Multyfarnham or Multyfarnam () is a village in

County Westmeath "Noble above nobility" , image_map = Island of Ireland location map Westmeath.svg , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Ireland , subdivision_type1 = Province , subdivision_name1 = , subdivis ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

History

First founded in 1268, the

Franciscan , image = FrancescoCoA PioM.svg , image_size = 200px , caption = A cross, Christ's arm and Saint Francis's arm, a universal symbol of the Franciscans , abbreviation = OFM , predecessor = , ...

monastery at Multyfarnham is still home to a community of friars. During the English conquest of Ireland in the 17th century, the monastery was raided six times and twice burnt out by the Crown forces battling the forces of the 'Irish of Meath'. During the wars of the 1640s, it became an organisational centre for the powerful and influential Franciscan order, who met there in their provincial assembly at the outbreak of the

1641 rebellion The Irish Rebellion of 1641 ( ga, Éirí Amach 1641) was an uprising by Irish Catholics in the Kingdom of Ireland, who wanted an end to anti-Catholic discrimination, greater Irish self-governance, and to partially or fully reverse the plantation ...

. In 1646, there were 30 friars in residence. By the middle of era of the Penal Laws there were as few as seven friars, five of whom were of advanced age. The church was unroofed from 1651 and remained so until 1827. In 1839, a new friary was rebuilt in the grounds. The Franciscan College, Multyfarnham was opened in 1899. This school later became a recognised Agricultural College in 1956, and continued to teach until 2003. Around the monastery grounds, among the lawns, around the church and the college buildings, there are 14 life-size

Stations of the Cross The Stations of the Cross or the Way of the Cross, also known as the Way of Sorrows or the Via Crucis, refers to a series of images depicting Jesus Christ on the day of his crucifixion and accompanying prayers. The stations grew out of imita ...

. The college is now used as an educational and seminar centre. It also hosts an arts centre. A nursing home called the Portiuncula Nursing Home also shares the site, as does Larcc Cancer Support Center and Irish Autism Action.

Sport

The local

Gaelic Athletic Association The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA; ga, Cumann Lúthchleas Gael ; CLG) is an Irish international amateur sporting and cultural organisation, focused primarily on promoting indigenous Gaelic games and pastimes, which include the traditional ...

club is Multyfarnham GAA. The club fields

Gaelic football Gaelic football ( ga, Peil Ghaelach; short name '), commonly known as simply Gaelic, GAA or Football is an Irish team sport. It is played between two teams of 15 players on a rectangular grass pitch. The objective of the sport is to score by ki ...

teams in the Westmeath Intermediate Football Championship and All County League Division 3. In 2017, the club were crowned Westmeath Junior Champions, and went on to win the 2017

Leinster Junior Club Football Championship The Leinster Junior Club Football Championship is a Gaelic football competition between the winners of the Junior football competitions in 10 counties of Leinster, the Intermediate football champions of Kilkenny, the Intermediate football runners ...

. The club later reached the

All-Ireland Junior Club Football Championship The All-Ireland Junior Club Football Championship is a Gaelic football competition which began in 2002 and is played by the junior club champions of each county. Prior to that a number of unofficial competitions were held. The winners of each cou ...

final, losing out to Knocknagree of Cork. In 2018, the club started their first ladies team. There is also a

Gaelic handball Gaelic handball (known in Ireland simply as handball; ga, liathróid láimhe) is a sport where players hit a ball with a hand or fist against a wall in such a way as to make a shot the opposition cannot return, and that may be played with two ( ...

club in the village.

Amenities and community

The town is close to the shores of

Lough Derravaragh Lough Derravaragh ( ga, Loch Dairbhreach) is a lake in County Westmeath, Ireland, north of Mullingar between Castlepollard, Crookedwood and Multyfarnham. Lough Derravaragh sits on the River Inny which flows from Lough Sheelin on its way t ...

. Local recreational resources include hill walking, boating, and fishing, with authorised permits. Horse-riding facilities are also available nearby. Multyfarnham was a winner of the

Irish Tidy Towns Competition Tidy Towns ( Irish: ''Bailte Slachtmhara'') is an annual competition, first held in 1958, organised by the Department of Rural and Community Development in order to honour the tidiest and most attractive cities, towns and villages in the Republi ...

in 1977.

Transport

The nearest bus stop is located at Ballinalack, approximately 7 kilometres distant, and is served by

Bus Éireann Bus Éireann (; "Irish Bus") is a state-owned bus and coach operator providing services throughout Ireland, with the exception of Dublin and the Greater Dublin Area, where bus services are provided by sister company Dublin Bus. It is a subs ...

Expressway routes 022 and 023 several times daily. Until 2013, route 115 served Multyfarnham once a day. Multyfarnham railway station opened in November 1855 and closed on 17 June 1963. The nearest railway station is now

Mullingar railway station Mullingar railway station serves the town of Mullingar in County Westmeath, Ireland; it is situated from Dublin, and from . Mullingar station is served by national rail company Iarnród Éireann's Dublin to Longford Commuter service and Dub ...

, approximately 15 km distant.

Gallery

File:Multyfarnham Parish Church.jpg, Multyfarnham parish church File:Multyfarnham railway station.jpg, The closed Multyfarnham railway station, now a private dwelling File:Wilson's Hospital, Multyfarnham - geograph.org.uk - 166771.jpg , Wilson's Hospital, Multyfarnham, founded in 1761 as a school for young Protestant boys and a hospital for old men File:Lough Owel - geograph.org.uk - 620747.jpg, Boat slip on south shore of Lough Owel File:Franciscan Friary, Multyfarnham - geograph.org.uk - 166757.jpg , Franciscan Friary, Multyfarnham. This became an agricultural college in 1956 and closed in 2003.

References

External links

Franciscan Friars. Our Friaries, Multyfarnham

The Tidy Towns of Ireland "Celebrating 50 years"
{{Authority control Towns and villages in County Westmeath