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Athlone
Baile Átha Luain
Coat of arms of Athlone
Location
centerMap highlighting Athlone
Irish grid reference
N033420
Statistics
Province: Leinster & Connacht
County: County Westmeath & County Roscommon
Dáil Éireann: Westmeath
European Parliament: East
Dialling code: 090, +353 90
Elevation: 56 m
Population (2006) 17,544 [2] 
Website: www.athlone.ie
For other uses, see Athlone (disambiguation). Basic concept of GPS operation A GPS receiver calculates its position by carefully timing the signals sent by the constellation of GPS Satellites high above the Earth The Irish grid reference system is a system of geographic Grid references commonly used in Ireland (both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland Poetic description This dinnseanchas poem named Ard Ruide (Ruide Headland poetically describes the kingdoms of Ireland Leinster (ˈlɛnstər Irish: Laighin, lainʲ one of the Provinces of Ireland, lies in the east of Ireland and comprises the counties of Since the late 16th century the Island of Ireland has been divided into 32 counties ( Irish language contae or condae County Westmeath (Contae na hIarmhí is a County situated in the Irish midlands, also popularly called the "Lake county" in the western part of the province Not to be confused with Roscommon County Michigan, United States County Roscommon (Contae Ros Comáin is a County located in central Ireland ga '''Dáil Éireann''' ( English House of Representatives of Ireland) is the principal chamber of the Oireachtas (Irish parliament Boundaries The constituency spanned the entire area of County Westmeath in Leinster, taking in Mullingar, Athlone and Moate. The European Parliament ( Europarl or EP) is the only directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union (EU East is a Constituency of the European Parliament in Ireland. Subscriber trunk dialling ( STD, also known as subscriber toll dialling) is a term for the UK Telephone system allowing subscribers to dial trunk The elevation of a Geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point often the mean sea level. In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology

Athlone (Irish: Baile Átha Luain, meaning Town of the Ford of Luan)[1] is a town that lies on the River Shannon near the southern extremity of Lough Ree, Republic of Ireland. Irish (ga ''Gaeilge'' is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish. A ford is a place in a Watercourse (most commonly a stream or River) that is shallow enough to be crossed by wading on Horseback or in a wheeled The River Shannon ( Sionainn or Sionna in Irish) is at 386 km (240 miles the longest river in Ireland. Lough Ree ( Loch Rí in Irish, formerly Loch Ríbh) is a Lake in the midlands of Ireland, the second of the three major lakes on the Ireland ( Irish: Éire, ˈeːrʲə is a country in north-western Europe.

Contents

Introduction

Athlone, along with Mullingar and Tullamore is one of the largest towns in central Ireland and also the commercial capital of the Irish midlands[3], and is located close to the geographical centre of Ireland, on the border of two counties, Roscommon and Westmeath, which are in the provinces of Connacht and Leinster respectively. Mullingar ( An Muileann gCearr in Irish, meaning "the left-handed or wry mill" is the administrative centre of County Westmeath, Ireland Tullamore ( Tulach Mhór in Irish) is a town in County Offaly, in the midlands of Ireland. The Irish midlands are made up of the central plain of Ireland. Not to be confused with Roscommon County Michigan, United States County Roscommon (Contae Ros Comáin is a County located in central Ireland County Westmeath (Contae na hIarmhí is a County situated in the Irish midlands, also popularly called the "Lake county" in the western part of the province Leinster (ˈlɛnstər Irish: Laighin, lainʲ one of the Provinces of Ireland, lies in the east of Ireland and comprises the counties of It has a population of 17,545[4], and is governed by an elected town council which elects a Mayor. A town council is a democratically elected form of government for small municipalities or Parishes A council may serve as both the representative and executive branch

Although the River Shannon which runs through the town forms the historic border between County Roscommon and County Westmeath, the Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898 included much of the town entirely in Westmeath, including areas west of the river. The River Shannon ( Sionainn or Sionna in Irish) is at 386 km (240 miles the longest river in Ireland. Not to be confused with Roscommon County Michigan, United States County Roscommon (Contae Ros Comáin is a County located in central Ireland County Westmeath (Contae na hIarmhí is a County situated in the Irish midlands, also popularly called the "Lake county" in the western part of the province The Local Government (Ireland Act 1898 (61 & 62 Vict c 37 is a piece of legislation passed as an Act of Parliament by the Parliament of the United Kingdom Much recent growth has been outside the official town boundaries. Monksland, a suburb on the west side of the town is not within the town boundaries, yet is the most populous area of County Roscommon. Equally so, the area for electoral purposes known as Moydrum on the eastern side boasts an additional 12,000 residents.

