Auburn village, Kilkenny West Civil Parish, Co. Westmeath, Ireland

AUBURN, a village, in the parish and barony of KILKENNY WEST, county of WESTMEATH, and province of LEINSTER, 5½ miles (N. E.) from Athlone: the population is returned with the parish.

It is a very small place, but is celebrated as being the spot from which, from real life, Oliver Goldsmith drew his enchanting description of rural scenery in the "Deserted Village" the house in which the poet resided is now in ruins; and the hawthorn tree, round which a wall was built to preserve it, has been carried away piecemeal as relics.

Near the village is Lissoy, which is described in his tale of the "Vicar of Wakefield" as ''the modest mansion," in which it is known he gave an accurate picture of his sister, and brother-in-law, Daniel Hodson, Esq., who resided there.

Back to top