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ATHLONE |
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The Hill of Uisneach may be the traditional centre of Ireland, but
the busy, thriving town of ATHLONE is a more convincing modern
contender. Here, east meets west and north meets south at the midpoint
of the River Shannon. This position is its greatest asset, with access
by boat upstream to the islands and shores of Lough Ree , and downstream
to the magnificent early Christian site of Clonmacnois . Either of these
trips can easily be done in an afternoon: ask for details at the tourist
information office.
Not surprisingly, perhaps, given its position, Athlone has quite an
interesting history attached, and at least one important legend. The
name Áth Luain , the Ford of Luan, came from (or may perhaps have
inspired) the Snám Dá Én ("Swim of Two Birds"), a tale that tells of
Estiu, wife of Nár. She had a lover called Buide who used to come and
visit her in the form of a bird with his foster-brother Luan. The magic
of their song lulled all around to sleep, allowing the lovers to enjoy
their trysts undisturbed. Nár, however, questioned a druid about the
coming of the birds and on learning the secret he set out for the place
on the Shannon (near Clonmacnois) where Buide and Luan could be found
and shot both of them with one cast of his sling. Buide was killed
instantly, but Luan managed to fly as far north as the ford that marks
Athlone today, where he dropped dead from the sky. An alternative
derivation of the name comes from the Táin , which describes how the
remains of the white bull ( Finnbennach ) were deposited throughout the
countryside as he died. His loins were left at a place that came to be
known as Áth Luain , the Ford of the Loins.
In straight historical terms, this ford of the Shannon has always been
strategically important. The first castle was erected in 1129 by
Toirdelbach Ó Conchobhair, King of Connacht, and replaced in 1210 by the
Norman castle which, still stands today. It saw action many times, above
all in the seventeenth century in the Cromwellian Wars and the Jacobite
invasion. The former put a swift end to the predominantly Catholic
nature of the town, placing most of the land and political power in the
hands of Protestants. The later battles of 1690 to 1691 saw probably the
most vicious fighting in the War of the Kings , as the Williamites
captured first the Leinster part of town and, after 12,000 cannonballs
had reduced much of it to rubble, the Connacht side.
The Town
Aside from the castle the few really distinguished old buildings that
survive can be found off Church Street in the Court Devenish area.
Finest of them is Court Devenish House , a seventeenth-century Jacobean
mansion now resting ruined in private grounds. Nearby the ruins of the
likewise seventeenth-century abbey offer perhaps the most peaceful spot
in town, and there's an intriguing corridor of tombstones leading off
the Abbey Road into its graveyard.
The one place really worth visiting, if only briefly, is the castle
museum by Market Place (Mon-Sat 10am-4.30pm; the ticket includes
entrance to the Visitors' Centre, £2.50/¬3.17), housed in the two
storeys of the circular keep. On the upper storey is a section devoted
to folk history , an Aladdin's cave of rustic implements used in
threshing, seeding, ropemaking, harnessing, milking and the like.
There's a beautiful article on milking, telling how a few squirts were
always dropped first on the grass for the fairies and at the end the
sign of the cross made on the teat to bless its consumption. You'll also
come across a pair of pony boots that were used when rolling the lawn,
to prevent any hoof marks. Downstairs is a more regular collection on
local history and prehistory and two fine examples of Sheila na Gig
sculptures .
On a quite different level there's an old 78rpm gramophone on which you
can request your choice of one of the best lyric tenors ever recorded.
The gramophone was John McCormack's own, travelling all over the world
with him so that he could use it to test out the quality of his new
releases. He is said to have been born in the Bawn area, the old market
quarter up behind Devenish Gate Street, and in 1928 he was rewarded for
his work for Catholic charities by being made a Count of the Papal
Court. The one song that even the youngest generations in Ireland are
able to associate with his voice is his Panis Angelicus - the record may
be among the pile. Before you leave, look out for an early Christian
grave slab with carvings as beautifully ornate as any high cross that
you're likely to have seen.
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