Townparks
Townparks is a townland in the civil parish of Clongesh, barony of Longford, Co. Longford. Its name in Irish is Páirceanna an Bhaile.
Parcel 75540
- Area
- 404 m²
- Buildings
- 2 buildings touch it. Their footprint covers 362 m².
- Zoning
- M2 Town Core (LONGFORD COUNTY DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2021-2027) The objective
- Townland
- Townparks
Planning applications on this parcel
15 Jul 2026Conditional
proposed change of use of a former hair/beauty salon into a coffee shop and all ancillary site works
Permission · Longford County Council, 2660230
Source: National Planning Applications, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, CC BY 4.0. Applicants are not shown.
Designated sites
No designated site (Special Area of Conservation, Special Protection Area, Natural Heritage Area or proposed one) touches this parcel.
Recorded monuments around it
This parcel is in the zone of notification of 4 recorded monuments.
- LF008-035 Church
Description
At the SW end of Newtown Forbes, within the W half of a graveyard (LF008-035001-). According to Lewis (1837, vol. 1, 365), this church was built around 1694. The Forbes family records indicate that the first Earl of Granard, who died in 1696, 'built from the foundation the Church of Newtown Forbes, where, in a vault under the Church, he and his family have since been buried' (Hastings 1868, 69). Described by Nicholas Dowdall in 1682 as ‘a fair and Large Church Sumptuously adorned’ (Gillespie and Moran 1991, 208). This church may have been incorporated into the present 19th-century church. There is a 17th-century headstone (LF008-035002-) to the S of it. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 5 June 2013
- LF008-035001 Graveyard
Description
Associated with a late-medieval church (LF008-035----). This large irregularly shaped graveyard (85m E-W; 50m N-S) is enclosed by a stone wall topped with iron railings on the E side, facing onto the main street of Newtownforbes village. Access is via a gate in the E wall. Memorials mainly date from the 19th and 20th centuries but some inscriptions are illegible. The graveyard is still in use. A 17th-century headstone (LF008-035002-) lies to the S of the church. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 5 June 2013
- LF008-035002 Headstone
Description
In the graveyard (LF008-035001-), to the S of the church (LF008-035----), in Newtownforbes. This small 17th-century sandstone headstone (Wth 0.7m; H 0.35m; T 0.1m) is inscribed as follows: 'HERE LYETH/INTERRD THE/BODY OF JOHN/FRAZER WHO/DEPARTED THIS/LIFE ..DAY/……./….1698'. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 5 June 2013
- LF008-038 Historic town
Description
In low-lying pasture to the SE of the demesne of Castleforbes. Newtown Forbes was established as an estate village by Sir Arthur Forbes in 1622 when he was granted lands in Longford as part of the plantation of the county (Cal. pat. rolls Ire., Jas I, 540 1). Described in 1682 by Nicholas Dowdall as ‘a handsome Town wherein are fine stone houses and more a building’, with ‘a fair and Large Church [LF008-035----] Sumptuously adorned' (Gillespie and Moran 1991, 208). In 1690 the village was attacked and set on fire by Roman Catholic Irish forces (Hastings 1868, 66). It consists of a street, aligned roughly N-S, with dwellings on either side of it. At its S end is a 19th-century (C of I) church. 'Castle Forbes' (LF008-012----), the seat of the founding family, is situated c. 1km to the NW of the village. The modern streetscape dates from the 18th and 19th centuries. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 31 July 2013
Architectural heritage
No building of the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage stands on this parcel.
Designated sites: National Parks and Wildlife Service. Recorded monuments: Sites and Monuments Record, National Monuments Service. Buildings: National Inventory of Architectural Heritage. Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, CC BY 4.0. Works at or in relation to a recorded monument need two months' written notice to the National Monuments Service (National Monuments (Amendment) Act 1994, section 12).
Ground and risks
- Radon
- At the centre of this parcel, about 1 in 5 homes in this area is likely to have high radon levels. Testing a home
- Landslides
- The 1:50,000 map rates the landslide susceptibility here as low.
- Terrain model
- LiDAR of the Office of Public Works, flown in 2011, at 2 m: tile OPW_1693 (ZIP).
- Flooding
- The Office of Public Works publishes its flood maps on floodinfo.ie.
Radon Risk Map of Ireland, Environmental Protection Agency, and Landslide Susceptibility Classification, Geological Survey Ireland, both under CC BY 4.0. LiDAR: contains Irish Public Sector Data (Geological Survey Ireland & the Office of Public Works) licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence.
