New homes for sale in Athboy, Co. Meath

PRICES REDUCED - 2 BED TOWNHOUSE FROM €149,000 An exclusive gated development of 11 unique 2 & 3 Bed townhouses set in the grounds of the former Old Station House, beautifully finished with landscaped grounds. Athboy is located between the towns of Navan and Mullingar just one hour from Dublin and a short drive from the heritage towns of Kells and Trim. The development is set in an idyllic location within walking distance of Athboy Town. Athboy has many fantastic amenities close at hand, for the outdoor enthusiast the fair green park is across the road and the Boyne valley is close at hand. There are many shops, pubs and hotels located in Athboy including McElhinney’s Fashions and The Old Darnley Lodge Hotel. There are also a vast variety of sporting facilities such as Clann na nGael GAA club, Athboy Celtic soccer club and many others including Rugby, Athletics and Pitch n Putt. There is an abundance of educational facilities both primary and secondary schools in the area. The Station House dates from 1870 when it served as the terminus for the Kilmessan-Trim-Athboy section of the Dublin and Meath Railway. The first trains commenced running from January 1865 which were exclusively cattle trains, the passenger services began by the end of February. The service continued until 1963 when the station closed because popularity of road travel. The role of the railway was central to the development of Athboy particularly relation to the cattle trade where large cattle fairs were held at the Fair Green located beside the station. History of Athboy Town The town of Athboy began sometime during the sixth century A.D. as a settlement at the Tremblestown river crossing known as the Yellow Ford where the town got its name Baile Átha Buí (the town of the Yellow Ford), and the first bridge was built here in c. 1400 A.D. The earliest inhabitants of Athboy were Druids who had settlements at the nearby Hill of Ward. In 1180 the Anglo-Norman invasion reached Athboy. As part of their plan to capture key towns and fortify them with a wall and castle, the Normans walled a square extending from the river to the Roman Catholic Church, and from Scarlet Park to the backs of the houses on the northwest side of Main Street. Athboy was granted a charter in 1497 by Henry VII of England, and was by 1500 the most westerly stronghold of the Pale. During the 1641 rebellion Eoghan Rua O’Neill captured the town. With the collapse of the rebellion, much of the land ownership passed to adventurers from England. John Bligh, a Londoner, acquired large estates in the Athboy area. The head of the Bligh Family was named Earl of Darnley in 1725. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the Darnley Family planned and carried out the development of the town, giving it the form which prevails today. It wasn’t until 1909, after the Wyndham Act of 1903 had finally broken the power of the landlords, that Francis Walter, Earl of Darnley, auctioned the town of Athboy. The Darnley estate office, now the Kirwan Arms Hotel, was finally closed in 1948. Website: www.theoldstationhouse.ie