Collinstown

Collinstown , or Baille Na gCailleach is a village in the north of the county of Westmeath (Iar Mhí), with approximately 18 kilometers in the North-East of the city nearest, Mullingar.

" Collinstown" , in French, the city of the veiled women means, the city of the religeuses sisters; in Gaelic, " Baille Na gCailleach".

The old Irish name of this village means the city of the buckled women. Formerly, it was called, irrespecteusement, the city of the witches because in the past, a convent of religeuses sisters had been built in the vicinity on the island called Nuns Island on Lough Lene. Collinstown (parish of co. Marie) was also known in the past under the name of Maypole , and aujoujd' today, it remains nothing any more but Maypole bar still having the name Maypole . The village counts 700 inhabitants.

Historical interests

Before the arrival of the Norman with Mullingar in 1227, Collinstown was a sector inhabited well during the time pre-Christian woman, as the presence testifies some to a multitude of Ringforts, in particular in Randoon, and Ranaghan, invaded today by the vegetation.

The Ringforts can be visited on the heights around the lake Lough Lene. The sector also praises prehistoric cemeteries of the time of Colman Saint, and Christian antiquities Mass path “of the country lanes” which made it possible the pilgrims to travel to foot of one place to the other while crossing the fields.

These historical relics are clearly indicated on the charts No 41 and 42 of investigation of ordinance of the Ireland (OSI, Irish equivalent of the IGN).

In the west of Collinstown, in the area of Ranaghan, and in the south-west of the lake Lough Lene, remain different the ringforts today. One allots to the tyrant Viking Turgesius the fortress of Randoon. Heights, they give on the lake and thus were easy to defend. The legend says that Turgesius remained there before being killed by Melaghlin or (Malachy) the local lord of Meath /Westmeath. One of these strong still bears its name: Turgesius island , the largest island of Lough Lene. The others are the island of the Castle ( Castle Island ) and the island of the Sisters ( Nuns Island ).

Collinstown also has close historical links with the sisters of a Religious order (Baille Na gCailleach in Irish), associated with the convent of the sisters on the island, and with, holy Taurin, holy Fechin and the monks of the abbey of Drill, come from Evreux, bond with Abbaye of Drills.

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