Moate

Moate ( ; ) is a town in County Westmeath, Ireland. As of the 2022 census, it had a population of 3,013. The town's Irish name, An Móta, is derived from the term motte-and-bailey, as the Normans built an example of this type of fortification here. The earthwork is still visible behind the buildings on the main street. The town later became an important marketplace and Quaker village. It made the town more wealthy than equivalent towns in Leinster. There are several extant examples of Quaker houses on the main street, which itself is typical of an Irish marketplace.

Moate ( ; ) is a town in County Westmeath, Ireland. As of the 2022 census, it had a population of 3,013. The town's Irish name, An Móta, is derived from the term motte-and-bailey, as the Normans built an example of this type of fortification here. The earthwork is still visible behind the buildings on the main street. The town later became an important marketplace and Quaker village. It made the town more wealthy than equivalent towns in Leinster. There are several extant examples of Quaker houses on the main street, which itself is typical of an Irish marketplace. ==Location== Moate is on the Cloghatanny River, also known as the Moate Stream, which is a tributary of the River Brosna. The confluence between the Cloghatanny and Brosna is to the southeast of Moate. The town is on the R446 road between Kinnegad and Athlone. Before July 2008, this was the N6 road, a national primary route, and Moate was a serious traffic bottleneck. The new M6 motorway bypasses the town. ===Parks=== Dún na Sí Amenity and Heritage Park is a community park located on the outskirts of the town, encompassing ecology, play, heritage, arts and education. The park comprises the Scéal Exhibition in the Comhaltas Teach Cheoil, heritage trail, sensory garden, pet farm, walking trails, native Irish woodland, turlough, playground and tea rooms. Another park, Patrick Kelly Memorial Park, opened in December 2008. This memorial park is named after the only Irish soldier to die in combat in Ireland since the end of the Irish Civil War. On 16 December 1983, Private Patrick Kelly, who was from Moate, was attempting to free American businessman Don Tidey, who had been kidnapped by the Irish Republican Army. Along with Garda recruit Gary Sheehan, he was killed in a shoot-out with IRA gunmen at Derrada Woods in Ballinamore, County Leitrim. ==Culture and heritage== The local Gaelic football club is the Moate All Whites. The club's name and playing kit colours are based on the white religious habits worn by the Carmelite White Friars, a long established Moate institution. Tuar Ard Arts Centre is a community-lead project which opened in October 2000. The centre has tiered seating in an auditorium that seats 173 people. The former gaol, part of the old courthouse, contains a small museum housing artefacts found in the area dating from the Stone Age through to the modern era. The main building of the old courthouse has been renovated into a public library. A 17th-century ruined Quaker Meetinghouse stands in the centre of the town, the Church of St. Patrick serves as the Catholic parish church and the Church of St. Mary is the local Church of Ireland church. A second Catholic church, the Church of the Immaculate Conception, stands to the north of the town. ==Transport== ===Bus=== Bus Éireann and Irish Citylink operate Dublin–Galway bus routes that service Moate. ===Rail=== The disused Moate railway station was built by the Midland Great Western Railway to connect Dublin and Galway and opened on 1 August 1851. It closed for goods traffic on 2 December 1974, and closed for passenger traffic on 27 January 1987. Parts of the film The First Great Train Robbery (1979) were filmed on the local railway. The crew of about 150 actors, extras, and production team, spent around two weeks in and around Moate filming. The cast of the movie stayed at the Royal Hoey Hotel during this time. The train station depicted as "Ashford" is actually Moate Station. ===Dublin to Galway Cycleway=== The Mullingar (West) to Garrycastle (Athlone East) section of the Dublin-Galway Greenway (cycleway) was opened on 3 October 2015 by the Taoiseach Enda Kenny in Moate. The cycleway links Moate to Athlone and Mullingar on a 3m wide 40 km long cycleway. ==Climate== ==Notable people== Abraham Boulger, Victoria Cross recipient T.R. Dallas, singer Patrick Kelly, soldier Ray Lynam, country singer Colm Murray, sports broadcaster Lorcan Robbins, (1884/85–1939), activist and politician Nessa Robins, food writer Joe Ward, boxer William Duckett White (1807–1893), politician and member of the Queensland Legislative Council ==References== ==External links== Moate Town Centre Development Plan - Westmeath County Council

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