great Famine still exists, including a workhouse, whose buildings are now part of the local hospital, dedicated to Saint Patrick and the Four Masters, this Catholic church was built in the early 1930s and was completed in 1935. Known locally as the Chapel or the Town Chapel, it was designed by Ralph Byrne and this Church of Ireland church was built in a simple Gothic style mainly in the late 1820s and was completed in 1828. The main church appears to have designed by a Mr Graham of Donegal Town. A chancel was added in 1890, the chancel of 1890 was designed by the office of J. Guy Ferguson in Derry and built in a neo-Gothic style by James McClean builders from Strabane. There are many beaches in the area of Donegal, such as Murvagh beach
19.
Carrick-on-Shannon
–
Carrick-on-Shannon is the county town of County Leitrim in the Republic of Ireland. It is the largest town in the county of Leitrim and the smallest main county town in the entire country, a smaller part of the town lies in County Roscommon. The population of the town was 5,931 in 2016 and it is situated on a strategic crossing point of the River Shannon. The Leitrim part of the town is in the parish of Kiltogert which is in the ancient barony of Leitrim. Carrick-on-Shannon is situated on a point of the Shannon. In the vicinity of Drumsna, on the County Roscommon border, are the remains of an Iron Age fortification, corryolus townland on the Shannon remembers Eolais Mac Biobhsach, ancestor of the Muintir Eolais who were the most famous ancient Leitrim sub-septs in Mohill and Leitrim. Carrick-on-Shannon was granted a charter and named a borough with its own seal in 1607. Throughout at least the 19th and 20th centurys, three fairs were held at Carrick on- May 12, August 11, and November 21. Historic buildings are the Carrick Castle, the Workhouse and Famine Graveyard, Hatley Manor, St Georges Church of Ireland, Carrick-on-Shannon is served by the Leitrim Observer which is published every Wednesday and the fortnightly free Northwest Express newspapers. The Leitrim Post is now defunct, until the early 19th Century, the head of the Shannon Navigation was Drumsna. The new bridge, built in 1846, took the place of a nine arch stone bridge, nearby is the clubhouse of Carrick-on-Shannon Rowing Club, which has been one of the foremost in the country since its establishment in 1827. The annual regatta at the August Holiday was a highlight of the festive season in the whole North West. M. J. McManus recalls that he watched, in August sunshine, the eights and the fours and the pleasure boats and the turf-cots competing on Carricks day of days. St. Marys Catholic Church, on the Main Street, is built in the Neo-Gothic style and it was designed by W. H. Hague, a Dublin architect. It was dedicated on 19 October 1879, the church is on a plot of elevated ground. Thomas Fitzgerald, the priest responsible for its construction, is buried within the chancel in front of the Blessed Sacrament Altar, St. Georges Church, St. Marys Close, is the Church of Ireland parish Church. Prior to 1698, the church was situated at Kiltoghert. In that year it was transferred to its present site in Carrick and it was re-built in 1829 and the interior reconstructed in the years 1910-1914
20.
Manorhamilton
–
Manorhamilton is the second largest town in County Leitrim, Ireland. It is located on the N16 between Sligo 16 miles and Enniskillen 25 miles, before the Plantations of Ireland the settlement was known as Clooneen. This lay on the west bank of the Owenbeg, as a result of his actions Hamilton to this day is considered to have been a tyrant by the local people. He began building a new town on the east bank of the river, in the townland of Clonmullen, after the town emerged, the name Baile Hamaltuin was adopted by Irish speakers and its anglicised form Ballyhamilton was used by English speakers for a time. Merenda Ltd - specialist manufacturer & supplier of edgebanding and wrapping veneer products, elastometall Ireland - manufacturers of anti-vibration and rubber to metal bonded products. Mirror Controls International - Automobile Mirror Actuator manufacturer Manorhamilton Livestock Mart & Export Sales Lock Up Alarms Ltd, - Installers of electronic security products lock up alarms Melvin Plastics Like most rural Irish towns, Manorhamilton is seeing considerable social and physical change. Farming is still a dominant sector yet traditional industries and livelihoods are being replaced by new forms of economic activity, construction in the area is recently underwent a boom time with hundreds of new homes having been built. The recent recession has brought an end to the building boom, the Wild Rose and Thorn Festival brings large crowds to Manorhamilton each August. Manorhamilton has several pubs with music, craic and nightlife, the area is renowned for traditional Irish music and regular sessions take place in Biddys, Heraghtys and The Castle. Traditional and newly composed Irish music by musicians including uilleann piper Alan Roberts can be sampled and purchased on iTunes. Splódar are a theatre company based in the Glens Centre in Manorhamilton. Formerly known as The Glens Players the company stages shows both in English and Irish, splódar tours its work nationally and has also performed plays at Theatre Festivals abroad. Drumlin Publications was formed by local author Prin Duignan to give a voice to emerging writers, the company has published many excellent books focusing on history and culture - both regional and national. The founding of Manorhamiltons new Gaelscoil gives local children the opportunity to receive their education through Irish. The school is in a school building on Castle Street in the town. The ruins of Manorhamilton Castle has recently been impressively renovated transforming it into a fascinating tourist attraction, the Castle was erected in 1634 by Sir Frederick Hamilton who was granted land in North Leitrim by the English government. The land had been confiscated from the ORourkes, the clan of Breifne. Hamilton was a very unpopular overlord and faced frequent native rebellion before the Castle was burned by the Earls of Clanrickard in 1652, Manorhamilton Castle Heritage Centre hosts a permanent exhibition and offers guided tours of the Castle ruins and grounds
21.
Bundoran
–
Bundoran is a town in County Donegal, Ireland. The town is located on the N15 road near Ballyshannon, and is the most southerly town in Donegal, the town is a popular seaside resort, and tourism has been at the heart of the local economy since 1777. Bundoran is a surfing area and was listed by National Geographic magazine in 2012 as one of the Worlds Top 20 Surf Towns. Bundoran, or as it is known in Irish Bun Dobhráin, was, up until over a century ago, Bundoran was the village west of the bridge over the River Bradoge. This area is now called the West End, East of the bridge, about 2 kilometres away, was the village of Single Street. In between these two communities was the townland of Drumacrin. The area of Drumcacrin is now part of what is todays town centre, Single Street was where most of the local population lived. The first official record of Bundoran is in a deposition by Hugh Gaskein on 16 May 1653 and he was a witness to events during the 1641 Rebellion when he was an apprentice butcher in Sligo. In 1689 a skirmish was fought near Bundoran between a Jacobite force under Sir Connell Ferrall and the retreating Protestant garrison of Sligo, william Cole, Viscount Enniskillen, built Bundoran Lodge, his summer home, in 1777. This building still stands on Bayview Avenue and is now called Homefield House, the Viscount seems to have started a trend amongst his contemporaries as more of them discovered Bundoran and visited it to enjoy the seaside and what were believed to be its health benefits. Canon Kelaghan also had the present Catholic church built in 1859, the Great Northern Railway operated the E&BR line from 1876 and absorbed the company in 1896. In this period Bundoran emerged as one of Irelands most popular seaside resorts, by the end of the 19th century it had become one of the main seaside resorts in Ulster. Hotels and lodging houses were opened around the town and the GNR built the Great Northern Hotel, during The Emergency of 1939–45 the GNR introduced the Bundoran Express that linked Dublin and Bundoran via Dundalk and Enniskillen. It also carried pilgrims to and from Pettigo, which was the nearest station for Lough Derg in County Donegal, there were also through trains between Bundoran and Belfast. The partition of Ireland in 1922 turned the boundary with County Fermanagh into an international frontier, henceforth Bundorans only railway link with the rest of the Irish Free State was via Northern Ireland, and as such was subject to delays for customs inspections. The Government of Northern Ireland closed much of the GNR network on its side of the border in 1957 and this gave the Republic no practical alternative but to allow the closure of the line between the border and Bundoran. Thereafter the nearest railheads for Bundoran were Sligo in the Republic and Omagh in Northern Ireland, today, the closest railway stations to Bundoran are Sligo Mac Diarmada Station in Sligo Town and Waterside Station in Derry. For almost two centuries people have flocked to Bundoran beach on hot summer days, the tradition of bathing boxes began in Victorian times
22.
