About County Longford
County Longford is a small midland county of gentle hills, lakes and the upper Shannon valley. It has produced a remarkable literary tradition, Oliver Goldsmith was born here, as was Maria Edgeworth, whose novels shaped the world's understanding of Irish rural life. Longford's quiet landscape conceals a deep and sometimes turbulent history.
History
Longford was the territory of the O'Farrell clan, who held out against English expansion longer than many Leinster families. The county's position on the Shannon made it strategically important, and it saw significant fighting during the 1798 rebellion when General Humbert's French force marched through on its way to the decisive defeat at Ballinamuck.
How Longford families left Ireland
Longford families emigrated heavily during the Famine, many through Dublin and Drogheda. The county had a particularly strong connection to New York City, where Longford associations were among the most active of the Irish county networks in the late 19th century.
Places worth visiting in County Longford
- Corlea Trackway, an notable Iron Age bog road preserved in its original form, the longest of its kind in Europe
- Longford town, with its fine cathedral and the elegant main street that Oliver Goldsmith would recognise
- Lough Ree, the great lake on the Shannon shared between Longford, Roscommon and Westmeath
- Edgeworthstown, the estate town of Maria Edgeworth, where one of Ireland's great literary families lived for generations
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