Fore Abbey

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".

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.

St. Feighin's is a civil parish in County Westmeath, Ireland. It is located about 18.51 kilometres (12 mi) north–north–east of Mullingar. St. Feighin's is one of 8 civil parishes in the barony of Fore in the Province of Leinster. The civil parish covers 10,865.7 acres (43.972 km2). St. Feighin's civil parish comprises 20 townlands: Ballany, Barbavilla Demesne, Ben, Benisonlodge or Bratty, Bratty or Benisonlodge, Carpenterstown, Clonnageeragh, Collinstown, Corbally, Deerpark, Fore, Gillardstown, Hammondstown and Tonaghmore, Hilltown, Lakill and Moortown, Loughanavagh or Newpark, Loughpark, Moortown and Lakill, Newpark or Loughanavagh, Ranaghan, Templanstown, Tonaghmore and Hammondstown, Tonashammer and Windtown The neighbouring civil parishes are: Killeagh and Moylagh (both County Meath) and Foyran to the north, Kilcumny and St. Mary's to the east, Killulagh and Kilpatrick to the south, Faughalstown to the south and west and Rathgarve to the west.

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.

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

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.

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.

Lough Bane (Irish: An Loch Bán) is a lake on the border of County Meath and County Westmeath in Ireland. The county border runs east–west through the centre of the lake.Lough Bane forms part of the Lough Bane and Lough Glass Special Area of Conservation. The lake is the largest of three lakes in the SAC, the others being Lough Glass and Lough Glass North. Lough Bane is located about 10 km (6 mi) from Oldcastle, County Meath.

Moylagh (Irish: Maigh Locha, meaning "plain of the lake") is a civil parish and townland in the northwest of County Meath, Ireland. The townland Moylagh lies within the Roman Catholic parish of Oldcastle and Moylagh.

Kilcumny (Irish: Cill Chuimne) is a civil parish in County Westmeath, Ireland. It is located about 16.73 kilometres (10 mi) north–north–east of Mullingar. Kilcumny is one of 7 civil parishes in the barony of Delvin in the Province of Leinster. The civil parish covers 2,920.9 acres (11.820 km2). Kilcumny civil parish comprises 13 townlands: Ballymacahil and Derries, Ballynagall, Bananstown, Kilcumny, Cooleighter, Drumcree, Glananea or Ralphsdale, Gormanstown, Grangestown, Johnstown, Kilwalter, Loughstown and Robinstown. The neighbouring civil parishes are: St. Marys (barony of Fore) to the north, Clonarney and Delvin to the east, Killulagh to the south and St. Feighin's (Fore) to the west.

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.

Kilcumny (Irish: Cill Chuimne) is a townland in County Westmeath, Ireland. It is located about 15.53 kilometres (10 mi) north–east of Mullingar. Kilcumny is one of 13 townlands of the civil parish of Kilcumny in the barony of Delvin in the Province of Leinster. The townland covers 250.22 acres (1.0126 km2). The neighbouring townlands are: Glananea or Ralphsdale to the north, Kilwalter to the north–east, Ballymacahill and Derries to the east, Barbavilla Demesne to the south and west and Robinstown to the north–west.In the 1911 census of Ireland there were 12 houses and 36 inhabitants in the townland.