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County Longford is an area that did not attract tourists until fairly recently. We explored the county in the 1980s to complete our quest of visiting all 32 Irish counties. One of the loveliest of the midland counties, County Longford lies in the Shannon basin and the upper catchment area of the River Erne. Longford is famous for its excellent fishing. We stopped for a quick lunch at a pub near the tiny village of Drumlish. I had a creamed spinach soup, and my children had the potato leek soup. Both were delicious.
My neighbor Margarete Argue in June of 1985 outside my townhouse. Thankfully, she was not pointing the gun at me.
Attractions in County Longford include the heritage village of Ardagh, built in the 1860s in a Swiss design, and the recently discovered Old Bog Road, an Iron Age trackway of large oak planks in a bog at Corlea. The true beauty of Longford lies in its pleasant views--it is a quiet countryside of farmlands, bog, and the occasional low hill. An ideal spot for a get-away-from-it-all relaxing break.
The history of Longford: it is one of the traditional counties of Ireland and is located within the province of Leinster. It was named after the town of Longford, in Irish an Longfort. 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. 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 1650s.
A revolutionary spirit is a rich part of the county's heritage. The county was a center of the 1798 Rebellion, when the French were defeated outside the village of Ballinamuck by an English army led by Cornwallis. Considerable reprisals were inflicted by the British on the Irish civilian inhabitants of the county in the aftermath of the battle. And during the Irish War of Independence, the North Longford flying column led by Sen Mac Eoin became one of the most active units on the Irish side during the war for freedom from English rule.
The Irish hatred for the English was still quite prominent in the mid-eighties. I remember one of my neighbors in Pinebrook became so angry with what was happening, he shot the television set in his living room when the Queen appeared on the screen.
Longford, Longford's County Town, situated on the banks of the Camlin River, is spaciously laid out with pleasant wide streets. A Dominican friary was founded there in 1400. St Mel's Cathedral, a 19th century Renaissance building, is worth visiting. Longford is also the site of the County Museum. Drumlish is a rapidly expanding village. According to the most recent Irish census this village has the highest number of single men in Ireland and following this revelation Drumlish held a Bachelor Festival inviting ten single women from Dublin to meet ten single local men. The festival was a huge success.
This cream of spinach soup is very easy and quick to make. It is rich in butter and cream and oh so wonderful.
Irish Cream of Spinach Soup [Serves 3-4]
Ingredients:
1 pkg. of fresh baby spinach leaves, coarsely chopped
1 large celery stalk, minced
3 oz. of butter
2 tbsp. of butter for roux
2 tbsp. of flour
1 tbsp. of fresh chive, minced
Large pinch of celery salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1½ cups of whole milk
1 cup of half and half
4 pats of butter
Nutmeg for garnish
Preparation:
Sauté the chopped spinach leaves and minced celery in 3 oz. of butter until tender. In a saucepan melt the 2 tbsp. of butter and blend in the flour to make a light roux. Add the chive, celery salt, and pepper. Gradually whisk in the milk until slightly thickened. Stir in the spinach mixture. Add the half and half and the four pats of butter and heat through. Garnish with nutmeg.
County Longford is an area that did not attract tourists until fairly recently. We explored the county in the 1980s to complete our quest of visiting all 32 Irish counties. One of the loveliest of the midland counties, County Longford lies in the Shannon basin and the upper catchment area of the River Erne. Longford is famous for its excellent fishing. We stopped for a quick lunch at a pub near the tiny village of Drumlish. I had a creamed spinach soup, and my children had the potato leek soup. Both were delicious.
My neighbor Margarete Argue in June of 1985 outside my townhouse. Thankfully, she was not pointing the gun at me.
Attractions in County Longford include the heritage village of Ardagh, built in the 1860s in a Swiss design, and the recently discovered Old Bog Road, an Iron Age trackway of large oak planks in a bog at Corlea. The true beauty of Longford lies in its pleasant views--it is a quiet countryside of farmlands, bog, and the occasional low hill. An ideal spot for a get-away-from-it-all relaxing break.
The history of Longford: it is one of the traditional counties of Ireland and is located within the province of Leinster. It was named after the town of Longford, in Irish an Longfort. 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. 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 1650s.
A revolutionary spirit is a rich part of the county's heritage. The county was a center of the 1798 Rebellion, when the French were defeated outside the village of Ballinamuck by an English army led by Cornwallis. Considerable reprisals were inflicted by the British on the Irish civilian inhabitants of the county in the aftermath of the battle. And during the Irish War of Independence, the North Longford flying column led by Sen Mac Eoin became one of the most active units on the Irish side during the war for freedom from English rule.
The Irish hatred for the English was still quite prominent in the mid-eighties. I remember one of my neighbors in Pinebrook became so angry with what was happening, he shot the television set in his living room when the Queen appeared on the screen.
Longford, Longford's County Town, situated on the banks of the Camlin River, is spaciously laid out with pleasant wide streets. A Dominican friary was founded there in 1400. St Mel's Cathedral, a 19th century Renaissance building, is worth visiting. Longford is also the site of the County Museum. Drumlish is a rapidly expanding village. According to the most recent Irish census this village has the highest number of single men in Ireland and following this revelation Drumlish held a Bachelor Festival inviting ten single women from Dublin to meet ten single local men. The festival was a huge success.
This cream of spinach soup is very easy and quick to make. It is rich in butter and cream and oh so wonderful.
Irish Cream of Spinach Soup [Serves 3-4]
Ingredients:
1 pkg. of fresh baby spinach leaves, coarsely chopped
1 large celery stalk, minced
3 oz. of butter
2 tbsp. of butter for roux
2 tbsp. of flour
1 tbsp. of fresh chive, minced
Large pinch of celery salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1½ cups of whole milk
1 cup of half and half
4 pats of butter
Nutmeg for garnish
Preparation:
Sauté the chopped spinach leaves and minced celery in 3 oz. of butter until tender. In a saucepan melt the 2 tbsp. of butter and blend in the flour to make a light roux. Add the chive, celery salt, and pepper. Gradually whisk in the milk until slightly thickened. Stir in the spinach mixture. Add the half and half and the four pats of butter and heat through. Garnish with nutmeg.
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