Athenry

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Athenry Baile Átha an Rí
Location
WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 53°17′47″N 8°44′35″W / 53.2964°N 8.7431°W / 53.2964; -8.7431
Irish grid reference M505275
Statistics
Province:	Connacht
County:	County Galway
Elevation:	47 m
Population (2006)	3,205

Athenry (pronounced /æθənˈraɪ/^[1]; Irish: Baile Átha an Rí, pronounced [balʲɑːˈɾiː], transl. 'Fort of the King') is a town in County Galway, Ireland. It lies 25 kilometres (16 mi) east of Galway city, and one of the attractions of the town is its medieval castle. The town is also well-known by virtue of the song "The Fields of Athenry".

Its name derives from the ford ('Áth') crossing the river Clare just east of the settlement. Because three kingdoms met at that point, it was called 'Áth na Ríogh', or 'the Ford of the Kings'. On some medieval maps of English origin the town is called Kingstown. The kingdoms were Hy-Many to the north-east, east and south-east; Aidhne to the south and south-west; Maigh Seola to the west and north-west.

Contents 1 History 2 Transport 3 Sport 4 Twinning 5 Notable natives 6 See also 7 External links 8 Sources 9 References

[edit] History

The earliest remaining building in the town is Athenry Castle which was built sometime before 1240 by Meiller De Birmingham. In 1241, the Dominican Abbey was founded, a major institution before being sacked by Cromwellians. The Medieval walls around Athenry are among the most complete and best preserved in Ireland and still retain a number of the original towers as well as the original North gate. The remains of the Lorro Gate were partially unearthed in 2007 during redevelopment road works in the area. In the centre of the town is the square; it is here that Athenry's late 15th century Market Cross is located. The monument which is of Tabernacle or Lantern type is the only one of its kind in Ireland and the only medieval cross still standing in situ in the country. A Heritage centre now occupies the remains of the mid 13th century St Mary's Collegiate Church immediately North of the Square. The original church is now largely destroyed but an 1828 Church of Ireland church was built into its chancel in 1828.

Moyode Castle is another tall sixteenth-century fortified tower house of the Dolphin family, which went to the Persse family. The castle is now restored and inhabited and is located 3.5 miles from the town of Athenry.

[edit] Transport

Athenry lies on the Galway–Dublin main line of the Irish rail network, at the junction of that route with the currently disused Limerick–Sligo line (dubbed the Western Railway Corridor – see Irish railway history). Work is now underway ('West on Track') to re-open these passenger links, with the Ennis-Athenry section due for re-opening by 2008 and the Athenry-Tuam section by 2011. Athenry railway station opened on 1 August 1851.^[2]

[edit] Sport

Athenry is home to St. Mary's G.A.A. club^[3] who have won numerous All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championships.

Athenry Athletics Club^[4] has had a large juvenile section for many years and was complemented in 2002 by a senior section.^{[citation needed]} The senior section now has over 100 members, approximately half of whom are women. The club has produced two Olympic sprinters, Martina MacCarthy, who is from Oranmore and Paul Hession who hails from Ballydavid, just outside the town itself. Martina represented Ireland in the women's 4 x 400 metres relay at the Sydney games and Paul competed in the 200 metres at the Beijing games. A number of other club members have represented their country with distinction in both track and field and cross country across Europe and North America.^{[citation needed]}

Athenry also home to Athenry Soccer Club^[5] which reached the 2006 final of the FAI Junior Cup.^[6] In 2007 Athenry Soccer Club became the Galway Premier League Champions for the first time in the clubs 36 year history. In 2007 and 2008 Athenry Soccer Club also won back to back Connaught Junior Cup Titles.

Athenry Golf Club is an eighteen hole championship course located between Athenry and Oranmore in the townland of Palmerstown. The club is a mixture of parkland and heathland built on a limestone base against the backdrop of a large forest giving excellent drainage, which makes the course playable all year round. Athenry Golf course was extended to 18 holes in 1991 under the guidance of architect Eddie Hackett and further improvements in recent years have led to the club hosting recent Provincial and National championships.

[edit] Twinning

Athenry is twinned with the town of Quimperlé in Brittany.

[edit] Notable natives

This section contains information which may be of unclear or questionable importance or relevance to the article's subject matter. Please help improve this article by clarifying or removing superfluous information.

The following is a list of notable natives of Athenry and its immediate environs:

Rev. James Patrick Broderick (1891-1973) - Jesuit and religious writer Marcas Ó Callanáin (1784-1836) - poet and balladier Peatsaí Ó Callanáin (brother of the above) - poet and balladier Ciarán Cannon (born 1965) - leader of Progressive Democrats Eugene Cloonan (born 1978) - sports-person Patrick Darcy (1598–1668) - leading Irish Confederate Denis Daly (1747–1792) - landowner and politician Rickard de Bermingham (died 1322) - 5th Baron Athenry and leader in Second Battle of Athenry Liam Deois (fl. early 1800s) - highwayman Tom Egan (died 1920) - killed during Irish War of Independence Padraic Fallon (1905–1974) - poet Julie Feeney (born 1978) - composer Peter Feeney - Mayor of County Galway 2008-09[7]

Tony Flannery - redemptorist and religious writer Peter Flannery - redemptorist Bill Freaney (d.1920) - republican activist Joseph Patrick Haverty (1794–1864) - painter Paul Hession (born 1983) - Olympic sprinter Adrian James Martyn (born 1975) - columnist and historian P.J. Molloy (born 1952) - former hurler Lawrence Edward McGann (1852–1928) - U.S. Representative for Illinois Martin Naughton (born 1964) - sports-person Fr. Tom O'Connor - missionary priest and controversial historian Joe Rabbitte (born 1970) - local hurler Frank Shaw-Taylor - killed during Irish War of Independence

The "Stations of the Cross" in Kiltullagh Church were painted by the artist Eva Hoan.

