Bagenalstown
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Muine Bheag Bagenalstown |
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| Town | ||
The railway station
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| Motto: Uimhir gan choisc "The Irrepressible Number" |
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 Muine Bheag
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| Coordinates: 52°42′04″N 6°57′25″W / 52.701°N 6.957°WCoordinates: 52°42′04″N 6°57′25″W / 52.701°N 6.957°W | ||
| Country | Ireland | |
| Province | Leinster | |
| County | County Carlow | |
| Elevation | 40 m (130 ft) | |
| Population (2011) | ||
| • Urban | 2,950 | |
| • Environs | 203 | |
| Irish Grid Reference | S683609 | |
Muine Bheag or Muinebheag [ˈmˠɪnʲə vʲɔɡ], also known as Bagenalstown /ˈbæɡ.nəlz.taʊn/, is a small town on the River Barrow in County Carlow, Ireland.
The town sprang up within the townland of Moneybeg, which comes from Irish Muine Bheag, meaning 'small thicket'. In the 18th century there was a small hamlet there. Englishman Walter Bagenal decided to build a town on the site, named 'New Versailles' and modelled after Versailles in France. However, shortly after the building began the coach route from Dublin was changed so that coaches now crossed the River Barrow at Leighlinbridge instead. Bagenal abandoned his plans, having built only a courthouse. It wasn't until the arrival of the railway in 1846 that the settlement began to grow into a town.
The town was referred to in English as 'Bagenalstown', but local Irish speakers continued to refer to it as Muine Bheag. Following the creation of the Irish Free State, Muine Bheag became the town's only official name. A number of other places were renamed likewise.
The motto on the town's coat of arms is The Irrepressible Number and its Irish equivalent Uimhir Gan Choisc.
Near Muine Bheag is Ballyloughan Castle, which comprises a twin-towered gatehouse and the hall and foundations of one of the corner towers of a large castle dating from about 1300.
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Wikipedia