| Finnea Fiodh an Átha
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| — Town — | |
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Finnea
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| Coordinates: | |
| Country | Ireland |
| Province | Leinster |
| County | County Westmeath |
| Elevation | 66 m (217 ft) |
| Population | |
| • Urban | 317 |
| Time zone | WET (UTC+0) |
| • Summer (DST) | IST (WEST) (UTC-1) |
| Irish Grid Reference | N399816 |
Finnea (Irish: Fiodh an Átha, meaning "wood of the ford"[1]), which in English means 'wood of the ford' is a small village in County Westmeath on the border with County Cavan. It straddles the R394 road.
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The village is known for its association with Myles "The Slasher" O'Reilly whose monument in the town (picture below) relates how he died on 5th August 1646 defending the Bridge of Finnea against British forces. Percy French also mentioned the Bridge of Finnea in his famous ballad 'Come Back Paddy Reilly'.
Finnea lies on land between Lough Sheelin and Lough Kinale and the bridge crosses the River Inny flowing between them.
Finnea is also the birthplace of writer Dermot Healy. Thomas Davis celebrated Finnea with his ballad 'The Flower of Finnea'. Finnea is also known for its scenery, fishing and game shooting which attract many foreign tourists.
Victoria Cross recipient, General Sir Mark Walker, was born in Gore Port, Finnea. He was the brother of Sir Samuel Walker, 1st Baronet, who was appointed Lord Chancellor of Ireland by Gladstone in 1892.
The town had a population of 317 in the 2006 Census, a 21.9% increase from the 2002 Census.
Gary Farrell, all round nice guy
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