churches historical westmeath

Crookedwood, almost 7 miles from Mullingar, dates back to the old legends of Fionn and the Fianna. A 14th century stone roofed church, called the Church of Taughmon can be found here and behind it lies a ring fort. If you return to the main road and take the direction of Castlepollard, you can see Lough Derravaragh, associated with the legend of "The Children of Lir" changed into swans for 900 years by their jealous stepmother, they spent 300 years of that time on this lake before being return...

An Early Christian monastery was founded here around 630 by St. Feichin who died of the plague in 664-5. At one time there were 300 monks in the monastery. It was burned in 771, 830 and again in 870, and a number of times in the course of the 11th and 12th centuries. From this old monastery one church - St. Feichin's - survives, standing in a graveyard above the road. Originally it was a simple rectangular building with antae, and with a Greek corss in relief over the flat-headed doorway. A c...

Continue the road to Mullingar, stopping at Killare to visit St. Brigid's well. Beside the well are the remains of an early medieval stone church, surrounded by a circular earthen bank which suggests a very early Christian foundation; history tell us that the founder was St. Hugh but tradition has linked the name of St. Brigid with the place....