Genealogy
Longford Genealogy
Longford is in the Irish Midlands. It lies in the basin of the river Shannon and the upper part of the county is in the catchment area of the river Erne, having Lough Gowna on its border with neighbouring County Cavan.
The physical features of the county comprise lakeland, bogland, pastureland and wetland. There are some Neolithic remains in the northern part of the county near the town of Granard. There are a number of early Christian sites in the county with monastic remains at Ardagh, Abbeylara, Abbeyderg and Inchcleraun Island in the river Shannon. Some field monuments connected with the coming of the Normans in the thirteenth cuntury are scattered throughout the County.
County Longford is a comparatively small county. Longford town with a population of 6,500 is the administrative headquarters for the county.
The origin of the town goes back to the year 1400 when a local chieftain named O'Farrell established a stronghold. This fortress became known as Longford O'Farrell. Since then O'Farrells have been the ruling clan in the county, having at one stage had a total of seven castles in the southern part of the County.
Some common Longford surnames
Today O'Farrell or Farrell is still the most dominant surname in the county. Other common surnames are Quinn, Kenny, Kiernan, Mulvey, Smith, Leavy, Kelly, Glennon, Keenan, Casey and Murphy.
Some People with Longford Ancestry.
In a historical context the county has associations with four famous literary figures namely
- Oliver Goldsmith, born at Pallas, Abbeyshrule, County Longford.
- Maria Edgeworth of Edgeworthstown.
- Padraic Colum, born at Longford Workhouse where his father was master.
- Leo Casey author of The Rising of the Moon.
For more information regarding your family ancestry you can contact:
Longford Roots Research Centre, 17 Dublin Street, Longford, Co. Longford, Ireland.
Phone +353 43 41235 or Email: longroot@iol.ie
Longford County Library also holds many genealogy records.