Letterkenny
–
Letterkenny, nicknamed the Cathedral Town, is the largest and most populous town in County Donegal, Ireland. It lies on the River Swilly in east Donegal and has a population of 19,588, along with the nearby city of Derry, Letterkenny forms the major economic core of the islands north-west. Letterkenny began as a town at the start of the 17th century. A castle once stood near where the Cathedral of St. Eunan and St. Columba, Donegals only Roman Catholic cathedral, Letterkenny Castle, built in 1625, was located south of Mt Southwell on Castle Street. The Aura Complex, near ODonnell Park, includes an Olympic-standard swimming pool, the Danny McDaid Athletic Track, the town also boasts the location of rebel Theobald Wolfe Tones 1798 landing and subsequent arrest at Lairds Hotel. In 2015 it was awarded the accolade of being judged to be the tidiest town in Ireland, Letterkenny takes its name from the Irish Leitirceanainn, meaning Hillside of the OCannons – the OCannons being the last of the ancient chieftains of Tír Conaill. Although the OCannons were the last ruling chieftains in Tír Conaill, the OCannons are allegedly descended from Conn of the Hundred Battles and Niall of the Nine Hostages, two of Irelands most famous Kings. The OCannons have been described as Ancient Princes of Tír Connaill, however, their 350-year dynasty in Tír Connaill ended in 1250. Their ancient territory would seem to have been Tír Aeda, after the deaths of Ruairí Ó Canannain and his son Niall Ó Canannain in 1250, the sept declined greatly in power. Brian Ó Néill died ten years later in 1260, he had supported an Ó Canannain claimant to Tír Conaill, however, the OCannon Clan remained subserviant to the ODonnell Clan, the Kings of Tír Chonaill from the early thirteenth century onwards. The personal name Canannain is a diminutive of Cano meaning wolf cub, by the early 17th century the name Uí Canannain had been anglicised to OCannon. Further anglicisation took place during the Penal Laws in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, in the early 1880s, there were just 200 families bearing the Cannon surname living in Co. Donegal, who were tenant farmers. The site of the ancient seat of the Ó Canannain was near Letterkenny, Letterkenny is County Donegals largest and most important town. Hundreds of people travel to and from Letterkenny every day for work, whether in the towns many I. T. companies, General Hospital, schools, Letterkenny is around 25 km from Derry across the border in Northern Ireland. It may have established on the site of an earlier Gaelic settlement. It was the first crossing point of the River Swilly, Rory OCannon, the last chieftain of the OCannon Clan, was killed in 1248. Godfrey ODonnell succeeded Rory OCannon as King of Tír Conaill, Godfrey retired to a crannóg in Lough Beag
23.
Ballybofey
–
Ballybofey is a town located on the south bank of the River Finn, County Donegal, Ireland. Along with the town of Stranorlar on the north side of the River Finn. The town grew rapidly in the 19th and 20th centuries, Ballybofey also plays host to the Twin Towns Festival which takes place annually. The centrepiece of the festival is a parade on the Sunday, the last of these took place on 19 August 2007. There are no schools or churches in the town of Ballybofey itself, just a few miles west of Ballybofey, on the main road to Fintown, is the Glenmore Estate, located at Welchtown. The estate formerly included Glenmore Lodge, a house that stood on the opposite, southern bank of the River Finn. The house was built in the Georgian-style in the mid-to-late-18th-century. It was re-worked for Sir William Styles in the neo-Tudor-style in the early 20th-century, the house was demolished in the 1990s. The private estate is now famous for its fishing and hunting, the Balor Arts Centre is a state of the art theatre complex, based in the heart of Ballybofey. The main auditorium holds 300 seats, incorporating 56 seats in the balcony, the Butt Drama Circle celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2009, having started out in the Butt Hall in 1959. The BDC is basically a drama club which has expanded its remit considerably. Apart from its own amateur drama productions, and participating in regional and national drama festivals, Ballybofey is home to Finn Park where League of Ireland side Finn Harps play their home games. Seán MacCumhail Park is also located in Ballybofey, where the Donegal senior football team play most of their home games, the Isaac Butt Memorial Hall is named after him. Ballybofey railway station opened on 3 June 1895, but finally closed on 15 December 1947, list of populated places in Ireland Market Houses in the Republic of Ireland Ballybofey/Stranorlar Fiach Arts Twin Town Oils
24.
Glenties
–
Glenties is a village in County Donegal, Ireland. It is situated where two glens meet, north-west of the Bluestack Mountains, near the confluence of two rivers, Glenties is the largest centre of population in the parish of Iniskeel. Glenties has won the Irish Tidy Towns Competition five times in 1958,1959,1960,1962 and 1995 and has won a medal many other times, the current population of Glenties is 869. Evidence of early settlement in the area is given by the dolmens, standing stones. The area became part of the baronies of Boylagh and Bannagh in 1609, Glenties was a regular stopping point on the road between the established towns of Ballybofey and Killybegs, and grew from this in the 17th and 18th centuries. The town was developed as a home for the Marquess Conyngham in the 1820s. The court house and market house were built in 1843, the Bank of Ireland building was completed in 1880. A workhouse was built during the Famine at the site of the current Comprehensive School in 1846, a 40-bed Fever Hospital was later added to care for the sick and dying. The landlord, the Marquis of Conyngham, decided to halve the population of the town in 1847, only those who could show title to their land as rentpayers were allowed to remain. The rest were given an option of going to America on a ship provided or entering the Workhouse in Glenties, over 40,000 people died or emigrated from Co. Donegal between the years 1841 and 1851, the railway was completed in 1895 from Ballybofey. In 1903 a local water scheme was established, to be replaced in 1925 by the current Lough Anna supply, in 1932 electricity was first generated locally in the town. Rural electrification came in the 1950s, barracks were attacked on numerous occasions during the War of Independence in 1920/1921. On 29 June 1921, a group of Black and Tans were ambushed on their way to Ardara at Kilraine by the insurgents, two Free State soldiers were killed at Lacklea in 1922 by IRA forces, during the Civil War. In January 1944 a British RAF Sunderland Mark III flying boat crashed in the Croaghs area of the Bluestack Mountains, outside of Glenties, in April 2006, IRA informer Denis Donaldson was shot dead by the Real IRA at a remote cottage near Derryloaghan,8 km from Glenties. Bord na Móna bought 1,200 acres of bog in 1937 to be drained, by 1943 a railway had been extended from Kilraine across the Owenea River to the bogs at Tullyard. Machine cutting commenced in 1946, utilising German made cutting machines, the company employed 250 men in peak season and peak production was 22,000 tons in 1965. Operations ceased in the late 1990s and the railways and stock were lifted in 2006, Glenties is a Municipal District, which returns six local residents to Donegal County Council
25.
