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Mullingar An Muileann gCearr (Irish) | |
|---|---|
Town | |
 Market Square  Dominick Street | |
 Coat of arms | |
  Mullingar Location in Ireland | |
| Coordinates:53°31′21″N7°20′16″W / 53.5224°N 7.3378°W /53.5224; -7.3378 | |
| Country | Ireland |
| Province | Leinster |
| Region | Eastern and Midland |
| County | Westmeath |
| Government | |
| • Local authority | Westmeath County Council |
| • Dáil constituency | Longford–Westmeath |
| Elevation | 101 m (331 ft) |
| Population | |
• Total | 22,667 |
| Time zone | UTC±0 (WET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+1 (IST) |
| Eircode routing key | N91 |
| Telephone area code | +353(0)44 |
| Irish Grid Reference | N425523 |
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1821 | 3,684 | — |
| 1831 | 4,295 | +16.6% |
| 1841 | 4,569 | +6.4% |
| 1851 | 4,817 | +5.4% |
| 1861 | 5,375 | +11.6% |
| 1871 | 5,103 | −5.1% |
| 1881 | 4,787 | −6.2% |
| 1891 | 5,323 | +11.2% |
| 1901 | 4,500 | −15.5% |
| 1911 | 5,539 | +23.1% |
| 1926 | 5,293 | −4.4% |
| 1936 | 5,237 | −1.1% |
| 1946 | 5,445 | +4.0% |
| 1951 | 5,643 | +3.6% |
| 1956 | 7,488 | +32.7% |
| 1961 | 7,442 | −0.6% |
| 1966 | 7,943 | +6.7% |
| 1971 | 9,245 | +16.4% |
| 1981 | 11,703 | +26.6% |
| 1986 | 12,127 | +3.6% |
| 1991 | 11,867 | −2.1% |
| 1996 | 12,492 | +5.3% |
| 2002 | 15,621 | +25.0% |
| 2006 | 18,416 | +17.9% |
| 2011 | 20,103 | +9.2% |
| 2016 | 20,928 | +4.1% |
| 2022 | 22,667 | +8.3% |
| [2][3][4][5][6][1] | ||
Mullingar (/ˌmʌlɪnˈɡɑːr/[7]MUL-in-GAR;Irish:An Muileann gCearr, meaning 'the left-hand mill'[ən̪ˠˌmˠɪlʲən̪ˠˈɟɑːɾˠ]) is thecounty town ofCounty Westmeath in Ireland. It is the third most populous town in theMidland Region, with a population of 22,667 in the2022 census.[1]
TheCounties of Meath and Westmeath Act 1543 proclaimed Westmeath a county, separating it from Meath. Mullingar became the administrative centre for County Westmeath. The town was originally namedMaelblatha, and takes its modern name from a mill noted in the legend ofColman of Mullingar.[8]
Traditionally a market town serving the surrounding agricultural hinterland, Mullingar's cattle market closed in 2003 for the development of a mixed commercial and residential scheme called Market Point.
Mullingar has a number of neighbouring lakes, includingLough Owel,Lough Ennell andLough Derravaragh. Lough Derravaragh is also known for its connection with the Irish legend of theChildren of Lir. The town of Mullingar is linked to Lough Ennell viaLacy's Canal and theRiver Brosna. Another nearby waterway is theRoyal Canal, which loops around Mullingar.
The town developed at afording point on theRiver Brosna.[9] Evidence of ancient settlement within Mullingar include records of amotte-and-bailey castle, atower house known as Mullingar Castle, a number of fortified houses and several water mills.[9] The town's Irish name,An Muileann gCearr meaning a "wry or left-handed mill", refers to one of these mills.[10]
Former monastic settlements, founded in Mullingar, included theAugustinian Priory of St. Mary (established by theBishop of Meath in 1227) and aDominican friary (reputedly established by the Nugent family in 1237).[11] The sites of these two monasteries, which were "dissolved" in the 16th century,[12] were in ruin by the late 17th century.[11]
WhenCounty Westmeath was formed in the 1540s, with the passing of theCounties of Meath and Westmeath Act 1543, Mullingar became the "shire town" for the newly formed county.[10] It was also agarrison town, following the completion ofWellington Barracks (later Columb Barracks) in the early 19th century.[10]
The current cathedral in Mullingar, theCathedral of Christ the King, was built in the 1930s on the site of a former 19th century cathedral.[13]
Westmeath County Council is the local authority for Westmeath. The county council comprises two constituencies or "municipal districts". Mullingar town is in the Mullingar Municipal District, which comprises thirteen members.[14]
The town is part of theLongford–Westmeath constituency for elections toDáil Éireann.
