Newmarket-on-Fergus
Encyclopedia
Newmarket-on-Fergus, historically known as Corracatlin , is a town in County Clare
in the Republic of Ireland
. It is 13 kilometers from Ennis
, 8 kilometers from Shannon Airport
, and 24 kilometers from Limerick
.
, with several acres of ground encompassed within its treble walls. It is supposed to have been the site of a prehistoric walled village and a meeting- place in about 500 BC. It is regarded as the oldest ring fort of its kind in Europe. The Gaelic name Cora Chaitlín is reputed to have its origins in 19th Century Famine where weirs where placed across the river Canny at Newtown Canny (i.e. Limerick Road near the present entrance to O'Regan Park) and Finn mill race, in which to snare ells, hence Cathline's Weir. The proper and original name is transliterated 'Tradaree' from the Gaelic 'Tradraigh'; the village being the centre of that ancient district of Tradaree which extended from from Bunratty to the south and to Latoon to the north.
One of the earliest known references to the area was in the Book of Survey and Distribution written in 1636 by James Frost. In it he mentions the main land owners of the area, among them the Earl of Thomond.
There is also mention of Bonratty (later Bunratty) of which Newmarket was in the Barony of, in a 1574 document written by Edward White. His document was written to give an accurate account of the lands of Thomond of which at the time there had been several incorrect descriptions made.
The Parish of Newmarket-on-Fergus is a union of seven ancient parishes: Bunratty, Fenloe, Kilnasoolagh, Drumline, Clonloghan, Kilconry and Kilmaleery. During the Penal Law period of 1744, the High Sheriff of Clare, John Westropp, had all the Churches in these seven Parishes closed.
In a letter to The Secretaries of the Baptist Irish Society dated December 20, 1823, a travelling preacher named W. Thomas stopped over in Newmarket for a night and wrote a letter the aforementioned Scoiety. In it he described the difficulties that people had in hearing a sermon with some people walking miles over land just to hear the word of God. He also gives an insight into the poverty of the time describing children in various states of dress akin to their poorness. He also describes the children's eagerness to learn scripture by heart.
In March 1854, about two miles from the centre of the village an immense amount of gold was found in what appeared to be a hastily hidden trove concealed in a stone chamber under a cam of slight elevation, near the lake of Mooghaun, or Lougha- traska. The find became one of the most famous finds of its kind in Ireland.
Newmarket has had a long military history also. This tale recounts the I.R.A.'s attempted seizure of arms from an R.I.C. barracks that was stationed in the village during Ireland's War of Independence. In the summer of 1920 Patrick Buckley, an R.I.C. Constable from north Kerry stationed at Newmarket-On-Fergus, began making efforts to contact the I.R.A. Buckley had decided to resign from the R.I.C. in protest at British atrocities in Ireland when he realised that he could strike a far greater blow for the Irish Republic if he could help the I.R.A. to capture his barracks. Pat Reidy, an I.R.A. Volunteer with the Mid Clare Brigade, met Buckley while he was on patrol in Newmarket-on-Fergus. Buckley told Reidy how badly the barracks was defended and how easily it could be captured. Reidy passed this information on to I.R.A. intelligence and Michael Brennan arranged to meet Buckley to discuss the possibility of raiding the barracks for arms. Brennan convinced Buckley to help the I.R.A. capture the barracks by leaving the window over the front door open when he was on duty. Michael Brennan’s first attempt to capture the building was a failure, when by chance one of the R.I.C. men inside the Barracks noticed locked the window that Buckley had opened.
On the 5th of August the I.R.A. made another attempt to capture the barracks. Buckley had arranged to leave the front door of the barracks unlocked. At midnight the I.R.A met at Convent Cross, a mile from Sixmilebridge. Sentries were posted on all roads leading to the village. The I.R.A. Volunteers removed their boots and crept towards the Barracks door with their revolvers drawn. Pat Reidy guarded the door of the barracks while Micheal Brennan lifted the latch and entered the barracks, followed by the other I.R.A. Volunteers. Sean Murnane entered the R.I.C. Constables quarters while Brennan went to tackle the barracks sergeant, Sergeant Porter: “I sent my three or four companions to capture the guard and two men in bed and I went along to the sergeants quarters myself. On Buckley’s plan I found his room easily and the light of my torch on his face woke him. He ignored an order to put up his hands and when I repeated it he snatched a revolver on the table beside him and levelled it at me. I found it impossible to fire at a man in bed, so I took a chance and hit his gun hard with my own. I was lucky and his gun rolled on the floor. After this he surrendered. I was warned that he would be though and he certainly was.”