Telephone numbers in the Republic of Ireland
–
Numbers on the Irish Telephone Numbering Plan are regulated and assigned to operators by ComReg. Telephone numbers in Ireland are similar in format to those in many European open numbering plans, for example the UK or Germany, however, one can also dial local calls with the full area code without any difference in charge. The trunk prefix is 0 and is followed by an area code, calls made from mobile phones, however, always require the full area code and phone number. Irish area codes vary in length, between one and three digits, and subscribers numbers are between five and seven digits, Irish geographical area structured on a regional basis and follow a logical hierarchy of regions and sub-regions. These area codes correspond to the following geographical regions,01 - Greater Dublin,02 - South,04,0506,07,09. The midlands area is covered by several regional codes, Codes do not necessarily match county or provincial boundaries, as they evolved to suit technical requirements of the network as it developed over the decades. Except for the 01 area, each area is subdivided into smaller areas. Usually, the city or town in the area is 0X1. 01 — Dublin area – also extends to parts of Wicklow, Meath. 021–029 — Most of County Cork, Cork City, Bantry, Bandon,0402,0404, 041–047 and 049 — North East, Midlands and parts of Wicklow. 061–069 South West and Mid West Area 071,074 — North West Area,01 — Dublin city, County Dublin and parts of counties Kildare, Wicklow and Meath. 02 — Cork city, most of County Cork and a part of County Waterford, Cork City, Mallow, Bandon, Youghal, Fermoy, Macroom, Bantry, Skibbereen. 04 — East Coast, and parts of Midlands e. g. Drogheda, Dundalk, Longford, Mullingar, Kildare, Navan, Monaghan, Cavan, Arklow, Wicklow. 05 — Southeast & East Midlands e. g.07 — Northwest including Counties Sligo, Leitrim and Donegal, e. g. Sligo, Carrick-on-Shannon, Manorhamilton and Bundoran, Letterkenny, Ballybofey, the prefix,088, was previously issued to the Eircell analogue service. This has subsequently been issued to Digiweb, Irish mobile telephone numbering is part of a closed numbering plan. This means that a phone number must have 10 digits. Calls to landlines, and the like, require the code on mobile phone. Mobile number portability has been in operation since 2003, while a new connection to any network will take the prefix above, there is no guarantee that a number with one of those prefixes has remained on that network
26.
Athlone
–
Athlone is a town on the River Shannon near the southern shore of Lough Ree in Ireland. It is the largest town in the Midlands Region, the 2011 Census of Ireland recorded the population of the town at 20,153, a 14. 8% increase from 2006. Recent growth has occurred outside the towns boundaries. Athlone is near the centre of Ireland, which is 8.85 kilometres north-northwest of the town. Athlone Castle is the geographical and historical centre of Athlone, in 1001 Brian Bóru sailed his army up river from Kincora and through Lough Derg to attend a gathering in Athlone. A bridge was built across the river in the 12th century, to protect the bridge, a fort was constructed on the rivers west bank, within Athlone, by Turloch Mór Ó Conor. On a number of both the fort and bridge were subject to attacks, and towards the end of the 12th century the Anglo-Normans constructed a motte-and-bailey fortification there. This earthen fort was followed by a structure built in 1210 by Justiciar John de Gray. The 12-sided donjon, or tower, dates from time, however. Throughout the wars that wracked Ireland in the 17th century, Athlone contained the vital, forty years later, during the pan-European War of the Grand Alliance, the town was again of key strategic importance. This time around, Athlone was one of the Jacobite strongholds that defended the river-crossings into the confederate-held Province of Connacht following the Battle of the Brits on 1 July 1690. That same year, Colonel Richard Graces Jacobite forces in Athlone repelled an attack by 10,000 men led by Commander Douglas. The defenders were forced to further west, toward the River Suck. The most recently discovered account of the Siege of Athlone, written after the attack, in the 1970s it was proposed in the Republican Éire Nua programme to make Athlone the capital city of a federal United Ireland. This proposal is still upheld by the Republican Sinn Féin, the part of the town that lies east of the Shannon is in the province of Leinster, the county of Westmeath, the barony of Brawny, and the civil parish of St Marys. Unusually, the barony is coterminous with a civil parish. In terms of boundaries, the eastern past of the town is in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise. However, seven townlands, or sections of the town, lie west of the Shannon, Athlone and Big Meadow, Bellaugh, Bogganfin, Canal and Banks, Doovoge, part of Monksland, and Ranelagh
27.
Portumna
–
Portumna is a market town in the south-east of County Galway, Ireland, on the border with County Tipperary. The town is located to the west of the point where the River Shannon enters Lough Derg and this historic crossing point over the River Shannon between counties Tipperary and Galway has a long history of bridges and ferry crossings. On the south-western edge of the town lie Portumna Castle and Portumna forest park, Portumna is served with a five-span road bridge over the Shannon. This was designed by C. E. Stanier of London, the opening section was replaced in October 2008. The Shannon at this point consists of two divided by Hayes Island, the one on the County Tipperary side being about 79 m wide. Each channel is spanned by three pairs of plate girders, either 24 m or 27 m in length, resting on 3 m diameter concrete-filled cast-iron cylinders. A number of Poor Law Unions were set up across Ireland during the Great Famine, the Portumna Union was formally declared on 22 February 1850, covering an area of 121 square miles as a subdivision of the Ballinasloe and Loughrea unions. The Portumna Union workhouse was erected on a 9 acres site 0.5 miles to the north-east of Portumna. Designed by the Poor Law Commissioners architect George Wilkinson, the building was intended to accommodate 600 inmates who were affected by the lack of both employment and food at the time. Its construction cost £6,700 plus £1,175 for fittings etc. one of the front blocks is, however, used by a local council depot. The Irish Workhouse Centre, opened in the old Portumna Workhouse during summer 2011, is the only centre telling the history of workhouses in Ireland, the town is noted for Portumna Castle and for the lords that lived there. The castle is actually a house and was built before 1618 by Richard Burke or de Burgo. It was the seat of the de Burgo family for over 200 years. The castle is located about 200 metres North of Portumna Harbour on Lough Derg, with Portumna Forest Park to the west, following conservation and restoration work, the ground floor of the castle is now open to the public from April–September daily and from September–October on weekends only. The conservation works on other parts of the castle are ongoing, to the north of the castle are formal, geometrically laid out gardens. The castle also includes the restored 17th century walled kitchen garden, as with many historic buildings a number of local legends have grown up around the castle. One local legend goes that a child out of the upper windows. An Irish Wolfhound raced over, broke the fall and saved the child
28.