Mullingar's Ruth Illingworth, a local historian andFine Gael politician, was Ireland's first female openly LGBTQ+ mayor, elected in 2009.[15]
There is aChamber of Commerce in Mullingar, and Mullingar is one of the three towns that forms theMidlands Gateway region,[16] along withAthlone andTullamore, set up as part of the Government'sNational Spatial Strategy 2002–2020.
Mullingar's tourist attractions include its lakes –Lough Owel,Lough Derravaragh andLough Ennell – which are visited by anglers. TheRoyal Canal also flows through the town.Belvedere House and Gardens,Mullingar Golf Club and theBloomfield House Hotel are all located nearby.
The town has a handful of hotels, including the Newbury Hotel,Annebrook House Hotel, Mullingar Park Hotel and theGreville Arms Hotel. The latter holds the two Brit awards presented toNiall Horan,[17][18] and a large granite monument, which formerly stood at Dominick Street, which was presented to the town by Lord Greville.[citation needed]
One of Mullingar's notable buildings is the cathedral ofChrist the King Mullingar, the cathedral of theDiocese of Meath. The cathedral was dedicated on the day World War II broke out.
Columb Barracks, which closed in March 2012, was a military base that housed the 4th Field Artillery Regiment, the 4th Field Supply & Transport Company[19] and the HQ of the 54 Reserve Field Artillery Regiment (Army Reserve).[citation needed]
There is a monument, commemorating the centenary of the1916 Easter Rising, at Green Bridge in Mullingar. The monument, built by the Mullingar Tidy Towns organisation,[20] was officially unveiled on Easter Monday 2017. Other memorials and statues in Mullingar include a statue titled "The Pilgrims" (erected to commemorate the millennium in 2000 at the junction of Austin Friars Street and MacCurtain Street),[21] a memorial to theGreat Famine (erected in 1997 on The Square in Mullingar),[22] and a statue ofJoe Dolan (unveiled in 2008 on the Market Square).[23]
Mullingar Town Park is a public park situated in the centre of the town, and it includes a wide variety ofplaygrounds, aswimming pool and a largepond near the centre. On 22 July 2016, the park became one of 22 public spaces in Ireland to be awarded a Green Flag.[24]
Among Mullingar's exports are items ofpewterware produced by Mullingar Pewter.[25] Also associated with Mullingar is Genesis Fine Art, which produces gift items. The "Pilgrims" sculpture on Mullingar's Austin Friars Street, at which location there once stood an Augustinian Friary, was crafted by Genesis on foot of a commission by the Mullingar chapter of Soroptimists International.
Mullingar's commercial sector has expanded in recent years[when?] from just a few shops on the town's main thoroughfares – Oliver Plunkett Street, Austin Friars Street, and Mount Street – to several major shopping areas. There is an out-of-town retail park at Lakepoint (about 1.6 km from the town centre), theHarbour Place Shopping Centre near the town centre, and a development at the Green – on the site of the former Avonmore and Penneys units.
The town has a mix of local retailers and chain stores, and branches of the major banks. The town also has acredit union, Mullingar Credit Union (formerly known as St. Colman's House).[26]
A proposed development, named "Mullingar Central", was to have been located between Mount Street, the railway station and Blackhall Street. Planning permission was granted for retail, commercial and residential units. Phase 1, which included tax offices, library, civic offices and County Council buildings was officially opened on 11 June 2009.[27] Phase 2, however, did not proceed.[28]
Mullingar contains several industrial estates and business parks. As of 2015, only one plot on the Industrial Development Authority (IDA) business park in Marlinstown has been acquired by an employer, Patterson Pumps. At that time, the business was constructing a new plant to which it intended to move its Irish operation from its current location at Mullingar Business Park.[29][30] Two of the town's manufacturing plants – Penn tennis balls and Tarkett[31] – both closed in the early 2000s causing many job losses. Other local employers include the Midland Regional Hospital at Mullingar,[32] P.E.M. Engineering,[33]Trend Technologies,[34] Taconic International,[35] and Mullingar Pewter.[25]
The town is home to a €25mLidl warehouse and distribution centre.
