Tullynally Castle

The Castlepollard Mother & Baby Home (also known as the Sacred Hearts Home) that operated between 1935 and 1971 in the town of Castlepollard, County Westmeath, Ireland, was a maternity home for unmarried mothers and their children in the former Kinturk Demesne or Manor previously owned by the 'Old English' Pollard family. The Home was run by the Sisters of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, a religious order of Catholic nuns.Over the course of its operation, 4,972 unmarried pregnant women were sent to the Home to give birth and work while 4,559 children are known to have been born in the home, at times with little medical assistance despite the employment of a local doctor as medical supervisor. Higher than average infant mortality, irregular adoptions and physical and/or emotional abuse have been alleged at the Home. Castlepollard was one of 18 homes investigated by the Irish government following the discovery of the remains of hundreds of babies at the Bon Secours Mother and Baby Home in Tuam, County Galway and Bessborough in County Cork. The report reported decades of abuse and negligence resulting in the deaths of hundreds of children, and in some cases mothers, in mother and baby homes in general. It has been alleged that many children born in mother and baby homes were irregularly or illegally adopted to families in Ireland and the US, often in exchange for money, after mothers were coerced to sign non-legal papers assigning their parental rights over their children to the Sisters of the Sacred Hearts or their agents. These allegations relate to certain periods in the history of the homes and may not relate throughout the whole history of their existence.

Castlepollard (Irish: Baile na gCros or Cionn Toirc) is a village in north County Westmeath, Republic of Ireland. It lies west of Lough Lene and northeast of Lough Derravaragh and Mullingar.

Fore (Irish: Baile Fhobhair) is a barony in northern County Westmeath, Ireland. It was formed by 1672.

Mayne (Irish: Maighean), is a civil parish in County Westmeath, Ireland. It is located about 18.03 kilometres (11 mi) north of Mullingar. Mayne is one of eight civil parishes in the barony of Fore in the Province of Leinster. The civil parish covers 7,197 acres (2,913 ha). Mayne civil parish comprises the village of Coole and 19 townlands: Ballinealoe, Carn, Clonteens, Coole (townland), Coolure Demesne, Derrya, Fearmore, Lickny, Lispopple, Mayne, Monktown, Newtown, Nonsuch, Packenhamhall or Tullynally, Portjack, Shrubbywood, Simonstown, Tullynally or Pakenhamhall, Turbotstown, Williamstown. The neighbouring civil parishes are: Lickbla to the north, Rathgarve to the east, Faughalstown to the south and Street to the west.

Coole (Irish: An Chúil, meaning "the corner") is a village in County Westmeath, Ireland, on the R395 regional road. It is situated on a plateau that overlooks the part of the Bog of Allen, cultivated for peat for fuel consumption purposes by Bórd na Móna, the government-owned peat production industry and for garden plant soil compost products by Harte Peat Ltd., a private enterprise, and Bórd na Móna. The village is stretched over a series of junctions and cross-roads. These regional and communal roads connect to Castlepollard to the east, Coolure, near Lough Derravaragh to the south, and Abbeylara to the north-west in neighbouring County Longford. Another communal road accesses and crosses the low-lying bog-land, permitting machinery access to the area. The village consists of a pub, a post office, a shop, a church, and a medical centre. There is also a primary school and a parish community hall.Coole is the birthplace of Lt. Maurice James Dease VC, the first posthumous recipient of the Victoria Cross in the Great War at the Battle of Mons.

Lickbla (pronounced Lick-blay, in Irish: Leicc Bladma meaning "Bladma's Leacht or Hearth"), is a historic monument, civil parish, religious parish, and townland, in County Westmeath, Ireland. It is located about 23.05 kilometres (14 mi) north of Mullingar. St. Bladma is listed in the Martyrology of Oengus (died 11 March 824) as a saint: "Bladma, i.e. from Blad son of Conmac Cas Clothach, grandson of Tachall son of Cermait, son of the Dagda, a quo nominatur. Or Blad son of Breogan, a quo Sliab Bladma" whose feastday is 7 April and 20 November.The civil parish of Lickbla is one of 8 civil parishes in the barony of Fore in the Province of Leinster. The civil parish covers 8,819.5 acres (35.691 km2). Lickbla civil parish comprises 24 townlands: Ardnagross, Ballynagall, Ballynagall Little, Ballynameagh, Balrath, Bigwood, Camagh, Carlanstown, Castletown Lower, Castletown Upper, Clonrobert, Clonsura, Curry, Derrycrave, Doon, Gilbertstown, Lickbla, Littlewood, Martinstown, Mullagh, Newcastle, Rathcreevagh, Robinstown and Rochestown. The neighbouring civil parishes are: Foyran to the north, Rathgarve to the east and south, Mayne to the south, Street to the south and west and Abbeylara (County Longford) to the west. The religious parish was subsumed into Castlepollard Parish (St. Michael), and existed as a 'vicarage' and is listed as having tithe evaluation in 1837 of "£276 18s. 5 ½d. of which £123 1s. 6d. is payable to the impropriator, and the remainder to the vicar (of Castlepollard)"The present historic monument consists of a ruined medieval 'barn' church aligned towards east south east (rather than due east) surrounded by an ovoid graveyard possibly set within a larger earlier enclosure. The medieval church, most likely constructed in the 13th century as part of the newly formed manor of Lickbla, dedicated the Blessed Virgin Mary, was in use until the early modern era. It is set on a small hill at the crossing of the River Glore within a river flood plain, also bisected by a mill-race, and may have consisted of a rocky outcrop making it a significant landmark prior to the monument's construction. If such a rocky outcrop exists under the ruins and graveyard, this would have given rise to the name "Leicc" or stone/hearth. The "present remains consist of a nave and chancel church with post medieval entrance gate inserted into E end of S wall of chancel when chancel was converted into private burial area by the Nugent family. The walls of the church are built with coursed rubble with base batter visible on the east gable of church which survives to full height and contains a single light round-headed window with hollowed recessed spandrels and square hood-moulding above. The punch dressed jambs with glazing grooves of the medieval window do not match the round headed arch of the window which was possibly inserted into the window in the late 16th/ early 17th century. The interior of the chancel which is smaller in width than the nave was converted into a private burial area in the 19th century if not earlier. Inside the chancel in front of the E window there is the headstone of Reverend John Murray, priest of Castlepollard who died in 1805. Only the springing stones of the chancel arch survives on the S side. A low stone wall running across this opening was built in the post-medieval period blocking access from the nave into the chancel. Possible remains of a broken out window in NE corner of chancel. According to Cogan (1867, 400) the parish of Lickbla was dedicated to the Blessed Virgin and formed part of the monastic estate of Fore abbey (WM004-035010-). Cogan described the church ruins of Lickbla as following; ‘the old church measured fifty-five feet seven inches (16.75m) by eighteen feet six-inches (5.6m)’ (ibid.)"As with Foyran and Rathgarve, the current extant remains are of an early medieval church set within a possible earlier early Christian enclosure, adjoined by a motte & bailey. Lickbla, in addition is located near the ruins of a medieval mill/castle complex which would have included a bridge over the River Glore (running from Lough Glore to the River Inney) as evidenced by Ordnance Survey maps of circa 1900. Currently, the graveyard is heavily overgrown and the church is poorly preserved. The present owner is Westmeath County Council following divestment from the Church of Ireland, following disestablishment, in 1870.

