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seasonal · Saturday 15 August 2026 · TBA 
Landed Estates Database Presentation - Longford & Westmeath
At Heritage Week venue · County Longford
At Heritage Week venue · County Longford
If you have ever wondered who owned the land your ancestors worked, or what happened to the Big House at the edge of the old estate, this free Heritage Week presentation is worth making time for. Researchers Marie Boran and Brigid Clesham from the University of Galway’s Moore Institute present the Irish Landed Estates Database, a long-running project that has been piecing together the history of Big Houses and landed estates across Ireland since 2005. This session focuses on Counties Longford and Westmeath - two counties with a particularly layered estate history - and is aimed at anyone with an interest in local history, genealogy, or Irish social and economic history from the 1700s to the early twentieth century.
The presentation walks through how the Irish Landed Estates Database is built - the published sources, the archival collections, and the research methods behind each entry. Marie Boran introduces the project and explains the thinking behind how estates are recorded and catalogued. Brigid Clesham then digs into the archival side, with examples drawn from specific estates in Longford and Westmeath that illustrate the kinds of records available and what they can tell you.
The database itself acts as a signpost for researchers: it maps out which estate papers survive, where they are held, and what they contain. For anyone tracing a family connection to land, a particular townland, or a house that no longer stands, the entries can point toward records in archives and libraries that might otherwise take months to locate independently. The presentation will give you a practical sense of how to use the resource and what to realistically expect from it.
If you have questions afterwards, the team can be reached at landedestates@universityofgalway.ie.
Longford town sits roughly at the centre of Ireland, about 120 kilometres northwest of Dublin. By road, the N4 runs directly from Dublin and the journey takes around 90 minutes. From Galway, the N61 and N63 connect through Roscommon. Irish Rail runs regular services on the Dublin Heuston to Westport line, stopping at Longford station on Ballinalee Road, a short walk from the town centre. Bus Eireann also serves Longford on several national routes. Town centre parking is generally available on and around Main Street and Ballymahon Street.
Longford town has a compact, workable centre and is a good base for exploring the surrounding midlands - the River Shannon is not far to the west, and the county’s drumlin landscape feels genuinely off the tourist track. There is more to see in Longford and across Co. Longford.
Heading to Heritage Week venue in Longford? Longford has plenty more to see. Read the Longford area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.