Ardagh Civil Parish, Longford county, Ireland Lewis, 1837 description ©Jane Lyons

This page is part of an Irish genealogy web site 'From Ireland' ©Dr. Jane Lyons, Dublin, Ireland.

ARDAGH, a parish, partly in the barony of MOYDOW, but chiefly in that of ARDAGH, county of LONGFORD, and province of LEINSTER, 4 miles (W.S.W.) from Edgeworthstown ; containing 4980 inhabitants; of which number, 142 are in the village, which comprises 25 houses and is wholly in the latter barony.

This ancient place derives its name from its elevated situation, and its origin may at the latest be ascribed to the middle of the fifth century, when its church was founded. Subsequently here was a friary of the third order of St. Francis, founded at Ballynesaggard by the family of O'Ferrall, and reformed in 1521 by the friars of the Strict Observance. The parish is situated on the nearest road from Mullingar to Longford over Ballicorkey bridge, but the coach road is through Edgeworthstown, from which there is a penny post. It comprises 10,063 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, and valued at £8073 per annum; there is a moderate extent of bog, but no waste land. The land is good, and is principally under tillage, and the system of agriculture, though still very backward, has considerably improved.

Ardagh House is the seat of Sir G. R, Fetherston, Bart. ; Richfort, of J. A. Richardson, Esq,; Oldtown, of Thornton Gregg, Esq. ; and Drumbawn, of Peyton Johnston, Esq.

Fairs are held on April 5th and Aug. 26th. Petty sessions are held every Thursday; and here is a constabulary police station.

The living is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Ardagh, and constituting the corps of the deanery, which is in the patronage of the Crown. The tithes amount to £482:11s:5½d. ; and the mensal and other lands of the deanery, exclusively of several houses, tolls of fairs, a plot of nearly two acres on which the deanery-house is built, a farm of 13a. 1r. 10p., and a large a bog, comprise 714a. 2r. 35p., (statute measure) producing, with the annual renewal fines, a rental of £292:11s:2d. per annum. The church is a plain commodious building with a square tower, for the erection of which the late Board of First Fruits granted a loan of £900, in 1812, and the Ecclesiastical Commissioners have lately granted £301 for its repair. The deanery-house was built in 1823, by a gift of £100 and a loan of £1,200 from the same Board.

In the Roman Catholic divisions this parish is the head of a union or district, which includes also the adjoining parish of Moydow, in each of which is a chapel; that of Ardagh is situated near the village.

The parochial school for boys is principally supported by a grant of £40 per ann. from Dr. Murray, the present dean, who also contributes annually £15 towards the support of the girls' school, which is further aided by an annual grant of £5 from the Ardagh Diocesan Society: the school-house is a good slated building of two stories, with apartments for the master and mistress, erected by Dr. Murray at an expense of £400, and attached to it is an acre of land. There are 40 boys and 30 girls in this school, and in the private pay schools are about 290 boys and 170 girls: there is also a Sunday school for boys and girls.

Some remains of the old cathedral church, a small edifice rudely built of fragments of rock of a large size, are still visible; it was superseded by another church, now also in ruins, and the present edifice was erected near its site, St. Mell (patron Saint of county Longford) was interred here, and his festival is annually celebrated on Feb. 6th.

The comedy of the "Mistakes of a Night” written by Dr. Goldsmith, derives its plot from an incident that occurred at this village to the author, who, on passing through it, having inquired for the “head inn," was directed by a humorous individual to the residence of the proprietor of the place, Mr. Fetherston, who perceiving the delusion, nevertheless indulged it, and hospitably entertained his guest; and it was not until next morning that, on finishing his breakfast and calling for the bill, the poet discovered his mistake.

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