Mullingar has a Chamber of Commerce which represents almost 200 businesses from varying commercial sectors.[36]
Mullingar lies near thenational primary routeN4, the mainDublin –Sligo road, 79 km (49 mi) from the capital. TheN52 also connects Mullingar to theGalway-DublinM6 motorway atAthlone to the southwest, andKells,Ardee andDundalk to the northeast. The town is served byBus Éireann services toDublin,Athlone (where passengers can catch connecting buses),Sligo,Cavan,Tullamore andBallina.
In the 19th century the town was served for a time by theRoyal Canal – however displaced first by the railway and then the car, it is no longer commercially used for the transport of goods or people.[citation needed] The town of Mullingar is also linked toLough Ennell viaLacy's Canal and theRiver Brosna.
TheMidland Great Western Railway line to Mullingar from Dublin opened in stages from 1846 to 1848, arriving in Mullingar on 2 October 1848. This was to a temporary station, adjacent to thegreyhound stadium. The original mainline ran from Dublin (Broadstone Station) toGalway via Mullingar, then viaMoate toAthlone, the Mullingar toGalway section opening in August 1851. Thepresent station opened with the branch line toLongford on 14 December 1855.
There were two secondary stations in Mullingar, the Canal Crossing cattle bank which was on the Sligo line and, on theAthlone line, Newbrookracecourse which had its own station. This was a two-platformed station with both platforms on the Down Line.
Currently, theDublin-Sligo railway line northwest toLongford andSligo is the mainline,Galway is accessed fromHeuston Station viaPortarlington.Mullingar station is served by national rail companyIarnród Éireann'sArrow commuter services toDublin andInterCity trains to/fromSligo.
The line between Mullingar andAthlone has been transformed into theOld Rail Trail, a 43 kilometergreenway linking theRiver Shannon in Athlone to theRoyal Canal in Mullingar.[37]
TheRailway Preservation Society of Ireland have a secondary base in the town. There is a photo survey of the disused Athlone Line viaMoate.
The Midland Regional Hospital at Mullingar serves the Longford-Westmeath area. An extension was built in the early 1990s.[38] A change in government, however, halted investment and the extension lay as an empty shell until late 2006 when funding was finally secured to ensure its completion.[citation needed] There are several other hospitals in the town:St Loman's, which provides psychiatric services to the Midlands; St Mary's, a care centre for older people; and the St Francis Private Hospital.
The town has several primary schools, including a number run under the Catholic ethos, a Church of Ireland school, a non-denominationalEducate Together primary school, and twoIrish language primary schools.[39] Local second-level schools includeColáiste Mhuire, the town's oldest post-primary school,St Finian's College,Loreto College Mullingar[40] and Mullingar Community College.[41]Coláiste Mhuire is primarily a boys school,[42] however, the repeatLeaving Certificate class is co-educational.[43] Just to the north of Mullingar on the old Longford Road isSt Finian's College. Until 2003, St Finian's was an all-boys boarding school; however, in 2003, the decision was made to phase out the boarding school by 2007, and to admit girls as well as boys.[44] Loreto College for girls is the largest secondary school in the town,[40] while Mullingar Community College is a co-educational school for boys and girls.[41] The Community College also runs evening courses for adults and awards theFETAC certificates.
Wilson's Hospital School, a co-educational boarding school, operates under the patronage of theChurch of Ireland (Anglican Communion). It is located in the nearby village ofMultyfarnham. It serves day students from the Mullingar area.
St. Joseph's Secondary School, a co-educational school located in the nearby village ofRochfortbridge, also serves the Mullingar area.[citation needed]
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Two print newspapers serve the community: theWestmeath Examiner[45] and theWestmeath Topic.