The I.R.A. tied up the R.I.C. and searched the barracks seizing official police documents, valuable intelligence information, and police equipment. The I.R.A.’s main haul was the R.I.C. garrisons arms, six .45 Webbly revolvers, six Carbine rifles and a large quantity of ammunition. Before leaving, the I.R.A. cut the telegraph wires leading from the barracks to prevent the R.I.C calling for assistance. No damage was done to the building during the raid and none of the police had been harmed. Sergeant Porter was so disturbed by the raid that he tried to commit suicide by cutting his throat a few days later.
In a 1962 published autobiography, 'My Father Marconi', Degna Marconi, the daughter of the inventor of the radio, Guglielmo Marconi, describes in detail holidaying on the Dromoland Estate in 1905.
In late June 2004, the first summit to take place between the US and the enlarged EU 25 Member States took place in Newmarket at Dromoland Castle.
In the Spring of 2007, six skeletal remains were found during the archaeological monitoring of improvement works to a local water network near Barnhill, Newmarket-on-Fergus. Dating showed that the remains were Pre-Christian.
. As its name implies, it lies on the River Fergus
. The main N18 Limerick–Ennis road
passed through Newmarket until the town was bypassed in 2003. That main bypass road was renamed as the M18
on August 28, 2009 as part of a national programme to increase the amount of motorways available to road users.
Neighbouring towns and villages include Clarecastle
, Ennis
, Cratloe
, Sixmilebridge
, Quin
and Shannon
.
To the west of the town is Lough Gash, a turlough
(disappearing lake) of considerable size.}}
, and the presence of several places of interest nearby (such as Bunratty Castle
, The Burren
Visitors' Centre, Lahinch
Sea World Aquarium and Spanish Point
) brings some tourism to the area, providing business for local bed and breakfast establishments and hotels.
, Stonehall National School and Clonmoney National School. Others are available in nearby towns. For secondary education, students attend schools in nearby Ennis and Shannon. The nearest university is the University of Limerick
. Limerick also offers the Limerick Institute of Technology
and Limerick School of Art and Design
.
via the N18, Ennis
via the M18
or the R471/R458 then onto the R458, Galway
through Gort
via the M18
and then on to Dublin via the M6
from Galway & M50
. Shannon Airport
is 5 minutes away via the M18
/N18 and the N19.
County Clare
-History:There was a Neolithic civilisation in the Clare area — the name of the peoples is unknown, but the Prehistoric peoples left evidence behind in the form of ancient dolmen; single-chamber megalithic tombs, usually consisting of three or more upright stones...
in the Republic of 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,...
. It is 13 kilometers from Ennis
Ennis
Ennis is the county town of Clare in Ireland. Situated on the River Fergus, it lies north of Limerick and south of Galway. Its name is a shortening of the original ....
, 8 kilometers from Shannon Airport
Shannon Airport
Shannon Airport, is one of the Republic of Ireland's three primary airports along with Dublin and Cork. In 2010 around 1,750,000 passengers passed through the airport, making it the third busiest airport in the Republic of Ireland after Dublin and Cork, and the fifth busiest airport on the island...
, and 24 kilometers from Limerick
Limerick
Limerick is the third largest city in the Republic of Ireland, and the principal city of County Limerick and Ireland's Mid-West Region. It is the fifth most populous city in all of Ireland. When taking the extra-municipal suburbs into account, Limerick is the third largest conurbation in the...
.
