235:
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The town's barracks occupies a large area of the west bank of the River
Shannon. Athlone Barracks, named Victoria Barracks in 1837, was re-named Custume Barracks in 1922 by General Sean MacEoin, independence fighter and first GOC Western Command. It is named after a Sergeant Custume who, during the
167:
and cannon emplacements were installed to prevent a French fleet from sailing up the River
Shannon and establishing a bridgehead in Lough Ree (likewise south of Athlone at Shannonbridge, near Clonmacnoise). The castle was later damaged by a lightning strike on the powder store. The castle was also
659:
WM029-042087- 'Sean's Bar' was originally a two storey high building with thick walls, an additional third storey in brick was added later. Preserved on the premises is a section of wattle partition removed from a first floor wall. This could be of seventeenth century date but it is not securely
221:
The current bridge was built in the 19th century to replace the old bridge which was becoming dangerous to the increasing volume of traffic. Originally the bridge had a moveable section which was decommissioned in the mid 20th century. Also during the mid-19th century, the Board of Works built a
304:
Sean's Bar is considered by some to be
Ireland's oldest pub. It was established on the west bank of the River Shannon on Main Street. In 1970, during renovations, the walls of the bar were found to be made of wattle and wicker. Historical surveys, as recorded in the
274:
Other fortifications in the area include the ruins of a battery just to the north of
Athlone (in an area now a nature reserve) and a large artificial hill called "The Batteries" upon which council housing has been built. The Connaught side was defended by a
262:
until a reorganisation in 2013. It remains the headquarters of several infantry, artillery and engineering regiments of the defence forces. The original entrance to the barracks was where the current
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900:
512:
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1641–1653, the town was held by Irish
Confederate troops until it was taken late in 1650 by Charles Coote, who attacked the town from the west, having crossed into Connacht at
71:, and the settlement (including an early Christian site) expanded around this river-crossing. The ford of Athlone was strategically important, as south of Athlone the
525:
John McCormack was born on June 14, 1884. The family was at that time living in a small row house in "The Bawn," a neighborhood in
Athlone, east of the Shannon River
258:, led a dozen volunteers (of whom 2 survived) out under the Dutch guns to tear down a wooden bridge. The barracks was the headquarters of the Western Command of the
329:. The building, renamed St Mary's Hall, now hosts several youth groups and includes a large meeting room. Within sight of the workhouse building is a historic
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760:
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During the wars that took place in
Ireland during the seventeenth century, Athlone held a strategic position, holding the main bridge over the Shannon into
129:(King of Connacht) had built a wooden bridge at Athlone, approximately 100 metres south of the current bridge. This was defended by the earliest recorded
538:
379:
AI1002.2 A hosting of the men of Mumu into
Connachta, and they took the hostages of Connachta at Áth Luain, and the hostages of Mael Sechnaill.
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On a number of occasions both the fort and bridge were subject to attacks, and towards the end of the 12th century the
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Terraced three-bay two-storey former coaching inn, built c.1725, possibly containing the fabric of earlier buildings
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126:
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Irish soldiers marching across the bridge in
Athlone for the handover of Custume Barracks, 1922.
622:"Sean's Bar/Shines Hairdressers, 11-13 Main Street, Athlone and Bigmeadow, Athlone, Westmeath"
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dates from the 13th century. Other parts of the castle were largely destroyed during the
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fortification here. This was superseded by a stone structure built in 1210 by
Justiciar
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730:
725:
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on the Sinann at Áth Luain by Mael Sechnaill, and by the king of Connachta and by all
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Athlone Pedestrian and Cycleway Bridge - Environmental Impact Statement - Volume 4
470:"The Old Athlone Society, Custume Barracks – a short history by Dr Harman Murtagh"
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repelled an attack by 10,000 men led by Commander Douglas. The following year the
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in front of the medieval donjon of Athlone Castle are believed to date to the
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On the east side of town, off North Gate Street, is an intact example of a
557:"Sean's Bar, Athlone – Oldest Pub in Ireland | Ireland Travel Guide"
206:. At the first battle of Athlone in 1690, the Jacobite forces of Colonel
198:, the town was again of strategic importance, being one of the remaining
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at this point on the River Shannon has been in use since at least the
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405:"Athlone – A Potted History by Gearoid O'Brien (librarian/historian)"
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and the external defences were subsequently rebuilt and enlarged.
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wall south of Athlone to improve the navigation of the river.
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on the site - built on the west bank of the river in 1129.
117:, and were previously located outside the main entrance of
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585:. Random House Digital, Inc. 7 December 2011. p. 253.
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eventually prevailed against the outnumbered defenders.
