Banagher

Banagher – Beannchar na Sionna – is a town located in the midlands in Ireland on the western edge of County Offaly in the province of Leinster, on the banks of the River Shannon. Banagher holds a strategic location on the River Shannon and was one of the crossing points between Leinster and Connacht. It boasts a number of historical buildings, including the 19th-century Martello Tower and castles around the town built in the 14th and 15th centuries. The town participated in thriving river businesses and was an important stop on the Dublin to Limerick navigation.

Banagher supported a number of industries, including a maltings and distillery, of which architectural remnants remain visible in the town. Banagher is the centre of the Shannon Callows, grassy meadows which flood in winter and provide living space for waterfowl and wildlife.

It is thought that St. Rynagh, sister of St. Finnian of Clonard, founded Banagher. St. Rynagh died about 610. The settlement that grew to become Banagher originated at a ford on the east bank of the River Shannon. The river banks and surrounding countryside were flood-free all year round. Travellers intending to cross the Shannon converged on this point along tracks which were the forerunners of the modern roads, and a community grew at this crossing point.