Longford
Longford
An Longfort | ||
---|---|---|
Town | ||
Eircode routing key N39 | ||
Telephone area code | 043 | |
Irish Grid Reference | N135750 | |
Website | www |
Longford (
History
The town is built at a fording point on the banks of the River Camlin (from Irish Camlinn, meaning "crooked pool"), which is a tributary of the River Shannon. According to several sources, the name Longford is an Anglicization of the Irish Longphort, referring to a fortress or fortified house.[2][3]
The area came under the sway of the local clan which controlled the south and middle of the County of Longford (historically called
A Dominican priory was founded there in 1400. St. John's Church of Ireland (formerly known as Templemichael Parish Church) was built on the site of the priory in 1710.[5]
Places of interest
Located to the south of Longford, in
The town serves as the cathedral town of the
Longford town has a 212-seat theatre called Backstage Theatre just outside of the town, and a four-screen multiplex cinema, with restaurants. The Irish Prison Service HQ, which is in the Lisnamuck area of the town, has a sculpture by artist Remco de Fouw, which is one of the largest pieces of sculpture in Ireland.[citation needed]
In a 2003 Guardian article about Patrick McCabe, Longford's "features of distinction" are described as including "a hulking cathedral, a rash of fast-food joints, a grubby cinema and a shopping mall".[8]
Year | Pop. | ±% |
---|---|---|
1813 | 3,062 | — |
1821 | 3,783 | +23.5% |
1831 | 4,516 | +19.4% |
1841 | 4,966 | +10.0% |
1851 | 4,467 | −10.0% |
1861 | 4,819 | +7.9% |
1871 | 4,375 | −9.2% |
1881 | 4,380 | +0.1% |
1891 | 3,827 | −12.6% |
1901 | 3,747 | −2.1% |
1911 | 3,760 | +0.3% |
1926 | 3,685 | −2.0% |
1936 | 3,807 | +3.3% |
1946 | 4,020 | +5.6% |
1951 | 3,845 | −4.4% |
1956 | 4,167 | +8.4% |
1961 | 4,073 | −2.3% |
1966 | 4,129 | +1.4% |
1971 | 4,791 | +16.0% |
1981 | 6,548 | +36.7% |
1986 | 6,835 | +4.4% |
1991 | 6,824 | −0.2% |
1996 | 6,984 | +2.3% |
2002 | 7,557 | +8.2% |
2006 | 8,836 | +16.9% |
2011 | 9,601 | +8.7% |
2016 | 10,008 | +4.2% |
2022 | 10,952 | +9.4% |
[9][10][11][12][13][14][1] |
Economy
Longford's main industries are food production, sawmills, steelworking, generator retailing, cable making and the production of medical diagnostics. It is the major services centre for the county as well as the location of the Department of Social Welfare and the Irish Prison Service. The town is also a local commercial centre, with a number of retail outlets including multiples such as
Longford town has a decentralized government department which employs approximately 300 people,[citation needed] and a further 130 are employed at the Irish Prison Service's headquarters in the town.[citation needed] Connolly Barracks once employed approximately 180 soldiers, many of whom were involved in UN peace-keeping duties, until the barracks closed in January 2009.[16]
While construction was formerly a major local employer, following the post-2008 Irish economic downturn, there were job losses in the construction industry and an increase in unemployment in the region.[citation needed]
Education
Longford town has a number of primary schools (for ages 4–12) and three secondary schools (for ages 12–19): two single-sex schools,
St. Mel's College is the oldest of these schools, being founded in the 1860s by the
Transport
Road
Longford is at the point of divergence of the
.The N5 originally started in the town centre, causing occasional traffic congestion. The town's bypass opened on 3 August 2012.[18]
The N4 Sligo road has a bypass around the town, which consists of single carriageway with hard shoulders and four roundabouts. It was opened on 2 June 1995.[citation needed]
Rail
Canals
The Royal Canal reopened in October 2010 after years of being derelict and overgrown. Navigation is now possible from Spencer Dock, in Dublin, to the Shannon, in Clondra.
Bus
There are a number of bus services to Dublin and other towns both outside and inside the county provided by both the state (Bus Éireann) and private bus companies (Kane's, Donnelly's and Farrelly's.) Third level colleges are also served by the private companies during the academic year.[citation needed]
Donnelly's Pioneer Bus Service, a local bus company based in Granard, operate a route from Longford to Granard via Ballinalee. There are three journeys each way daily (no Sunday service).[20]
Whartons Travel, which is also a local bus service, operate a route from Longford railway station and Longford to Cavan via Drumlish, Arvagh and Crossdoney.[21] As of 2014, this service is funded by the National Transport Authority.