Download this parcel as DXF, in Irish Transverse Mercator metres, with its neighbours and buildings, for a drawing program. GeoJSON, in WGS 84, suits a map, and KML opens in Google Earth.
Registered freehold land, Tailte Éireann, CC BY 4.0. A parcel is the land of a title, not an address. The owner's name is in the Land Registry of Tailte Éireann: a copy of the folio can be ordered on landdirect.ie, for a fee.
- Area
- 55.9 ha
- 138 acres
- Land parcels
- 199
- registered freehold, median 323 m²
- Zoning
- R2
- Residential
- Planning
- 24
- applications since 2010
Land parcels
Registered freehold land, Tailte Éireann
199 registered freehold parcels lie mostly in Townparks, from 3 m² to 139,734 m² (13.97 ha, 34.53 acres). The dashed line is the townland's boundary. 36 neighbouring parcels touch it.
Download the townland as DXF, in Irish Transverse Mercator metres, with its boundary, parcels and buildings, or as GeoJSON or KML.
Zoning
Development plans, national zoning
- R2Residential (Existing residential)
LONGFORD COUNTY DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2021-2027, Longford · 151 parcels The zoning objective in the plan - M2Town Core (City/Town/village Centre, central area)
LONGFORD COUNTY DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2021-2027, Longford · 46 parcels The zoning objective in the plan - R1New Residential (New/proposed residential)
LONGFORD COUNTY DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2021-2027, Longford · 6 parcels The zoning objective in the plan - G1Recreation/Amenity/Green Space (Open space, park)
LONGFORD COUNTY DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2021-2027, Longford · 3 parcels The zoning objective in the plan - R4Strategic Residential Reserve
LONGFORD COUNTY DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2021-2027, Longford · 2 parcels The zoning objective in the plan - S3Social/Community/Education/Public Utility (Community facilities)
LONGFORD COUNTY DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2021-2027, Longford · 1 parcels The zoning objective in the plan - S5Social/Community/Education/Public Utility (Mixed/general community services/facilities uses)
LONGFORD COUNTY DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2021-2027, Longford · 0 parcels The zoning objective in the plan
Source: Tailte Éireann and the Department of Housing (MyPlan), national zoning, CC BY 4.0.
Planning applications
Sites that touch the townland, newest first
17 Aug 2026N/a
to convert & extend existing building into a one bedroom apartment, connect to existing public sewer and all associated works
Permission, 1 home · Longford County Council, 2635
15 Jul 2026Conditional
proposed change of use of a former hair/beauty salon into a coffee shop and all ancillary site works
Permission · Longford County Council, 2660230
5 Jun 2026Conditional
the proposed change of use of the ground floor level of existing dwelling house into a coffee shop together with internal & external alterations to the front & rear facades and all ancillary site works
Permission · Longford County Council, 2660178
3 Apr 2026Conditional
for development at Saint Michael's Convent of Mercy Church (a protected structure, RPS No. 445). The Former Sisters of Mercy Convent (a protected structure, RPS No. 526) is within the curtilage of the development site; but it is not subject to any works. The development will consist of: A) Change of use from the church’s most recently permitted commercial uses (restaurant, offices, exhibition, conference, educational and studio) to residential use comprising 8 no. apartments. B) Alterations to the external façades, including: partial demolition of four sections of the existing external wall; replacement of two non-original windows with new glazed units; and removal of two existing stained-glass windows to be replaced with new glazed windows. The stained-glass windows will be carefully removed and reinstated elsewhere on site. C) Partial demolition of sections of the existing pitched roofs to accommodate new rooflights. D) Replacement of three non-original timber entrance doors with new timber-framed doors incorporating fixed glazed panels. E) Removal of one non-original internal partition wall. F) Construction of new internal partition walls to facilitate the proposed residential layout. G) Hard and soft landscaping, provision of external communal amenity space for the residents of the proposed apartments together with ancillary bicycle and bin stores, and all associated site development works above and below ground within the curtilage of the site
Permission · Longford County Council, 2660107
8 Sept 2025Unconditional
of PL 19/204 - proposed construction of a residential development of 8 no. dwelling houses consisting of 6 no. three bedroom two storey semi-detached type dwelling houses, 2 no. two bedroom single storey semi-detached type dwelling houses, entrances, access road, boundary fence/walls, green open space, demolition of existing detached domestic garage to the rear of the applicants existing dwelling house, proposed connections to the existing foul sewer, surface water & watermain networks servicing the village of Newtownforbes and all ancillary works
Extension of duration · Longford County Council, 2536
15 May 2024Conditional
the proposed construction of a bungalow type dwelling house, entrance, boundary fence/wall, connection to existing foul sewerage network and all ancillary site works