History
The English rendering of the name 'Newmarket-on-Fergus' probably owes its origin to the fact that an older 'Market' at nearby Bunratty (on the Ogarney River) predated the 'newer' market located at the village and hence Newmarket-on-Fergus; there is also a popular myth attributing the name-change to Lord Inchiqin who supposedly renamed the village after the famous racecourse, and following a victory at the horse-racing centre in England having wagered Dromoland Estate on the race. In the grounds of his neo- Gothic mansion, Dromoland Castle, is the most extensive hill-fort in Ireland, Mooghaun Hill-FortMooghaun
Mooghaun is a late Bronze Age hill fort located in County Clare, Ireland. It is a well preserved, recently excavated site, occupying an entire hill with wide views of the surrounding lands...
, with several acres of ground encompassed within its treble walls. It is supposed to have been the site of a prehistoric walled village and a meeting- place in about 500 BC. It is regarded as the oldest ring fort of its kind in Europe. The Gaelic name Cora Chaitlín is reputed to have its origins in 19th Century Famine where weirs where placed across the river Canny at Newtown Canny (i.e. Limerick Road near the present entrance to O'Regan Park) and Finn mill race, in which to snare ells, hence Cathline's Weir. The proper and original name is transliterated 'Tradaree' from the Gaelic 'Tradraigh'; the village being the centre of that ancient district of Tradaree which extended from from Bunratty to the south and to Latoon to the north.
One of the earliest known references to the area was in the Book of Survey and Distribution written in 1636 by James Frost. In it he mentions the main land owners of the area, among them the Earl of Thomond.
There is also mention of Bonratty (later Bunratty) of which Newmarket was in the Barony of, in a 1574 document written by Edward White. His document was written to give an accurate account of the lands of Thomond of which at the time there had been several incorrect descriptions made.
The Parish of Newmarket-on-Fergus is a union of seven ancient parishes: Bunratty, Fenloe, Kilnasoolagh, Drumline, Clonloghan, Kilconry and Kilmaleery. During the Penal Law period of 1744, the High Sheriff of Clare, John Westropp, had all the Churches in these seven Parishes closed.
In a letter to The Secretaries of the Baptist Irish Society dated December 20, 1823, a travelling preacher named W. Thomas stopped over in Newmarket for a night and wrote a letter the aforementioned Scoiety. In it he described the difficulties that people had in hearing a sermon with some people walking miles over land just to hear the word of God. He also gives an insight into the poverty of the time describing children in various states of dress akin to their poorness. He also describes the children's eagerness to learn scripture by heart.
In March 1854, about two miles from the centre of the village an immense amount of gold was found in what appeared to be a hastily hidden trove concealed in a stone chamber under a cam of slight elevation, near the lake of Mooghaun, or Lougha- traska. The find became one of the most famous finds of its kind in Ireland.
Newmarket has had a long military history also. This tale recounts the I.R.A.'s attempted seizure of arms from an R.I.C. barracks that was stationed in the village during Ireland's War of Independence. In the summer of 1920 Patrick Buckley, an R.I.C. Constable from north Kerry stationed at Newmarket-On-Fergus, began making efforts to contact the I.R.A. Buckley had decided to resign from the R.I.C. in protest at British atrocities in Ireland when he realised that he could strike a far greater blow for the Irish Republic if he could help the I.R.A. to capture his barracks. Pat Reidy, an I.R.A. Volunteer with the Mid Clare Brigade, met Buckley while he was on patrol in Newmarket-on-Fergus. Buckley told Reidy how badly the barracks was defended and how easily it could be captured. Reidy passed this information on to I.R.A. intelligence and Michael Brennan arranged to meet Buckley to discuss the possibility of raiding the barracks for arms. Brennan convinced Buckley to help the I.R.A. capture the barracks by leaving the window over the front door open when he was on duty. Michael Brennan’s first attempt to capture the building was a failure, when by chance one of the R.I.C. men inside the Barracks noticed locked the window that Buckley had opened.