Air
Longford's main air transport centre is located south-east of the town, at
Arts and culture
The Backstage Theatre and Centre for the Arts is a facility for arts and culture projects in the town and surrounding areas.[22] It is funded by Longford County Council with support from the Arts Council. Backstage is a member of two arts touring networks: Nasc a nationwide network of seven venues and Nomad a north midlands based network.[23]
Sport
The town has a number of sports clubs and facilities, including the Gaelic Athletic Association, rugby and tennis clubs, a League of Ireland soccer club (Longford Town FC), two indoor swimming pools, a gym and an 18-hole golf course. A swimming pool was opened in Longford in 2007.[citation needed]
Gaelic football and hurling
The sport with most support in County Longford is
Soccer
Longford town's main
Other sports
The local rugby union club, Longford RFC, was formed in the 1960s and participates in the Leinster League.[27]
Longford Sports & Leisure Centre, located in an area known locally as The Mall, contains a swimming pool, gym, and indoor and outdoor football and basketball facilities.[28]
People
- Willie Browne (1936–2004), Republic of Ireland international footballer[citation needed]
- Francis "Frank" Butler (1847–1926), rifleshot who toured the US (1876–1884) and husband-manager of American sharpshooter Annie Oakley[29]
- Padraic Colum (1881–1972), Irish poet, novelist and playwright[30]
- Ray Flynn (b.1957), Irish mile record holder[citation needed]
- Gareth Ghee, inter-county hurler[citation needed]
- Irish Traveller family in Longford.[31]
- Patrick McCabe (b.1955) novelist, has lived in Longford.[8]
- Ruairí Ó Brádaigh (1932–2013), founder of Republican Sinn Féin[32]
Climate
Climate in this area has mild differences between highs and lows, and there is adequate rainfall year-round. The
Climate data for Longford | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Mean maximum °C (°F) | 12.3 (54.1) |
13.4 (56.1) |
16.7 (62.1) |
19.3 (66.7) |
22.9 (73.2) |
24.8 (76.6) |
25.2 (77.4) |
24.9 (76.8) |
22.1 (71.8) |
19.0 (66.2) |
15.6 (60.1) |
12.8 (55.0) |
19.1 (66.4) |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 7.6 (45.7) |
8.4 (47.1) |
10.3 (50.5) |
13.2 (55.8) |
16.3 (61.3) |
18.1 (64.6) |
20.4 (68.7) |
19.3 (66.7) |
17.1 (62.8) |
13.6 (56.5) |
9.4 (48.9) |
7.8 (46.0) |
13.5 (56.2) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | 4.7 (40.5) |
5.3 (41.5) |
6.8 (44.2) |
9.4 (48.9) |
11.7 (53.1) |
13.8 (56.8) |
16.2 (61.2) |
15.5 (59.9) |
13.2 (55.8) |
10.1 (50.2) |
6.4 (43.5) |
4.8 (40.6) |
9.8 (49.7) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 1.7 (35.1) |
2.1 (35.8) |
3.3 (37.9) |
5.6 (42.1) |
7.1 (44.8) |
9.5 (49.1) |
12.1 (53.8) |
11.3 (52.3) |
9.3 (48.7) |
6.6 (43.9) |
3.4 (38.1) |
1.8 (35.2) |
6.1 (43.1) |
Mean minimum °C (°F) | −2.1 (28.2) |
−1.3 (29.7) |
0.3 (32.5) |
2.6 (36.7) |
5.6 (42.1) |
7.6 (45.7) |
10.5 (50.9) |
9.7 (49.5) |
7.8 (46.0) |
4.8 (40.6) |
1.2 (34.2) |
−1.9 (28.6) |
3.9 (39.0) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 78.8 (3.10) |
58.6 (2.31) |
67.4 (2.65) |
55.0 (2.17) |
59.5 (2.34) |
66.5 (2.62) |
59.4 (2.34) |
81.6 (3.21) |
66.4 (2.61) |
94.2 (3.71) |
74.7 (2.94) |
83.8 (3.30) |
845.7 (33.30) |
Source: Weatherbase[34] |
See also
References
- ^ a b c "Interactive Data Visualisations: Towns: Longford". Census 2022. Central Statistics Office. Retrieved 26 September 2023.
- ^ Gearty, Sarah; Morris, Martin; O'Ferrall, Fergus (2010). "No. 22 - Longford" (PDF). Irish Historic Towns Atlas. Royal Irish Academy.