The Mullingar Town Band was founded in 1879 by Father Polland as a Holy Family Confraternity Band.[46] The local military barracks supplied some of the early members, who themselves were serving members of the British Regimental bands stationed in Mullingar. The Mullingar Confraternity Band remained under the auspices of the Confraternity until the 1940s, when it was handed over to a committee and continued under the title of Mullingar Brass and Reed Band. The band has a dual role as a concert band and a marching band (the latter known as the Celtic Crusaders).[47] In 2017, the Celtic Crusaders won the Irish Marching Band Association League.[48]
First opened in 1989, "The Stables" is a music venue in Mullingar, which critic and writer Ronan Casey described as an "essential" stop for national touring acts.[49]
Niall Horan, born and raised in Mullingar, is a former member of theboy bandOne Direction. Horan has won fourBrit Awards and fourMTV Video Music Awards with One Direction.Niall Breslin, from the bandThe Blizzards, is also from Mullingar.The Academic is another local band. Mullingar native Tanya O'Callaghan is the bass player with the bandWhitesnake,[50] Tanya was also bassist for solo projects forIron Maiden singerBruce Dickinson, and solo projects forTwisted Sister singerDee Snider.
Live venues include theMullingar Arts Centre.[51]
In 1951, 1963, 2022, and 2023 Mullingar hosted theFleadh Cheoil.[52]
The town is mentioned in a number of songs, including "The Reason I Left Mullingar" (written in 1980 and sung byThe Furey Brothers),[53] "Ode in Praise of The City of Mullingar" (written by William J Macquorn Rankine),[54] "The Rocky Road to Dublin" (byThe Dubliners),[55] andPat of Mullingar (an Irish rebel song). Mullingar is also mentioned towards the end of the song "Horse Outside" by theRubberbandits.
Mullingar is also associated with Irish authorJames Joyce, who was an occasional visitor to Mullingar during his youth. Joyce's father, John, was a civil servant posted from Dublin to compile an electoral register of Mullingar and the surrounding townlands. He often stayed in theGreville Arms Hotel. James referred to Mullingar in three of his novels, mentioning it twelve times inUlysses,[56] in chapter 14 ofStephen Hero,[57] and three times inFinnegans Wake.[58][59][60][61][a]
Mullingar featured onThree Men in a Boat onBBC 2 in December 2009, in an episode called "Three Men Go to Ireland".Dara Ó Briain,Rory McGrath andGriff Rhys Jones visited Mullingar Greyhound Stadium during the episode.[citation needed] InDoubt, a 2008 film adaptation of the John Patrick Shanley stage play, the town is referenced in a dialogue between the main character and the school caretaker.[citation needed]
Outside Mullingar, a play byJohn Patrick Shanley, starredWill and Grace starDebra Messing.
There are severalGaelic Athletic Association football clubs in the Mullingar area: Mullingar Shamrocks,[62]St. Loman's Mullingar,The Downs[63] and Shandonagh. St Oliver Plunkett's[64] and Cullion play hurling.Westmeath GAA county team plays football and hurling at its home games atCusack Park.
Mullingar has three adult football teams; Mullingar Athletic (who play in Gainstown),[65] Mullingar Town (who have their grounds in D'Alton Park), and Mullingar Celtic (who play their home games in the Raithin community pitch which is shared with Grange Utd, an under 18 side).[citation needed]
The facilities of the Mullingar Tennis and Badminton Club include eight outdoor tennis courts and a hall containing two badminton courts.[66][67] The club was founded in 1892 by members of the Uisneach Badminton Club.
When programmed, greyhound track racing occurs upon the Lynn Greyhound track on Thursday and Saturday evenings.[citation needed] The track featured on the BBC "Three Men Go to Ireland" show whereDara Ó Briain's dogSnip Nua raced.[citation needed]
Mullingar Golf Club was created in 1953,[68] and hosts an annual competition, the Mullingar Scratch Cup, every August. This competition has been won byDes Smyth,Pádraig Harrington,Darren Clarke, andPaul McGinley. The 2006 winner wasRory McIlroy.[69]
Two-time Olympian boxerJohn Joe Nevin is from Mullingar. He won a silver medal in thebantamweight competition at the2012 Summer Olympics.[70]
Mullingar Hockey Club is based in Loreto College and was formed in 1979. The club has two men's teams, one lady's team and an underage section.[71]
Mullingarrugby football club is located in Cullionbeg. It reached the Towns Cup final in 1989.[72]
In basketball, the Mullingar Monarchs club (formed in 2001) and Mullingar Dragons (formed in 2007) are local teams. The latter plays in the North-Eastern Basketball League.[73][74]
TheWestmeath MinotaursAmerican football club (formed in 2011) plays their games at the Mullingar Rugby Club. They compete as a member ofAmerican Football Ireland.[75]
Mullingar Equestrian Centre, outside the town, hosts competitions and offers lessons.[76] Other schools in the area include Ladestown House Riding Stables and Catherinestown Riding School.[77][78] Studs include Tally Ho Stud,[79] Cleaboy Stud,[80] and Charlestown Stud.[81]
Other sports clubs in the area include the Midland TigersAustralian Rules Football team,[82] Lakeside Wheelers Mullingar Cycling club (which is affiliated toCycling Ireland),[83] and the Mullingar Harbour Canoe Polo Club (based on the Royal Canal).[84]
The climate in this area has mild differences between highs and lows, and there is adequate rainfall year-round. TheKöppen Climate Classification subtype for this climate is "Cfb" (Marine West Coast Climate/Oceanic climate).[88] With a yearly mean of 9.3 degrees Celsius, Mullingar is the coldest place in Ireland.
