Nobber

History

The Normans were the first known people to settle at Nobber. The site acted as a strong-point on the road from the ports of Drogheda and Dundalk to the midlands. The Lordship of Meath was granted to Hugh de Lacy by King Henry II of England in 1172 in his capacity as Lord of Ireland. De Lacy granted the Barony of Morgallion to Gilbert de Angulo, who constructed a motte and bailey there. By the middle of the 15th century, Nobber was described by the English King Henry VI as being of key strategic importance to the control of the region. Around 2005, several high crosses were discovered in the village's old cemetery (St Johns) dating from possibly the 10th century. These are smaller and less ornate than typical Celtic high crosses. This find is significant because it suggests that a hitherto unrecorded monastic settlement once existed on the site of the village. Moynagh Lake, to the west of the village, is the site of a multi-period crannóg which dates to Mesolithic times. In the Medieval period, Nobber was the chief town of the Barony of Morgallion. By the time of the Act of Union, the local population was large enough to return a Member of Parliament. Nobber was once a key town in the Kingdom of Meath, and an ancient Rectory of Nobber was united to the ecclesiastical dignity of the Archdeacon of Kells; thus the holder was styled "Rector of Nobber", "Parson of Nobber", or more often "Archdeacon of Nobber". Confusingly, the Archdeacon of Kells held the Rectory of Nobber, while the Archdeacon of Meath held the Rectory of Kells.