Mullingar
Template:Short description Template:About Template:Pp-pc Template:Use Hiberno-English Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox settlement Template:Historical populations
Mullingar (Template:IPAc-en<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Template:Respell; Template:Irish place name Template:IPA) is the county town of County Westmeath in Ireland. It is the third most populous town in the Midland Region, with a population of 22,667 in the 2022 census.<ref name="cso2022" />
The Counties of Meath and Westmeath Act 1543 proclaimed Westmeath a county, separating it from Meath. Mullingar became the administrative centre for County Westmeath. The town was originally named Maelblatha, and takes its modern name from a mill noted in the legend of Colman of Mullingar.<ref>From: Betha Colmáin Maic Lúacháin, or, The Life of Colmán son of Lúachan Template:Usurped alternatively, one may find where the old copy of the original has been many years in France Bibliothèque de Rennes Template:Webarchive</ref>
Traditionally a market town serving the surrounding agricultural hinterland, Mullingar's cattle market closed in 2003 for the development of a mixed commercial and residential scheme called Market Point.
Mullingar has a number of neighbouring lakes, including Lough Owel, Lough Ennell and Lough Derravaragh. Lough Derravaragh is also known for its connection with the Irish legend of the Children of Lir. The town of Mullingar is linked to Lough Ennell via Lacy's Canal and the River Brosna. Another nearby waterway is the Royal Canal, which loops around Mullingar.
History
The town developed at a fording point on the River Brosna.<ref name="Bradley">Template:Citation</ref> Evidence of ancient settlement within Mullingar include records of a motte-and-bailey castle, a tower house known as Mullingar Castle, a number of fortified houses and several water mills.<ref name="Bradley"/> The town's Irish name, An Muileann gCearr meaning a "wry or left-handed mill", refers to one of these mills.<ref name="wmCoCo">Template:Cite web</ref>
Former monastic settlements, founded in Mullingar, included the Augustinian Priory of St. Mary (established by the Bishop of Meath in 1227) and a Dominican friary (reputedly established by the Nugent family in 1237).<ref name="Reynell">Template:Cite web</ref> The sites of these two monasteries, which were "dissolved" in the 16th century,<ref name="Lewis">Template:Cite book</ref> were in ruin by the late 17th century.<ref name="Reynell"/>
When County Westmeath was formed in the 1540s, with the passing of the Counties of Meath and Westmeath Act 1543, Mullingar became the "shire town" for the newly formed county.<ref name="wmCoCo"/> It was also a garrison town, following the completion of Wellington Barracks (later Columb Barracks) in the early 19th century.<ref name="wmCoCo"/>
The current cathedral in Mullingar, the Cathedral of Christ the King, was built in the 1930s on the site of a former 19th century cathedral.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Local government and politics
Westmeath County Council is the local authority for Westmeath. The county council comprises two constituencies or "municipal districts". Mullingar town is in the Mullingar Municipal District, which comprises thirteen members.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The town is part of the Longford–Westmeath constituency for elections to Dáil Éireann.
Mullingar's Ruth Illingworth, a local historian and Fine Gael politician, was Ireland's first female openly LGBTQ+ mayor, elected in 2009.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
There is a Chamber of Commerce in Mullingar, and Mullingar is one of the three towns that forms the Midlands Gateway region,<ref>MidlandGateway.ie Template:Webarchive</ref> along with Athlone and Tullamore, set up as part of the Government's National Spatial Strategy 2002–2020.
Tourism
Mullingar's tourist attractions include its lakes – Lough Owel, Lough Derravaragh and Lough Ennell – which are visited by anglers. The Royal Canal also flows through the town. Belvedere House and Gardens, Mullingar Golf Club and the Bloomfield House Hotel are all located nearby.
The town has a handful of hotels, including the Newbury Hotel, Annebrook House Hotel, Mullingar Park Hotel and the Greville Arms Hotel. The latter holds the two Brit awards presented to Niall Horan,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and a large granite monument, which formerly stood at Dominick Street, which was presented to the town by Lord Greville.Template:Citation needed
One of Mullingar's notable buildings is the cathedral of Christ the King Mullingar, the cathedral of the Diocese of Meath. The cathedral was dedicated on the day World War II broke out.