Ballinasloe
–
Ballinasloe /ˌbælɪnæˈsloʊ/ is a town in the easternmost part of County Galway in Ireland. It is one of the largest towns in County Galway with a population of approximately 7,200 people, the town developed as a crossing point on the River Suck, a tributary of the Shannon. The Irish placename – meaning the mouth of the ford of the crowds – reflects this purpose, the latter part of the name suggests the town has been a meeting place since ancient times. The patron saint of Ballinasloe is Saint Grellan, whom tradition believes built the first church in the area at Kilcloony, a local housing estate, a GAA club, the branch of Conradh na Gaeilge, and formerly a school are named after him. Richard Mór de Burgh is credited with founding the town, every October, Ballinasloe is host to the ancient annual October Fair. Chiefly agricultural in the past, it is now focused on the horse, Ballinasloe Fair is one of the oldest horse fairs in Europe, bathed in history it dates back to the 18th century. Between 2000 and 2004, the economy took a hit with the closure of Square D, AT Cross. Supermacs opened their first store there and there is now four stores open in the town, as of 2016, employment in the town centres around its hotels, hospital and factories. The town can also be accessed by bus, with Bus Eireann and CityLink serving the town on their Limerick to Galway. Once a notorious bottleneck on the old Galway to Dublin road, on 18 December 2009, the town was bypassed for the first time. From 1828 to the 1960s, Ballinasloe was the terminus of the Grand Canal, Guinness Company used the towns canal stores to store and distribute the Guinness to the midlands. Grand Canal provided a route for Guinness barges to travel from Dublin to Shannon Harbour. A new public marina has been developed on the river in recent years that allows traffic from the Shannon navigation to access the town. A number of newspapers circulate in the Ballinasloe area, such as Ballinasloe Life magazine, the Connacht Tribune, Galway Advertiser, Athlone Topic, as Ballinasloe sits on the border between two counties it is served by 2 local radio stations, Galway Bay FM and Shannonside FM. Local radio from other neighbouring counties such as Midlands 103 and Tipp FM are well received in the area, national stations in the area include RTÉ Radio 1, 2FM, RTÉ Lyric FM, Today FM and 4FM. Local website, www. ballinasloe. ie, is great for finding out information about upcoming events, Ballinasloe itself harbours historically rich soccer, golf, and rugby clubs, alongside Duggan Park Gaelic Athletic Association grounds. The local GAA clubs are Ballinasloe GAA, Derrymullen Handball Club, the Soccer Club Ballinasloe Town AFC is one of the most successful association football clubs in the area, playing its games at The Curragh Grounds in the town. Ballinasloe has a tradition as well, and two resident boxing clubs
29.
Galway
–
Galway is a city in the West of Ireland in the province of Connacht. Galway City Council is the authority for the city. Galway lies on the River Corrib between Lough Corrib and Galway Bay and is surrounded by County Galway and it is the fourth most populous urban area in the Republic of Ireland and the sixth most populous city in the island of Ireland. According to the 2016 Irish Census, Galway city has a population of 79,504, however, Galway will be European Capital of Culture in 2020, alongside Rijeka, Croatia. The citys name is from the Irish name for Abhainn na Gaillimhe, historically, the name was Anglicised as Galliv, which is closer to the Irish pronunciation as is the citys name in Latin, Galvia. The city also bears the nickname The City of the Tribes because of the fourteen merchant families called the tribes of Galway led the city in its Hiberno-Norman period. The term tribes was a one, because the merchants saw themselves as Anglo-Irish and were loyal to the King during the English Civil War. They later adopted the term as a badge of honour and pride in defiance of the towns Cromwellian occupier, residents of the city refer to themselves as Galwegians. Dún Bhun na Gaillimhe was constructed in 1124, by the King of Connacht, eventually, a small settlement grew up around this fort. During the Norman invasion of Connacht in the 1230s, Galway fort was captured by Richard Mor de Burgh, as the de Burghs eventually became Gaelicised, the merchants of the town, the Tribes of Galway, pushed for greater control over the walled city. This led to their complete control over the city and to the granting of mayoral status by the English crown in December 1484. Galway endured difficult relations with its Irish neighbours, a notice over the west gate of the city, completed in 1562 by Mayor Thomas Óge Martyn, stated From the Ferocious OFlahertys may God protect us. A by-law forbade the native Irish unrestricted access into Galway, saying neither O’ nor Mac shall strutte nor swagger through the streets of Galway without permission, during the Middle Ages, Galway was ruled by an oligarchy of fourteen merchant families. These were the The Tribes of Galway, the city thrived on international trade, and in the Middle Ages, it was the principal Irish port for trade with Spain and France. The most famous reminder of days is ceann an bhalla, now known as the Spanish Arch. In 1477 Christopher Columbus visited Galway, possibly stopping off on a voyage to Iceland or the Faroe Islands, seven or eight years later, he noted in the margin of his copy of Imago Mundi, Men of Cathay have come from the west. During the 16th and 17th centuries Galway remained loyal to the English crown for the most part, even during the Gaelic resurgence, however, by 1642 the city had allied itself with the Catholic Confederation of Kilkenny during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. During the resulting Cromwellian conquest of Ireland, Cromwellian forces captured the city after a nine-month siege, the great families of Galway were ruined
30.
Tuam
–
Tuam, Irish, Tuaim is a town in Ireland and the second largest settlement in County Galway. It is situated west of the midlands of Ireland, approximately 35 km north of Galway city, human existence in the area dates to the Bronze Age while the historic period dates from the 6th century. The town became increasingly important in the 11th and 12th centuries in political, the market based layout of the town and square indicates the importance of commerce. The record of settlement in Tuam dates back to the Bronze Age when an area adjacent to Shop Street was used as a burial ground. The name Tuam is a cognate with the Latin term tumulus, the towns ancient name was Tuaim Dá Ghualann, i. e. the burial mound of two shoulders. The name probably refers to the ground on either side of the River Nanny. In 1875, a Bronze Age burial urn was discovered in the area by workmen, an early glass photograph still exists. The history of Tuam as a settlement dates from the sixth century. Legend states that a monk called Iarlaithe mac Loga who was a member of a community at Cloonfush some 6 km west of Tuam. Iarlaithes life became uncertain as he wished to travel, eventually, Iarlaithes abbot, Benignus of Armagh told him to Go, and where ever your chariot wheel breaks, there shall be the site of your new monastery and the place of your resurrection. Iarlaithes wheel broke at Tuam and he established a monastery there, as was typical with early settlements in Ireland, religious sites became established first and towns grew around them. Likewise, Tuam grew up around the monastery and has kept the broken chariot wheel as its heraldic symbol, in 1049, when Aedh OConnor defeated Amalgaid ua Flaithbertaigh, King of Iar Connacht, the OConnor kings became kings of Connacht. OConnor then built a castle at Tuam and made it his principal stronghold and this event was directly responsible for the subsequent rise in the importance of the town. Its position dominated the Iar Connacht heartland of Maigh Seóla, in the twelfth century, the town became the centre of Provincial power during the fifty-year reign of Tairrdelbach Ua Conchobair. He also brought Tuam its most prominent status as seat of the High King of Ireland which he achieved by force of arms during his long career. At the Synod of Kells in 1152, the centre of government also became the centre, as Tuam was erected into an Archbishopric. Tairrdelbach was succeeded by his son Ruaidrí Ua Conchobair, the last native High King of Ireland, in 1164, Ruaidrí had a wonderful castle erected, with a large courtyard defended by lofty and massive walls and a deep moat into which the adjacent river was diverted through. This was the first Irish built stone castle, a small part of the castle still stands
31.