On the 5th of August the I.R.A. made another attempt to capture the barracks. Buckley had arranged to leave the front door of the barracks unlocked. At midnight the I.R.A met at Convent Cross, a mile from Sixmilebridge. Sentries were posted on all roads leading to the village. The I.R.A. Volunteers removed their boots and crept towards the Barracks door with their revolvers drawn. Pat Reidy guarded the door of the barracks while Micheal Brennan lifted the latch and entered the barracks, followed by the other I.R.A. Volunteers. Sean Murnane entered the R.I.C. Constables quarters while Brennan went to tackle the barracks sergeant, Sergeant Porter: “I sent my three or four companions to capture the guard and two men in bed and I went along to the sergeants quarters myself. On Buckley’s plan I found his room easily and the light of my torch on his face woke him. He ignored an order to put up his hands and when I repeated it he snatched a revolver on the table beside him and levelled it at me. I found it impossible to fire at a man in bed, so I took a chance and hit his gun hard with my own. I was lucky and his gun rolled on the floor. After this he surrendered. I was warned that he would be though and he certainly was.”
The I.R.A. tied up the R.I.C. and searched the barracks seizing official police documents, valuable intelligence information, and police equipment. The I.R.A.’s main haul was the R.I.C. garrisons arms, six .45 Webbly revolvers, six Carbine rifles and a large quantity of ammunition. Before leaving, the I.R.A. cut the telegraph wires leading from the barracks to prevent the R.I.C calling for assistance. No damage was done to the building during the raid and none of the police had been harmed. Sergeant Porter was so disturbed by the raid that he tried to commit suicide by cutting his throat a few days later.
In a 1962 published autobiography, 'My Father Marconi', Degna Marconi, the daughter of the inventor of the radio, Guglielmo Marconi, describes in detail holidaying on the Dromoland Estate in 1905.
In late June 2004, the first summit to take place between the US and the enlarged EU 25 Member States took place in Newmarket at Dromoland Castle.
In the Spring of 2007, six skeletal remains were found during the archaeological monitoring of improvement works to a local water network near Barnhill, Newmarket-on-Fergus. Dating showed that the remains were Pre-Christian.
Geography
The town is situated about 10 km from EnnisEnnis
Ennis is the county town of Clare in Ireland. Situated on the River Fergus, it lies north of Limerick and south of Galway. Its name is a shortening of the original ....
. As its name implies, it lies on the River Fergus
River Fergus
The River Fergus is a river in County Clare, Ireland. It rises in Loughnagowan which lies a few kilometers west of Corofin and flows into the Shannon Estuary. It is noted for its trout and salmon fishing. Trummer is an island in the river...
. The main N18 Limerick–Ennis road
Roads in Ireland
The island of Ireland, comprising Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, has an extensive network of tens of thousands of kilometres of public roads, usually surfaced. These roads have been developed and modernised over centuries, from trackways suitable only for walkers and horses, to...
passed through Newmarket until the town was bypassed in 2003. That main bypass road was renamed as the M18
M18 motorway (Ireland)
The M18 motorway is an inter-urban motorway in Ireland, forming part of the Limerick, Ennis to Galway national primary road, which, in turn, forms part of the Atlantic Corridor called for as part of the Transport 21 project.-Route:...
on August 28, 2009 as part of a national programme to increase the amount of motorways available to road users.
Neighbouring towns and villages include Clarecastle
Clarecastle
Clarecastle is a village located just south of Ennis, in County Clare, Ireland. Over the past ten years the village has a rapidly increasing population due to its close proximity to Ennis, Shannon and Limerick, and also less than an hour away from Galway city....
, Ennis
Ennis
Ennis is the county town of Clare in Ireland. Situated on the River Fergus, it lies north of Limerick and south of Galway. Its name is a shortening of the original ....
, Cratloe
Cratloe
Cratloe is a village in County Clare, Ireland, situated between Limerick City and Shannon in the midwest of Ireland. It is possible that the name derives from Croit-shliabh meaning "hump-backed hill", referring to Woodcock Hill.-Places of interest:...
, Sixmilebridge
Sixmilebridge
Sixmilebridge is a small town in County Clare, Ireland. Located midway between Ennis and Limerick city, the town is a short distance away from the main N18 road, being on the old "back road" between the two...