Columb Barracks, which closed in March 2012, was a military base that housed the 4th Field Artillery Regiment, the 4th Field Supply & Transport Company<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and the HQ of the 54 Reserve Field Artillery Regiment (Army Reserve).Template:Citation needed
There is a monument, commemorating the centenary of the 1916 Easter Rising, at Green Bridge in Mullingar. The monument, built by the Mullingar Tidy Towns organisation,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> was officially unveiled on Easter Monday 2017. Other memorials and statues in Mullingar include a statue titled "The Pilgrims" (erected to commemorate the millennium in 2000 at the junction of Austin Friars Street and MacCurtain Street),<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> a memorial to the Great Famine (erected in 1997 on The Square in Mullingar),<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and a statue of Joe Dolan (unveiled in 2008 on the Market Square).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Mullingar Town Park is a public park situated in the centre of the town, and it includes a wide variety of playgrounds, a swimming pool and a large pond near the centre. On 22 July 2016, the park became one of 22 public spaces in Ireland to be awarded a Green Flag.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Economy
Among Mullingar's exports are items of pewterware produced by Mullingar Pewter.<ref name="pewter">Mullingar Pewter, Gifts of a Lifetime Template:Webarchive. Mullingarpewter.com.</ref> Also associated with Mullingar is Genesis Fine Art, which produces gift items. The "Pilgrims" sculpture on Mullingar's Austin Friars Street, at which location there once stood an Augustinian Friary, was crafted by Genesis on foot of a commission by the Mullingar chapter of Soroptimists International.
Mullingar's commercial sector has expanded in recent yearsTemplate:When from just a few shops on the town's main thoroughfares – Oliver Plunkett Street, Austin Friars Street, and Mount Street – to several major shopping areas. There is an out-of-town retail park at Lakepoint (about 1.6 km from the town centre), the Harbour Place Shopping Centre near the town centre, and a development at the Green – on the site of the former Avonmore and Penneys units.
The town has a mix of local retailers and chain stores, and branches of the major banks. The town also has a credit union, Mullingar Credit Union (formerly known as St. Colman's House).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
A proposed development, named "Mullingar Central", was to have been located between Mount Street, the railway station and Blackhall Street. Planning permission was granted for retail, commercial and residential units. Phase 1, which included tax offices, library, civic offices and County Council buildings was officially opened on 11 June 2009.<ref>€40m county buildings officially opened Template:Webarchive. Advertiser.ie (19 June 2009).</ref> Phase 2, however, did not proceed.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Mullingar contains several industrial estates and business parks. As of 2015, only one plot on the Industrial Development Authority (IDA) business park in Marlinstown has been acquired by an employer, Patterson Pumps. At that time, the business was constructing a new plant to which it intended to move its Irish operation from its current location at Mullingar Business Park.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Two of the town's manufacturing plants – Penn tennis balls and Tarkett<ref>Tarkett Group Template:Webarchive. Tarkett.com.</ref> – both closed in the early 2000s causing many job losses. Other local employers include the Midland Regional Hospital at Mullingar,<ref>Mullingar Hospital</ref> P.E.M. Engineering,<ref>PEM Ireland Template:Webarchive. Pem.ie.</ref> Trend Technologies,<ref>Injection Moulding, Plastic Mouldings, Medical Devices, Automotive Components -Trend Technologies Template:Webarchive. Trendtechnologies.ie.</ref> Taconic International,<ref>Taconic Corporate Homepage Template:Webarchive. 4taconic.com.</ref> and Mullingar Pewter.<ref name="pewter" />
The town is home to a €25m Lidl warehouse and distribution centre.
