Cathal Flood, Local Authority waters Programme community water officer, Meath, Westmeath, Offaly and Longford, discussing water quality using samples from the River Gaine, in Multyfarnham on Saturday.

National Heritage Week event on history of the River Gaine

Published: Sun 25 Aug 2024, 8:51 AM

Last updated: Thu 29 Aug 2024, 10:26 AM

Abbey Blooms Botanical Gardens was the venue on Saturday morning for a healthy gathering of volunteers from many local communities, including BMB Active, Multyfarnham Group Water Scheme, Multyfarnham Tidy Towns and others.

The morning was organised by Niamh Conroy of Multyfarnham Tidy Towns and Cathal Flood of the Local Authorities Water Programme (LAWPRO). As well as a learned overview of the history of the River Gaine by Mairead Greene, the ecology and health of the river was described by Cathal. The 40 participants enjoyed refreshments from the coffee shop after the discussions,

Niamh Conway, Multyfarnham Tidy Towns, considers the samples from the River Gaine taken by Cathal Flood of the Local Authority Water Programme as Tom Connell looks on.

Cillian and Bernard Mulhern, Mairead Greene and John O’Reilly of Multyfarnham Tidy Towns explore the history and ecology of the River Gaine in Abbey Blooms Botanical Gardens on Saturday.

Marie Maxwell and her mother-in-law Carmel Owens listen to the Multyfarnham Tidy Towns talks on the River Gaine for National Heritage Week in Abbey Blooms Botanical Gardens, by on Saturday.

Mairead Greene addressed the group on the history of the River Gaine, in Abbey Blooms Botanical Gardens on Saturday, relating intriguing events of our shared past.

Breda Coleman, Patricia Cleary, Mairead Greene, Deirdre Yeates, Eileen Coleman and Geraldine Lynam at Abbey Blooms Botanical Gardens for the Multyfarnham Tidy Towns event on the history of the River Gaine.

Terry Greene discussing samples taken from the River Gaine on display in Abbey Blooms for the Multyfarnham Tidy Towns and LAWPRO talk on Saturday.

James Bourke, chairman of Multyfarnham Men’s Shed, among many other things, in Abbey Blooms Botanical Gardens for a National Heritage Week, Multyfarnham Tidy Towns event with the Local Authority Water Programme.

John O’Reilly and Annette Tarpey, Multyfarnham Tidy Towns volunteers, discuss strategies in Abbey Blooms Botanical Gardens on Saturday at the National Heritage Week event.

Mary Sharry, John O’Reilly, Mairead Greene, Nuala Daly, Annette Tarpey, and Angela Cocoman of Multyfarnham Tidy Towns in Abbey Blooms Botanical Gardens following the event on the ecology and history of the River Gaine.

Cathal Flood of the Local Authority Water Programme, who gave a talk on the ecology of the River Gaine, with Angela Cocoman and Niamh Conway.

Angela Boyhan with Ciaran Reilly, members of the of the Multyfarnham Group Water Scheme committee, with Tom and Matt Reilly in Abbey Blooms Botanical Gardens on Saturday.

History of River Gaine

In the days before roads when Ireland was covered by dense forests, the waterways were utilised to transport people and goods. The River Gaine is around 10km long and flows into Lough Derravaragh. It rises at Knockdrin and flows through townlands such as Tyfarnham.

When the Franciscan Friars arrived in the area in 1268, they saw the potential of the Gaine and built mills and a distillery. In 1412 Maurice Delamere built a castle on the banks of the Gaine, and a bridge for which he collected a levy for 30 years. In 1433, during a great frost, the river froze for seven weeks, depriving Delamere of his levy.

The origin of the village name of Muilte Farnham can be traced to the mills of the abbot and despite the torching of the friary and surrounding area, corn milling continued up to the 19th century and later. There were multiple mills on the Gaine; the Gaynors had one at Portnashangan, Ballinagal in 1682.

According to the Ordinance Survey of 1838, there was a mill at Killmaglish and the Blackhall family had a mill up to the 20th century. Jack Mulvaney operated a mill and recalled as many as 10 carts lined up with loads for milling.

It’s no wonder that Multyfarnham became known as the bread basket for O’Neill’s Confederate Army during the 1650s; but Cromwell got news of that in Drogheda and retaliated by scorching the area. The Friars fled to hide in Knightswood. The powerful Nugents offered protection to the Friars in Donore during the Reformation and in the time of the Penal Laws.

Clonave, now attached to the mainland by bridge, is in fact an island. There was a native speaker, known as ‘The Wild Man of Clonave’ who lived there, and who would swim the Gaine to Derravaragh and the Nugents in Donore, his only company. The Wild Man is noted to have died several days after Lord Nugent passed in 1795.

The Annuals of Westmeath in 1907 recorded the Gaine as having the "best small trout, both red and white".

The Celtic fable about the Children of Lir is a story of transformation; perhaps 2024 is the year for us to transform the River Gaine to its former glory and function.

Thanks to Mairead Greene for this research and analysis.

BMB Active dates for the diary

Saturday, September 14, Westmeath heritage officer Melanie McQuaid will bring the completed findings of the Wrought Iron Gates Project. Historian Peter Wallace will present an overview of the history of local forges in the Multyfarnham area. The venue is Multyfarnham Community Centre and all are welcome to attend.

To see off the summer and welcome in the autumn season, Multyfarnham Community Centre will host an event on Sunday September 22, 3-5.30pm, barbecue and dance music by Glen Flynn and his band.

In next week’s issue, the BMB Active notes will include information on the ecology of the River Gaine.