Multifarnham

Multyfarnham (Muilte Farannáin in Irish) is a town located in County Westmeath, Ireland, and is adjacent to the monastery and the formerly noted agricultural schooling centre (terminated 2003), administered by the local personnel. The Irish Franciscan friars continue today a presence in the monastery which was founded in 1268. Between 1590 and 1617 it had been raided six times and twice burnt down by the raiding English. When Monsignor Massari came here in 1646, there had been 30 friars there. In the year 1766 there were as few as seven friars, five of whom were of advanced age. The church had been unroofed from 1651 to 1827. In the year, 1839 a new friary was rebuilt in the grounds. A seraphic college was opened in 1899, there initially being only four pupils for the first year. This later became an agricultural college in 1956, and continued as such until the year 2003. On the monastery lawns, around the church and college, there are 14 elaborate life size Stations of the Cross, making it one of the finest outdoor shrines in Ireland. Source: Wikipedia