History

Main article: History of Athlone

At the heart of Athlone, both geographically and historically, is the castle. Athlone Castle and Bridge At the heart of Athlone, both Geographically and Historically, is the Castle. Geography (from Greek γεωγραφία - geografia) is the study of the Earth and its lands features inhabitants and phenomena History is the study of the past particularly the written record Those who study history as a Profession are called Historians Etymology A castle is a defensive structure seen as one of the main symbols of the Middle Ages. The ford of Athlone was strategically important, as south of Athlone the Shannon is impassable until Clonmacnoise (where the Esker Riada meets the Shannon), and north is Lough Ree. The Monastery of Clonmacnoise ( Cluain Mhic Nóis in Irish, meaning "Meadow of the Sons of Nós" is situated in County Offaly, Esker Riada, ( Irish: Eiscir Riada is a system of ridges that stretch across the narrowest point of Ireland, between Dublin and Galway. Lough Ree ( Loch Rí in Irish, formerly Loch Ríbh) is a Lake in the midlands of Ireland, the second of the three major lakes on the In 1001 Brian Bóru led his army from Kincora into the town, his fleet sailing up the river via Lough Derg to attend a gathering. Brian mac Cennétig, called Brian Bóruma, ( c 941&ndash23 April 1014 (Brian Boru Brian Bóraimhe was an Irish king who ended the centuries-long domination

A bridge was built across the river in the 12th century, approximately 100 metres south of the current bridge. To protect this a fort was constructed on the west bank in the town by Turloch Mór Ó Conor. Fortifications are Military Constructions and Buildings designed for defense in Warfare Humans have constructed defensive works for On a number of occasions both the fort and bridge were subject to attacks, and towards the end of the 12th century the Anglo-Normans constructed a motte-and-bailey fortification here. The Anglo-Normans were mainly the descendants of the Normans who ruled England following the conquest by William of Normandy in 1066, although nA motte-and-bailey is a form of Castle. Many were built in Britain, Ireland and France in the 11th and 12th centuries favored as a relatively This was superseded by a stone structure built in 1210 by Justiciar John Gray. The 12-sided donjon dates from this time. The rest of the castle was largely destroyed during the Siege of Athlone and subsequently rebuilt and enlarged. Athlone in central Ireland, was besieged twice during the Williamite War in Ireland (1689–91

During the wars that racked Ireland in the seventeenth century, Athlone held a vital position, holding the main bridge over the River Shannon into Connacht. As a means of recording the passage of Time, the 17th Century was that Century which lasted from 1601 - 1700 in the Gregorian calendar In the Irish Confederate Wars (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 Sligo. This article is concerned with the military history of Ireland from 1641-53 Sligo (disambiguation Sligo ( (ˈslaɪɡoʊ "sly-go" Irish ˈɕlʲɪɟəx is the County town of County Sligo in Ireland.

Forty years later, during the Williamite war in Ireland, the town was again of central strategic importance, being one of the Jacobite strongholds on the defending their position after they had retreated west after the battle of the Boyne. The Williamite War in Ireland, also known as the Jacobite War in Ireland and in Ireland as Cogadh an Dá Rí or The War of the Two Kings Jacobitism was (and to a limited extent remains the political movement dedicated to the restoration of the Stuart kings to the thrones of England, Scotland The Battle of the Boyne (Cath na Bóinne was a turning point in the Williamite claim on the English throne At the first battle of Athlone in 1690 the Jacobite forces of Colonel Richard Grace repelled an attack by 10,000 men lead by Commander Douglas. The following year the Siege of Athlone saw a further assault in which the troops of King William III eventually prevailed against the outnumbered defenders. Athlone in central Ireland, was besieged twice during the Williamite War in Ireland (1689–91 William III or William of Orange (14 November 1650 &ndash 8 March 1702 He is informally known in Northern Ireland and Scotland as "King Billy"

It was proposed in the Éire Nua programme to make Athlone the capital city of the Ireland. Éire Nua, or "New Ireland" was a political strategy of the Provisional IRA and Sinn Féin during the 1970s and early 1980s

Remains of the abbey at Athlone.
Remains of the abbey at Athlone.

