School: Athboy

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1. The Tale of the Pipes

   

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   Trim Athboy and Ceananuus[?] Mhor are generally regarded as having been the frontier towns of the Pale. The obvious inference would be that none of the present Co Westmeath was included, and that these places were situated in a rigid line of demarkation between the land acquired by the Normans, and that occupied by the Irish. Standing on the Hill of Ward - where in 1935 greyhounds from many parts will strive to win "The Collar of Gold," and where two thousand years before Patrick's coming Tlachta held court - and looking towards Uisneach where the five provinces of Ireland were supposed to have met one wonders how those war loving Norman Knights did not pale in some of this rich country to the west. There was indeed "The Ditch of the Pale" but the extent of foreign sway varied as the fortunes of war between the invaders and invaded...The Ditch of the Pale can still be traced at Newton, Trim, at Tremblestown Castle on the right bank of the Athboy River between Trim and Athboy and about 1¼ mile from Kildalkey; near Frayne Castle and on to Mullingar following the line of the old main road and keeping Delvin on the right. This "ditch" was probably made some time after the fatal meeting of O Rourke and De Lacy on the side of Tlachta. It also marked the extent of the English stewardship in 1641 for tradition has it that Owen Roe having taken Athboy from Col Moore after about two hours fighting entrenched part of his force in Danescourt

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