Castletownshend

Castle Townshend ( Irish: Baile an Chaisleán ) is a town on the southwest coast of Ireland around 8 km on the R595 regional road from Skibbereen, in the civil parish Castlehaven (Irish Gleann Bearcháin ) in County Cork in the province of Munster. Castle Townshend had 2006 188 inhabitants in the census year.

History

Megalithic monuments are evidence of the earlier settlement of the area, including the stone series of Gurranes, Knock Drum and the stone circle Drombeg.

The first documentary mention of the place comes from the year 1292nd At that time the place was called Glanbarrahane, named after the rocky valley ( glen ), is supposed to have in the holy Barrahane ( Bearchán ), a hermit who lived in the 5th century. Gleann Bearcháin is still the name of the Irish Civil parish Castle Haven, belongs to the Castle Townshend. Richard Boyle, 1st Earl of Cork and father of physicist Robert Boyle led in the early 17th century, at the time of Elizabeth I, after the Battle of Kinsale, a start-up. He wanted to settle a purely Anglo- Protestant population in Castle Townshend.

Around the middle of the 17th century built Richard Townsend, who had fought as a colonel with Oliver Cromwell against Irish insurgents, here his castle. It was only in the subsequent period, the town was named after the family Townsend Castle Townshend. In case of fire in the 17th and 18th century the castle was largely destroyed, but always rebuilt. It is still owned by the family.

Attractions

Large stone houses from the 18th century are along the main road that leads down the steep slope to the castle and the harbor, Castle Haven Harbour.

Atop the hill stands the church of St. Barrahane the Church of Ireland. She is known for her stained glass from, among other things, by Harry Clarke ( 1889-1931 ). In the church since 1980, the Saint Barrahane 's Church Festival Of Classical Music will take place every year.

Personalities

In Castle Townshend lived Edith Anna Somerville (1848-1859), who wrote at first with her ​​cousin Violet Florence Martin (1862-1915) as co-author and later alone many humorous novels about Ireland. The Autorenpseudonym of the two was Somerville and Ross, as called Violet Martin as author Martin Ross. Her novels about an English officials in Ireland were shown under the title The Irish RM in the 1980s as a television series. Your house Drishane House is now a museum that displays memorabilia from her life and informed about the work of Edith Somerville as a writer and painter.

Nevill Coghill (1899-1980), an Irish- British literary scholar, was born here.

Tourism

Castle Townshend has a fishing harbor for fishing boats and yachts. He started in the summer of many yachts. The village has three pubs. Bed and Breakfast is also offered in the castle since 2007.