Adare
Encyclopedia
Adare (Population 2,454 (CSO, 2006) is a village in County Limerick
, Ireland.
Adare's origin is as a settlement by a crossing point on the river Maigue
. It is situated 16 km (10 mi) from Limerick City. Renowned as one of Ireland's prettiest villages, Adare is designated as a Heritage Town by the Irish government. Due to its origin as village of the Dunraven estate, Adare has a more planned appearance than many Irish villages and towns.
, the Adare Manor Golf Club and a pitch and putt course. Adare also has an equestrian centre: Clonshire.
Adare has six public houses: in the village: Bill Chawke's, Collins', Seán Collins' and Auntie Lena's; in the outlying areas are The Thatch and Neville's. Additionally, each of the three hotels and the two golf courses has bars/restaurants.
There are nine restaurants: Timmy Macs Bistro, The Wild Geese, The Inn Between, The Abbots Rest, The Arches Restaurant, The Blue Door Cottage Pantry, The Golden Dragon, The Pink Potato and Norios
The main street combines typical Irish architecture with the English styled buildings and infrastructure purpose-built for the Dunraven estate. Examples of the latter architectural forms include the thatched cottages near the entrance to Adare Manor.
-Tralee road, the N21
goes through the village. The Adare Bypass is at an early planning stage. Adare is a stop on the hourly Limerick-Tralee/Killarney bus service. A railway line
to Foynes
passes through the town, but Adare railway station, which opened on 12 July 1856, was closed to passengers on 4 February 1963 and to freight on 2 December 1974. The line to Foynes continued to carry freight traffic until it was mothballed in 2001 and has seen no trains since 7 May 2002 when the annual Irish Rail weedspray train visited the line. The line is still officially open for traffic.
(crossing point) in the region known as Ardshanbally (derived from Ard an tSeanbhaile - 'high ground of the old town'), about half-a mile from the modern town on the western side. Historically a market town, in the Middle Ages
, Adare was a major settlement and boasted three monasteries and a castle (Desmond Castle).
The Augustinian Priory
was founded in 1316 by John FitzThomas FitzGerald, 1st Earl of Kildare. The Priory was suppressed in the reign of Henry VIII
. In 1807, the church of the Priory was given to the local Church of Ireland
congregation as the parish church. In 1814, the refectory was roofed and converted into a schoolhouse. Between 1852 and 1854, a second restoration of the church was undertaken by Caroline, Countess of Dunraven.
friary was founded in 1464 by Thomas Fitz-Maurice, 7th Earl of Kildare and his wife Joan, and completed two years later. It is currently a ruin and is located inside the Adare Manor Golf Club. Every Easter Sunday a dawn mass is celebrated in the Abbey.
established their only monastery in Ireland in Adare in 1230. The Abbey was restored in 1811 by the first Earl of Dunraven
as the Catholic Parish church.
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s, rulers of the region into the late 12th century, and afterwards to have passed into the possession of the Kildare branch of the FitzGerald dynasty, who may be responsible for the majority of the remains of the present fortress (which occurred with Croom Castle
, also on the Maigue). Desmond Castle, as it is popularly known, stands on the north bank of the Maigue. An extensive renovation has been in progress on the castle since 1996 and supervised tours are offered in the summer months. This is one of a series of significant Desmond properties, which also include the banqueting hall in Newcastle West
, County Limerick
.
Fitzgerald, Hickey, McNamara, Kelly, McMahon, Ryan, Smith, Carmody, Collins, Hogan, Lyons, O'Donnell, O'Regan, Switzer, Walsh.
County Limerick
It is thought that humans had established themselves in the Lough Gur area of the county as early as 3000 BC, while megalithic remains found at Duntryleague date back further to 3500 BC...
, Ireland.
General information
River Maigue
The River Maigue, rises in the Milford area of North County Cork, Ireland.It is joined by the small River Glen and the larger River Loobagh in south County Limerick. It then flows north through Bruree, after which it augmented by the River Morning Star...
. It is situated 16 km (10 mi) from Limerick City. Renowned as one of Ireland's prettiest villages, Adare is designated as a Heritage Town by the Irish government. Due to its origin as village of the Dunraven estate, Adare has a more planned appearance than many Irish villages and towns.
