Castlepollard
Castelpollard ( Cionn Torc in Irish) is a city of the Comté of Westmeath (Iar Mhí) in Irish Republic, approximately 18 kilometers in the north of Mullingar, the principal city of the County.
Compared to the cities and the close villages, the town of Castlepollard is a relatively recent agglomeration of county of Westmeath. The city was built at the 17th century by the Pollard family.
The city bears two names in Gaelic: Corner Torc , the oldest name, means in French “the hill of wild boars” (or of the wild pigs), whereas Baille Na gCros , its second name, means “the city of the crossroads”.
History
The family of Pollard built the town of Castlepollard towards the end of the XVIIe century under a charter of Charles II. The city was carefully drawn, with a vast triangular lawn in its center. The lawn is surrounded still today by buildings of the 19th century. A sculpture on the place represents a swan of the famous legend of the children of Lir, and a plate of described the history in several languages, in particular in French, Gaelic, German and English. The events of this legend proceed with the lake Derravaragh, just a few kilometers in the south of the city.Among many the Ringforts, in the surrounding heights, two strong antiques have a special interest, including one in particular, called Randoon, in the area of Ranaghan, in the south-west of Lough Lene. The second is on the principal island of Lough Lene, the island of Turgesius, where this tyrant Viking after having conquered Dublin and Clonmacnoise about year 837, remained occasionally.
Castlepollard has two churches, a Catholique and the other of the Église of Ireland. The building which is currently used as St Peter Center was in the beginning a famous house for the unmarried mothers behavior by the Sisters of the Sacred Heart.
Industry/Trade
Mergon International is one of the principal companies of the city. It manufacture castings of quality. The city is equipped with a small commercial district, being composed of a handle of small shops (Brady and D&A Moran being the principal ones) and of a certain number of pubs Irish
See too