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strongholds after they had retreated west following the
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513:"John McCormack Biography, Beginnings, 1884 - 1907"
559:. Irelandlogue.com. 4 August 2007. Archived from
491:"Irish Army - Contact Details - Custume Barracks"
366:AI1001.5 A great obstruction against the men of
901:Histories of cities in the Republic of Ireland
628:. National Inventory of Architectural Heritage
286:was born in here in 1884 in an area known as "
684:
214:saw a further assault in which the troops of
8:
761:Athlone (Parliament of Ireland constituency)
519:. The John McCormack Society. Archived from
311:National Inventory of Architectural Heritage
691:
677:
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39:in Ireland. Located on the border between
51:owes much to the location of a strategic
398:
396:
394:
596:Daugherty, Christi (27 December 2011).
446:Athlone: history and settlement to 1800
390:
600:(22 ed.). Frommers. p. 493.
353:, to Áth Luain, took the hostages of
650:Roughan; O'Donovan, eds. (May 2017).
357:in one week, and handed them over to
7:
782:Dean Crowe Theatre & Arts Centre
766:Athlone (UK Parliament constituency)
421:. HeritageIsland.com. Archived from
279:which no longer exists. The noted
14:
537:Whitley, David (7 October 2006).
83:meets the Shannon), and north is
744:
419:"Athlone Castle Visitor Centre"
539:"Ancients in the modern world"
307:Record of Monuments and Places
194:Forty years later, during the
1:
541:. News.com.au. Archived from
657:(Report). An Bord Pleanala.
444:Harman Murtagh, ed. (2000).
906:History of County Westmeath
53:ford (river crossing point)
35:near the southern shore of
922:
860:Athlone Town A.F.C. Ladies
407:. The Old Athlone Society.
297:
246:
127:Tairrdelbach Ua Conchobair
94:
27:, meaning 'town of Luan's
817:Athlone Community College
742:
196:Williamite war in Ireland
47:, the development of the
517:The McCormack Experience
448:. Old Athlone Society.
493:. Irish Defence Forces
351:Brian, son of Cennétig
239:
185:Irish Confederate Wars
163:The currently visible
122:
24:
808:TUS: Midlands Midwest
626:buildingsofireland.ie
337:Annalistic references
237:
125:By the 11th century,
108:
95:Further information:
875:Athlone Town Stadium
827:St. Aloysius College
812:Athlone campus (AIT)
583:Fodor's 2012 Ireland
545:on 8 September 2012.
343:Annals of Inisfallen
270:Other fortifications
260:Irish Defence Forces
148:. Becoming known as
75:is impassable until
31:') is a town on the
855:Athlone Town A.F.C.
204:Battle of the Boyne
91:Bridge and defences
896:History of Athlone
787:The Little Theatre
425:on 1 December 2009
266:station is today.
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123:
883:
882:
598:Frommer's Ireland
403:Gearoid O'Brien.
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716:Siege of Athlone
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523:on 25 May 2005.
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256:Siege of Athlone
249:Custume Barracks
243:Custume Barracks
230:Other structures
216:King William III
212:Siege of Athlone
168:home to a small
158:Siege of Athlone
152:, this 12-sided
142:motte-and-bailey
119:Custume Barracks
101:Siege of Athlone
55:on the Shannon.
45:County Roscommon
41:County Westmeath
25:Baile Átha Luain
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721:Earl of Athlone
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563:on 4 April 2016
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298:Main article:
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150:Athlone Castle
140:constructed a
97:Athlone Castle
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630:. Retrieved
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565:. Retrieved
561:the original
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543:the original
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521:the original
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495:. Retrieved
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473:. Retrieved
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423:the original
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146:John de Gray
135:
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77:Clonmacnoise
62:
16:
15:
845:Athlone GAA
165:battlements
81:Esker Riada
79:(where the
890:Categories
736:Sean's Bar
385:References
372:Leth Cuinn
300:Sean's Bar
294:Oldest pub
69:Bronze Age
59:Foundation
801:Education
632:26 August
567:8 October
355:Connachta
341:From the
327:workhouse
317:Workhouse
183:. In the
85:Lough Ree
37:Lough Ree
754:Politics
349:AI998.2
309:and the
288:the Bawn
200:Jacobite
181:Connacht
170:garrison
109:The two
775:Culture
708:History
700:Athlone
111:mortars
49:Athlone
17:Athlone
604:
497:15 May
475:1 July
452:
429:15 May
323:Famine
174:museum
154:donjon
837:Sport
660:dated
655:(PDF)
331:abbey
325:-era
281:tenor
277:fosse
264:Garda
254:1691
189:Sligo
21:Irish
634:2021
602:ISBN
569:2013
499:2015
477:2019
450:ISBN
431:2015
368:Mumu
224:weir
131:fort
99:and
65:ford
63:The
43:and
29:ford
290:".
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393:^
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19:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
