Multyfarnham
Irish: Muilte Farannáin
Village
Multyfarnham Friary and Church
Multyfarnham Friary and Church
Multyfarnham is located in Ireland
Multyfarnham
Location in Ireland
Coordinates: 53°37′30″N 7°23′23″W / 53.6251°N 7.3897°W / 53.6251; -7.3897
CountryIreland
ProvinceLeinster
CountyCounty Westmeath
Government
 • Dáil constituencyLongford–Westmeath
 • EU ParliamentMidlands–North-West
Population
 (2016)[1]
420

Multyfarnham or Multyfarnam (Irish: Muilte Farannáin, meaning 'Farannán's mills')[2] is a village in County Westmeath, Ireland.

History

First founded in 1268, the Franciscan monastery at Multyfarnham is still home to a community of friars. During the English conquest of Ireland in the 17th century, the monastery was raided six times and twice burnt out by the Crown forces battling the forces of the 'Irish of Meath'. During the wars of the 1640s, it became an organisational centre for the powerful and influential Franciscan order, who met there in their provincial assembly at the outbreak of the 1641 rebellion.[3] In 1646, there were 30 friars in residence. By the middle of era of the Penal Laws there were as few as seven friars, five of whom were of advanced age. The church was unroofed from 1651 and remained so until 1827. In 1839, a new friary was rebuilt in the grounds.

The Franciscan College, Multyfarnham was opened in 1899. This school later became a recognised Agricultural College in 1956, and continued to teach until 2003. Around the monastery grounds, among the lawns, around the church and the college buildings, there are 14 life-size Stations of the Cross. The college is now used as an educational and seminar centre. It also hosts an arts centre.

A nursing home called the Portiuncula Nursing Home also shares the site, as does Larcc Cancer Support Center and Irish Autism Action.

Sport

The local Gaelic Athletic Association club is Multyfarnham GAA. The club fields Gaelic football teams in the Westmeath Intermediate Football Championship and All County League Division 3. In 2017, the club were crowned Westmeath Junior Champions, and went on to win the 2017 Leinster Junior Club Football Championship.[4] The club later reached the All-Ireland Junior Club Football Championship final, losing out to Knocknagree of Cork.[5] In 2018, the club started their first ladies team. There is also a Gaelic handball club in the village.

Amenities and community

The town is close to the shores of Lough Derravaragh. Local recreational resources include hill walking, boating, and fishing, with authorised permits. Horse-riding facilities are also available nearby.

Multyfarnham was a winner of the Irish Tidy Towns Competition in 1977.[6]

Transport

The nearest bus stop is located at Ballinalack, approximately 7 kilometres distant, and is served by Bus Éireann Expressway routes 022 and 023 several times daily. Until 2013, route 115 served Multyfarnham once a day.[7][8]

Multyfarnham railway station opened in November 1855 and closed on 17 June 1963.[9] The nearest railway station is now Mullingar railway station, approximately 15 km distant.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Sapmap Area - Settlements - Multyfarnham". Census 2016. Central Statistics Office. April 2016. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  2. ↑ "Muilte Farannáin / Multyfarnham". logainm.ie. Irish Placenames Commission. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  3. ↑ Perceval-Maxwell, M (1994). Outbreak of the Irish Rebellion of 1641. McGill-Queen's Press. p. 236. ISBN 9780773564503. another source of information on Irish war aims is a report of a meeting that took place at Multyfarnham, a Franciscan abbey in Westmeath, attended by both lay and clerical leaders of the Irish early in October [1641]
  4. ↑ ""We hadn't won a county title in 61 years. On Saturday we won Leinster"". sportsjoe.ie. 19 November 2017. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  5. ↑ "Knocknagree of Cork crowned All-Ireland junior club football champions after four-point win over Multyfarnham". independent.ie. Independent News & Media. 3 February 2018. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  6. ↑ The TidyTowns of Ireland, Celebrating 50 Years (PDF). tidytowns.ie (Report). Whitespace Publishing. 2008. p. 77. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
  7. ↑ "Timetable - Route 115" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 April 2013. Retrieved 5 May 2013.
  8. ↑ "Bus Éireann Announces Revisions to Route 115 Mullingar-Dublin Service". buseireann.ie. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  9. ↑ "Multyfarnham station" (PDF). Railscot - Irish Railways. Retrieved 19 November 2007.
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