Monintown is a townland in County Westmeath, Ireland. It is located about 11.26 kilometres (7 mi) north of Mullingar. Monintown spans the border of two civil parishes. It is one of 14 townlands of the civil parish of Multyfarnham and 11 townlands of the civil parish of Stonehall both in the barony of Corkaree in the Province of Leinster. The townland covers a total of about 541 acres (2.19 km2); 425 acres (1.72 km2) of Multyfarnham and 116 acres (0.47 km2) of Stonehall. The neighbouring townlands are: Ballinriddera to the north–west and Knockbody and Stonehall to the south.In the 1911 census of Ireland there were 7 houses and 34 inhabitants in the townland. The 2011 census recorded 19 inhabitants.

Knockbody (Irish: Cnoc an Bhodaigh, meaning 'the hill of the low-bred person') is a townland in County Westmeath, Ireland. It is located about 10.37 kilometres (6 mi) north of Mullingar. Knockbody is one of 11 townlands of the civil parish of Stonehall in the barony of Corkaree in the Province of Leinster. The townland covers 350.44 acres (1.4182 km2). The neighbouring townlands are: Monintown to the north, Martinstown to the south, Blackmiles to the south–west and Stonehall to the west. Knockbody borders the southern end of Lough Derravaragh.In the 1911 census of Ireland there were 3 houses and 22 inhabitants in the townland.

Stonehall (Irish: Tigh Cloiche) is a townland in County Westmeath, Ireland. It is located about 10.23 kilometres (6 mi) north of Mullingar. It contains the eastern part of the small lake, Lough Patrick, the remainder being in Killintown. Stonehall is one of 11 townlands of the civil parish of Stonehall in the barony of Corkaree in the Province of Leinster. The townland covers 386.37 acres (1.5636 km2). The neighbouring townlands are: Ballinriddera and Monintown to the north, Blackmiles and Knockbody to the east, Larkinstown to the south and Killintown to the west.In the 1911 census of Ireland there were 9 houses and 47 inhabitants in the townland.

Lismalady is a townland in County Westmeath, Ireland. It is located about 11.58 kilometres (7 mi) north of Mullingar. Lismalady is one of 14 townlands of the civil parish of Multyfarnham in the barony of Corkaree in the Province of Leinster. The townland covers 153.69 acres (0.6220 km2). The neighbouring townlands are: Tober to the north, Ballinphort to the north–east, Ballinriddera to the east, Killintown to the south–east, Multyfarnham or Fearbranagh to the south, Froghanstown to the west and Multyfarnham (townland) to the west.In the 1911 census of Ireland there were 6 houses and 19 inhabitants in the townland.

Blackmiles is a townland in County Westmeath, Ireland. It is located about 9.79 kilometres (6 mi) north of Mullingar. Blackmiles is one of 11 townlands of the civil parish of Stonehall in the barony of Corkaree in the Province of Leinster. The townland covers 149.16 acres (0.6036 km2). The neighbouring townlands are: Knockbody to the north, Martinstown, County Westmeath to the south–east, Galmoylestown Lower to the south, Galmoylestown Upper to the south, Larkinstown to the south–west and Stonehall to the north–west.In the 1911 census of Ireland there was 1 house and 4 inhabitants in the townland.

Killintown is a townland in County Westmeath, Ireland. It is about 11 kilometres (7 mi) north of Mullingar. It contains the western part of the small lake, Lough Patrick, the remainder being in Stonehall. Killintown is one of 11 townlands of the civil parish of Stonehall in the barony of Corkaree in the Province of Leinster. The townland covers 232 acres (0.94 km2). The neighbouring townlands are: Lismalady and Ballinriddera to the north, Stonehall to the east, Larkinstown and Tyfarnham to the south and Multyfarnham or Fearbranagh to the west.In the 1911 census of Ireland there were 3 houses and 12 inhabitants in the townland.