Headford
–
Headford is a town in County Galway, located 26 km north of Galway city in the west of Ireland. It is on the N84 national secondary road from Galway to Castlebar and the R333, in his 1837 Topographical Dictionary of Ireland, Samuel Lewis recorded a population of 1,441. It comprises 217 houses, is a chief constabulary police station, bobbin lace, coarse linen, and flannel are made. The market is on Tuesday, and fairs are held on May 11th, here is also Clydagh House, the seat of G. Staunton Lynch, Esq. Headford appeared in the Oscar-winning film The Quiet Man starring John Wayne, the St.5 km west of the town, is its boating harbour. It is 2 km south of the Black River which is the county boundary with Mayo and it is also the centre of an area richly endowed with archaeological monuments including prehistoric burial cairns, Iron Age stone enclosures, early Norman and later castles, and many monastic sites. These include Ross Errilly Friary, founded in 1351, which has described as the best preserved monastic ruin in Ireland. The modern cattle mart replaces the fairs and markets once held in the two squares and it ensures the local popularity of this North Galway town. The annual Saint Patricks Day parade in 2009 marked the return of a market in the town, at the end of April 2009, a new set of traffic lights was erected and turned on at the main crossroads in the town. A sewerage scheme upgrade costing €8 million, which enable the addition of hundreds of new houses, was opened by Environment Minister Phil Hogan in 2011. The polling station for elections is Headford Girls Primary School, polling also takes place in Claran Primary School for the Claran and Greenfields area of the Headford townland. The town is part of the North-West constituency for European Parliament elections and it is part of the Galway East constituency for elections to Dáil Éireann, and is part of the Tuam electoral area for Galway County Council elections. There are another three primary schools within the parish and one second level school, the Presentation College Headford which has 740 students, the Presentation College is the largest secondary school in the whole western region. The Headford Parish has two churches, both of which are Catholic and were built by Fr, peter Conway and dedicated to St. Mary. The church at Claran was built in 1859 and for years was the home of the parish priest. The church in Headford was built in 1865 on lands donated by the landlord St. George, father Ray Flaherty is parish priest of the Headford parish with Fr. Headford is twinned with, Le Faouët, Brittany, France, morgan Hill, Santa Clara County, California, United States
32.
Castlebar
–
Castlebar is the county town of County Mayo, Ireland. It is the largest town in County Mayo, a campus of Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology and the Country Life section of the National Museum of Ireland are two important local amenities. The town is linked by railway to Dublin, Westport and Ballina, the main route by road is the N5. The modern town grew up as a settlement around the de Barry castle, the castle was located at the end of Castle Street, where the town river is thought to have originally flowed. Castlebar Barracks operated in the town for years, it was finally closed in March 2012. Armed conflict has been the centrepiece of the historical heritage. A short-lived provisional Irish Republic had been declared upon General Humberts arrival at Killala, following the victory at Castlebar John Moore, head of the Mayo United Irishmen and the brother of a local landowner, was declared president of the Province of Connacht. The town received its charter from King James I in 1613, and is governed by an urban district council. The Lake in Castlebar is also known as Lough Lannagh, the Irish National Land League was founded by Michael Davitt, of Straide in County Mayo, at the Imperial Hotel in Castlebar on 21 October 1879. The name of the town comes from the built in 1235. This castle is depicted in the top of the crest, with two yew trees on either side because Castlebar is the county town of Mayo, the crosses represent the parish of Aglish. The 1798 Races of Castlebar is commemorated with the Pikes in the top left-hand corner, underneath, the words Ar Aghaidh can be found, which means Forward. Castlebar expanded rapidly during the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s, castlebars population boomed in the late 1990s, rising by one-third in six years, though this growth has slowed in recent years. According to the 2011 Census it stands at 10,826 inside urban boundaries and 12,318 with environs, by comparison, in 1926 the population of Castlebar was 4,256. Castlebar is the location for important festivals and traditions, among which is the International Four Days Walk, a well-established blues music festival in venues across the town took place for many years on the weekend before the first Monday in June, but has not taken place since 2011. During the 1970s and 1980s the town hosted the International Castlebar Song Contest which was televised nationally on RTÉ, the Museum of Country Life is located on the outskirts of Castlebar, and is the only branch of the National Museum of Ireland located outside Dublin. Castlebar is home to The Linenhall Arts Centre, which exhibits visual art throughout the year, as well as hosting live drama, the Linenhall also organises an annual childrens arts festival called Roola Boola. The Royal Theatre and Event Centre, with a capacity of two thousand two hundred fully seated, four standing, hosts larger-scale productions and popular music concerts
33.
Clifden
–
Clifden is a town on the coast of County Galway, Ireland and being Connemaras largest town, it is often referred to as the Capital of Connemara. It is located on the Owenglin River where it flows into Clifden Bay, the town is linked to Galway city by the N59 and is a popular tourist destination for those touring Connemara. The town was founded at the start of the 19th century by John DArcy who lived in Clifden Castle west of Clifden and he had inherited the estate in 1804, when it was mostly inhabited by fishermen and farmers. The idea of establishing a town on the coast was first voiced by him in 1812, bad communications and a lack of private capital prevented fast progress until the 1820s, when the potato crop failed in 1821-22 and DArcy petitioned the government in Dublin for assistance. The engineer Alexander Nimmo was sent to the area in 1822 and he constructed a quay at Clifden, and started a road to Galway. With these improvements to its infrastructure, the town began to grow and it prospered until, in 1839, John DArcy died. The population had grown to 1,100 and the town already sported the triangle of streets still visible today, products that were shipped out from Clifden Harbour included marble, corn, fish and kelp. However, Johns son and heir, Hyacinth, lacked his fathers abilities, in 1843, Daniel OConnell held a Monster Meeting at Clifden, attended by a crowd reportedly numbering 100,000, at which he spoke on repeal of the Act of Union. The towns surging growth and prosperity came to an end when the famine started in 1845, large numbers of people died, as government help proved insufficient to deal with starvation, scurvy and other diseases. By 1848 90% of the population were on relief, landlords went bankrupt as rents dried up. On 18 November 1850, Hyacinth DArcy put up his estates for sale and most of them were purchased by Charles, Hyacinth pursued a church career and became Rector of Omey and Clifden. Charles Eyre sold his share to his brother, who gave the estates to his nephew John Joseph in 1864, in 1855, Sisters of Mercy from Galway came to Clifden and established St. Josephs Convent, followed by an orphanage and St. Josephs Industrial School in 1858. Beginning 1 July 1895, Clifden railway station was the terminus of the Midland Great Western Railway. The first point-to-point fixed wireless service connecting Europe with North America opened for service with the transmission of 10,000 words on 17 October 1907. At peak times, up to 200 people were employed by the Clifden wireless station, among them Jack Phillips, on 15 June 1919 the first transatlantic flight by Alcock and Brown crashlanded in Derrygimlagh bog, close to Marconis transatlantic wireless station. When Captain Alcock spotted the green bog he thought it was a meadow where he could land his Vickers Vimy biplane. The planes landing gear sank into the bog and was destroyed. Alcock and Brown had to walk into town with minor injuries, when they returned the locals had helped themselves to parts of the plane as souvenirs
34.
