Newmarket

Newmarket lies on a glen surrounded by summits of the Slieve Luachra foot hills, some as high as 900 feet. The Island Wood is a very popular place to the town’s people, both for nature walks or just a strole. The Dalua and the Awekeale rivers meet and continue until they reach Kanturk.  At the east of Newmarket town, John Philpot Curran’s home, known as the Priory, gave its name to the Priory Wood. Going west from the Dalua river, you are heading towards the Mulmuaghreirk mountains, known of old as Slieve Luachra, where Fionn and the Fianna chased the stag and the wild boar through mountains and glens, where now only the cry of the curlew can be heard.  The tributaries at the Dalua to name but a few are the Glenlara, Awkeale and the Owener which are well populated by trout and salmon. Tourmore Bacaura is on the western part of the parish which overlooks the Dalua river. 

Newmarket parish has a lot of pre-historic remains. For example: forts, fulacht fiadha, gallauns and one cairn which is a large heap of stones, carving a grove of some kind. Gallauns are stones to mark boundaries a well preserved fort in Lisdangan which reaches a height of  fifteen feet, on the glen side of the fort in a well known as the fairy well. There are a lot sights of old churches and graveyards. Clonfert cemetery was possibly in use from early Christian times. In 1615 Sir Richard Aldworth took over a parcel of land where the Convent was then built and became the home of the Aldworth landlords. In the 1200s, Newmarket way known as Anathcrothan.  This was learned from a document held by Pope Nicholas in 1622.  One of Newmarket’s most famous men was John Philpot Curran who was born in Newmarket in 1750. Sarah Curran who was the daughter of John was friendly with the famous Robert Emmet. 

St Mary’s church: Fr. J. Beechinar erected St Mary’s parish church, Newmarket in 1834, on a sight granted by Richard Aldworth.     

by Cian O'Keeffe

photo 'The Island Wood' by Kevin O'Sullivan & Daniel O'Keeffe

'The Twelve Apostles Tree'  
photo taken by Kevin O Sullivan and Daniel O'Keeffe

Trinity Well

Trinity well is situated on the outskirts of Newmarket.  It is said to heal people.  A woman from Newmarket lifted her paralyzed son to the well every day. On the third visit to the well the boy walked home.  Raymond O’Sullivan, a local historian, accompanied us on visit to Trinity Well.  We also visited the Bocaura, the Convent and Sarah Curran’s gravesite.  We appreciate all Raymond O'Sullivan's hard work as he must find a different location every year and design work around it.

By Jimmy Twomey

How Newmarket has grown

Newmarket has grown enormously with the take-over of Super Valu by the Co-Op. The Co-Op has also grown with its investment in a 28-acre field, which is used for silage and then sold to the farmers. It is also sometimes used for our annual agricultural show.

 Key-tech has bought Impulse Engineering and is one of the biggest employers of Newmarket. We now have three take-aways in Newmarket - the Diner, Toms and Christys.

A new soccer pitch and equestrian facilities were constructed next to the Pitch and Putt grounds. Top Car has expanded, having built a new sales car park and are now in the process of constructing a service building, whereas the old building will be the new show rooms. Newmarket has also grown with new houses being built all over the parish. The next big change will be the Euro coming in 2002.

By Billy Allen