St. Feighin's

Fore Abbey (Irish: Mainistir Fhobhair) is the ruins of a Benedictine and Early Gaelic 7th century Abbey with associated Mill, Anchorite's Cell, Holy Wells and a structure associated with St. Feichin, all situated to the north of Lough Lene in County Westmeath, adjacent to Fore village. Architectural additions, damage by fire and dismantlement have altered the site's appearance and layout over the centuries.

Fore (Irish: Baile Fhobhair, meaning "Townland of the Spring") is a village, next to the old Benedictine Abbey ruin of Fore Abbey, situated to the north of Lough Lene in County Westmeath, in Ireland. The village, (sister parish of nearby St. Mary's Collinstown) is situated within a valley between two hills: the Hill of Ben, the Hill of Houndslow, and the Ankerland rise area. There can be found the ruins of a Christian monastery, which had been populated at one time by French Benedictine monks from Évreux, Normandy. Fore is the anglicised version of the Irish name that signifies "the town of the water-springs" and was given to the area after Saint Feichin’s spring or well, which is next to the old church a short distance from where the ruined monastery still stands. It was St. Feichin who founded the ancient Fore Abbey around 630. By 665 (the time of the yellow plague) there were 300 monks living in the community. Another important aspect of Fore is the Fore Crosses one of which is in the village of Fore. There are 18 crosses; some crosses are plain (most likely to wind and rain erosion) whilst others still remain carved. These are spread out over 7 miles on roadways and in fields and bore witness to religious persecution during penal times. The Monk Gerald of Wales related the following legend of Féchín: " Chapter LII (Of the mill which no women enter) "There is a mill at Foure, in Meath, which St. Fechin made most miraculously with his own hands, in the side of a certain rock. No women are allowed to enter either this mill or the church of the saint; and the mill is held in as much reverence by the natives as any of the churches dedicated to the saint. It happened that when Hugh de Lacy was leading his troops through this place, an archer dragged a girl into the mill and there violated her. Sudden punishment overtook him; for being struck with infernal fire in the offending parts, it spread throughout his whole body, and he died the same night".

Lough Lene (Irish: Loch Léinn) is a lake situated in north County Westmeath, Ireland, between the villages of Castlepollard, Collinstown and Fore. It possesses a rich and varied history. It also boasts the existence of prehistoric burial sites, old ruins, many ancient village-type communal circular dwellings locally called ringforts, stiles, and mass paths. Lough Lene also has claims to being the home to kings and Vikings, such as Turgesius who had one of his forts upon the hill on the southwest overlooking the lake from the Ranaghan side, before being killed by Máel Sechnaill mac Maíl Ruanaid.

Randoon (Randún) is a Turgesius Viking fortress located southwest of Lough Lene in Ireland. The fortress is situated upon a hill in Ranaghan, dominating by its height all other ringforts in the area, and overlooking Lough Lene between the towns of Castlepollard and Collinstown. The locally used term fort refers to any of the multitude of ringforts, many of which have been overgrown by vegetation. These remain today as historical relics Early Medieval Period of Ireland and Western Europe; they protected by Irish national heritage law.

Hill of Ben is a rising hill situated in the Westmeath Hills, Ireland. The Hill of Ben dominates the valley where Fore Abbey resides. It rises sharply among the other surrounding hills that interlace with the many loughs of Westmeath to an elevation of 627'. Local legend has it that Saint Patrick's successor, named Benigne, is said to have preached from the hill to bring the gospel to local communities.

The principal island on Lough Lene is named after Turgesius who was a Viking leader who is said to have conquered Dublin.

Collinstown (Irish: Baile na gCailleach) is a village in north County Westmeath, situated on the R395 regional road overlooking Lough Lene. It lies 18 km (11 mi) northeast of the county town of Mullingar and (as of the 2016 census) had a population of 356.

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.

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.

Kilpatrick is a townland in County Westmeath, Ireland. It is located about 13.58 kilometres (8 mi) north–east of Mullingar. Kilpatrick is one of 3 townlands of the civil parish of Kilpatrick in the barony of Fore in the Province of Leinster. The townland covers 845.07 acres (3.4199 km2). The neighbouring townlands are: Barbavilla Demesne to the north, Rickardstown to the east, Clondalever to the south, Derrynagaragh to the west and Ballybeg to the north–west.In the 1911 census of Ireland there were 21 houses and 96 inhabitants in the townland.

Tuitestown is a townland in County Westmeath, Ireland. It is located about12.03 kilometres (7 mi) north–north–east of Mullingar. Tuitestown is one of 3 townlands of the civil parish of Kilpatrick in the barony of Fore in the Province of Leinster. The townland covers 544.34 acres (2.2029 km2). The neighbouring townlands are: Derrynagaragh to the north, Clondalever to the east, Taghmon to the south and Gartlandstown to the west.In the 1911 census of Ireland there were 7 houses and 41 inhabitants in the townland.

Kilpatrick (Irish: Cill Phádraig), is a civil parish in County Westmeath, Ireland. It is located about 12.8 kilometres (8 mi) north–east of Mullingar. Kilpatrick is one of 8 civil parishes in the barony of Fore in the Province of Leinster. The civil parish covers 1,898 acres (7.68 km2). Kilpatrick civil parish comprises 3 townlands: Clondalever, Kilpatrick and Tuitestown. The neighbouring civil parishes are: St. Feighin's to the north, Killulagh to the east, Rathconnell and Taghmon to the south and Faughalstown to the west and north.