The village of Frenchpark is named after the house belonging to Major Arthur French, first commissioner of the Canadian North-West Mounted Police, "the Mounties". In the grounds of the former house is a five-chambered underground refuge, or souterrain, and to the east are the remains of the 1385 Cloonshaville Dominican Friary.

Dr. Douglas Hyde Interpretative Exhibition and Information Centre is dedicated to Dr Douglas Hyde, first president of Ireland, and is housed in the church were his father was rector. Although born and reared in the Anglo-Irish tradition, he was a scholar who was profoundly interested in the Irish Language and traditions and published many works under the penname "An Craoibhin Aoibhinn". His contribution to Ireland is traced through informative charts, books of his poems and prose, personal items, letters, maps and photographs. The churchyard contains the remains of the late President and other members of his family.

Going east along the N5 we pass through Frenchpark.
A short detour can be taken here along the Boyle Road to view the ruins of Cloonshanville Abbey. It was erected in 1385 by MacDermott Roe for the Dominicans. Hermitage House was built by Charles O'Conor, who wrote a history of the Clan, in order to have a quiet place in which to write and study. His original home Bellanagare Castle, now in ruins, lies nearer the village. Bellanagare (Baile atha na gCartha) -'mouth of the ford of the cars' - was on the Bianconi mail coach route, which was an important transport route between Longford and Ballina in the mid 19th century.

Clan Name

Frenchpark is part of the ancestral home of the Costelloes and forms a stage of the Beara-Breifne Greenway which is based on the historic march of O'Sullivan Beara in 1603.

Heritage Houses

For more info on French Park House click here

Greenways Festival 2003

Fairymount and Frenchpark aretalking part in the Greenways Festival in summer 2003 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the legendary 1603 march of O’Sullivan Beara from the Beara Peninsula to the Breifne area. Click here for info on the events