Permission, 1 home · Longford County Council, 2460097
17 Apr 2024Conditional
is sought for alteration to previously approved reg ref 19/126 as Community Hub and Interpretative Centre. The revised development comprises: removal of rear extension block, new internal layout and refurbishment, construction of new rear extension to south as single storey, single block (292 sqm) including 100 sqm hall, kitchen areas, 2 No meeting rooms, welfare & storage facilities, minor alteration of fenestration to street elevation and all associated works, application also indicates future links to St Paul’s Parish Hall to south a Protected Structure (ref 520)
Permission · Longford County Council, 2460072
13 Dec 2023Conditional
proposed construction of a single storey garage to serve existing two storey type dwelling house and all ancillary site works
Permission · Longford County Council, 2360226
13 Nov 2023Conditional
proposed construction of two storey type dwelling, detached garage, proposed entrance & boundary wall/fence, relocation of agricultural entrance, connection to public foul and water connections and ancillary site works
Permission, 1 home · Longford County Council, 2360206
14 Sept 2022N/a
1) proposed partial demolition of existing public house formally known as "Bohan's Bar" & storage sheds/outhouses to the rear 2) proposed conversion of the remaining existing public house structure into habitable accommodation 3) proposed construction of a residential development of 17 no. dwelling houses consisting of 5 no. two bedroom bungalow type dwelling houses, 12 no. two bedroom two storey terraced type dwelling houses, entrance, internal access road, green open space, connection to the existing foul sewer, surface water & watermain networks servicing the village of Newtownforbes and all ancillary works
Permission, 17 homes · Longford County Council, 22216
29 Oct 2020Conditional
of domestic garage/store to the side of existing dwelling and all ancillary site works
Retention · Longford County Council, 20252
8 Oct 2020Conditional
of the change of use from a Butcher's Shop to a Take-Away Restaurant/Food Outlet and all ancillary works
Retention · Longford County Council, 20226
2 Oct 2020Conditional
construction of a dormer bungalow, formation of a new entrance from the public road, connection to public mains water supply, connection to foul and surface water sewers, together with all associated site works.
Permission, 1 home · Longford County Council, 20220
9 Apr 2020Refused
proposed retention of the change of use from a butchers shop to a take-away restaurant/food outlet and all ancillary works(Covid 19 b)
Permission · Longford County Council, 2083
1 Apr 2020Conditional
proposed demolition of existing public house formally known as Bohan's Bar & storage sheds/out-houses to the rear together with the proposed construction of a residential housing development of 14 no. dwelling houses consisting of 6 no. two bedroom bungalow type dwelling houses, 8 no. three bedroom two storey semi-detached type dwelling houses, entrance, internal access road, green open space, connection to the existing foul sewer, surface water & watermain networks servicing the village of Newtownforbes, and all ancillary works (COVID 19b)
Permission, 14 homes · Longford County Council, 2071
31 Jul 2019Conditional
proposed construction of a residential development of 8 no. dwelling houses consisting of 6 no. three bedroom two storey semi-detached type dwelling houses, 2 no. two bedroom single storey semi-detached type dwelling houses, entrances, access road, boundary fence/walls, green open space, demolition of existing detached domestic garage to the rear of the applicants existing dwelling house, proposed connections to the existing foul sewer, surface water & watermain networks servicing the village of Newtownforbes and all ancillary works
Permission · Longford County Council, 19204
16 May 2019Conditional
Removal of existing hall extension including WC block to rear and construction of new rear extension, new internal layout and refurbishment, new detached storage block to rear, minor alterations to front façade and all associated works
Permission · Longford County Council, 19126
28 Mar 2019N/a
for the proposed demolition of existing derelict St. Josephs Secondary School & associated buildings together with seeking full planning permission for the proposed construction of a residential development of 20 No. dwelling houses consisting of 4 No two bedroom bungalow semi-detached houses, 2 No. two bedroom bungalow detached type dwelling houses, 14 No. three bedroom two storey semi-detached type dwelling houses, entrance, internal access roads, green open spaces, connections to the existing foul sewer, surface water & watermain networks servicing the village of Newtownforbes and all ancillary works
Permission · Longford County Council, 1992
27 Mar 2019Refused
of the change of use from a Butchers Shop to a Take-Away Restaurant/Foodway Outlet & all ancillary works
Retention · Longford County Council, 1988
19 Apr 2018Conditional
construction of a detached shed/garage type structure with an overall floor area of 60 square metres to the rear of existing 4 no. townhouses for general storage & the maintenance of same, associated boundary wall & access gate, and all ancillary works.
