View source for County Longford

{{Infobox county
|name=County Longford
|irish=Contae an Longfoirt
|map image=Island of Ireland location map Longford.svg
|picture=Royal Canal Longford long.JPG
|picture caption=The Royal Canal
|province=[[Leinster]]
|area=
|population=
|county town=[[Longford]]
|biggest town=
}}
The '''County of Longford''' is a [[Counties of the Republic of Ireland|shire]] in the [[Provinces of Ireland|province]] of [[Leinster]], Republic of Ireland. It is named after the town of [[Longford]]. The population of the county is 39,000 according to the 2011 census.
[[File:Corlea Bog Trackway.jpg|thumb|Corlea Bog Trackway]]

== Geography ==
With an area of 421 square miles and a population of 38,970, Longford is the fourth smallest of the 32 counties in area and second smallest in terms of population.<ref>{{cite book| first=Eoghan| last=Corry| title=The GAA Book of Lists| publisher=Hodder Headline Ireland| year=2005| id= | pages=186–191}}</ref> It is also the fourth smallest of Leinster's 12 counties by size and smallest by population. It borders the counties of [[County Cavan|Cavan]], [[Westmeath]], [[County Roscommon|Roscommon]] and [[County Leitrim|Leitrim]].

===Towns and villages ===
{{parishliststart}}
*[[Abbeylara]]
*[[Abbeyshrule]]
*[[Ardagh, County Longford|Ardagh]]
*[[Aughnacliffe]]
*[[Ballinamuck]]
*[[Ballymahon]]
*[[Ballinalee]]
*[[Brickeens, County Longford|Brickeens]]
*[[Cloondara]]
*[[Colehill, County Longford|Colehill]]
*[[Drumlish]]
*[[Edgeworthstown]]
*[[Ennybegs]]
*[[Granard]]
*[[Keenagh]]
*[[Kenagh]]
*[[Killashee]]
*[[Killoe]]
*[[Lanesborough-Ballyleague|Lanesborough]]
*[[Legan]]
*[[Lisryan]]
*[[Longford]]
*[[Moydow]]
*[[Moyne, County Longford|Moyne]]
*[[Mullinalaghta]]
*[[Newtowncashel]]
*[[Newtownforbes]]
*[[Taghshinny]]
{{parishlistend}}

=== Physical geography ===
Most of Longford lies in the basin of the [[River Shannon]] with [[Lough Ree]] forming much of the county's western boundary. The north-eastern part of the county, however, drains towards the [[River Erne]] and [[Lough Gowna]]. Lakeland, bogland, pastureland, and wetland typify Longford's generally low-lying landscapes: the highest point of the county is in the north-west - [[Carn Clonhugh]] (also known as Cairn Hill) at 916ft. Cairn Hill is the site of a television transmitter broadcasting to much of the Irish midlands. Longford has one of the lowest in the  [[County top|county peaks list]] ahead of Meath and Westmeath. In general, the northern third of the county is hilly, forming part of the drumlin belt stretching across the northern midlands of Ireland. The southern parts of the county are low-lying, with extensive areas of raised bogland and the land being of better quality for grazing and tillage.

==History==
[[Image:Royal Canal Longford long.JPG|thumb|left|220px|The Royal Canal]]
The territory now comprising County Longford was traditionally known as '''[[Annaly]]''' (''Anghaile'' in Irish), '''[[Tethbae]]''' or '''Teffia''' (''Teabhtha'' in Irish) and formed the territory of the [[Farrell clan]]. After the Norman invasion of the 12th century, Annaly was granted to [[Hugh de Lacy, Lord of Meath|Hugh de Lacy]] as part of the [[County Meath|Liberty of Meath]]. An English settlement was established at [[Granard]], with Norman Cistercian monasteries being established at Abbeylara and Abbeyshrule, and [[Augustinians|Augustinian]] monasteries being established at Abbeyderg and at Saints' Island on the shore of Lough Ree. Monastic remains at [[Ardagh, County Longford|Ardagh]], [[Abbeylara]], Abbeyderg, [[Abbeyshrule]], Inchcleraun Island in Lough Ree, and Inchmore Island in Lough Gowna are reminders of the county's long Christian history.

However, by the 14th century, English influence in Ireland was on the wane. The town of Granard was sacked by Edward Bruce's army in 1315, and the O'Farrells soon recovered complete control over their former territory.

The county was officially shired in 1586 in the reign of Elizabeth I, but English control was not fully established until the aftermath of the Nine Years' War. County Longford was added to Leinster by James I in 1608 (it had previously been considered part of [[Connaught]]), with the county being divided into six baronies and its boundaries being officially defined. The county was planted by English and Scottish landowners in 1620, with much of the O'Farrell lands being confiscated and granted to new owners. The change in control was completed during the Cromwellian plantations of the 1650s.

The county was a centre of the 1798 rebellion, when the French expeditionary force led by Humbert which had landed at [[Killala]] were defeated outside the village of [[Ballinamuck]] on 8 September by a British army led by Cornwallis. Considerable reprisals were inflicted by the British on the civilian inhabitants of the county in the aftermath of the battle.

==Education==
There are many national and secondary schools located in the county such as Moyne Community School, St. Mels and the Convent (Longford, Granard, Ballymahon, Lanesborough).

==Demographics==
Longford’s population growth during the period 2002-2006 (10.6%) has been stronger than the National average (8.2%).<ref>{{cite web | title=Demographic context | work=Offaly County Council Development Plan 2009 - 2015  | url=http://www.offaly.ie/NR/rdonlyres/A4AD027E-87E4-4353-917B-47C75D92768F/1095/Chapter2ContextandChallenges_FEB08.pdf | accessdate=2008-06-28|format=PDF}}</ref>

Agriculture is an important facet in the way of life and for the economy in County Longford. There are 73,764 hectares of area (67.6% of the county's total area) farmed in the county. There are approximately 126,904 cattle in the county too.<ref>http://www.cso.ie/studentscorner/statsfactslongford.htm</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Outside links==
{{commonscat}}
*[http://www.longfordancestry.com/ Longford Ancestry]
*[http://www.farrellclanireland.com/ Farrells of Longford]
*[http://www.corboypresbyterian.com/ Corboy Presbyterian: County Longford's only Presbyterian Church]

{{Irish county}}