Summerhill (Cnoc an Linsigh ) is a village
in County Meath. It is located at the intersection of the R156 and
R158 . Irish version of the town's name means "Lynch's
Hill", and it was the ancestral home of the Norman-Irish Lynch
family, from whence came the Galway merchant family of the same
name - one of the "Tribes of The Galway ". The ruins of the
large Lynch castle can be seen in the village today.
Summerhill is also the site of one of the most important battles
in 17th century in eastern Ireland, The Battle of Dungan's Hill
( Cath Chnoc Dhongan ) in August 1647 . It was fought
between the armies of Confederate Ireland and the English
Parliament during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. The battle was
very bloody (with over 3000 deaths).
The village in the valley was built as part of the Langford
demesne . The name “Summerhill” dates from the year 1667, when Sir
Hercules Langford, was made a Baronet.
Nearby stood Dangan House, formerly a castle, the childhood
country home of the famous Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke
of Wellington.
James Christopher Branigan, better known as Lugs Branigan or Jim
Branigan was a well-known member of the Garda Síochána, as well as
an Irish Boxer, Boxing referee and to some, a folk and urban legend
lived here during his retirement.
The cache is located close to the church, which was built in
1911 and is a real gem, with beautiful mosaics and stained glass
windows. It is a very popular church for weddings..