Nobber

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Nobber (Irish: An Obair) is a village in north County Meath in the Republic of Ireland. It is reputed to be the birthplace of the blind harpist Turlough O'Carolan. The name Nobber is thought to derive from Irish language terms. "An Obair" is the Irish form and means "The Work". This may be explained as a name given by the native Irish people as they observed Norman (see Normans) invaders building a moate fortification on the north of the village. Recently several "high crosses" (see high cross) were discovered in the villages old cemetery (St Johns) dating from possibly the 10th century. These are much smaller and less ornate than typical celtic high crosses. This find is significant because it suggests that a hitherto unrecorded monastic settlement once existed on the site of the village. Moynagh Lake west of the village is the site of a crannog which dates to Neolithic times. In the Medieval period Nobber was part of the Barony of Morgallion.The well known and much loved irish singer Johnny Shankey is from the village

[edit] Geography

The village is built on the river Dee. It is on the Navan - Kingscourt road about 15 miles north of Navan. This places the village about 37 miles from the M50 motorway ; the orbital motorway of Dublin. The town of Kells is to the west and the town of Ardee to the east. A disused railway line dating from 1865 runs through the village which runs from Kingscourt to Navan. This was purchased by the Midland Great Western Railway in 1888. Until recent years it operated to haul gypsum from BPB plc Gypsum Industries plant in Co. Cavan to the port of Drogheda. Nobbers Ordnance Survey of Ireland reference is N 812 880.

[edit] Services

The village has two schools: Nobber National school for primary school children and O'Carolan College which is a comprehensive secondary school. The church of Saint John the Baptist is the Roman Catholic church in the centre of the village which also has a fire station, Garda Síochána (police) station and a branch library.