ATHLONE

In 1868, the parish of Athlone contained the following places:

"ATHLONE, a market town and municipal and parliamentary borough, partly in the parish of St. Mary's, in the barony of Brawney, county of West Meath, and partly in the parish of St. Peter's and barony of Athlone, in the county of Roscommon, province of Connaught, and province of Leinster, Ireland, 17 miles to the S.E. of Roscommon, and 76 miles to the W. of Dublin. It is a station on the Dublin and Galway line of railway. The river Shannon intersects the town, and falls into Lough Rea a little below it. The great road from Dublin to Galway passes through the town. Early in the 13th century a Cistercian abbey was founded here, and soon afterwards the castle was built, which became a place of great importance. It was held some time by the Earl of Essex, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth. It stood a long siege by the Irish during the presidency of Lord Ranelagh, and was ultimately taken by Sir James Dillon in 1642. During the civil war of the reign of Charles I., the castle was taken by the parliamentary forces, and the town was burnt. In 1691, after a cannonade of extraordinary severity, and a most heroic and energetic defence, by the forces of James II., under Colonel Grace, the town was stormed and finally taken by the English forces under De Ginkell. After being rebuilt and made a great military depot, castle and town were again destroyed during a thunderstorm in 1697, when the powder magazine was blown up. Part of the old town walls and one of the gateways are still standing. The present defences are on the Connaught or western side of the river. Near the castle are the barracks, capable of holding 3,000 men, and covering a space of 15 acres. There is an armoury and a military hospital. Great improvements have been made in the town. In place of the old bridge, built in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, and which was only 12 feet wide, and had three flour-mills on it, a new one was erected in 1844. It is a handsome stone structure of nine arches, besides a swivel arch for the passage of steamers, &c. A large dock has been constructed near the bridge. The railway is carried across the Shannon on a noble iron bridge. The houses are mostly built of limestone, which is abundant in the district. There is a court-house, which was built in 1703, a bridewell, two banks, a hospital, a union workhouse, and a dispensary. The hat manufacture was formerly extensively carried on here, but it has declined. There are considerable establishments for distilling, brewing, tanning, and soap and candle making, and several flour-mills. Two branch banks are established. Athlone received its charter of incorporation from James I. in 1606, and confirmations and extensions of it from Charles II. The style of the corporation was "the sovereign, bailiffs, burgesses, and freemen of the town of Athlone." Under a new Act the government is vested in commissioners. It has a revenue of £195, and an area of 491 acres including 1,011 houses, inhabited by a population of 5,001, according to the census of 1861. The borough returned two members to the Irish parliament till the Union, and since that time it returns one to the Imperial parliament. Two newspapers are published: the Westmeath Independent and the Athlone Sentinel. There is frequent steam communication with Limerick. There are two livings in Athlone, one a rectory in the parish of St. Mary, of the value of £398; it is in the diocese of Meath, and in the patronage of the bishop; the church was built in 1826. The other, a perpetual curacy in the parish of St. Peter, of the value of £131; it is in the diocese of Kilmore, Ardagh, and Elphin, and in the gift of the Incorporation Society; the church, erected in 1804, occupies the site of the old monastery. There are two Roman Catholic chapels, and convents of the Augustine and Franciscan orders. The Presbyterians, Baptists, and Wesley an Methodists have each a place of worship here. The Ranelagh school was founded in 1760, in accordance with a grant of an earlier date by Lord Ranelagh, for the education and apprenticing of forty boys. There is an endowment by William Handcock, Esq., for the relief of the poor, and several other small charities. Athlone is the seat of a presbytery, and of a Poor-law Union. The Athlone canal is on the Connaught side of the river, and was formed to carry the navigation past the rapids at the bridge. Three bridges cross the canal. Moydrum Castle, a handsome castellated mansion in fine grounds, on the eastern side of the Shannon, is the seat of Viscount Castlemaine. There are many other pleasant residences. The De Ginkells of Utrecht take from Athlone the title of earl. Tuesday and Saturday are the market days. Fairs are held on the first Monday after the 6th January, the 21st March, the Wednesday before Ascension Day, and the first Monday in September."

[Transcribed from The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland 1868]
by Colin Hinson ©2018