Permission · Longford County Council, 1878
30 Nov 2017Conditional
for the proposed construction of 4 No. Four Bedroom Two Storey Semi-Detached Type Dwelling Houses On Site No's 09-12 Inclusive of the same Design that were Previously Granted Full Planning Permission Under Planning Reference Number PL04/714, Proposed Connections Into the Existing Foul Sewer, Surface Water & watermain Networks Serving the existing Housing Estate which was Previously Granted Full Planning Permission under Planning Reference Number PL04/714 and all ancillary works
Permission · Longford County Council, 17297
11 May 2017Conditional
for change of use of existing retail outlet to single bedroom studio apartment on ground floor
Permission · Longford County Council, 17137
26 Apr 2017Refused
Originally sought full planning permission for Proposed demolition of existing public house formally known as Bohan's Bar & storage sheds/outhouses to the rear together with the proposed construction of a residential housing development consisting of 25 No. two bedroom bungalow type dwelling houses of which there are 24 No. semi-detached and 1 No. detached, entrance, access road, green open space, connection to existing foul sewer network servicing the village of Newtownforbes, proposed installation of a surface water attenuation area, connection to existing public watermain and all ancillary site works whereby it is now proposed to redesign the proposed residential housing development to consist of 20 no. dwelling houses of which there are 4 no. four bedroom two storey detached type dwelling houses, 4 no. three bedroom two storey detached type dwelling houses, 4 no. three bedroom storey and a half detached type dwelling houses, 4 no. three bedroom bungalow detached type dwelling houses, 4 no. two bedroom bungalow detached type dwelling houses, entrance, access road, green open space, connection to the existing foul sewer network servicing the village of Newtownforbes via an onsite foul sewer pumping station, surface water network, connection to existing public watermain and all ancillary works
Permission · Longford County Council, 17122
31 Mar 2017Conditional
for the retention of extensions and alterations to that granted on foot of planning permission (Ref No. 91/11703) including the enclosure of a single storey porch, conversion of a garage to a bedroom, alterations to opes and a single storey extension to the rear together with all ancillary site works and services
Retention · Longford County Council, 1798
Source: National Planning Applications, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, CC BY 4.0. Applicants are not shown.
Nature and heritage
Designated sites and recorded monuments
Designated sites
No designated site (Special Area of Conservation, Special Protection Area, Natural Heritage Area or proposed one) touches the townland of Townparks.
Recorded monuments
- LF008-035 Church
Description
At the SW end of Newtown Forbes, within the W half of a graveyard (LF008-035001-). According to Lewis (1837, vol. 1, 365), this church was built around 1694. The Forbes family records indicate that the first Earl of Granard, who died in 1696, 'built from the foundation the Church of Newtown Forbes, where, in a vault under the Church, he and his family have since been buried' (Hastings 1868, 69). Described by Nicholas Dowdall in 1682 as ‘a fair and Large Church Sumptuously adorned’ (Gillespie and Moran 1991, 208). This church may have been incorporated into the present 19th-century church. There is a 17th-century headstone (LF008-035002-) to the S of it. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 5 June 2013
- LF008-035001 Graveyard
Description
Associated with a late-medieval church (LF008-035----). This large irregularly shaped graveyard (85m E-W; 50m N-S) is enclosed by a stone wall topped with iron railings on the E side, facing onto the main street of Newtownforbes village. Access is via a gate in the E wall. Memorials mainly date from the 19th and 20th centuries but some inscriptions are illegible. The graveyard is still in use. A 17th-century headstone (LF008-035002-) lies to the S of the church. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 5 June 2013
- LF008-035002 Headstone
Description
In the graveyard (LF008-035001-), to the S of the church (LF008-035----), in Newtownforbes. This small 17th-century sandstone headstone (Wth 0.7m; H 0.35m; T 0.1m) is inscribed as follows: 'HERE LYETH/INTERRD THE/BODY OF JOHN/FRAZER WHO/DEPARTED THIS/LIFE ..DAY/……./….1698'. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 5 June 2013
- LF008-038 Historic town
Description