Mullingar has a Chamber of Commerce which represents almost 200 businesses from varying commercial sectors.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Transport
Road
Mullingar lies near the national primary route N4, the main Dublin – Sligo road, Template:Convert from the capital. The N52 also connects Mullingar to the Galway-Dublin M6 motorway at Athlone to the southwest, and Kells, Ardee and Dundalk to the northeast. The town is served by Bus Éireann services to Dublin, Athlone (where passengers can catch connecting buses), Sligo, Cavan, Tullamore and Ballina.
Waterway
In the 19th century the town was served for a time by the Royal Canal – however displaced first by the railway and then the car, it is no longer commercially used for the transport of goods or people.Template:Citation needed The town of Mullingar is also linked to Lough Ennell via Lacy's Canal and the River Brosna.
Railways
The Midland Great Western Railway line to Mullingar from Dublin opened in stages from 1846 to 1848, arriving in Mullingar on 2 October 1848. This was to a temporary station, adjacent to the greyhound stadium. The original mainline ran from Dublin (Broadstone Station) to Galway via Mullingar, then via Moate to Athlone, the Mullingar to Galway section opening in August 1851. The present station opened with the branch line to Longford on 14 December 1855.
There were two secondary stations in Mullingar, the Canal Crossing cattle bank which was on the Sligo line and, on the Athlone line, Newbrook racecourse which had its own station. This was a two-platformed station with both platforms on the Down Line.
Currently, the Dublin-Sligo railway line northwest to Longford and Sligo is the mainline, Galway is accessed from Heuston Station via Portarlington. Mullingar station is served by national rail company Iarnród Éireann's Arrow commuter services to Dublin and InterCity trains to/from Sligo.
The line between Mullingar and Athlone has been transformed into the Old Rail Trail, a 43 kilometer greenway linking the River Shannon in Athlone to the Royal Canal in Mullingar.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The Railway Preservation Society of Ireland have a secondary base in the town. There is a photo survey of the disused Athlone Line via Moate.
Healthcare
The Midland Regional Hospital at Mullingar serves the Longford-Westmeath area. An extension was built in the early 1990s.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A change in government, however, halted investment and the extension lay as an empty shell until late 2006 when funding was finally secured to ensure its completion.Template:Citation needed There are several other hospitals in the town: St Loman's, which provides psychiatric services to the Midlands; St Mary's, a care centre for older people; and the St Francis Private Hospital.
Education
The town has several primary schools, including a number run under the Catholic ethos, a Church of Ireland school, a non-denominational Educate Together primary school, and two Irish language primary schools.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Local second-level schools include Coláiste Mhuire, the town's oldest post-primary school, St Finian's College, Loreto College Mullingar<ref name="loretomullingar.com">Template:Cite web</ref> and Mullingar Community College.<ref name="mullingarcc.ie">Template:Cite web</ref> Coláiste Mhuire is primarily a boys school,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> however, the repeat Leaving Certificate class is co-educational.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Just to the north of Mullingar on the old Longford Road is St Finian's College. Until 2003, St Finian's was an all-boys boarding school; however, in 2003, the decision was made to phase out the boarding school by 2007, and to admit girls as well as boys.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Loreto College for girls is the largest secondary school in the town,<ref name="loretomullingar.com"/> while Mullingar Community College is a co-educational school for boys and girls.<ref name="mullingarcc.ie"/> The Community College also runs evening courses for adults and awards the FETAC certificates.
Wilson's Hospital School, a co-educational boarding school, operates under the patronage of the Church of Ireland (Anglican Communion). It is located in the nearby village of Multyfarnham. It serves day students from the Mullingar area.
St. Joseph's Secondary School, a co-educational school located in the nearby village of Rochfortbridge, also serves the Mullingar area.Template:Citation needed
Culture
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Media
Two print newspapers serve the community: the Westmeath Examiner<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and the Westmeath Topic.
