Ardagh, County Longford
Encyclopedia
Ardagh is a village in County Longford
, Ireland
about 10 km (6.21 mi) from Longford Town. It is located off the N4 road.
There are several important Early Christian sites in and near Ardagh, including the Church of St. Mel. It is suggested that Saint Patrick
built a church here in the fifth century and installed Saint Mel
as bishop
.
Ardagh's Heritage Centre tracks the history of the village, including its literary associations, which include featuring pseudonymously in Oliver Goldsmith
's She Stoops to Conquer
, and in a poem by Eavan Boland
.
Much of the village was built as an 'Estate Village' in the 19th century, based on a Swiss design, and has received some acclaim for its beauty, being awarded the Prix d'Honneur of the Entente Florale
and winning the Irish Tidy Towns Competition
on three occasions in 1989, 1996 and 1998.
County Longford
County Longford is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Midlands Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Longford.Longford County Council is the local authority for the county...
, Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
about 10 km (6.21 mi) from Longford Town. It is located off the N4 road.
There are several important Early Christian sites in and near Ardagh, including the Church of St. Mel. It is suggested that Saint Patrick
Saint Patrick
Saint Patrick was a Romano-Briton and Christian missionary, who is the most generally recognized patron saint of Ireland or the Apostle of Ireland, although Brigid of Kildare and Colmcille are also formally patron saints....
built a church here in the fifth century and installed Saint Mel
Saint Mel
Saint Mel or Moel died in 488. He is said to have been a Briton who came to Ireland with Saint Patrick, his uncle, with whom he worked until he was ordained in Ardagh. He helped evangelize Ireland while supporting himself through manual labor. He is one of the earliest Irish saints and gave the...
as bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
.
Ardagh's Heritage Centre tracks the history of the village, including its literary associations, which include featuring pseudonymously in Oliver Goldsmith
Oliver Goldsmith
Oliver Goldsmith was an Irish writer, poet and physician known for his novel The Vicar of Wakefield , his pastoral poem The Deserted Village , and his plays The Good-Natur'd Man and She Stoops to Conquer...
's She Stoops to Conquer
She Stoops to Conquer
She Stoops to Conquer is a comedy by the Irish author Oliver Goldsmith, son of an Anglo-Irish vicar, first performed in London in 1773. The play is a great favourite for study by English literature and theatre classes in Britain and the United States. It is one of the few plays from the 18th...
, and in a poem by Eavan Boland
Eavan Boland
-Biography:Boland's father, Frederick Boland, was a career diplomat and her mother, Frances Kelly, was a noted post-expressionist painter. She was born in Dublin in 1944. At the age of six, Boland's father was appointed Irish Ambassador to the United Kingdom; the family followed him to London,...
.
Much of the village was built as an 'Estate Village' in the 19th century, based on a Swiss design, and has received some acclaim for its beauty, being awarded the Prix d'Honneur of the Entente Florale
Entente Florale
The Entente Florale is an international horticultural competition established to recognise municipalities and villages in Europe for excellence in horticultural displays. Trophies are presented annually by tourist boards and horticultural societies of European countries...
and winning the Irish Tidy Towns Competition
Irish Tidy Towns Competition
Tidy Towns is an annual competition, first held in 1958, organised by the Irish Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government in order to honour the tidiest and most attractive cities, towns and villages in the Republic of Ireland...
on three occasions in 1989, 1996 and 1998.
See also
- List of towns and villages in Ireland