By Cindy Wright

A Journey through the Histories of the Provinces of the Republic of Ireland

Travelling Through the Emerald Isle

Holidays and Vacations

Book 1

A Journey through the Histories of the Provinces of the

Republic of Ireland

Travelling Through the Emerald Isle

Cindy Wright Copyright © 2013 by Cindy Wright.

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Also by Cindy Wright

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The Different Ways of Celebrating Easter

Aerobics: A Guide to Keeping Your Heart and Body Healthy

When Considering a Cat (Loving Your Cat 1)

Candles (Holistic Therapies and Alternative Health 1)

Fiction

The Magic of Folly Meadow (Suzie‘s Adventures of the spirit World 1)

Seal Island Adventure (Island Adventures 1)

Counties in the Province of Connaught

Galway

Carrick-on-Shannon

Castlebar

Roscommon

Sligo

Counties in the Province of Leinster

Carlow

Dublin

Dun Laoghaire

Naas

Kilkenny

Kildare

Portlaoighise

Longford

Dundalk

Trim

Tullamore

Mullingar

Wexford

Wicklow

Counties in the Province of Munster

Ennis

Cork

Tralee

Dingle

Ring of Kerry

Limerick

Clonmel

Cahir

Waterford

Counties in the Province of Uster

Cavan

Lifford

Monaghan

Counties in the Province of Connaught

GALWAY

LEITRIM – CARRICK ON SHANNON

MAYO – CASTLEBAR

ROSCOMMON

SLIGO

Galway

The city of Galway, nestled in the county of the same name, has a

relatively short history spanning only approximately 800 years. The first time the city was mentioned in any historical document was around the year 1124 when a simple fort was built to defend the area. Only fifty years later, the English invaded this part of Ireland and captured it. Baron Richard de Burgh declared it to be an official town, almost a century after it was first declared a

fort. Baron de Burgh built walls around the city to protect it, and those walls still stand today.

In 1396, the town was granted a charter and became a royal borough , belonging to England. By the 1400s, it had appointed a mayor. The town boasted a population of over three thousand people, a fairly large city during that time period. Though it had a mayor to lead, the city was primarily run by the original fourteen tribes of Galway, families of wealth and influence that generally held the top-ranking positions in the city. This time period was one of great prosperity for the city because of its major exports and imports.

Galway was an important port city, and often they often shipped wool, skins and various leathers. The English gradually began to lose control of the area in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, though Galway maintained the customs and traditions of England. However, England did continue to grant Galway royal charters well into the seventeenth century. However. In the 1500s and 1600s, Galway suffered from large plagues that had massive death counts and thus began a period of economic downturn because of it. However, it gradually bounced back again and became a prosperous city once more.

In August of 1651, the English laid siege to the city. General Edmund Ludlow kept the siege going strong until the city eventually surrendered later that year. After that, Galway continued to grow its wealth. The population expanded to approximately five thousand people within the city limits, and small cities began to develop outside of its walls, creating a series of suburbs. In 1845 to 1849, the entire country suffered in the Great Potato Famine when the main staple crop was in short supply. The death toll was incredibly high as a result of starvation. Railroads were constructed throughout the city in the mid to late 1800s, even though most of the population was still too poor to make good use of the transportation that was now available.

Gradually, Galway evolved into the modern city that most see and recognize today. It is still a fairly important port city, with one of its main exports still being wool. Its population has had a significant increase over the centuries from five thousand people in the late 1800s to 57,000 people in recent times. In addition, Galway is presently known as a large shopping area, offering several large malls and centres. Modern industries, such as engineering and electronics, are beginning to make their appearances on the forefront of society in Galway, just as they are in many other parts of the world.

Carrick-on-Shannon

Carrick-on-Shannon, found in the county of Leitrim, has been seen

throughout history as another important stronghold and fort for Ireland. The city itself is located at a key point for the country, right on the best crossing point of the River Shannon. Often needed for military success, the city has had transfers of power relatively often in the past. Torn between famous rivals the O’Rourke’s and the O’Raghnaill’s, the city boasts an interesting history of power being passed from family to family as blood was shed and peace was shattered. By 1607, England had granted the area its own royal charter and officially recognised it as a major city.

When the English invaded the area in the early 1600s, they defeated Brian Oge O’Rourke, the Irishman that was in charge of the city of Carrick-on-Shannon at that time. The English realised that they would need to take advantage of all the crossing points on the River Shannon, and they built a castle directly in this area. The construction of the castle began around 1603 when the English had officially won the area. The castle was a rather large and stately affair. The remains can still be seen on the modern road that leads in and out of the city directly next to the Carrick Bridge.