Music
The Mullingar Town Band was founded in 1879 by Father Polland as a Holy Family Confraternity Band.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The local military barracks supplied some of the early members, who themselves were serving members of the British Regimental bands stationed in Mullingar. The Mullingar Confraternity Band remained under the auspices of the Confraternity until the 1940s, when it was handed over to a committee and continued under the title of Mullingar Brass and Reed Band. The band has a dual role as a concert band and a marching band (the latter known as the Celtic Crusaders).<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2017, the Celtic Crusaders won the Irish Marching Band Association League.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
First opened in 1989, "The Stables" is a music venue in Mullingar, which critic and writer Ronan Casey described as an "essential" stop for national touring acts.<ref name=casey-stables>Template:Cite web</ref>
Niall Horan, born and raised in Mullingar, is a former member of the boy band One Direction. Horan has won four Brit Awards and four MTV Video Music Awards with One Direction. Niall Breslin, from the band The Blizzards, is also from Mullingar. The Academic is another local band. Mullingar native Tanya O'Callaghan is the bass player with the band Whitesnake,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Tanya was also bassist for solo projects for Iron Maiden singer Bruce Dickinson, and solo projects for Twisted Sister singer Dee Snider.
Live venues include the Mullingar Arts Centre.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In 1951, 1963, 2022, and 2023 Mullingar hosted the Fleadh Cheoil.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In popular culture
The town is mentioned in a number of songs, including "The Reason I Left Mullingar" (written in 1980 and sung by The Furey Brothers),<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> "Ode in Praise of The City of Mullingar" (written by William J Macquorn Rankine),<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> "The Rocky Road to Dublin" (by The Dubliners),<ref>Sherlock Holmes Soundtrack Is Anything But Elementary Template:Webarchive. Reelsoundtrack.wordpress.com.</ref> and Pat of Mullingar (an Irish rebel song). Mullingar is also mentioned towards the end of the song "Horse Outside" by the Rubberbandits.
Mullingar is also associated with Irish author James Joyce, who was an occasional visitor to Mullingar during his youth. Joyce's father, John, was a civil servant posted from Dublin to compile an electoral register of Mullingar and the surrounding townlands. He often stayed in the Greville Arms Hotel. James referred to Mullingar in three of his novels, mentioning it twelve times in Ulysses,<ref>Online-literature.com Template:Webarchive, Retrieved 3 August 2010.</ref> in chapter 14 of Stephen Hero,<ref>Template:Usurped, robotwisdom.com, Retrieved 9 August 2010.</ref> and three times in Finnegans Wake.<ref>Searchable online text of Finnegans Wake Template:Webarchive, Trent University, Peterborough, ON, Canada. Retrieved 3 August 2010. (Note that this e-text contains errors, many of which are listed at F.W.E.E.T. Template:Webarchive)</ref><ref>Finnegans Wake: Book 1, Section 6, page 138, line 19 Template:Webarchive, Trent University. Retrieved 3 August 2010.</ref><ref>Finnegans Wake: Book 2, Section 2, page 286, line 21 Template:Webarchive, in left hand column. Trent University. Retrieved 3 August 2010.</ref><ref>Finnegans Wake: Book 2, Section 3, page 345, line 34 Template:Webarchive, Trent University. Retrieved 3 August 2010.</ref>Template:Efn
Mullingar featured on Three Men in a Boat on BBC 2 in December 2009, in an episode called "Three Men Go to Ireland". Dara Ó Briain, Rory McGrath and Griff Rhys Jones visited Mullingar Greyhound Stadium during the episode.Template:Citation needed In Doubt, a 2008 film adaptation of the John Patrick Shanley stage play, the town is referenced in a dialogue between the main character and the school caretaker.Template:Citation needed
Outside Mullingar, a play by John Patrick Shanley, starred Will and Grace star Debra Messing.
Sport
GAA
There are several Gaelic Athletic Association football clubs in the Mullingar area: Mullingar Shamrocks,<ref>Mullingar Shamrocks Template:Webarchive. Mullingar Shamrocks.</ref> St. Loman's Mullingar, The Downs<ref>The Downs GAA, Template:Webarchive. Naduntagaa.com.</ref> and Shandonagh. St Oliver Plunkett's<ref>St Oliver Plunketts Hurling Club, Mullingar Template:Webarchive. Stoliverplunketts.westmeath.gaa.ie (20 October 2013).</ref> and Cullion play hurling. Westmeath GAA county team plays football and hurling at its home games at Cusack Park.