Music, theatre and culture

There are two theatres in Athlone, The Dean Crowe Theatre and Arts Centre and The Little Theatre, and Passionfruit Theatre Company [5] is now active on Northgate St. Theatre (or theater, see spelling differences) is the branch of the Performing arts defined by Bernard Beckerman as what "occurs when one The Passionfruit Theatre is a Theatre and theatre company based in Athlone, County Westmeath, Ireland.

The RTÉ All-Ireland Drama Festival takes place annually in Athlone, and brings together 9 amateur drama groups from across Ireland. The festival is supported by an active fringe which involves street theatre, art exhibitions, workshops and events for young people. Street theatre is a form of theatrical Performance and presentation in outdoor Public spaces without a specific paying Audience. Art exhibitions are traditionally the space in which Art objects (in the most general sense meet an Audience.

Count John McCormack was born in Athlone and an annual festival celebrates this world-renowned tenor. John McCormack (14 June 1884 &ndash 16 September 1945 was a world-famous Irish Tenor and recording artist celebrated for his performances of the Operatic The tenor is the highest male voice within the Modal register, just above the Baritone voice

The Athlone School of Music opened in October 2005, and is a grant aided project aimed at developing music education and services in the Midlands region. The Athlone School of Music is a grant-aided music centre located near Monksland Athlone, Ireland. A grant-in-aid is money coming from central government for a specific project

Transport

Given its central location, Athlone is a natural hub for transport. Bus and rail schedules are frequent.

Athlone is situated on the main Galway to Dublin rail line and the Dublin to Westport/Ballina line. Athlone railway station opened on 3 October 1859. Athlone railway station serves the town of Athlone in County Roscommon and County Westmeath. Events 42 BC - First Battle of Philippi: Triumvirs Mark Antony and Octavian fight an indecisive battle with Caesar's Year 1859 ( MDCCCLIX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common [2]

Bus Eireann the national bus operator operates from beside the train station and covers most towns and cities in the country including an hourly service to Dublin and Galway. Bus Éireann ( Irish for Irish Bus) provides bus services in Ireland with the exception of those operated entirely within the Dublin Region, which Other private operators also provide services to some towns city's.

There is a town bus service operated by Bus Éireann, as well as other privately operated services most notably the Flagline bus company.

Taxi service is widely available throughout the area.

The town is situated on the N6 road connecting Galway to Dublin with various smaller roads connecting from other areas.

Tourism and amenities

St Peter and Paul's Church (Roman Catholic) on the west bank of the River Shannon
St Peter and Paul's Church (Roman Catholic) on the west bank of the River Shannon

The River Shannon runs through Athlone and the town is a popular spot for people passing through on pleasure craft, many of whom stop off at the Marinas. The River Shannon ( Sionainn or Sionna in Irish) is at 386 km (240 miles the longest river in Ireland. The River Shannon ( Sionainn or Sionna in Irish) is at 386 km (240 miles the longest river in Ireland. A pleasure craft (or pleasure boat) is a Boat used for personal Recreational or sometimes Sporting purposes For other uses of this word see Marina (disambiguation. A marina is a sheltered Harbor where Boats and Yachts Lough Ree, the largest lake on the Shannon, is a short distance upstream from Athlone to the North of the town, and is popular among anglers, birdwatchers, and swimmers. Lough Ree ( Loch Rí in Irish, formerly Loch Ríbh) is a Lake in the midlands of Ireland, the second of the three major lakes on the A fisherman or fisher is someone who gathers Fish, Shellfish, or other animals from a body of water Birdwatching or birding is the observation and study of Birds with the naked eye or through a visual enhancement device like Binoculars. Swimming is the movement by humans or animals through Water, usually without artificial assistance The lake shore is easily accessed from Coosan Point, and Hodson Bay. The town is also home to Lough Ree Yacht Club, whose clubhouse is located on the promenade. Lough Ree Yacht Club is a sailing club based in Ballymore Coosan near Athlone, Ireland. A country club is a private Club which offers a variety of recreational Sports facilities usually located in city outskirts or rural areas An esplanade is a long open level area usually next to a river or large body of water where people may walk The promenade is also a popular spot for anglers.

