Edgeworthstown
Brief History of Edgeworthstown
Edgeworthstown is situated in County Longford, just over the border from County Westmeath, on the N4. The town has a long association with the celebrated family of Edgeworths, who first settled here in 1583. Among the eminent members of the family were Richard Lovell Edgeworth, inventor and surveyor. Of his 22 children, Maria the novelist is best known for work such as ‘Castle Rackrent’.
The Abbe Edgeworth who attended Louis XVI on the scaffold during the French revolution and later escaped to Russia to tell the tale is a member of this family. Edgeworthstown House is now a nursing home being run by the Sisters of Mercy and is therefore in an excellent state of preservation.
The Edgeworth family vault, in which Richard Lovell and Maria are interred is in the Churchyard of Saint John’s. Isola Wilde, sister of Oscar Wilde is buried there too.
ATTRACTIONS
Old Schoolhouse
The old schoolhouse (located on the N55 Athlone Road) is one of the oldest schools in the country, having been built in 1840. It served as a national (primary) school until the early 1950s and in recent years was acquired by the Development Association from the Edgeworth family. The school and the adjoining fair green are being developed into a visitors centre and a place of culture and recreation for the community. The school building retains many of its original features such as stone exterior, staircase, and the narrow entrance gate and it houses an Edgeworth Portrait Gallery and other memorabilia.
For local information please contact the Edgeworthtown Development Association at 043 71801. Open all year, Mon-Fri, 9:30-5:00.
St John’s Church and Graveyard
This was the church of the Edgeworth family. Inside are memorial tablets to many of the Edgeworths. There is also a table presented to Maria Edgeworth by Sir Walter Scott, the famous novelist. The adjoining cemetery contains some interesting graves including the Edgeworth vault and the 18th century tombstones of the Camlish branch of the O’Farrells of Annally.
Porter House
This fine building is located at the end of Main Street and was once part of the Edgeworth Estate. Coach houses were originally located each side of the centre arch which also displays the Edgeworth Crest. Maria Edgeworth taught school in the upstairs room of the Porter House.
The Gate Lodge – ‘The Manor’
The Gate Lodge is situated at the entrance drive of the Edgeworthtown House and has been preserved in its near-original state dating back to the 1720’s.
Edgeworthtown House
The ancestral home of the Edgeworths which dates from the late 18th century and is now a nursing home. It is the most important building in Edgeworthtown and is situated on the N4 on the Dublin side of Edgeworthtown . In 1619, Frances Edgeworth was granted some 600 acres of land near Mostrim by King James I. In 1719, Frances, great grandson Richard, took over the estate. He built the Manor house in the 1720s. The house was occupied by descendants of the Edgeworths until 1935 when it was purchased by Mr Noonan. The house and 50 acres were donated to the Sisters of Mercy who converted the house to a nursing home.