The town of Athboy began sometime during the sixth century A.D. as a settlement at the river crossing known as the Yellow Ford, the river from which the town derives its name. The importance of the crossing meant that the established road network converging on the Yellow Ford has existed from early times. The town developed over time along these roadways. The earliest inhabitants of Athboy were Druids who had settlements at the nearby Hill of Ward/Tlachtga.
In 1180, the Anglo-Norman invasion reached Athboy. As part of their plan to capture key towns and fortify them with a wall and castle, the Normans walled a square extending from the Yellow Ford to the Roman Catholic Church, and from Scarlet Park (at Barnes Avenue) to the back of the houses on the northwest side of Main Street. Athboy was granted a charter in 1497 by Henry VII of England, and by 1500 Athboy was the most westerly stronghold of the Pale.
During the 1641 Rebellion, the town was captured by Eoghan Rua O’Neill. With Cromwell and the collapse of the Rebellion, much of the land ownership passed to adventurers from England. John Bligh, a Londoner, acquired large estates in the Athboy area. The head of the Bligh Family was named Earl of Darnley in 1725. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the Darnley Family planned and carried out the development of the town, giving it the form which prevails today. It wasn¹t until 1909, after the Wyndham Act of 1903 created the circumstances wherein the Darnley Estate could sell off the town, that Ivo Francis Walter Bligh (the 8th Earl of Darnley) auctioned the town of Athboy.
Take some time from your day to walk the Athboy heritage trail and experience some of the history and rich tradition which make the people at the Yellow Ford proud of their past, present and confident in their future.
1 The Darnley Lodge Hotel/Sale of Athboy
2 St James R.C. Church & Fr. Eugene O’Growney Statue
3 Ludwidge Arms/The Waxies Dargle
4 The Remains of Athboy Castle
11 The Mall/The Heritage Garden
12 Athboy Lodge
14 The Engine House of the Railway Station
15 The Pound
18 The Market House/Belle Marie Bridal Boutique
19 The Church of Ireland Grounds & St. James’s Well
20 Town Walls of Athboy at The Church of Ireland and The Darnley Lodge Hotel
21. Tlachtga
Gaeilge
COSÁN OIDHREACHTA BHAILE ÁTHA BUÍ
Is ag an ádh a tógadh Baile Átha Buí, áit a mbíodh daoine ag dul trasna na habhann, am éigin sa 6ú h-aois AD. Bhí tábhacht leis an áit trasnaithe seo mar go raibh córas bóithre ag díriú ar Áth Buí leis na cianta roimhe sin. Is san áit a dtáinig na bóithre sin le chéile a d’fhás an baile. Bhí na Draoithe Ionnaithe ar Chnoc Thlachtga fadó, in aice le Baile Átha Buí.
Tháinig na h-ionróirí Normannacha go hÁth Buí sa bhliain 1180. Ba é plean na Normannach ná caisleán agus ballaí móra a thógáil timpeall ar bhailte tábhachtacha. Thóg na Normannaigh cearnóg de bhallaí ón abhainn siar chomh fada leis an áit a bhfuil an Séipéal Chaitliceach anois agus ó Pháirc ‘Scarlet’ (Ascal Barnes) go dtí cúl na dtithe atá ar thaobh iarthuaisceart na príomhshráide. Bhronn Rí Shasana, Anraí VII, cairt ar an mbaile sa bhliain 1497 agus faoin bhliain 1500 ba é an daingean Páile ba faide siar ag an am.
Le linn Éirí Amach 1641, thóg Eoghan Rua Ó Néill seilbh ar an mbaile. In aimsir Chromail tar éis bhriseadh an Éirí Amach, d’aistrigh úinéireacht formhór na dtailte mórthimpeall d’fhiontraithe Sasanacha. D’éirigh le John Bligh as Londain seilbh a fháil ar thailte go leor i gceantar Átha Buí. Tugadh an teideal Iarla Darnley ar cheann clainne mhuintir Bhligh sa bhliain 1725. Muintir Darnley a dhear an baile mar atá inniu agus a chuir forbairt an bhaile i gcrích san ochtó agus san naoú céad déag. Sa bhliain 1909, mar thoradh ar Acht Wyndham (1903), bhí sé ar chumas Éastáit Darnley an baile a dhíol agus chuir Ivo Francis Walter, Iarla Darnley, Baile Átha Buí ar ceant.
Téigí ar shiúlóid timpeall ar chosán oidhreachta Bhaile Átha Buí agus bainigí sult as stair, oidhreacht agus traidisiúin an bhaile. Tá muintir Átha Buí bródúil as an oidhreacht sin agus muiníneach as a dtodhchaí.
1 Óstán an Darnley Lodge/Díol Bhaile Átha Buí
2 Séipéal San Séamas C.R. & Dealbh an Athar Eoghan Uí Gramhnaigh
3 Teach Tábhairne Ludwidge/The Waxies Dargle
4 Iarsmaí Chaisleán Bhaile Átha Buí
5 Halla San Séamas
6 Halla Macra
7 Muilte Bhaile Átha Buí
8 An Droichead
9 Páirc na mBó
10 Uachtarlann Comharchumann Bhaile Átha Buí Teo
11 An Meal/An Gairdín Oidhreachta
12 Lóiste Bhaile Átha Buí
13 Faiche an Aonaigh
14 Teach Innill an Stáisiúin Iarnróid
15 An Póna
16 An Droichead Coise Miotail
17 Scoil Bhaile Átha Buí
18 Teach an Mhargaidh/Belle Marie Bridal Boutique
19 Tailte Eaglais na hÉireann & Tobar San Séamas
20 Ballaí Bhaile Átha Buí ag Eaglais na hÉireann agus Óstán an Darnley Lodge
21. Tlachtga
Athboy 100 