Legan
Brief History of Legan
Snuggled into the south of Longford along the River Inny lies Legan, with Ballycloghan extending west to the sacred pre-Christian site of Brí Leith on Ardagh Mountain. It is a place rich in history dating from pre-Christian times through the monastic foundations at Kilglass and Agharra, to the Penal site at Legan Rock. The village has been dominated by the O’Farrell family of Ardandra and the Fox family of Foxhall. It contains rich farmland with wide expanses of bog and is rich in flora and fauna. The well-stocked river Inny provides rich and restful recreation for the fisherman.
ATTRACTIONS
River Inny
The river Inny is situated approximatey 2 miles south-east of the village and borders County Westmeath. A six-mile section of the river is controlled by the local Legan Inny Anglers Development Association. The Association was formed to promote the unique fishing and wildlife which exists along the picturesque river. It holds a major stock of roach, bream and pike to specimen weights. It also holds a sizeable stock of trout and perch. Other indigenous species are eel, gudgeon, crowfish, minnow and hybrids.
Footbridges are provided along the river bank so that apart from anglers the river can be appreciated by those who are interested in wildlife such as bird life, animal life and flora. There is abundant wildlife along the Inny which can be attributed to the fact that it is one of the cleanest rivers in Ireland. Species that can be seen include birds, swans, mallard, teel, wigeaon, kingfishers, skylarks and many others. Animals include badgers, foxes, hares, otters and mink.
Foxhall
A large part of the parish of Legan was originally part of the Foxhall estate. Sir Patrick Fox acquired the castle and the lands of Rathreagh but a Royal Commission of Visitation declared his title invalid. He retained possession however and in 1622, under the terms of Surrender and Regrant, the title passed to his son Nathaniel. The Foxes changed the name of the parish from Rathreagh to Foxhall and remained as landlord there until the 19th Century. Cottiers and small farmers worked the Fox estate. Richard Fox (1816-1856) was a member of the British Parliament, and his estate totaled 4,172 acres. He is said to have been a very good employer during the Famine. Foxhall house was a magnificent building with 21 windows in front, an oval dining-room, and ornamental walls and ceilings. A high wall surrounded an impressive orchard there was a lawn in front of the house where picnics and parties were held.
While in residence Richard Maxwell Fox MP, ordered the construction of a Ha-Ha. This is a sunken ditch, three feet below ground level, lined on one side with stones. It served to keep cattle from grazing too close to the front door, yet did no block the view of the house. The Land Commission later acquired the Foxhall property, which was then divided among local farmers. Unfortunately the house was demolished in 1946.
Stone Man of Foxhall
Inside this ruined church lies what is locally referred to as the ‘Stone Man of Foxhall’. This impressive monument was erected in memory of Nathaniel Fox, who died in 1634. It originally consisted of a full sized figure clad in armour reclining on is right side with an engraving of a coat of arms of the Fox family with a Latin epitaph above the figure. The statue has unfortunately been damaged by vandals over the years and but despite this it remains an impressive monument and is well worth a visit.
Newport Bog
Bog Cotton with its distinctive white, fluffy head can be found in this local bog. In early summer the heather in the boglands is in full purple colour, while the whins/furze blaze their golden trail through the undisturbed countryside.
There are many examples of wild woodland with evergreen trees, cyprus, spruces, silver birch, pussy willow and furze. There is also an abundance of Hawthorn among the hedges. This rural heartland, largely healthy and unpolluted contains an abundance of wildlife: fox badger, grey squirrel, black and brown mink, rabbit, hare, and field mice. The blackbird, thrush, robin wren, swan, heron, swallow, skylark, swift and house-martin can also be spotted in and around the bog.
Sliabh Galra and Brí Leith
Dominating the landscape west of St Anne’s Church, Ballycloghan is Ardagh Mountain/ Sliabh Galra. On the Drumming slope are stone formations and pre-Christian sacred sites. When Édain, the Queen of Royal Tara, was stolen from her husband and hidden in the land of Tír na nÓg under Brí Leith, she was restored to her husband by the mighty magic of Dallan the Druid. The name Brí Leith commemorates ill-starred lovers. The legend is that a great battle was fought between the followers of Midhir who refused to allow Brí to marry his daughter Leith; Brí was killed in battle and Leith died of a broken heart.
Legan Rock and Lady Well
This is the site of a mud-walled thatched church used in Penal Times from 1730 to 1843. The inscription at the well tells that the church site was given to the people of Legan forever in honour of the Blessed Virgin Mary by John Farrell, Ardandra. We the present church was built in the village of Leanamore, it brought its Legan name, and now the village is generally know as Legan.
Kilglass
According to local tradition, St. Echea, sister of St Mel, founded a convent here in the 5th Century. A mound in the centre of the old cemetery points to the location of the original site. Outside the perimeter wall is a moat, thought to be man-built security for people with valuable possessions, and is believed to be linked to the Blackwater River nearby by a subterranean passage.
Agharra
The name Agharra derives from the Ath-a-charagh, the Ford of the Weir. The ruins of the church are adjacent to a bridge over the River Inny, which may have been the site of the Weir in question. The ancient parish church, which was built in two stages, dates back to the middle ages.