Football
Mullingar has three adult football teams; Mullingar Athletic (who play in Gainstown),<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Mullingar Town (who have their grounds in D'Alton Park), and Mullingar Celtic (who play their home games in the Raithin community pitch which is shared with Grange Utd, an under 18 side).Template:Citation needed
Tennis and badminton
The facilities of the Mullingar Tennis and Badminton Club include eight outdoor tennis courts and a hall containing two badminton courts.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The club was founded in 1892 by members of the Uisneach Badminton Club.
Greyhound racing
When programmed, greyhound track racing occurs upon the Lynn Greyhound track on Thursday and Saturday evenings.Template:Citation needed The track featured on the BBC "Three Men Go to Ireland" show where Dara Ó Briain's dog Snip Nua raced.Template:Citation needed
Golf
Mullingar Golf Club was created in 1953,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and hosts an annual competition, the Mullingar Scratch Cup, every August. This competition has been won by Des Smyth, Pádraig Harrington, Darren Clarke, and Paul McGinley. The 2006 winner was Rory McIlroy.<ref name="scratch cup">Template:Cite web</ref>
Boxing
Two-time Olympian boxer John Joe Nevin is from Mullingar. He won a silver medal in the bantamweight competition at the 2012 Summer Olympics.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Hockey
Mullingar Hockey Club is based in Loreto College and was formed in 1979. The club has two men's teams, one lady's team and an underage section.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Other sports
Mullingar rugby football club is located in Cullionbeg. It reached the Towns Cup final in 1989.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In basketball, the Mullingar Monarchs club (formed in 2001) and Mullingar Dragons (formed in 2007) are local teams. The latter plays in the North-Eastern Basketball League.<ref>Template:Cite webTemplate:Better source needed</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
The Westmeath Minotaurs American football club (formed in 2011) plays their games at the Mullingar Rugby Club. They compete as a member of American Football Ireland.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Mullingar Equestrian Centre, outside the town, hosts competitions and offers lessons.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Other schools in the area include Ladestown House Riding Stables and Catherinestown Riding School.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Studs include Tally Ho Stud,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Cleaboy Stud,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and Charlestown Stud.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Other sports clubs in the area include the Midland Tigers Australian Rules Football team,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Lakeside Wheelers Mullingar Cycling club (which is affiliated to Cycling Ireland),<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and the Mullingar Harbour Canoe Polo Club (based on the Royal Canal).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
People
- John Alexander, Victoria Cross recipient
- Niall Breslin (Bressie) and The Blizzards, musicians
- Eugene Casserly, U.S. Senator from California, born in Mullingar.
- Breon Corcoran, chief executive officer (CEO) of Betfair<ref name=ES>Template:Cite news</ref>
- Joe Dolan, singer
- J. P. Donleavy, author
- Wellington Guernsey, 19th-century composer and writer
- Josephine Hart, Baroness Saatchi, author and wife of Lord Saatchi
- Niall Horan, singer-songwriter and former member of One Direction
- Thomas Kavanagh, recipient of the Victoria Cross
- Aidan Keena, footballer
- Tina Kellegher, actress
- Shane Lowry (golfer), winner of the 2019 Open Championship
- Terry McMahon, actor, writer and filmmaker<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Joseph Murphy, Irish equestrian Olympian 2012
- John Joe Nevin, boxer
- Michael O'Leary, CEO of Ryanair
- Declan Power, defence and security analyst and author
- Connor Smith, footballer for Yeovil Town, defender
- Ailish Tynan (born 1975), operatic soprano<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Climate
The climate in this area has mild differences between highs and lows, and there is adequate rainfall year-round. The Köppen Climate Classification subtype for this climate is "Cfb" (Marine West Coast Climate/Oceanic climate).<ref>Climate Summary for Mullingar Template:Webarchive. Weatherbase.com.</ref> With a yearly mean of 9.3 degrees Celsius, Mullingar is the coldest place in Ireland. Template:Weather box
See also
Notes
References
Further reading
External links
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