Take a journey back in time with Travelling through the Emerald Isle. Learn about the histories of the cities that are prominent attractions in Ireland. This book details the histories of various areas and places located through the provinces of Leinster, Connaught, Munster and Ulster, including Galway, Dublin and Roscommon. The stories are perfect for anyone who is thinking of travelling to Ireland or someone who just thirsts for the knowledge of the land.

1. By Cindy Wright

2. A Journey through the Histories of the
Provinces of the Republic of Ireland
Travelling Through the Emerald Isle
Holidays and Vacations
Book 1
A Journey through the Histories of the Provinces of the
Republic of Ireland
Travelling Through the Emerald Isle
Cindy Wright
Copyright © 2013 by Cindy Wright.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted
in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including
photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval
system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
This book was printed in the United Kingdom.
To order additional copies of this book, contact:
Email: cindys.great.books@gmail.com
Website: http://www.cindysgreatestbooks.webplusshop.com
Also by Cindy Wright

3. Non-Fiction
Travelling Through the Emerald Isle
The Popular Seaside Places of the United Kingdom
Worlds of Ice
Part of Your World
Addition Package
The Dark Traveller
Christmas Magic for Children
The Different Ways of Celebrating Easter
Aerobics: A Guide to Keeping Your Heart and Body Healthy
When Considering a Cat (Loving Your Cat 1)
Candles (Holistic Therapies and Alternative Health 1)
Fiction
The Magic of Folly Meadow (Suzie‘s Adventures of the spirit
World 1)
Seal Island Adventure (Island Adventures 1)
Counties in the Province of Connaught
Galway
Carrick-on-Shannon
Castlebar
Roscommon
Sligo
Counties in the Province of Leinster
Carlow
Dublin
Dun Laoghaire
Naas
Kilkenny
Kildare
Portlaoighise
Longford
Dundalk

4. Trim
Tullamore
Mullingar
Wexford
Wicklow
Counties in the Province of Munster
Ennis
Cork
Tralee
Dingle
Ring of Kerry
Limerick
Clonmel
Cahir
Waterford
Counties in the Province of Uster
Cavan
Lifford
Monaghan
Counties in the Province of
Connaught
GALWAY
LEITRIM – CARRICK ON SHANNON
MAYO – CASTLEBAR
ROSCOMMON
SLIGO

5. Galway
The city of Galway, nestled in the county of the same name, has a
relatively short history spanning only approximately 800 years. The first time
the city was mentioned in any historical document was around the year 1124
when a simple fort was built to defend the area. Only fifty years later, the
English invaded this part of Ireland and captured it. Baron Richard de Burgh
declared it to be an official town, almost a century after it was first declared a

6. fort. Baron de Burgh built walls around the city to protect it, and those walls
still stand today.
In 1396, the town was granted a charter and became a royal borough
, belonging to England. By the 1400s, it had appointed a mayor. The town
boasted a population of over three thousand people, a fairly large city during
that time period. Though it had a mayor to lead, the city was primarily run by
the original fourteen tribes of Galway, families of wealth and influence that
generally held the top-ranking positions in the city. This time period was one
of great prosperity for the city because of its major exports and imports.
Galway was an important port city, and often they often shipped
wool, skins and various leathers. The English gradually began to lose control
of the area in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, though Galway
maintained the customs and traditions of England. However, England did
continue to grant Galway royal charters well into the seventeenth century.
However. In the 1500s and 1600s, Galway suffered from large plagues that
had massive death counts and thus began a period of economic downturn
because of it. However, it gradually bounced back again and became a
prosperous city once more.
In August of 1651, the English laid siege to the city. General
Edmund Ludlow kept the siege going strong until the city eventually
surrendered later that year. After that, Galway continued to grow its
wealth. The population expanded to approximately five thousand people
within the city limits, and small cities began to develop outside of its walls,
creating a series of suburbs. In 1845 to 1849, the entire country suffered in the
Great Potato Famine when the main staple crop was in short supply. The
death toll was incredibly high as a result of starvation. Railroads were
constructed throughout the city in the mid to late 1800s, even though most of
the population was still too poor to make good use of the transportation that
was now available.
Gradually, Galway evolved into the modern city that most see and
recognize today. It is still a fairly important port city, with one of its main
exports still being wool. Its population has had a significant increase over the
centuries from five thousand people in the late 1800s to 57,000 people in
recent times. In addition, Galway is presently known as a large shopping area,
offering several large malls and centres. Modern industries, such as
engineering and electronics, are beginning to make their appearances on the
forefront of society in Galway, just as they are in many other parts of the
world.

7. Carrick-on-Shannon
Carrick-on-Shannon, found in the county of Leitrim, has been seen
throughout history as another important stronghold and fort for Ireland. The
city itself is located at a key point for the country, right on the best crossing
point of the River Shannon. Often needed for military success, the city has
had transfers of power relatively often in the past. Torn between famous rivals
the O’Rourke’s and the O’Raghnaill’s, the city boasts an interesting history of
power being passed from family to family as blood was shed and peace was
shattered. By 1607, England had granted the area its own royal charter and
officially recognised it as a major city.