Athlone is the main retail centre in the Midlands, and Golden Island Shopping Centre attracts shoppers from a wide radius. The Irish midlands are made up of the central plain of Ireland. There is also the smaller Texas Shopping Centre (formerly known as Athlone Shopping Centre, prior to being acquired by the Texas department store chain). A department store is a Retail establishment which specializes in selling a wide range of products without a single predominant merchandise line. Chain stores are Retail outlets that share a Brand and central management and usually have standardized business methods and practices Another large scale development opened on November 1st, 2007. Athlone Town Centre comprises two internal streets, with 54 shops and a hotel, and is the largest shopping and leisure centre in Ireland, outside Dublin. A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging usually on a short-term basis Dublin (ˈdʌblɨn/ /ˈdʊblɨn or /ˈdʊbəlɪn/, bˠalʲə aːha klʲiəh or cliə(ɸ is both the largest city and capital of Ireland. AthloneShopping. com is a website which contains information about shopping in Athlone.

Athlone Regional Sports Centre is a facility (established May 2002) developed by the Town Council.

Sean's Bar, located on the west bank of the river, is listed by the Guinness Book of World Records as the oldest pub in the British and Irish Isles. Sean's Bar is a Pub in Athlone, Ireland. It is the oldest pub in Ireland dating back to 900 and is listed by Guinness World Records as such Guinness World Records, known until 2000 as The Guinness Book of Records (and in previous U

Other popular attractions for visitors are the Glendeer Open Farm and the Viking Cruise of the Shannon. The town's tourist office is located at Athlone Castle, in the town centre.

Education & industry

Athlone on the Shannon
Athlone on the Shannon

Athlone's major employers include companies such as Élan (pharmaceuticals), which originated in Athlone, Bioclin Laboratories (pharmaceuticals), Ericsson (telecommunications), Tyco Healthcare (medical equipment), Alcatel (cables), Utah Medical (medical equipment), Pharmaplaz (pharmaceuticals), Alienware (computer hardware), (ICT Eurotel (contact centre), and Athlone Extrusions (polymers). The River Shannon ( Sionainn or Sionna in Irish) is at 386 km (240 miles the longest river in Ireland. Élan Corporation plc () is a major drugs firm based in Athlone, County Westmeath, Ireland which has major interests in the United States. Ericsson ( Telefonaktiebolaget L M Ericsson) () one of the largest Swedish companies is a leading provider of telecommunication and data communication systems Covidien ( formerly Tyco Healthcare, is one of the largest healthcare devices and supplies companies worldwide headquartered in Hamilton Bermuda although most Alcatel-Lucent is one of the world's biggest industry players in Telecommunications that provides hardware software and services to Service Providers Enterprises and Alienware is an American Computer hardware company and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Dell Inc A polymer is a large Molecule ( Macromolecule) composed of repeating Structural units typically connected by Covalent Chemical bonds

Athlone is the regional centre for a large number of state and semi-state organisations. The Department of Education & Science, The State Examinations Commission, Revenue Commissioners, FÁS Midlands Region, Bus Éireann, Iarnród Éireann, IDA Ireland, and Enterprise Ireland all have bases in the town. The Department of Education and Science (An Roinn Oideachais agus Eolaíochta is a department of the Government of Ireland. The State Examinations Commission ( Irish: Coimisiúin na Scrúduithe Stáit) is the organisation that replaced the Department of Education and Science Examinations The Office of the Revenue Commissioners ( RC) ( - now called simply Revenue - is the Irish Government agency responsible for Customs, Excise An Foras Áiseanna Saothair ( referred to in English as the Training and Employment Authority and commonly known as FÁS ( is a state agency Bus Éireann ( Irish for Irish Bus) provides bus services in Ireland with the exception of those operated entirely within the Dublin Region, which rail transport in Ireland Iarnród Éireann ( IÉ;; in English, Irish Rail) is the national Railway system operator of the Republic IDA Ireland is the agency responsible for industrial development in Ireland. Enterprise Ireland is the Irish leading state economic development agency focused on helping Irish-owned business deliver new export sales Athlone is also a major military centre, Custume Barracks on the West bank of the Shannon is the headquarters of the Western Command of the Irish Army. A military is an Organization authorized by its Nation to use force usually including use of Weapons in defending its Country (or by attacking The Irish Army ( Arm na hÉireann) is the main branch of the Irish Defence Forces ( Óglaigh na hÉireann)

Athlone Institute of Technology (AIT) is the regional third level college. Athlone Institute of Technology ( AIT, Institiúid Teicneolaíochta Bhaile Átha Luain in Irish) formerly Regional Technical College Athlone Athlone forms part of the ill fated Midlands Gateway or triangle as it became known, along with Mullingar and Tullamore. Midlands Gateway or Lake-Counties Gateway Centered between the major Irish airports of Dublin, Shannon, and Knock, with ever improving ground infrastructure Mullingar ( An Muileann gCearr in Irish, meaning "the left-handed or wry mill" is the administrative centre of County Westmeath, Ireland Tullamore ( Tulach Mhór in Irish) is a town in County Offaly, in the midlands of Ireland. Alongside Waterford's Institute of Technology, AIT harbours ambitions of attaining university status, as there is no institution providing university-level education in the Irish Midlands.

