Muinebeag
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| Muinebeag Bagenalstown |
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| Uimhir gan choisc "The Irrepressible Number" |
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WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates:
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| Irish grid reference S683609 |
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| Province: | Leinster | |
| County: | County Carlow | |
| Elevation: | 40 m | |
| Population (2002) - Town: - Environs: |
2,540 649 |
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Muinebeag, also spelt Muine Bheag (meaning Small Thicket), or Bagenalstown is a town in County Carlow, Ireland. The area is between the midlands of Ireland and the southeast. The county town of Carlow is to the north of Muine Bheag. The town is the second largest in the county.
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[edit] Name
The English name "Bagenalstown" is more commonly used, but "Muinebeag" is the official name of the town while the variation "Muine Bheag" is more commonly used, and is often used in speech as "Muinebeg". Iarnród Éireann train services always use the written timetable station of "Muine Bheag", whilst the spoken announcements on trains are usually for "Bagenalstown". The name Muinebeag comes from the Irish for a small thicket of thorns. The motto on the town's Coat of Arms is "The Irrepressible Number" and its Irish equivalent, Uimhir gan choisc, represent "9", which is the number of town councillors.
[edit] History
The English name came from Lord Bagenal. Bagenal based the town on Versailles in France, and the town's Courthouse resembles that of Versailles. Bagenal built the town on the River Barrow to allow for trade and access to the town. Bagenal originally wanted the town to be called "New Versailles". It was built in the 18th century.
[edit] Places of interest
- Ballyloughan Castle is situated near Muinebeag and comprises a twin-towered gatehouse and the hall and foundations of one of the corner towers of a large castle dating from approximately 1300.[1]
- Ballymoon Castle is situated 3 km (2 mi) east of Muinebeag, and is thought to date from the 13th century.[2]
[edit] Sport
[edit] Gaelic Sports
Bagnalstown have been winners of the Carlow Senior Hurling Championship on four occasions. 1928, 1929, 1930 and 1931.
[edit] Cricket
Bagnalstown has had a long and prestigious tradition in cricket when the local Bagenalstown Cricket Club was first formed in 1842 by the local millers which is still used close to McGrath Park today. The logo for the club is a grinding wheel which was used in early milling which represents the long tradition of cricket in Muine Beag over the generations.
[edit] People
- Olympic, World Rowing Championship (silver medalist), and world record breaking sculler Sean Drea
- Colour-Sergeant John Lucas who won a VC during the Taranaki Maori War in New Zealand in 1861.
- Beauchamp Bagenal, (1741-1802) rake, duellist and reputedly "the handsomest man in Europe"[3]
[edit] Transport
- The town is situated on the River Barrow. It is centered on the junction of the R705 and R724 regional roads and lies on the eastern side of the N9 National primary route.
- It is connected to the railway network on the line between Dublin - Kilkenny. This connects the town to nearby Carlow, as well as Kilkenny to the southwest. Muine Bheag railway station opened on 24 July 1848 as Bagenalstown. It was closed for goods traffic on 6 September 1976[4] and re-named in 1988.
[edit] Twinning
The town was twinned with the town of Pont-Péan, France in 1999. The twinning charter is written in Irish, English and French, and it commits the two towns to "developing social, economic, cultural, touristic, and sporting links" between the two communities. Muine Bheag hosts a floral festival every August, and visitors from far and wide come to visit it.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Ballyloughan Castle. Carlow Tourism - Castles. Retrieved on 2007-12-09.
- ^ Ballymoon Castle, County Carlow. Irelands Eye.com. Retrieved on 2007-12-10.
- ^ Donaldson, William Rogues, Villians and Eccentrics: An A-Z of Roguish Britons Through the Ages pp 38-9, Phoenix, London, 2002
- ^ Bagnelstown station. Railscot - Irish Railways. Retrieved on 2007-08-30.
[edit] External links
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