8. When the English invaded the area in the early 1600s, they defeated
Brian Oge O’Rourke, the Irishman that was in charge of the city of Carrick-on-
Shannon at that time. The English realised that they would need to take
advantage of all the crossing points on the River Shannon, and they built a
castle directly in this area. The construction of the castle began around 1603
when the English had officially won the area. The castle was a rather large and
stately affair. The remains can still be seen on the modern road that leads in
and out of the city directly next to the Carrick Bridge.
The castle was heavily fortified by the middle of that century, which
explains why the English were able to hold on to the area for so long. The
O’Rourke family and others that had once held tremendous amounts of power
in Carrick-on-Shannon were desperate to regain their influence. They
attacked again and again, hoping to overthrow English rule. It was not until
1648 that anyone succeeded, the first being Roger Maguire who handed it over
to his uncle, Owen Roe O’Neill. Later, the castle was given over to the more
powerful Cromwell family.
Even into the nineteenth century, this area had little in terms of
modernisation. Instead of the popular railroads that were springing up in
some of the wealthier parts of the world, Carrick-on-Shannon still relied
heavily on waterway transportation to transport anything from place to
place. They became a major centre for river trade, boasting export such as
timber, cement and hardware to areas nearby, like Dublin and Limerick. By
the late 1800s, they had developed a railway system, which allowed them to
trade items more easily with surrounding areas.
The Great Potato Famine also greatly affected this area, leaving
behind the Famine Graveyard that is now a fairly popular tourist
attraction. When the hospital had no place for the thousands of people who
had died due to starvation, they were buried in unmarked graves behind the
main hospital building. Today it serves as memorial to all those who lost their
lives during this time.
The city continued to grow at a steady rate until modern times. Today,
the city is the largest in Leitrim County and it is also recognised as the
capital. The land surrounding the city is largely undeveloped and beautiful in
its raw state. Carrick-on-Shannon has a fairly small population, fitting
because the county it is located in is the smallest in Ireland. The last
population count in 2006 stated that the county had slightly above three
thousand inhabitants.

9. Castlebar
Castlebar is in the county town of Mayo, a city that began its history
back in the thirteenth century. A Norman adventurer, known as De Barrie,
first discovered and built a castle in the area around the year 1235, naming it
the Castle Barry. Power changed hands a few times before being granted a
royal charter from King James I and officially becoming an English
borough. They were granted permission to have a mayor, as well as members
of their city situated in the House of Parliament for Ireland.
Castlebar was transformed into an English garrison, where members
of the English army would stay. The barracks that many called home were
officially constructed in the early 1800s and are still visible and in use
today. However, portions of the buildings were burned down during the Civil
War of 1922. The city was often fraught with violence as a result of the troops
that were stationed in this area on a regular basis. The Irish people were
planning to take back control of the area from the English, and in 1798, they
plotted the Irish Rebellion against the English forces. The Irish had the
French to assist them in the battle and the English were defeated.

10. After a failed attempt at regaining power, the English decided to try
a different approach to governing the area, by beginning the Republic of
Connaught. For almost a fortnight, this new form of government reigned with
the support of the French before it collapsed. It was later taken into the
United Kingdom in 1801 where it remains today.
In the late nineteenth century, Castlebar started to see its first
railway lines put into the ground. It was an important moment as it signalled
that transportation between Castlebar and other nearby cities would now
become that much more efficient. It allowed the city to flourish in the area it
was best in – commercial trade. In centuries past, the city of Castlebar was an
important market centre. In 1609, the development of the city as a
commercial centre first began as Sir John Bingham was granted a market and
fair, and in later years as they were given a charter of incorporation. People
would come from all over the surrounding areas in order to purchase the
goods that flowed from here. Even today, shopping areas are still prevalent in
Castlebar, and people travel from all over simply to shop. It is a thriving
commercial centre, just as it always has been.
The recent population count for the city is over sixteen thousand
people, a large jump from the much smaller population that it contained in
centuries past. There was a recent population increase that has only just
begun to slow down and level off. The city still comfortably houses and
employs those who live within its city walls. It also contains not only the city,
but also several smaller villages that surround it in the suburbs. These areas
contribute to its success as a commercial centre. Castlebar is now one of the
cities that at the forefront of technology in Ireland, boasting itself home to the
Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology.
Roscommon

11. The city of Roscommon was first named for the land and saint that
are so integral to its history. Around the fifth or sixth century, Saint Coman
discovered the woody area of Roscommon (the term ros means wooded in
Gaelic) and began to construct a monastery there (the second half of the
word, common, is a modern interpretation of the name of Saint
Coman). Later, Dominican monks converted the monastery to an abbey, but
the city retained its original name from its religious roots.
Historians are certain that the town had a history long before the
fifth century after finding significant archaeological proof in the mid-1900s
that could be dated back all the way to 2,300 BC. However, the written
records do not begin until this time, and beyond the few artefacts found in the
area, there is no other information known about the town before Saint
Coman’s monastery.
Roscommon wanted to become an official English city, and in 1310,
they petitioned the crown for a written statement and a royal charter. King
Edward I granted them the approval that they requested. The English wanted
to make the city both profitable and strong, and the first step was to build a
strong militarily presence. A castle was built in order to make the town a
stronghold for the county of Roscommon. In fact, it lasted almost four
centuries and bits of it can still be viewed in Ireland today. Roscommon
developed into a major stronghold in the years where it was prosperous.
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