placenamesMosstown
Baile Mhuiris
Lewis described an estate landmark and an annual contribution to education at Philipstown.
The name
These Irish name elements are associated with this record in the Logainm glossary.
An element’s translation is a clue, rather than a complete explanation of the name. Its form and meaning depend on local history and the full Irish name.
Recorded forms
- Baile Mhuiris · Irish · main form · validated name
- Mosstown · English · main form
Place & story
An observatory above the house
Rathescar was the Hon. Baron Foster’s residence in Mosstown parish when Samuel Lewis described it in 1837. The mansion occupied the site of an earlier castle. Foster had erected an observatory rising well above the house, making it visible from a distance. Lewis also recorded gardens, hothouses and a planted demesne with a sheet of water. [2]
Support for a school at Philipstown
Foster contributed £10 annually to the school at Philipstown. Lewis reported roughly 180 pupils across that school and a separate private school together. The donation was continuing support for one school; the attendance figure covered both institutions. His account also recorded a Catholic chapel at Philipstown within the Dunleer district. [2]
Geographic information
Sources & further reading
- Logainm.ie — Mosstown. Place names and geographic record, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
- Mosstown — A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland (1837) · Samuel Lewis
Name record retrieved 2026-10-25 · Source record modified 2025-01-10. How this page was prepared.