In low-lying pasture to the SE of the demesne of Castleforbes. Newtown Forbes was established as an estate village by Sir Arthur Forbes in 1622 when he was granted lands in Longford as part of the plantation of the county (Cal. pat. rolls Ire., Jas I, 540 1). Described in 1682 by Nicholas Dowdall as ‘a handsome Town wherein are fine stone houses and more a building’, with ‘a fair and Large Church [LF008-035----] Sumptuously adorned' (Gillespie and Moran 1991, 208). In 1690 the village was attacked and set on fire by Roman Catholic Irish forces (Hastings 1868, 66). It consists of a street, aligned roughly N-S, with dwellings on either side of it. At its S end is a 19th-century (C of I) church. 'Castle Forbes' (LF008-012----), the seat of the founding family, is situated c. 1km to the NW of the village. The modern streetscape dates from the 18th and 19th centuries. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 31 July 2013
Architectural heritage
- Bridge, 1855–1860 · Regional interest
Description
Single-arched rail bridge carrying road over the Dublin to Sligo railway line, built c. 1857. Segmental-headed arch with rock-faced limestone voussoirs. Constructed of coursed/snecked rock-faced limestone with rock-faced limestone coping over parapets. Located to the north of Newtown-Forbes Railway Station (13303018) and to the northeast of Newtown-Forbes.
- Newtown Forbes Railway Station, railway station, 1855–1865 · Regional interest
Description
Detached three-bay two-storey former railway station, built c. 1860, with single-storey extensions to south and rear (east). Now a private house. Hipped artificial slate roof with moulded rendered chimneystacks. Snecked limestone walls with redbrick relieving arch above door and with (flush) cut limestone quoins. Square-headed window openings with replacement windows having flush limestone block-and-start surrounds and tooled limestone sills. Central segmental-headed door opening (to east elevation) with tooled limestone surround and glazed timber door. Flight of limestone steps leading from door to former platform. Cut limestone edging/kerbing to former platform. Wrought-iron pedestrian gate and cut limestone gate pier to north of site. Rubble limestone boundary wall to the north. Corrugated-metal outbuilding located to south of site. Located to east of Newtown-Forbes.
- Saint Paul's Church (Clongesh), church/chapel, 1825–1830 · Regional interest
Description
Freestanding Church of Ireland church on cruciform-plan, built or rebuilt c. 1829, having single-bay transepts to the north and south, single-bay chancel to the east and a two-stage tower on square-plan attached to the west. Possibly incorporating the fabric of an earlier church, c. 1694 to site. Pitched natural slate roof with dressed limestone crow-stepped parapets to gables with cut stone corner pinnacles/finials to ends, cast-iron rainwater goods and cut stone eaves course. Roughcast rendered walls over cut stone plinth with rubble limestone walls to tower. Tudor-arched/Perpendicular Gothic window to chancel gable under cut stone hood moulding with carved timber tracery, decorative iron window panes and cut stone surrounds. Pointed arch window openings under cut stone hood mouldings to transepts with carved timber tracery, decorative iron window panes and cut stone surrounds. Pointed and Tudor-arched door openings with hoodmouldings, timber tracery to overlight and double leaf timber panelled doors. Interesting interior with cusped rib-vaulting to roof, cusped timber panelling to walls, timber galleries to the transepts, timber pulpit, timber box pews with fielded panelling, and a collection of memorial monuments to the Forbes family of Castle Forbes (13303001). Set in own grounds with graveyard to site having collection of upstanding and recumbent grave markers, some with elaborate cast-iron railings. Freestanding mausoleum (13303022) to the north. Rubble limestone boundary wall to road-frontage (east) having modern cast-iron railings over. Entrance gates to the east comprising a pair of cut limestone gate piers on square-plan having capstones and cast-iron gates. Located to the centre of Newtown-Forbes, to the west side of the main street.
- Saint Paul's Church (Clongesh), mausoleum, 1970–1975 · Regional interest
Description
Freestanding pedimented tetrastyle Greek Revival style mausoleum, erected 1972. Comprising white marble Doric columns in antis surmounted by carved frieze and pediment, accessed via cut limestone steps. Square-headed metal door. Located within St. Paul's Church of Ireland graveyard, to the north end of the church enclosure (13303021), and to the centre of Newtown-Forbes.
