What is "streete"

n. (alternative spelling of street English)

Streete is a small picturesque estate village that nestles in a hollow in the rich green wooded Inny Valley lowlands. It is situated at the north-eastern edge of Westmeath County - 11 miles from Longford town and 16 miles from Mullingar town. Streete Village sits centrally in the parish of Streete, which extends into both County Westmeath and County Longford.

The village has few amenities - a shop, pub, a church, and in close vicinity- a health centre, primary school and another church. In the Estate’s most active times Streete did have a post office, doctors, and police station.

Streete lies about 3 miles north of the N4 road where the larger village of Rathowen is situated. Although Streete's main road is narrow and unmarked it still is a busy route used by large commercial vehicles.

The Boundary Surveyor's sketch from the Ordnance Survey of 1837-8 states that - the parish of Street is called by the few people who speak Irish, Parraiste na Straide, and derives that name from a small village lying a short distance north of Rathowen.

The parish of Streete is always associated with Saint Fintan, who is believed to be a Hermit who sought out a lonely place to say his prayers and do penance. His feast day is celebrated on 10 February and his well was a place of pilgrimage up until the 1700s.

The Norman invasions of 1172 brought great changes to the Parish of Streete.The Tuites, De La Meares, de Constintins, De Lacys and the Nugents became the dominant families, superseding the old Gaelic families of O'Farrell and Murtagh. Continuous warfare prevailed until the Normans asserted themselves as overlords. John de la Mare had his castle and prison at Streete. Streete does not feature as a monastic centre during early Norman times but it did become known as 'beate Maria de Straid' - St. Mary's of the Streete, and the churches have been dedicated to St. Mary ever since. The present St. Mary's was built in 1812 and re-constructed in 1932. It is believed that the Church of Ireland in Streete was in former times a Catholic church and there was an underground passage from the church to the Moat where the priests went for safety.

Mills were an important part of the industrial archaeology of Ireland. In the early 7th century, water mills made their appearance in Ireland and were usually associated with saints of that period. There were, at one time, in the region of 200 mills in Westmeath, but none remain in working order. At Cornnacusk there was a corn mill, mill pond and corn kiln. The corn mills ground corn for animal feed and oatmeal for human consumption.

It is possible that Wilson, from Daramona, generated electricity from water using the mill at Cornancusk. The Wilsons erected a saw mill in 1800, and in 1885 moved the electricity generating plant to this location. It is rumoured that the clock facing the road was water controlled. Streete was the first village in Ireland to be lit by electricity.

In 1825, the Association for Discountenancing Vice had a school at Streete with an attendance of 24 boys and 18 girls. Several other schools operated within the parish. With the introduction of the National Education Act, new schools were built including a fi ne Church of Ireland school at Streete.

By 1831, The First Report of the Commission of Public Instruction stated that there were 446 members of the Established Church and 3792 Roman Catholics worshipping in the church and chapel in the Parish.

In 1856, the Wilson family of Daramona, erected Streete Institute with a porch and committee rooms where adult classes were held in all branches of education including farming and engineering. There was a well stocked reading room and a fine harmonium was installed for concerts.

W E Wilson was renowned for his observatory which he erected at Daramona. The fi rst small observatory was built in 1871, in the garden of the house with a small room attached to it for photography. It had a 12" equatorial reflecting telescope provided by Sir Howard Grubb. In 1881, a new larger observatory was built, attached to the house and 1889 a physical laboratory was erected adjoining this.

In the village of Streete there is a Tevlin stone dating from 1808 showing a fowler and his dog with a pheasant flying away at the other end of the carving. In April 2000, two stone axes and a number of lithics were found in a bog in the Corrolanna townland, which were identified as being from the Late Mesolithic period.

Bord Na Mona started developing bogs in the parish in January 1948. The object was to drain 1500 acres for the production of sod peat. This gave employment initially to 100 men approximately. Employment increased until it reached a peak of 550 men in 1958. These men came from a radius of 8 miles. 1986 saw a drop in employment but production continued and still continues on a small scale. Shortly, peat will be transported to the new power station being built at Lanesboro.