The castle was heavily fortified by the middle of that century, which explains why the English were able to hold on to the area for so long. The O’Rourke family and others that had once held tremendous amounts of power in Carrick-on-Shannon were desperate to regain their influence. They attacked again and again, hoping to overthrow English rule. It was not until 1648 that anyone succeeded, the first being Roger Maguire who handed it over to his uncle, Owen Roe O’Neill. Later, the castle was given over to the more powerful Cromwell family.

Even into the nineteenth century, this area had little in terms of modernisation. Instead of the popular railroads that were springing up in some of the wealthier parts of the world, Carrick-on-Shannon still relied heavily on waterway transportation to transport anything from place to place. They became a major centre for river trade, boasting export such as timber, cement and hardware to areas nearby, like Dublin and Limerick. By the late 1800s, they had developed a railway system, which allowed them to trade items more easily with surrounding areas.

The Great Potato Famine also greatly affected this area, leaving behind the Famine Graveyard that is now a fairly popular tourist attraction. When the hospital had no place for the thousands of people who had died due to starvation, they were buried in unmarked graves behind the main hospital building. Today it serves as memorial to all those who lost their lives during this time.

The city continued to grow at a steady rate until modern times. Today, the city is the largest in Leitrim County and it is also recognised as the capital. The land surrounding the city is largely undeveloped and beautiful in its raw state. Carrick-on-Shannon has a fairly small population, fitting because the county it is located in is the smallest in Ireland. The last population count in 2006 stated that the county had slightly above three thousand inhabitants.

Castlebar

Castlebar is in the county town of Mayo, a city that began its history

back in the thirteenth century. A Norman adventurer, known as De Barrie, first discovered and built a castle in the area around the year 1235, naming it the Castle Barry. Power changed hands a few times before being granted a royal charter from King James I and officially becoming an English borough. They were granted permission to have a mayor, as well as members of their city situated in the House of Parliament for Ireland.

Castlebar was transformed into an English garrison, where members of the English army would stay. The barracks that many called home were officially constructed in the early 1800s and are still visible and in use today. However, portions of the buildings were burned down during the Civil War of 1922. The city was often fraught with violence as a result of the troops that were stationed in this area on a regular basis. The Irish people were planning to take back control of the area from the English, and in 1798, they plotted the Irish Rebellion against the English forces. The Irish had the French to assist them in the battle and the English were defeated.

After a failed attempt at regaining power, the English decided to try a different approach to governing the area, by beginning the Republic of Connaught. For almost a fortnight, this new form of government reigned with the support of the French before it collapsed. It was later taken into the United Kingdom in 1801 where it remains today.

In the late nineteenth century, Castlebar started to see its first railway lines put into the ground. It was an important moment as it signalled that transportation between Castlebar and other nearby cities would now become that much more efficient. It allowed the city to flourish in the area it was best in – commercial trade. In centuries past, the city of Castlebar was an important market centre. In 1609, the development of the city as a commercial centre first began as Sir John Bingham was granted a market and fair, and in later years as they were given a charter of incorporation. People would come from all over the surrounding areas in order to purchase the goods that flowed from here. Even today, shopping areas are still prevalent in Castlebar, and people travel from all over simply to shop. It is a thriving commercial centre, just as it always has been.

The recent population count for the city is over sixteen thousand people, a large jump from the much smaller population that it contained in centuries past. There was a recent population increase that has only just begun to slow down and level off. The city still comfortably houses and employs those who live within its city walls. It also contains not only the city, but also several smaller villages that surround it in the suburbs. These areas contribute to its success as a commercial centre. Castlebar is now one of the cities that at the forefront of technology in Ireland, boasting itself home to the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology.

Roscommon

The city of Roscommon was first named for the land and saint that

are so integral to its history. Around the fifth or sixth century, Saint Coman discovered the woody area of Roscommon (the term ros means wooded in Gaelic) and began to construct a monastery there (the second half of the word, common, is a modern interpretation of the name of Saint Coman). Later, Dominican monks converted the monastery to an abbey, but the city retained its original name from its religious roots.

Historians are certain that the town had a history long before the fifth century after finding significant archaeological proof in the mid-1900s that could be dated back all the way to 2,300 BC. However, the written records do not begin until this time, and beyond the few artefacts found in the area, there is no other information known about the town before Saint Coman’s monastery.

Roscommon wanted to become an official English city, and in 1310, they petitioned the crown for a written statement and a royal charter. King Edward I granted them the approval that they requested. The English wanted to make the city both profitable and strong, and the first step was to build a strong militarily presence. A castle was built in order to make the town a stronghold for the county of Roscommon. In fact, it lasted almost four centuries and bits of it can still be viewed in Ireland today. Roscommon developed into a major stronghold in the years where it was prosperous.

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