Collinstown, County Westmeath
|
Collinstown Baile na gCailleach
|
|
|---|---|
| Town | |
 Collinstown
|
|
| Coordinates: 53°38′50″N 7°12′39″W / 53.6472°N 7.2109°WCoordinates: 53°38′50″N 7°12′39″W / 53.6472°N 7.2109°W | |
| Country | Ireland |
| Province | Leinster |
| County | Westmeath |
| Elevation | 128 m (420 ft) |
| Population (2006) | |
| • Urban | 326 |
| • Rural | 355 |
| Time zone | WET (UTC+0) |
| • Summer (DST) | IST (WEST) (UTC-1) |
| Irish Grid Reference | N500673 |
| Website | www |
Collinstown (Irish: Baile na gCailleach) is a village in north County Westmeath, situated on the R395 regional road overlooking Lough Lene. It lies 18 km (11 mi) northeast of the county town of Mullingar and has a population of 700.
The Irish name of the village means 'town of the veiled women', owing to a convent once established on an island on nearby Lough Lene.
Collinstown has been an inhabited area since pre-Christian times. West of the village, in the townland of Ranaghan, are the remains of several ringforts. At least one of these is attributed to the Viking chief Turgesius, who is said to have conquered Dublin. Turgesius built them on high ground overlooking Lough Lene for defensive purposes and dwelled there before being killed by Máel Sechnaill mac Maíl Ruanaid, the High King of Ireland. In addition to this fort, Turgesius also had another upon the largest island of Lough Lene which still today bears his name, Turgesius Island.
The area also contains ancient burial-grounds associated with St Colman who was responsible for seven early Christian mass paths by which pilgrims travelled on foot through fields to Sunday mass, dating from the penal times.
Collinstown also has historic links with several religious orders: as well as a convent being established on Nun's Island, Lough Lene, to the north is the monastic complex of Fore Abbey.
In 1882, the Royal Irish Academy was presented with the Lough Lene bell by the Barbavila estate proprietor, Mr. William Barlow Smythe. The bell had been discovered in the lake the previous year by a boy fishing for eels on Castle Island, which was owned by Smythe at the time.
...
Wikipedia