- Water pump, 1860–1890 · Regional interest
Description
Freestanding cast-iron water pump, erected c. 1875. Comprising banded shaft with fluting to spout and decorative cap and finial. Turning handle and wheel to sides of pump. Set back from street to the east side of main street running through Newtown-Forbes.
- Saint Mary's Catholic Church, mausoleum, 1860–1880 · Regional interest
Description
Attached single-bay gable-fronted Gothic style mausoleum, built c. 1870. Pitched limestone flagged roof with raised cut limestone verge to the east end having a carved stone Celtic cross final to gable apex. Cut stone eaves courses in form of continuous kneeler stones. Snecked rock-faced limestone walls with dressed limestone quoins to the corners and cut limestone quatrefoil motifs to the side elevations, two to each side. Pointed arch door opening to the front elevation (east) with banded cut stone colonnettes, chamfered reveals, moulded cut stone head, moulded hoodmoulding and double-leaf timber doors with wrought-iron straps/hinges. Carved coat of arms of Forbes family over doorway, to pointed arch recess above door, flanked to either side by pierced quatrefoil motifs. Cut limestone quatrefoil motif above door opening to gable apex. Located within the grounds of St. Mary's Roman Catholic church (1303026), abutting chancel gable.
- Saint Mary's Catholic Church, church/chapel, 1860–1865 · Regional interest
Description
Freestanding gable-fronted Roman Catholic church, built 1861 - 64, remodeled and roof lowered in 1974. Comprising six-bay nave with a single-bay entrance porch to the north elevation and shallow chancel to the east having sacristy attached to the south. Pitched metal-sheeted roof with gablets/rooflights. Central pyramidal spire-like rooflight to east end, lighting chancel. Snecked limestone walls with flush quoins to the corners. Clasping coursed limestone buttresses to the entrance front (west), flanking main entrance and to the corners, and at corners of chancel (east), having cut stone plinths and stepped heads. Paired pointed arch window openings to nave with chamfered cut surrounds. Pointed arch windows to front elevation (east) with cut limestone plate tracery. Shouldered window openings to sacristy. Three graded pointed arch lancet openings to chancel gable having chamfered cut stone surrounds and stained glass windows. Pointed arch door opening to centre of front elevation (east) with chamfered cut limestone surround/reveal, double-leaf timber door and hoodmoulding over with carved label stops in the form of human faces. Pointed arch door opening to porch to north elevation with chamfered limestone surround, double-leaf timber door and with hood moulding over with squared limestone stops. Pointed arch door opening to sacristy with block-and-start limestone surround and limestone steps. Modernised interior with open truss steel roof. Located to the centre of Newtown-Forbes, to the east side of the main street. Forbes family mausoleum (13303025) to rear (east), abutting chancel gable.
- House, 1820–1880 · Regional interest
Description
End-of-terrace three-bay single-storey vernacular house, built c. 1850. Steeply pitched artificial slate roof with rendered chimneystacks to either end (north and south) and a raised rendered verge to the south gable. Painted roughcast rendered walls with smooth rendered quoins and plinth. Square-headed window openings with two-over-two pane timber sliding sash windows having painted sills. Central square-headed door opening with timber battened door having plain overlight above. Fronts directly onto street to the west side of the main street running through Newtown-Forbes.
- Saint Michael's Convent of Mercy, convent/nunnery, 1865–1875 · Regional interest
Description
Detached eleven-bay two-storey former convent, built 1869, having a central single-bay gable-fronted breakfront to the centre of the main elevation (east). Central two-storey return to the rear (west) and convent chapel (13303030) attached to the north end. Originally in use as an orphanage. Later in use as a boarding school, now in use as apartments. Hipped artificial slate roof with terracotta ridge cresting and five moulded rendered chimneystacks. Pitched artificial slate roof to breakfront with raised verge having kneeler stones and with a Celtic cross finial over. Ruled-and-lined rendered walls over smooth rendered plinth with raised quoins to the corners of main building and to breakfront. Pointed-segmental/Tudor-arched window openings to ground floor with one-over-one pane timber sliding sash window, overlights and painted render surrounds and sills. Square-headed window openings to first floor with one-over-one pane timber sliding sash windows having render surrounds. Bipartite pointed-segmental/Tudor-arched window opening to breakfront at ground floor level (possibly originally a doorway) with one-over-one pane timber sliding sash windows, plain overlight, hoodmoulding over and flanked to either side by ogee-headed window openings with square-headed windows. Oriel window to breakfront at first floor level having rendered mullions and with string courses over. Statue over oriel window. Pointed arch door openings to rear west having timber battened doors with overlights. Set back from road in own grounds to the north end of Newtown-Forbes. Modern boundary wall to road-frontage, modern apartment blocks to the rear. Nuns' graveyard to the west/southwest (not viewed).
