In 1946, while visiting Edgeworthstown, the travel writer Richard Hayward wrote:
“In Edgeworthstown, one of the quietest little towns in Ireland, was a great web of history woven from the strands of literary creation, benevolence and religious conviction.”
Edgeworthstown in County Longford, the venue of the National Famine Commemoration Day event in 2024, takes its name from the famous Edgeworth family. Maria Edgeworth was an enlightened feminist with radical ideas and the most celebrated female novelist of her era. She inspired many, including Sir Walter Scott and Jane Austen. Maria and her father, renowned inventor Richard Lovell Edgeworth, attempted to set up a universal education system in Ireland as early as 1799. From their home in Edgeworthstown, they embedded themselves in a remarkable network of writers, scientists, inventors and great thinkers of the 18th and 19th centuries.
The Maria Edgeworth Centre offers a great day out and attracts visitors from all over the globe. Visitors can take a guided tour of the town, including two churches with wonderful Harry Clarke stained-glass windows, Edgeworthstown House – the ancestral home of the Edgeworths – and functioning walled garden, and the ancient graveyard where Maria Edgeworth and Isola Wilde are interred. Hear about the Abbé Edgeworth, who was immersed in the turmoil of the French Revolution and administered to King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette.
The jewel in any visit, The Maria Edgeworth Visitor Centre & Museum is located in what is believed to be the oldest remaining purpose-built national school in Ireland, built in 1840, and houses many unique and valuable artifacts, manuscripts, books and objects dating back to the 17th century. The Centre interprets the family story through multilingual audio guides. Get to know the wider family and their influential social circle in the Picture Gallery. The Victorian schoolroom presents the evolution of Ireland’s school system. The Drawing Room gives visitors an insight into Edgeworth family life in the 18th and 19th centuries.
The town also boasts a modern, purpose-built Library which opened in 2021. Consisting of three floors, the Library is a friendly community space with access to books, DVDs, Public access PCs and an event space.
Avail of the Free Travel pass to visit Edgeworthstown by rail or bus. Edgeworthstown station is located on the Dublin Connolly-Sligo rail line. The town centre is served by bus numbers 22 (Dublin-Ballina), 23 (Dublin-Sligo) and 466 (Cavan-Athlone).
Available Options:
Guided Town Trip €10 pp
Guided Tour of the Maria Edgeworth Centre €6 pp
Visitors can also enjoy Tea, Coffee and Pastries for an additional charge of €3.50
Subject to pre-booking.
Contact Details:
Phone Mobile: 0872243151
Phone Landline: 043 6671801
Website: www.mariaedgeworthcenter.com
