Biography penn mullingar

The name Mullingar (An Muileann gCearr) is derived from ‘The wry or left-handed mill’.  According to tradition the rotation of the local mill was said to have been miraculously reversed by St Colman of Lynn in the 7th century, and thus, as claimed by Mullingar historian Ruth Illingworth it is ‘probably the only town in Ireland to be named after a miracle”.

Mullingar is the county town of Westmeath and is located in the centre of the county.

It is surrounded by a number of fine limestone lakes including Loughs Ennel, Owel and Derravaragh.  The river Brosna flows through Mullingar.  The town grew up around the monastery of Lynn and came into its own after the Anglo-Norman invasion when the manor of Mullingar was assigned to the Petit family.  There are records of burgesses and grants of fairs going back to the early years of the thirteenth century indicating that it was becoming established as a town by that time.

Both the Canons Regular of St Augustin