[edit] See also

• Battle of Maigh Mucruimhe
• First Battle of Athenry
• Second Battle of Athenry
• The Sack of Athenry
• List of abbeys and priories in Ireland (County Galway)
• List of towns and villages in Ireland

[edit] External links

• www.athenry.net
• The Athenry Archive (Medieval and social history and folklore)

[edit] Sources

• Knockmoy Abbey otherwise called the Monastery of the "Hill of Victory" [Collis Victoriæ]. Notes on its history, and some ancient charters relating to it (hitherto unpublished), Martin J. Blake, Journal of the Galway Archaeological and Historical Society, volume 1, 1900-01, part ii.
• The Abbey of Athenry, Martin J. Blake, J.G.A.H.S., volume II, part ii, 1902
• The Mound at Tample, H.T. Knox, J.G.A.H.S., volume 9, 1915-1916
• The Mote of Oldcastle and the Castle of Rathgorgin, Goddard Henry Orpen, J.G.A.H.S., volume nine, number i, 1915-16.
• Count Patrick D'Arcy, an eminent Galway man of the 18th century; with tabular pedigrees of the D'Arcy family by Martin J. Blake, M. Reddington, J.G.A.H.S., volume ten, number i, 1916-17.
• The Birmingham family of Athenry, H.T. Knox, J.G.A.H.S., volume ten, numbers iii and iv, 1916-17.
• Notes on the Burgus of Athenry, its first defences, and its town walls, & corrigendum, H.T. Knox and a college, J.G.A.H.S., volume 11, numbers i and ii, 1920-21.
• Remarks on the walls and church of Athenry, Charles Mac Neill, J.G.A.H.S., volume 11, numbers iii and iv, 1921
• The Birmingham chalice, J. Rabbitte, volume 17, i and ii, 1936-27
• The Galway Reader, vol. 2, ii & iv (1950); vol. 3, i & ii (1950)
• Punann Arsa, Martin Finnerty, 1951.
• The parish of Athenry in 1434, Maurice P. Sheey, J.G.A.H.S., volume 31, 1964-1965
• The Story of Esker, anon, c.1983
• Athenry: A Local History (1850-1983), Aggie Qualter, 1984.
• Knocknagur, Turoe and local enquiry, John Waddell, volume 40, 1985-1986
• A recently discovered souterrain at Carnmore townland, Co. Galway, Buckley, Victor M. and O’Brien, Kevin, same volume.
• Athenry: A Brief History and Guide, Ann Healy, 1989.
• Excavations at Athenry Castle, Co. Galway, Cliona Papazian, Journal of the Galway Archaeological and Historical Society, Volume 43, 1991.
• "...a strange spectacle..." German Travaellers in the West 1828–1858, Hermann Rasche, Journal of the G.A.H.S., vol. 47, 1995
• Smallpox in Athenry 1875, Anne Walsh, volume 48, 1996
• Looking Back - Athenry Church 1852, Fr. Tony King, The Athenry Journal, volume three, number one, 1997
• The Memorial Inscriptions and Related History of Kiltullagh, Killimordaly and Esker Graveyards, Con Mulvey (ed.), Galway, 1998. ISBN 0 9533547 0 9.
• From Dooghcloon to Chicago: the life and career of Congressman Lawrence E. McGann 1852–1928, Diarmuid Ó Cearbhaill, J.G.A.H.S., volume 51, 1999
• The Lamberts of Athenry, ed. Finnbarr O'Regan, Galway, 1999.
• Castles and Demesnes: Gleanings from Kilconieran and Clostoken, ed. Fr. Cathal Stanley, 2000
• A statistical analysis and preliminary classification of gravestones from Craughwell, Co. Galway, Robert M. Chapple, J.G.A.H.S., volume 52, 2000
• As The Centuries Passed: A History of Kiltullagh 1500-1900, ed. Kieran Jordan, 2000
• The Tribes of Galway, Adrian James Martyn, Galway, 2001
• The Fields of Athenry: a Journey Through Irish History, James Charles Roy, 2001, ISBN 0813338603
• The Grand Tour of Galway, Cornelius Kelly. 2002, ISBN 9 780053 782321
• Eagles Over Ireland:Athenry and Flying Fortress 1943 by Paul Browne, 2003
• Archaeological Sites of Interest surrounding the Turoe Stone Fr. Tom O'Connor and Kieran Jordan), Journal of the Galway Archaeological and Historical Society, Volume 55, 2003. pp.110–116.
• Turoe & Athenry:Ancient Capitals of Celtic Ireland, Fr. Tom O'Connor, 2003, ISBN 0 9544875 0 8
• Letters to and from County Galway Emigrants 1843-1856, James Charles Roy, J.G.A.H.S., volume 56, 2004
• Making shapes with slates and marla:A Gurteen anthology, John and Margaret Corbett (compilers), Galway, 2004.
• The Life, Legends and Legacy of Saint Kerrill: A Fifth-Century East Galway Evangelist, Joseph Mannion, 2004. 0 954798 1 3
• Hand of History - Burden of Pseudo-History:Touchstone of Truth, Fr. Tom O'Connor, 2006, ISBN 1-4120-3458-2
• The First Battle of Athenry, Adrian James Martyn, East Galway News & Views, March/April 2008
• Tech Saxan:An Anglo-Saxon Monastic Settlement in Early Medieval East Galway, Joseph Mannion, J.G.A.H.S., pp.9–21, volume 60, 2008.
• The Second Battle of Athenry, Adrian James Martyn, East Galway News & Views, September 2008-April 2009

[edit] References