- Saint Michael's Convent of Mercy, church/chapel, 1895–1900 · Regional interest
Description
Attached former convent church on cruciform-plan, built c. 1897, with three-bay nave to the east, single-bay transepts to the north and south, polygonal chancel to the west, single-storey sacristy attached to the north side of the chancel and a bell-tower on (square-plan) attached to the east end having a slated spire over. Pitched natural slate roof with terracotta ridge cresting and wrought-iron cross finials to gable ends and over spire. Painted smooth rendered walls over chamfered plinth with flush limestone quoins to the corners and limestone buttresses to the corners and to the sides of nave. Pointed arch window openings, some paired, with block-and-start limestone surrounds and rose windows to transept gables, all having stained glass. Tripartite window to chancel gable with Geometric tracery and stained glass windows. Ogee-headed window openings to sacristy. Pointed arch door openings to tower at belfry level having louvered fittings. Pointed arch door openings with block-and-start limestone surrounds and granite steps. Shouldered door opening to sacristy with block-and-start limestone surround. Located to north of former convent (13303029) and to the north end of Newtown-Forbes.
- Vent pipe, 1880–1920 · Regional interest
Description
Freestanding cast-iron vent pipe, erected c. 1900, comprising of fluted pedestal with moulded detailing, cylindrical shaft over with banding at intervals and a saw-tooth profiled crown. Located within the grounds of the Church of Ireland church (13303021) and the graveyard, Newtown-Forbes.
Designated sites: National Parks and Wildlife Service. Recorded monuments: Sites and Monuments Record, National Monuments Service. Buildings: National Inventory of Architectural Heritage. Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, CC BY 4.0. Works at or in relation to a recorded monument need two months' written notice to the National Monuments Service (National Monuments (Amendment) Act 1994, section 12).
Ground and risks
Radon, landslides, flooding
- Radon
- At the centre of the townland of Townparks, about 1 in 5 homes in this area is likely to have high radon levels. Testing a home
- Landslides
- The 1:50,000 map rates the landslide susceptibility here as low, partly inferred.
- Terrain model
- LiDAR of the Office of Public Works, flown in 2011, at 2 m: tile OPW_1693 (ZIP).
- Flooding
- The Office of Public Works publishes its flood maps on floodinfo.ie.
Radon Risk Map of Ireland, Environmental Protection Agency, and Landslide Susceptibility Classification, Geological Survey Ireland, both under CC BY 4.0. LiDAR: contains Irish Public Sector Data (Geological Survey Ireland & the Office of Public Works) licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence.
Homes sold
Property Price Register
No address of the register names Townparks with five sales or more. The sales of the area are on the page of Co. Longford.
The townland
- Name
- Townparks · Páirceanna an Bhaile
- Area
- 559,231 m² (55.92 ha, 138.19 acres)
- Civil parish
- Clongesh, and its townlands
- Barony
- Longford
- Electoral division
- Newtown Forbes, the unit of the census
- Census 2022
- 985 people lived in 411 households in the Newtown Forbes electoral division. 65% of households owned their home. 36% of homes were built since 2001. 17% of dwellings stood vacant on census night, and 2% were holiday homes.
- Neighbouring townlands
- Castleforbes Demesne, Corry, Lamagh, Lisbrack, Lismoy, St. Anne's Glebe
- Placenames
- Townparks on logainm.ie, the Placenames Database of Ireland
Townlands, civil parishes, baronies and electoral divisions, National Statutory Boundaries, Tailte Éireann, CC BY 4.0. Census 2022, Small Area Population Statistics by electoral division, Central Statistics Office, CC BY 4.0. A townland is the smallest land division of Ireland, and the unit of a rural address. Old registers such as the 1901 and 1911 censuses file it under its civil parish and barony.