Stories and memories of Longford Town Landmarks brought to book

Longford Town Landmarks, featuring ten well-known landmarks and accompanying stories, will be launched by Longford County Council Cathaoirleach Cllr Colm Murray in Longford Library on Tuesday, May 28 at 6.30pm.

A Longford County Council publication, it was commissioned by then Longford Arts Officer Fergus Kennedy in 2023, before his untimely passing. The book was written by local journalist Jessica Thompson and photography is by Shelley Corcoran.

Longford Town Landmarks features well-known landmarks around the county town. It also includes stories from local people who share memories of growing up near these places.

From St John's Church to St Mel's Cathedral, the book takes in some buildings that are still in use, such as St Mel's College and the Temperance Hall. Other landmarks that have changed use over the decades are also included, such as the Fair Green and the Ribbon Factory.

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Landmarks featured in the book, and those interviewed include: St John's Church (Rev Simon Scott); The Ribbon Factory (Bridie Göbl); Connolly Barracks (Hugh Farrell); O'Reilly's Pub (Niamh O'Reilly); The Fair Green (Kevin Dempsey); Scoil Mhuire (Una Byrne); Temperance Hall (Peggy Nolan); St Mel's Musical Society (Robert Belton); St Mel's College (Fr Tom Murray) and St Mel's Cathedral (Seamus Butler).

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Copies of Longford Town Landmarks will be available to purchase at the launch in Longford Library on Tuesday, May 28 at 6.30pm. It is also available to be purchased from Newsround in Longford Town.

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