Broadcasting

Between 1931 and 1975 the main radio transmission centre for Irish radio was located at Moydrum, Athlone. In Telecommunications transmission is the process of sending propagating and receiving an analogue or digital information signal over a physical point-to-point or The original call-sign was 2RN (a wordplay on the song "Come back to Erin"). In Broadcasting and Radio communications a call sign (also known as a callsign or call letters, or abbreviated as a call, or otherwise It subsequently became known as "Radio Athlone" and could clearly be heard throughout Europe, and as far as Moscow. This changed as bandwidth allocations were accorded at the Treaty of Helsinki.

It operated at a power of 60Kw (further increased to 100 Kw in the 1950s). Many old radio sets in Europe had the "Athlone" dial position marked near the end of their tuning scales.

In the late 1970s the station reopened on a new dial position of 612 kHz for "Radio 2" (later known as RTÉ 2fm). RTÉ 2fm, or 2FM as it is commonly referred to is RTÉ 's second national radio station.

Moydrum was also the location of Ireland's short lived Shortwave international radio service that was closed down in 1948 due to lack of money.

Today, RTÉ's Midlands studios are located in Athlone, at St. Mary's Square. The local radio station is Midlands 103. Midlands 103 is a Radio station broadcasting to Laois, Offaly and Westmeath. Many also tune into Shannonside. [3]

A new radio station i107fm is scheduled to open in 2007. This station will be geared to the 18-34 age group in the midlands and north-east.

And again in affirmation of Athlone's broadcasting roots yet another station is about to be launched on a nationwide basis, using the 612 kHz band, with a Christian emphasis.

As well as this the Athlone Community Taskforce and several members of Roscommon community radio station RosFM have begun broadcasting from the Athlone area under the banner of the Athlone Community Radio on 101. 6fm. The first broadcast was the 15th of March 2008 and is set to run every Saturday and Sunday for the following 15 weeks until the end of the temporary license they received. [4] [5]

Sports

As well as having a Regional Sports Centre, Athlone has a variety of sporting organisations:

Recently announced was the decision that Athlone will host the European Triathlon Championships in 2010. Athlone Town AFC (Cumann Peile Bhaile Áth Luain is an Irish football club playing in the Football League of Ireland. Lough Ree Yacht Club is a sailing club based in Ballymore Coosan near Athlone, Ireland. This is expected to bring 5,000 athletes for the event. [6]

People

Twin city

Athlone is twinned with Chateaubriant, France. Châteaubriant is a French commune, located in the Loire-Atlantique département, in the Pays de la Loire région This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Student exchanges take place between Athlone and Chateaubriant on a regular basis. Student exchanges also take part between Athlone and the German towns of Ludwigshafen am Rhein and Menden although they are not twinned. Ludwigshafen am Rhein is a City in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Menden (Sauerland is a town in the district Märkischer Kreis, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.

River Shannon at Athlone
River Shannon at Athlone

See also

External links

References

  1. ^ P.W. Joyce, [1]. Patrick Weston Joyce (1827-1914 was born in Ballyorgan in the Ballyhoura Mountains, on the borders of County Limerick and County Cork in Local historians describe it as The Ford of the Moon
  2. ^ Athlone station. Railscot - Irish Railways. Retrieved on 2007-09-07. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1251 BC - A Solar eclipse on this date might mark the birth of legendary Heracles at Thebes Greece.
  3. ^ Shannonside - Home
  4. ^ Athlone Advertiser
  5. ^ BCI: Licensing: Radio: Successful applicants for Temporary services
  6. ^ [http://www.waterwaysireland.org/index.cfm/section/article/page/SuccessfulTriath Athlone Announced as Location for European Triathlon Championships 2010]. Retrieved on 2007-11-09. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 694 - Egica, a king of the Visigoths of Hispania, accuses Jews of aiding Muslims sentencing all
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