, Quin
Quin
Quin may refer to:* Dugall Quin, a character in the folk ballad Dugall Quin* Mr. Quin, a character in the short story collection The Mysterious Mr...
and Shannon
Shannon, County Clare
Shannon or Shannon Town , named after the river near which it stands, is a town located in County Clare. It was given town status on 1 January 1982. The town is located just off the N19 road, a spur of the N18/M18 road between Limerick city and Ennis....
.
To the west of the town is Lough Gash, a turlough
Turlough (lake)
A turlough, or turlach, is a unique type of disappearing lake found mostly in limestone areas of Ireland, west of the River Shannon. The name comes from the Irish "tuar", meaning dry, with the suffix "lach", meaning a place . The "lach" suffix is often mistakenly spelled and/or thought to refer to...
(disappearing lake) of considerable size.}}
People
- The earliest Census to record the population of Newmarket took place in 1659. Newmarket, listed as Corraeathelin in the census as a part of the Barony of Bunratty showed the population as just 9 persons living within the confines of what we know as the village today.
- In 1782, a Michael O'Brien of Newmarket-on-Fergus, is listed in the Convert Rolls in the Public Records Office in Dublin, listing persons who converted from Popery to the Protestant religion, from the commencement of the reign of Queen Anne, in 1702, to the year 1789.
- In the 2006 census, the population of Newmarket-on-Fergus was given as 1,542.
- The town is the birthplace of Irish nationalist William Smith O'BrienWilliam Smith O'BrienWilliam Smith O'Brien was an Irish Nationalist and Member of Parliament and leader of the Young Ireland movement. He was convicted of sedition for his part in the Young Irelander Rebellion of 1848, but his sentence of death was commuted to deportation to Van Diemen's Land. In 1854, he was...
. - Irish President Michael D. Higgins, though born in Limerick, was educated in Ballycar National School.
- Tourism pioneer, founder of Shannon School of Hotel Management and founder of the culinary department of Shannon AirportShannon AirportShannon Airport, is one of the Republic of Ireland's three primary airports along with Dublin and Cork. In 2010 around 1,750,000 passengers passed through the airport, making it the third busiest airport in the Republic of Ireland after Dublin and Cork, and the fifth busiest airport on the island...
and peace activist Brendan O'Regan spent his retirement years living in Newmarket-on-Fergus..
Commerce and tourism
The town has several small shops and public houses. The proximity of Shannon AirportShannon Airport
Shannon Airport, is one of the Republic of Ireland's three primary airports along with Dublin and Cork. In 2010 around 1,750,000 passengers passed through the airport, making it the third busiest airport in the Republic of Ireland after Dublin and Cork, and the fifth busiest airport on the island...
, and the presence of several places of interest nearby (such as Bunratty Castle
Bunratty Castle
Bunratty Castle is a large tower house in County Clare, Ireland. It lies in the centre of Bunratty village , by the N18 road between Limerick and Ennis, near Shannon Town and its airport. The name Bunratty, Bun Raite in Irish, means the 'bottom' or end of the 'Ratty' river. This river, alongside...
, The Burren
The Burren
The Burren is a karst-landscape region or alvar in northwest County Clare, in Ireland. It is one of the largest karst landscapes in Europe. The region measures approximately 250 square kilometres and is enclosed roughly within the circle made by the villages Ballyvaughan, Kinvara, Tubber, Corofin,...
Visitors' Centre, Lahinch
Lahinch
Lahinch or Lehinch is a village on Liscannor Bay, on the northwest coast of County Clare, in northern Munster, Ireland. It lies on the N67 national secondary road....
Sea World Aquarium and Spanish Point
Spanish Point
Spanish Point is a village in the parish of Miltown Malbay in County Clare, Ireland, situated on the west coast of Ireland. The town is home to many holiday homes, and during the winter has a significantly smaller population. It is also one of the better surf breaks in County Clare...
) brings some tourism to the area, providing business for local bed and breakfast establishments and hotels.
Education
There are four primary schools in the town: Scoil na Maighdine Muire/Newmarket-on-Fergus National School, Ballycar National SchoolBallycar National School
Ballycar National School is a national school outside the town of Newmarket-on-Fergus in County Clare, Ireland....