Longford stands on a fording point of the Camlin River though the town's name does not derive from its position on a ford, but comes from the Irish Longphort, meaning fortress or stronghold
- ISBN 9781788551373.
Longford / Longphort, 'fortified house' [..] The early name for Longford was Longphort Uí Fhearghail ('stronghold of the man of valour', or 'O'Farrell's fortress')
- ^ Woulfe, Patrick (1923). "Ó Fearghail". Irish Names and Surnames. Dublin: M. H. Gill.
The head of the family resided at the town of Longford, which was formerly known as Longphort Ui Fhearghail, or O'Farrell's fortress
- ^ "St. John's Church of Ireland Church, Church Street, Battery Road, Abbeycarton, Longford Town, County Longford". www.buildingsofireland.com. National Inventory of Architectural Heritage. Archived from the original on 26 September 2021. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
- ^ "St Mels Cathedral, Longford, Ireland, Diocese of Ardagh and Clonmacnois, Cathedral Fire, Friends of St Mels Cathedral". Stmelscathedral.com. 25 December 2009. Archived from the original on 2 March 2012. Retrieved 23 June 2012.
- ^ "RTÉ News: Longford Cathedral gutted in fire". 25 December 2009. Archived from the original on 15 January 2010. Retrieved 25 December 2009.
- ^ a b King of Bog Gothic. The Guardian. 30 August 2003
- ^ "Census for post 1821 figures". Cso.ie. Archived from the original on 20 September 2010. Retrieved 23 June 2012.
- ^ histpop.org Archived 7 May 2016 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "NISRA – Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency". Nisranew.nisra.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 4 April 2010. Retrieved 23 June 2012.
- ^ Lee, JJ (1981). "On the accuracy of the Pre-famine Irish censuses". In Goldstrom, J. M.; Clarkson, L. A. (eds.). Irish Population, Economy, and Society: Essays in Honour of the Late K. H. Connell. Oxford, England: Clarendon Press.
- hdl:10197/1406. Archived from the originalon 4 December 2012.
- ^ "Sapmap Area – Settlements – Longford". Census 2016. CSO. 2016. Archived from the original on 13 January 2018. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
- ^ https://www.independent.ie/news/homebase-and-argos-declared-for-30m-longford-centre/25998887.html
- ^ "Longford County Council to sell of Connolly Barracks". The Irish Times. 6 April 2016. Archived from the original on 9 April 2016. Retrieved 7 January 2016.
- ^ "stmelscollege.ie". Archived from the original on 2 December 2005. Retrieved 1 January 2019.
- ^ "N5 Longford Bypass – Opens Friday, August 3rd". Transport Infrastructure Ireland (Press release). Archived from the original on 16 November 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2019.
- ^ "Longford station" (PDF). Railscot – Irish Railways. Archived (PDF) from the original on 26 September 2007. Retrieved 5 September 2007.
- ^ "Journey Planner" (PDF). Transport for Ireland.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Whartons Travel - Cavan to Longford Bus - Longford to Cavan Bus". Archived from the original on 9 February 2013. Retrieved 19 December 2015.
- ^ "Backstage". Backstage. Archived from the original on 10 August 2020. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
- ^ "Networks - Irish Theatre". Irish Theatre Institute. Archived from the original on 3 July 2020. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
- ^ "Slashers storm to title". Irish Examiner. 7 October 2013.
- ^ a b "Longford Town Club Information". airtricityleague.ie. 9 February 2009. Archived from the original on 22 September 2012. Retrieved 7 September 2012.
- ^ "Visiting Bishopsgate". ltfc.ie. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
- ^ "Longford RFC: A Look Back In Time". irishrugby.ie. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
- ^ "Coral Leisure Longford". longford.coralleisure.ie. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
Longford Sports & Leisure Centre [..] includes a 25m Swimming Pool, a Learner Pool, Sauna & Steam Room, Gym, Weights Room, Sports Hall, Astro Turf and Mugga facility [..] Longford Sports & Leisure, The Mall, Longford Town
- ^ "How the Wild West stage was won by a Longford man". Longford Leader. 16 April 2015. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
Francis 'Frank' E Butler was born in Longford town on January 20, 1847
- . Retrieved 5 May 2023.
- ^ "Boxing: Gomez finally to fight for Irish title". independent.ie. 11 January 2006. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
- . Retrieved 5 May 2023.
- ^ "Climate Summary for Longford". Archived from the original on 22 September 2015. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
- ^ "Weatherbase.com". Weatherbase. 2013. Archived from the original on 3 September 2014. Retrieved 12 July 2013. Retrieved on 12 July 2013.