Ballina, County Mayo
–
Ballina is a town in north County Mayo, Ireland. It lies at the mouth of the River Moy near Killala Bay, in the Moy valley and Parish of Kilmoremoy, with the Ox Mountains to the east and the Nephin Beg mountains to the west. The town occupies two baronies, Tirawley on the west bank of the Moy River, and Tireragh, a barony within the County of Sligo, the population of Ballina is 10,361 according to the 2011 census and is Mayos largest urban area. According to Encyclopædia Britannica the first signs of settlement on the site of the dates from around 1375 when an Augustinian friary was founded. Belleek, now part of the town, pre-dates the town’s formation, however, what is now known as Belleek Castle was built in 1831. Ballina was officially established as a town in 1723 by OHara, the Dolmen of the Four Maols is located on Primrose Hill behind Ballinas Railway Station. The dolmen dates from c2,000 B. C. and is called locally the Table of the Giants. Legend has it that the dolmen is the place of the four Maols. The four Maols murdered Ceallach, a 7th-century Bishop of Kilmoremoy and were quartered at Ardnaree - the Hill of Executions, tradition says that their bodies were buried under the dolmen. The Belleek estate once occupied lands from the Moy River to the modern-day Killala Road. The River Moy was the county border between Mayo and Sligo until the Local Government Act 1898, under which the bank of the Moy, including Ardnaree. This is a suburb of Ballina, the Battle of Ardnaree was fought there in 1586. Ardnaree Sarsfields GFC is based there, the Centenary memorial was dedicated on 11 May 1898 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the French landing at Killala in support of the Irish Rebellion of 1798. The monument was sculptured by a Dublin Craftsman but in recent years it has been restored locally. The figure on the monument is not Humbert but Mother Ireland, Maud Gonne unveiled the monument, and at the unveiling event famously poured water over another speakers head. The monument was moved to its current location on Humbert Street in 1987, the town has some notable architecture, including the 15th-century Moyne Abbey, and St Muredachs Cathedral, which is the Cathedral Church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Killala. Work on the Cathedral began in 1827, the stone was quarried locally and the roof and ceiling were completed before the Great Famine. The spire was completed in 1855 and by 1875 the organ had been commissioned, the streets of Ballina consist mainly of three and four storey Georgian and Victorian buildings, though the structures of several buildings are actually far older
35.
Belmullet
–
Belmullet or Béal an Mhuirthead is a coastal Gaeltacht town with a population of around 1,000 on the Mullet Peninsula in the barony of Erris, County Mayo, Ireland. It is the commercial and cultural heart of the barony of Erris, Belmullet has two bays, Blacksod Bay and Broadhaven Bay, linked by Carters Canal running through the town. The origin of the name Belmullet is not clear and it may have come from Irish Béal Muileat or Béal an Mhuileat, which has been translated as mouth of the isthmus. Bernard OHara in Mayo, Aspects of its Heritage suggests that A change from L to R and it has also been suggested that the latter half of the name may refer to the fish or the star shape used in heraldry. According to Richard Pococke, in about 1715, Sir Arthur Shaen began building a town where Belmullet now stands. During the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, an admiral chased pirates into Broadhaven Bay, hauled his boats across the isthmus, however, little development of the town occurred, and by 1752 the canal was choked up and impassable. Belmullet was the scene of Monster meetings of the Land League at the end of the 19th century, in the early 19th century Belmullet consisted of little more than a few thatched buildings. In 1820, the first post office in Erris opened in the new town of Belmullet, in 1822, a coastguard station was built. William Henry Carter had inherited huge tracts of Shaens land in Erris when he married Shaens daughter, a new road was built which connected Belmullet with Castlebar, which was completed in 1824. In 1825, Carter built a large enough to accommodate vessels of 100 tons. By 1826. Five ships were loaded with grain and kept, iron hoops and coal were imported, spirits, beer, British manufacturers and tea and sugar were sold, the produce of the fisheries were admitted to a market. By 1831, the population of Belmullet was 585, a Roman Catholic chapel was built in 1832 at the cost of £300. There was a postal service between Ballina and Belmullet. In 1833, a courthouse was built also costing £300 which held weekly court sessions, in the 1830s, a visitor described it as the youngest town in Ireland and like all young things it is comparatively fresh and fair. Buildings are going on and speculation is progressing and he also commented that the approach to the town was spoiled by deformed, wretched bog huts. Two new roads were built - one to the east went to Ballycastle, the export of meal from the area to England started. The local Protestant Church was built in 1843, in 1845, work began to re-open the canal which had been constructed by Arthur Shaen. Because of the Irish Famine, the canal was not completed until 1851, during the Relief work for the Distress in 1846 and 1847, the footpaths were formed and flagged
36.
Westport, County Mayo
–
Westport is a town in County Mayo in Ireland. It is at the south-east corner of Clew Bay, an inlet of the Atlantic Ocean on the west coast of Ireland. The design for the town was commissioned in the 1780s by the John Browne of the stately home, Westport House, as a place for his workers. John Browne cleared the village of Cahernamart, that had 700 inhabitants. The current town centre was designed by James Wyatt in 1780. Its layout follows the principles of urban design introduced by the Normans in the 13th century. Some modern interventions, such as the Garda station, are successful in maintaining the original continuity of the urban fabric. The famous pilgrimage mountain of Croagh Patrick, known locally as the Reek, lies some 10 km west of the town near the villages of Murrisk, the mountain forms the backdrop to the town. Westport is a popular tourist destination and scores highly for Quality of Life and it has also won the Irish Tidy Towns Competition three times in 2001,2006 and 2008, in 2012 it also won the Best Place to Live in Ireland competition run by The Irish Times. The original village of Cathair na Mart existed somewhere around what is now the front lawn of Westport House and it had a high street, alleys down to the river and a population of around 700. A small port also existed at the mouth of the Carrowbeg river, roads lead from the village to the west, the south and the east. The town was moved to its present site in the 1780s by the Browne family of Westport House to make way for their gardens and was renamed Westport. Westport is designated as a town and is unusual in Ireland in that it is one of only a few planned towns in the country. The design of the town is attributed to James Wyatt, an English architect and he also completed Westport House, the stately home of the Marquess of Sligo and designed its dining room. Westport House had originally built by Richard Cassels, the German architect, in the 1730s. The most notable feature of James Wyatts town plan is the tree-lined boulevard, since the late 20th century, Westport has greatly expanded with several new estates. Some of the most populous estates are, Springfield, the Carrowbeg Estate, Horkans Hill, Cedar Park, Fairways, Knockranny Village and Sharkey Hill. In October 2015 it was revealed that the Westport House Estate was in the National Asset Management Agency for debts secured on the 380 acre estate, but not the house, for almost 10 million Euros
37.
Achill Island
–
Achill Island in County Mayo is the largest island off the coast of Ireland, and is situated off the west coast. It has a population of 2,700, Achill is attached to the mainland by Michael Davitt Bridge, between the villages of Gob an Choire and Poll Raithní. A bridge was first completed here in 1887, replaced by structure in 1949. Other centres of population include the villages of Keel, Dooagh, Dumha Éige, Dún Ibhir, The Valley, the parishs main Gaelic football pitch and secondary school are on the mainland at Poll Raithní. Early human settlements are believed to have established on Achill around 3000 BC. A paddle dating from this period was found at the crannóg near Dookinella, the island is 87% peat bog. The parish of Achill also includes the Curraun peninsula, some of the people of Curraun consider themselves Achill people, and most natives of Achill refer to this area as being in Achill. There are between 500-600 native Irish speakers in Achill parish, in the summer of 1996, the RNLI decided to station a lifeboat at Kildownet. It is believed that at the end of the Neolithic Period, the island would have been mostly forest until the Neolithic people began crop cultivation. Settlement increased during the Iron Age, and the dispersal of small forts around the coast indicate the warlike nature of the times. Megalithic tombs and forts can be seen at Slievemore, along the Atlantic Drive, Achill Island lies in the Barony of Burrishoole, in the territory of ancient Umhall, that originally encompassed an area extending from the County Galway/Mayo border to Achill Head. The hereditary chieftains of Umhall were the OMalleys, recorded in the area in 814 AD when they repelled an onslaught by the Vikings in Clew Bay. The Anglo-Norman invasion of Connacht in 1235 AD saw the territory of Umhall taken over by the Butlers, the Butler Lordship of Burrishoole continued into the late 14th century when Thomas le Botiller was recorded as being in possession of Akkyll & Owyll. In the 17th and 18th centuries, there was migration to Achill from other parts of Ireland, particularly Ulster, due to the political. For a while there were two different dialects of Irish being spoken on Achill and this led to many townlands being recorded as having two names during the 1824 Ordnance Survey, and some maps today give different names for the same place. Achill Irish still has traces of Ulster Irish. Carrickkildavnet Castle is a 15th-century tower house associated with the OMalley Clan, Grace O Malley, or Granuaile, the most famous of the OMalleys, was born on Clare Island around 1530. Her father was the chieftain of the barony of Murrisk, the OMalleys were a powerful seafaring family, who traded widely
38.