, Stonehall National School and Clonmoney National School. Others are available in nearby towns. For secondary education, students attend schools in nearby Ennis and Shannon. The nearest university is the University of Limerick
University of Limerick
The University of Limerick is a university in Ireland near the city of Limerick on the island's west coast. It was established in 1972 as the National Institute for Higher Education, Limerick and became a university by statute in 1989 in accordance with the University of Limerick Act 1989...
. Limerick also offers the Limerick Institute of Technology
Limerick Institute of Technology
Limerick Institute of Technology is an institution of higher education in Limerick, Ireland and is one of 13 institutes that are members of the Institutes of Technology Ireland . The Institute has four campuses in Limerick City, one in both Thurles and Clonmel in County Tipperary and a regional...
and Limerick School of Art and Design
Limerick School of Art and Design
Limerick School of Art and Design or LSAD is an art college in Limerick City in Ireland. The school is one of the five constituent schools of Limerick Institute of Technology and operates on two of LIT's campuses in Limerick City, located on Clare Street and George's Quay; both are about 2KM from...
.
By road
Newmarket-on-Fergus is located on the R471/R458. The N18/M18 is located 2 km away on the Newmarket-on-Fergus bypass giving access to LimerickLimerick
Limerick is the third largest city in the Republic of Ireland, and the principal city of County Limerick and Ireland's Mid-West Region. It is the fifth most populous city in all of Ireland. When taking the extra-municipal suburbs into account, Limerick is the third largest conurbation in the...
via the N18, Ennis
Ennis
Ennis is the county town of Clare in Ireland. Situated on the River Fergus, it lies north of Limerick and south of Galway. Its name is a shortening of the original ....
via the M18
M18 motorway (Ireland)
The M18 motorway is an inter-urban motorway in Ireland, forming part of the Limerick, Ennis to Galway national primary road, which, in turn, forms part of the Atlantic Corridor called for as part of the Transport 21 project.-Route:...
or the R471/R458 then onto the R458, Galway
Galway
Galway or City of Galway is a city in County Galway, Republic of Ireland. It is the sixth largest and the fastest-growing city in Ireland. It is also the third largest city within the Republic and the only city in the Province of Connacht. Located on the west coast of Ireland, it sits on the...
through Gort
Gort
Gort is a town in south County Galway in the west of Ireland. An Gort is the official Irish name for the town, as defined by the Placenames Commission. In spoken Irish, however, the town is known by its traditional name Gort Inse Guaire. It lies just north of the border with County Clare on the...
via the M18
M18 motorway (Ireland)
The M18 motorway is an inter-urban motorway in Ireland, forming part of the Limerick, Ennis to Galway national primary road, which, in turn, forms part of the Atlantic Corridor called for as part of the Transport 21 project.-Route:...
and then on to Dublin via the M6
M6 motorway (Ireland)
The M6 motorway is a motorway in Ireland, which runs from Dublin to Galway. The M6 extends from its junction with the M4 at Kinnegad all the way west to the outskirts of Galway City, but the Athlone bypass and the approach to Galway city - while of dual carriageway standard - have not been...
from Galway & M50
M50 motorway (Ireland)
The M50 motorway is a motorway in Ireland running in a C-shaped ring around the north-eastern, northern, western and southern sides of the capital city, Dublin. The northern end of the route is located at the entrance to the Dublin Port Tunnel. Anti-clockwise it heads northwest through the tunnel...
. Shannon Airport
Shannon Airport
Shannon Airport, is one of the Republic of Ireland's three primary airports along with Dublin and Cork. In 2010 around 1,750,000 passengers passed through the airport, making it the third busiest airport in the Republic of Ireland after Dublin and Cork, and the fifth busiest airport on the island...
is 5 minutes away via the M18
M18 motorway (Ireland)
The M18 motorway is an inter-urban motorway in Ireland, forming part of the Limerick, Ennis to Galway national primary road, which, in turn, forms part of the Atlantic Corridor called for as part of the Transport 21 project.-Route:...
/N18 and the N19.
See also
- List of towns and villages in Ireland