Editing Athenry (section)

==History==
[[File:Athenry St Mary's Parish Church South Transept 2009 09 17.jpg|left|thumb|St. Mary's Parish Church in Athenry.]]
{{Historical populations|state=collapsed|width=22.2em
|1821|1093
|1831|1319
|1841|1236
|1851|1487
|1861|1283
|1871|1194
|1881|1030
|1891|910
|1901|853
|1911|791
|1926|993
|1936|1048
|1946|1153
|1951|1181
|1956|1287
|1961|1266
|1966|1333
|1971|1240
|1981|1479
|1986|1642
|1991|1612
|1996|1614
|2002|2154
|2006|3205
|2011|3950
|2016|4445
|2022|4603
|footnote=<ref name=cso2022/><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.histpop.org/ohpr/servlet/Show?page=Home |title=Histpop — The Online Historical Population Reports Project |website=HistPop.org |access-date=26 April 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |title=Irish population, economy, and society: Essays in honour of the late K.H. Connell |last=Lee |first=J. J. |publisher=Clarendon Press |year=1981 |editor-last=Connell |editor-first=Kenneth Hugh |location=Oxford, England |pages=37–56 |chapter=On the accuracy of the [[Great Famine (Ireland)|pre-famine]] Irish censuses |author-link=J. J. Lee (historian) |editor-last2=Goldstrom |editor-first2=J. M. |editor-last3=Clarkson |editor-first3=Leslie A.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Mokyr |first=Joel |author-link=Joel Mokyr |last2=Ó Gráda |first2=Cormac |author-link2=Cormac Ó Gráda |date=1984 |title=New developments in Irish population history, 1700-1850 |journal=The Economic History Review |volume=37 |issue=4 |pages=473–488 |doi=10.1111/j.1468-0289.1984.tb00344.x|hdl=10197/1406 |hdl-access=free }}</ref>
}}
Athenry's name derives from the ford ('Áth') crossing the river Clarin just east of the settlement. It was originally called 'Áth na Ríogh' ('Ford of the Kings') because it was the home area of the Cenél nDéigill kings of [[Soghain|Soghan]], whose leading lineage were the Ó Mainnín.<ref name="mannion_clan" >{{Cite web |url=http://www.mannionclan.org/ |title=The Mannion Clan |website=MannionClan.org |access-date=10 April 2017}}</ref> On some medieval maps of English origin the town is called Kingstown.

Originally, Soghan was surrounded by [[Uí Maine]] to the east, [[Aidhne]] to the south, and [[Maigh Seola]] to the west. However, after 1135, and by 1152, [[Tairrdelbach Ua Conchobair]] forcibly incorporated it into the newly created [[trícha cét]] of [[Clann Taidg]], ruled by lords such as [[Fearghal Ó Taidg an Teaghlaigh]], who expelled the Ó Mainnín family. In the 1230s the Ó Taidg an Teaghlaigh family were in turn displaced by [[Meyler de Bermingham]].<ref name="mannion_clan" />

The earliest remaining building in the town is [[Athenry Castle]] which was built sometime before 1240 by [[Meyler de Bermingham]]. In 1241, the [[Dominican Order|Dominican]] Priory was founded, and became an important center for learning and teaching. It was ostensibly closed during the [[Protestant Reformation]] but survived until being desecrated and burned during the Mac an Iarla wars of the 1560s–80s, and was finally vandalised by Cromwellians in the 1650s. The medieval walls around Athenry are among the most complete and best preserved in Ireland, with 70% of the original circuit still standing, along with some of the original towers and the original North gate.<ref>{{cite book |title=Athenry: A Medieval Irish town|last=Rynne |first=Etienne |publisher=Athenry Historical Society|year=1992 |isbn=978-0716524748}}</ref> The remains of the Lorro Gate were partially unearthed in 2007 during the redevelopment of road works in the area.

In the centre of the town is the 'square'; markets were held from the 17th century onwards and where the town's late 15th century '[[Market Cross]]' is still located. The monument, which is of [[Tabernacle]] or [[Lantern]] type, is the only one of its kind in Ireland, and the only medieval cross in the country still standing in situ.<ref>{{cite book |last=Thomas |first=Avril |title=The walled towns of Ireland |publisher=Irish Academic Press |year=1992 |asin=B00382S42I}}</ref> A heritage centre now occupies the remains of the mid-13th century St Mary's [[Collegiate Church]] adjacent to the town Square. The original medieval church is largely destroyed, but in 1828 a [[Church of Ireland]] church was built into its chancel.

[[File:Athenry Shield.jpg|thumb|A late Bronze Age shield, found near Athenry, is now in the British Museum]]

In 1791, [[Jean Antoine Coquebert de Montbret]] visited the town, which he described as:
{{blockquote|text=It covers 50 acres but has not more than 60 houses. [...] There is [[Athenry Abbey|an abbey]] of which the ruins are almost all standing. There is a big uninhabited castle called Bermingham's Court [...]. In the middle of Athenry is the stump of a cross destroyed in the wars, on which a [[crucifix]] in [[bas-relief]] still remains. [...] I noticed at the door of a tavern a large cake decorated with a bouquet. It was a prize for the best dancer. [...] The road from Athenry is very beautiful and there are no barriers. |author=[[Jean Antoine Coquebert de Montbret]] |source=<ref>{{cite journal |last=Ní Chinnéide |first=Síle |date=1952 |title=Coquebert de Montbret's: Impressions of Galway City and County in the year 1791 |journal=Journal of the Galway Archaeological and Historical Society |volume=25 |issue=1/2 |pages=1–14 |issn=0332-415X |oclc=5557175705}}</ref>}}

Moyode Castle is another tall 16th-century fortified [[tower house]] of the Dolphin family, which went to the Persse family. The castle is now restored and inhabited and is located {{convert|3.5|mi|km}} from the town of Athenry.

In 1863, a late [[Bronze Age]] shield was found in the vicinity of Athenry, and is now held in the [[British Museum]]'s collection.<ref>{{cite web | title=Museum number 1888,0719.1 – Shield |url=https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/H_1888-0719-1 |work=British Museum Collection |access-date=19 October 2020}}</ref>