LONGFORD — Demesne,townparks (ardagh By.),abbeycartron,deanscurragh

In low-lying pasture, at a fording point on the Camlin River. Longford takes its name from the Irish ‘longphort’, meaning 'fortress' (see LF013-061----) (Joyce 1902, 104). The earliest settlement dates from the late-medieval period. There is no evidence of any Anglo-Norman settlement (Bradley et al. 1985, 35) and thus Longford belongs to the small sample of urban centres whose genesis occurred under native Irish development. A Dominican priory (LF013-026001-) was established, on the N side of the river, under the patronage of the O'Farrell's in 1400 (Gwynn and Hadcock 1970, 227). Farrell (1891, 23) has suggested that Longford became the seat of the O Fearghail of lower Anghaile, when Anghaile was divided in 1445; it was known as 'Longphort Ui Fergail' in 1448 (AFM iv, 957). By the late 15th century a native Irish market had developed attracting merchants from the E coast and the censure of the Irish parliament, which forbade English merchants to have any contact with it or the Irish markets at Granard and Cavan, which were harming the English markets of Meath (Stat. Ire., 12–22 Edw. IV). It is unclear how permanent this market was, it may have been linked to the castle (LF013-062003-), also on the N side of the river, to which there are references from 1571 (Nicholls 1994, vol. 2, 247). Longford remained in O Fearghail hands until the reign of Elizabeth I and the importance of this settlement is indicated by the fact the county was called Longford when Anghaile was shired in 1571 (Bradley et al. 1985, 35). During the 17th century settlement appears to have expanded on the S side of the river and this area became known as ‘Newtown-Longford’ (Gearty et al. 2010, 3). A large house (LF013-026015-) surrounded by a number of smaller houses is depicted on the Down Survey (1655-6) maps of Ardagh barony and Ballymacormac parish (NLI, MS 719) on this side of the river. The first royal grant for a market and fair was issued in 1605 to Richard Nugent, baron of Delvin (Cal. pat. rolls Ire., Jas I, 86). It appears that the Nugent family did not take up this licence and a town does not appear to have been successfully established for in 1613 Longford was unable to send any burgesses to the Irish Parliament because there was in the county ‘no town fit for it’ (Cal. S.P. Ire. 1611-14, 333). A new grant for the establishment of the manor and town of Longford was issued in 1620 to Francis Aungier, baron of Longford. Under the conditions of this grant Aungier was entitled to hold a market and two fairs (Cal. pat. rolls Ire., Jas I., 452). In 1666 the town was attacked by Irish forces under the command of Cornet Nangle who ‘burnt most of the English houses, but none of the Irish in the town' (Cal. S.P. Ire. 1666-9, 158). In 1668 it was incorporated and made a borough by King Charles II (ibid., 646). The town was described by Nicholas Dowdall in 1682 as a 'Large Countrey Village having but few good houses in it, there runneth a small river thro it which affordeth little Fishes and is of Litle use save some few Mills it drives. There is an Old Abbey [LF013-026001-] of the Dominican Order in it which was formerly governed by a prior and a Stone bridge [LF008-026004-] lately built it was made a Corporation’ (Gillespie and Moran 1991, 210). The town is now concentrated on the S side of the river. The street plan is linear based on Main St., running NNW-SSE, and Bridge St., its continuation to the N of the river. This street ran from the castle (LF013-026003-) to the S to where the road divides into three (Bradley et al. 1985, 36). The area around Bridge St. and Church St. is probably the oldest part of the town and may represent the late-16th-century settlement. The houses fronting onto Main St. have long burgage plots and probably represent the 17th-century town (ibid.). A market-house (LF013-026008-), a prison or gaol (LF013-026009-), a market cross (LF013-026011-) and two 17th-century houses (LF013-026014-, LF013-026015-) are associated with the town. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 31 July 2013