Tyrrellspass 4.44

Tyrrellspass is a Georgian village in County Westmeath, Ireland. It is located 81km from Dublin and is situated in the south of the county on the R446 (formerly the N6) road. Tyrrellspass won the Irish Tidy Towns Competition in 1969. As of April 2011, population of the area is 506 and it's increasing by 0.53% per year.HistoryThe origins of the village settlement lie in the Nine Year's War, also called Tyrone's Rebellion. In 1597 there was a battle in Tyrrellspass and the Irish, between 300 and 400 strong and led by Richard Tyrrell, attacked and defeated the English army. Out of 1,000 English troops only one survived. There is a historic castle on the edge of the town, built by Tyrrell, a chief ally of Aodh Mór Ó Néill in the Nine Years' War. It is the only remaining castle of the Tyrrells, who came to Ireland around the time of the Norman Invasion.The village has a distinctive green and crescent of houses, including the Church of Ireland church and what was previously the court house, that was redeveloped c.1820 under the patronage of Jane MacKey, Countess of Belvedere . The Catholic Church of St. Stephen is located across from Tyrrellspass Castle.The Belvedere Protestant Children's Orphanage operated in Tyrellspass, from 1842 until 1943.