Kilronan
–
Cill Rónáin is the main settlement on Inishmore, one of the Aran Islands off the west coast of Ireland in County Galway. The ferries serving the island call at Doolin, County Clare and also Rossaveal, the main industries are fishing and tourism. School children also visit to improve their Irish at summer schools, as of 2011,297 people live in the village. It is the subject of The Magnetic Fields song Abigail, Belle of Kilronan from their album 69 Love Songs, list of towns and villages in Ireland
39.
Aran Islands
–
The Aran Islands or The Arans are a group of three islands located at the mouth of Galway Bay, on the west coast of Ireland, with a total area of about 46 square kilometers. They constitute the barony of Aran in County Galway, Ireland, from west to east the islands are, Inishmore, the largest, Inishmaan, the second-largest, and Inisheer, the smallest. The 1,200 inhabitants primarily speak Irish, the used in local placenames. All islanders are also fluent in English, the approaches to the bay between the Aran Islands and the mainland are as follows, North Sound / An Súnda ó Thuaidh lies between Inishmore and Lettermullen, County Galway. Gregorys Sound / Súnda Ghríoghóra lies between Inishmore and Inishmaan, foul Sound / An Súnda Salach lies between Inishmaan and Inisheer. South Sound / An Súnda ó Dheas lies between Inisheer and County Clare, Ferries operate to all three islands from Rossaveal in Co. Flights operated by Aer Arann Islands also operate from Inverin, the islands geology is mainly karst limestone, related to the Burren in County Clare, not the granites of Connemara to the north. This is most obvious in the construction of the walls around the fields, glaciation following the Namurian facilitated greater denudation. The result is that the Aran Islands are one of the finest examples of a Glacio-Karst landscape in the world, the effects of the last glacial period are most in evidence, with the islands overrun by ice during this glaciation. The impact of earlier karstification has been eliminated by the last glacial period, any karstification now seen dates from approximately 11,000 years ago and the island karst is thus recent. Solutional processes have widened and deepened the grykes of the limestone pavement, pre-existing lines of weakness in the rock contribute to the formation of extensive fissures separated by clints. The rock karstification facilitates the formation of subterranean drainage, the islands have an unusually temperate climate. Average air temperatures range from 15 °C in July to 6 °C in January, the soil temperature does not usually drop below 6 °C. Since grass will grow once the temperature rises above 6 °C, this means that the island has one of the longest growing seasons in Ireland or Britain, late May is the sunniest time and also likely the best time to view flowers, with the gentians and avens peaking. The islands supports arctic, Mediterranean and alpine plants side-by-side, due to the unusual environment, like the Burren, the Aran islands are renowned for their remarkable assemblage of plants and animals. The grikes provide moist shelter, thus supporting a range of plants including dwarf shrubs. Where the surface of the pavement is shattered into gravel, many of the hardier Arctic or alpine plants can be found, but when the limestone pavement is covered by a thin layer of soil, patches of grass are seen, interspersed with plants like the gentian and orchids. On the cliff tops, ancient forts such as Dún Aonghasa on Inishmór, a lacework of ancient stone walls across all three islands encloses networks of small fields to contain local livestock
40.
Eircell
–
Eircell was an Irish mobile cellular network provider which was established in 1984, with operations commencing in 1986. It was defined by the access code 088 and it became defunct in 2001 when the company was acquired by Vodafone. Eircell underwent a branding exercise prior to its acquisition by the Vodafone group in late 2000. The main branding was to associate a shade of purple with the company. When Vodafone rebranded with its shade of red, the company commented that red is the new purple. The company was known as Eircell-Vodafone for some time as the process took nine months in total, the price for mobile phones ranged from IR£1500 to IR£2000 and subscribers were typically politicians or wealthy businessmen. The market-leading phone manufacturers in the years of the Irish market were Nokia. Sales were poor partly because Eircell was not in the business of selling phones, a year later, it launched its GSM900 networks which quickly took hold as users rapidly switched over to the new digital technology. Communications in Ireland Vodafone Ireland Official site The Telegraph - December 2000 - Vodafones acquisition of Eircell Business2000. ie - Eircell Case Study
41.
Digiweb
–
Digiweb is a telecommunications company in Ireland, supplying business and consumer broadband and web hosting. Digiweb is 100% Irish-owned and run, and is headquartered in Dundalk, County Louth, with its technical, installation, in May 2013, it acquired the British telecommunications company Viatel. Digiweb offer a variety of services in Ireland, Metro Wireless Broadband, mobile broadband, DSL and VDSL broadband. The main wireless broadband service offers various packages from 5 Mb/s down/1 Mb up to 30 Mb down/1 Mb up. The service requires line-of-sight to the location and is offered up to 10 km from the point-of-service. Metro uses DOCSIS2.0 over microwave frequencies, Digiweb are also testing a DOCSIS3.0 platform supporting speeds in excess of 100 Mb/s. A smaller-scale wireless broadband service is offered in smaller towns around the country, as Digiweb offer a phone service without the Eircom copper pair, they are one of the few competitors along to Eircoms fixed line voice service. In April 2007, Digiweb announced that they are set to become Irelands fifth mobile phone provider, comReg, the telecoms regulator, allocated the 088 prefix to the new network – the same prefix used by Eircells old analogue TACS system. The service would have been Irelands first 4G network and should have taken 18 months to be rolled out, in 2007, they launched a revised business broadband portfolio with speeds of 100 Mbit/s as well as higher-end solutions with extra capacity and symmetrical speeds. In mid-2008, they announced the launch of a 1 Gb business package, Digiweb also provide web hosting and domain services in their purpose-built data centre based in Blanchardstown, Dublin. Services include shared, virtual, cloud, CoLo and dedicated hosting options, satellite broadband and ISP services such as hosting and domain registration are offered by Digiweb in Ireland, France, Italy and the United Kingdom. Digiweb were the 2007 Irish Telecommunications and ICT Company of the Year and were the technology sector business in Ireland in 2006
42.