| Climate data for Mullingarweather station (WMO identifier: 03971), 100mamsl, 1979–2008, extremes 1943–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 13.8 (56.8) | 15.4 (59.7) | 20.5 (68.9) | 22.6 (72.7) | 25.5 (77.9) | 29.8 (85.6) | 30.4 (86.7) | 29.5 (85.1) | 25.5 (77.9) | 22.9 (73.2) | 17.3 (63.1) | 14.6 (58.3) | 30.4 (86.7) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 7.4 (45.3) | 7.9 (46.2) | 9.8 (49.6) | 12.1 (53.8) | 14.9 (58.8) | 17.3 (63.1) | 19.2 (66.6) | 18.9 (66.0) | 16.7 (62.1) | 13.2 (55.8) | 9.9 (49.8) | 7.9 (46.2) | 12.9 (55.2) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 4.5 (40.1) | 4.7 (40.5) | 6.3 (43.3) | 8.1 (46.6) | 10.6 (51.1) | 13.2 (55.8) | 15.2 (59.4) | 14.8 (58.6) | 12.8 (55.0) | 9.7 (49.5) | 6.7 (44.1) | 5.0 (41.0) | 9.3 (48.7) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 1.5 (34.7) | 1.5 (34.7) | 2.8 (37.0) | 4.1 (39.4) | 6.3 (43.3) | 9.2 (48.6) | 11.1 (52.0) | 10.8 (51.4) | 8.9 (48.0) | 6.2 (43.2) | 3.5 (38.3) | 2.2 (36.0) | 5.7 (42.3) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −14.9 (5.2) | −12.2 (10.0) | −9.2 (15.4) | −4.4 (24.1) | −2.6 (27.3) | 0.2 (32.4) | 3.4 (38.1) | 2.1 (35.8) | −0.1 (31.8) | −4.4 (24.1) | −6.9 (19.6) | −14.1 (6.6) | −14.9 (5.2) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 91.7 (3.61) | 72.0 (2.83) | 78.3 (3.08) | 62.1 (2.44) | 68.7 (2.70) | 70.5 (2.78) | 61.8 (2.43) | 80.8 (3.18) | 73.8 (2.91) | 102.1 (4.02) | 82.4 (3.24) | 97.1 (3.82) | 941.3 (37.06) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.2 mm) | 19 | 17 | 20 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 209 |
| Average snowy days | 5.0 | 4.4 | 3.5 | 1.6 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.4 | 2.7 | 17.8 |
| Averagerelative humidity (%) | 83.4 | 77.8 | 72.8 | 68.1 | 67.1 | 69.1 | 69.9 | 70.6 | 72.1 | 77.0 | 82.2 | 85.9 | 74.7 |
| Averagedew point °C (°F) | 3 (37) | 3 (37) | 3 (37) | 5 (41) | 7 (45) | 10 (50) | 12 (54) | 11 (52) | 10 (50) | 8 (46) | 5 (41) | 3 (37) | 7 (44) |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 55.8 | 70.6 | 99.2 | 147.0 | 179.8 | 150.0 | 142.6 | 142.6 | 117.0 | 99.2 | 66.0 | 49.6 | 1,319.4 |
| Mean dailysunshine hours | 1.8 | 2.5 | 3.2 | 4.9 | 5.8 | 5.0 | 4.6 | 4.6 | 3.9 | 3.2 | 2.2 | 1.6 | 3.6 |
| Source 1: Met Éireann[89][90][91] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2:Time and Date (dewpoints, between 2005−2015)[92] | |||||||||||||
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