SNIPPETS: In Celtic times, Meath was a kingdom, one of the five portions of the island of Ireland and one which extended halfway across the country from the Irish Sea to the River Shannon. By the 16th century it was merely a province and then suffered even further reduction of status when it was cut in half and designated as two counties: Meath and Westmeath. Some of it is interesting bog but much is a wonderful land of green hills, woods, lakes and stately homes.. One of the lakes, Derravaragh, is known in legends as the home for 300 years of the four Children of Lir. Sheltered by steep hills clothed in ancient oak and hazel wood, there are usually swans there -- conjuring up memories of the Children of Lir who were transformed to swans by their wicked stepmother. The four children (Fionnuala, Aodh, Conn and Fiachra) were said to have led quite a pleasant life there - as anyone might in such beautiful surroundings. They retained the power of speech and also sang beautifully so that people came from all parts to listen to them. The village and valley of Fore is the site of a great monastic settlement which flourished for a thousand years from the time of its foundation by St. Fechin. Lough Lene, at Fore, has a small beach, known as 'The Cut' which leads to the lake justly proud of its Blue Flag status. The Fore Abbey Coffee Shop is a two-storey building that once housed cattle on the lower floor and stored their fodder on the upper. Its walls of local stone have been restored in recent years. Jane O'REILLY will serve you light refreshment, you can watch a charming video of the area, buy a painting or some wood-turning or perhaps a book about the Fore and its environs -- all the work of local people. St. Michael's Church at Castlepollard was built in 1820; the old school house on Church Street contains a small museum with various objects of local interest, call 044 61168 to check opening hours. The village green is home to a variety of sculptures. Lough Owel, fed by springs, has wonderfully clear water and a lovely setting amongst green fields and woodland. Multyfarnham, a delightful village that is so typical of Westmeath. Franciscan monks came to Multyfarnham not long after the death of St. Francis - and they came to stay. Today the friary centers on its church, which was built in the 15th century, reduced to an imposing ruin in the 17th and triumphantly restored in the course of the 19th and 20th. The story of the friars is an inspiration. They enjoyed a couple hundred years of comfort and esteem from the start, they survived the suppression of the monasteries by King Henry VIII in 1540, but were finally ousted in the times of Oliver CROMWELL. This did not break the spirit of generations of friars. They stayed close to Multyfarnham, sometimes in hiding, though more often in cottages built for them nearby. Their dedication has borne fruit in the beauty and tranquility of their home today. The final restoration of the church was planned in the 1970s and the furnishings and stained glass are the work of fine artists and craftsm! en. The swan-children of Lir are commemorated here also, in a beautiful set of four windows by David KING. Outside the church, water and golden-leaved conifers are the highlights of the garden in which life-sized Stations of the Cross are arranged on a plan based on the traditional road to Calvary. Tullynally is the ancestral home of one of the most remarkable families of literary people living today. Known to the world as PAKENHAM, their forebears settled in Tullynally in the 17th century and, from generation to generation, built and enlarged a castle and developed gardens on an ever increasing scale. The demesne remains a family home, but one that extends a warm welcome to visitors (apparently after lunchtime May through August) who are willing to part with a modest fee. The castle stands surrounded by wonderful parkland, shaded by lovely old trees. You may read about some of them in one or another of the tree-books written by the owner Thomas PAKENHAM. There is a well-tended kitchen garden, formal gardens with bright borders and informal woodland walks with a lake and ducks and exciting rare and exotic plants. During the winter months, the acoustically perfect great hall is the venue for concert and recitals arranged by the Derravaragh Music Association. (e-mail: lo! ughbawn@eircom.net). -- Excerpts, Christopher Moriarty, 'By-Ways rather than Highways,' Jan-Feb 2004 "Ireland of the Welcomes" magazine.