Pager
–
A pager is a wireless telecommunications device that receives and displays alphanumeric messages and/or receives and announces voice messages. One-way pagers can only receive messages, while response pagers and two-way pagers can also acknowledge, reply to, Pagers operate as part of a paging system which includes one or more fixed transmitters, as well as a number of pagers carried by mobile users. These systems can range from a restaurant system with a single low-power transmitter, in the 2000s, the widespread availability of cellphones and smartphones has greatly diminished the pager industry. This resilience has led public safety agencies to adopt pagers over cellular, the first telephone pager system was patented in 1949 by Alfred J. Gross. One of the first practical paging services was launched in 1950 for physicians in the New York City area, physicians paid $12 per month for the service and carried a 200-gram pager that would receive phone messages within 40 kilometres of a single transmitter tower. The system was manufactured by the Reevesound Company and operated by Telanswerphone, in 1962 the Bell System—the U. S. telephone monopoly colloquially known as Ma Bell—presented its Bellboy radio paging system at the Seattle Worlds Fair. Bellboy was the first commercial system for personal paging and it also marked one of the first consumer applications of the transistor, for which three Bell Labs inventors received a Nobel Prize in Physics in 1956. Solid-state circuitry enabled the Bellboy pager, about the size of a small TV remote device, to fit into a pocket or purse. The Bellboy was a terminal that notified the user when someone was trying to call them, when the person received an audible signal on the pager, he found a telephone and called the service centre, which informed him of the callers message. The ReFLEX protocol was developed in the mid 1990s, another is a facility handling classified information, where various radio transmitter or data storage devices are excluded to ensure security. First responders in rural areas with inadequate cellular coverage are often issued pagers, volunteer firefighters, EMS paramedics, and rescue squad members usually carry pagers to alert them of emergency call outs for their department. These pagers receive a tone from a fire department radio frequency. Restaurant pagers are in use in the 2000s. Customers are given a portable receiver that usually vibrates, flashes, Pagers have been popular with birdwatchers in Britain and Ireland since 1991, with companies Rare Bird Alert and Birdnet Information offering news of rare birds sent to pagers that they sell. The U. S. paging industry generated $2.1 billion in revenue in 2008, in Canada,161,500 Canadians paid $18.5 million for pager service in 2013. Telus, one of the three major carriers, announced the end to its Canadian pager service as of March 31,2015. Many paging network operators now allow numeric and textual pages to be submitted to the paging networks via email and this can result in pager messages being delayed or lost. Older forms of message submission using the Telelocator Alphanumeric Protocol involve modem connections directly to a paging network, for this reason, older forms of message submission retain their usefulness for disseminating highly-important alerts to users such as emergency services personnel
43.
Three Ireland
–
Three Ireland Limited, formerly Hutchison 3G Ireland Ltd and trading as Three, is a telecommunications and internet service provider operating in Ireland as a subsidiary of CK Hutchison. The company launched in July 2005 and provides 3G and 4G mobile phone services, threes former holding company, Hutchison Whampoa, acquired O2 Ireland in June 2013, and the company was fully merged into the operations of Three Ireland in March 2015. Three launched on 26 July 2005 as Irelands fourth mobile network operator behind Vodafone, O2, service was initially offered as post-paid only, but on 16 May 2006 the introduction of a pre-paid service, known as 3Pay, was announced. A pre-paid mobile broadband service was launched on 29 February 2008 under the name 3Pay Broadband, with vouchers available for durations of one day, one week, on 13 May 2010, Three announced the launch of the worlds first commercial voice and data I-HSPA network. In August 2010,3 Ireland admitted it has been overstating its subscriber numbers since 2006, as per its latest released mid year statements about 56 per cent of 3s 554,000 registered subscribers are considered active. This is about 244,000 short of the figure supplied to ComReg, on 24 June 2013, it was announced that Hutchison would acquire Telefónicas Irish mobile operations, O2 for €780 million, to be merged into 3 Ireland upon completion of the deal. The European Commission approved the merger in 2014, the O2 brand was phased out and its operations fully merged into Three on 2 March 2015. Three has a licence for operation in Ireland using the access code 083, threes 3G coverage is made up of a single 2,100 MHz band UMTS network, with claims of 99. 5% population coverage and 500,000 subscribers. These have allowed them to concentrate on rapid rollout of their 4G network, in November 2012, Three was awarded LTE spectrum by auction, along with the three other incumbent network operators. On 27 January 2014, Three launched their 4G network in Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick, in March 2014, Three expanded their 4G coverage to Ashbourne, Bray, Carlow, Dunmore East, Kilkenny, Leixlip, Lusk, Rush, Skerries, Swords and Tullamore. In March 2016, Three Ireland announced that it is now offering Free 4G for Life to all its customers, previously, Three offered free 4G to all its customers up to a certain date at which point the company would review and possibly extend that date further. Three have announced they will be rolling out 4G+ to their customers offering faster Peak Speeds of 225 Mbps, Three say 4G+ is already available in Dublin and will be rolled out to the rest of the country by the end of April 2016. Three are offering 4G+ to all Customers with compatible handsets, on 5 August 2010,3 Ireland announced a four-year, €7,500,000 deal with the Football Association of Ireland to become the primary sponsor of all Republic of Ireland international football teams. Following Hutchison Whampoas acquisition of O2 Ireland, The O2 was renamed the 3Arena in 2014
44.
O2 (Ireland)
–
Telefónica Ireland was a broadband and telecommunications provider in Ireland that traded under the O2 brand. O2 Ireland was previously called Esat Digifone when it was owned by Esat Telecommunications from 1997 to 2006, O2 Ireland became a subsidiary of Telefónica in 2006, after its parent company O2 in the United Kingdom was purchased. In June 2013, Hutchison Whampoa announced it would acquire the Irish arm of O2 for €780m, O2 was merged into Hutchison Whampoas subsidiary Three Ireland in March 2015. The licence was awarded to Esat Digifone, a joint venture between Denis OBriens company Esat Telecommunications and Norways Telenor, which operations in 1997. The Moriarty Tribunal found in 2008 that the awarding of the licence was influenced by payments made to Lowry by OBrien, in 1999, Esat Telecom and Telenor began to dispute how Esat Digifone should be operated. Telenor removed the word Esat from the name, and began the attempted removal of Denis OBrien as chairman of Digifone. Esat Telecom retaliated by threatening to take action against Telenor. In November 1999, Telenor placed a bid for the share capital of Esat Telecom as a way of resolving the conflict. The bid was rejected by the majority shareholders of Esat Telecommunications who voted against the takeover, in January 2000, British Telecommunications counteracted Esat Telecom failed bid by placing its own bid to buy Telenors shares in Digifone. In January 2000, British Telecommunications made an offer for Telenor which was backed by Esat Telecommunications shareholders. Esat Telecommunications became a wholly owned subsidiary of British Telecommunications and was delisted from the stock market, when BT acquired Esat, they began integrating the business along with its Northern Ireland subsidiary, BT. However Esat Digifone was not part of the operations integrated with BTs existing Irish operations, instead, it became part of the BT Wireless division within BT, and was briefly rebranded simply Digifone. This branding lasted for less than six months, in 2001, the BT Wireless division became mmO2 plc, a separate company, through a demerger from BT. British Telecommunications shareholders received 1 BT Group and 1 mm02 share for each British Telecommunications share they held, after the de-merger, most of mmO2s operations, including Digifone, were rebranded O2. MmO2 plc later became O2 plc and remained an independent company until 2005, on 31 October 2005 it was announced that Telefónica, S. A. the Spanish telecommunications company, had made a recommended takeover bid for O2 Irelands parent company, O2 plc. This has been approved by shareholders and O2 was officially purchased in mid February 2006, the O2 brand is now used in several countries for Telefónicas mobile operations outside Spain and Latin America, where Telefónica fixed line and mobile services are branded as movistar. In January 2009, it was revealed that Ireland is nearly the most profitable market in the world for mobile operators like O2. On 23 March 2009 Vodafone and O2s parent company Telefónica announced a deal to share their existing networks in Ireland, on 6 April 2011 it was announced that Telefónica O2 Ireland and Eircom had agreed a new network sharing partnership