Economy
Adare is a tourist destination and the local heritage centre, which gives insight into the history of the village, also hosts a number of craft shops. The town is also a popular wedding and conference venue. Adare has two 18-hole courses - the Adare Golf Club, which incorporates a driving range and which was the site of the 2007 and 2008 Irish OpenIrish Open (golf)
The Irish Open is a professional golf tournament on the European Tour, currently played at the end of July or early August each year. The event has been played in many locations on the island; its current home is the Killarney Golf & Fishing Club in County Kerry in southwestern Ireland...
, the Adare Manor Golf Club and a pitch and putt course. Adare also has an equestrian centre: Clonshire.
Accommodation, Food, Drink and Entertainment
The village offers three Hotels: The Adare Manor, The Dunraven Arms and Fitzgerald's Woodlands House Hotel.Adare has six public houses: in the village: Bill Chawke's, Collins', Seán Collins' and Auntie Lena's; in the outlying areas are The Thatch and Neville's. Additionally, each of the three hotels and the two golf courses has bars/restaurants.
There are nine restaurants: Timmy Macs Bistro, The Wild Geese, The Inn Between, The Abbots Rest, The Arches Restaurant, The Blue Door Cottage Pantry, The Golden Dragon, The Pink Potato and Norios
Architecture
Schools
Scoil Naomh Iosaf (boys), Our Lady's Abbey National School (girls), St Nicholas' National School (mixed) and Scoil Seán tSraide (mixed).Transport
The main LimerickLimerick
Limerick is the third largest city in the Republic of Ireland, and the principal city of County Limerick and Ireland's Mid-West Region. It is the fifth most populous city in all of Ireland. When taking the extra-municipal suburbs into account, Limerick is the third largest conurbation in the...
-Tralee road, the N21
N21 road
The N21 road is a national primary road in Ireland. The route runs from the M20 outside Limerick to Tralee with connecting roads to other parts of County Kerry. It is in length. It runs through the towns of Abbeyfeale, Newcastlewest, Adare and the village of Templeglantine. Prior to October 2010...
goes through the village. The Adare Bypass is at an early planning stage. Adare is a stop on the hourly Limerick-Tralee/Killarney bus service. A railway line
Rail transport in Ireland
Rail services in Ireland are provided by Iarnród Éireann in the Republic of Ireland and by Northern Ireland Railways in Northern Ireland.Most routes in the Republic radiate from Dublin...
to Foynes
Foynes
Foynes is a village and major port in County Limerick in the midwest of Ireland, located at the edge of hilly land on the southern bank of the Shannon Estuary. The population of the town was 606 as of the 2006 census.-Foynes's role in aviation:...
passes through the town, but Adare railway station, which opened on 12 July 1856, was closed to passengers on 4 February 1963 and to freight on 2 December 1974. The line to Foynes continued to carry freight traffic until it was mothballed in 2001 and has seen no trains since 7 May 2002 when the annual Irish Rail weedspray train visited the line. The line is still officially open for traffic.
History
The ancient town lay upon the eastern bank of the Maigue near a fordFord (crossing)
A ford is a shallow place with good footing where a river or stream may be crossed by wading or in a vehicle. A ford is mostly a natural phenomenon, in contrast to a low water crossing, which is an artificial bridge that allows crossing a river or stream when water is low.The names of many towns...
(crossing point) in the region known as Ardshanbally (derived from Ard an tSeanbhaile - 'high ground of the old town'), about half-a mile from the modern town on the western side. Historically a market town, in the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
, Adare was a major settlement and boasted three monasteries and a castle (Desmond Castle).
Augustinian Priory
Adare Friary
The Adare Friary, located in Adare, County Limerick, Ireland, formerly known as the "Black Abbey", is an Augustinian Friary founded in 1316 by the Earl of Kildare. It is now known as "St. Nicholas' Church of Ireland" parish church, and St Nicholas' National School.- History :The Augustinian friars...
was founded in 1316 by John FitzThomas FitzGerald, 1st Earl of Kildare. The Priory was suppressed in the reign of Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
. In 1807, the church of the Priory was given to the local Church of Ireland
Church of Ireland
The Church of Ireland is an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. The church operates in all parts of Ireland and is the second largest religious body on the island after the Roman Catholic Church...
congregation as the parish church. In 1814, the refectory was roofed and converted into a schoolhouse. Between 1852 and 1854, a second restoration of the church was undertaken by Caroline, Countess of Dunraven.
Franciscan Abbey
The FranciscanFranciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
friary was founded in 1464 by Thomas Fitz-Maurice, 7th Earl of Kildare and his wife Joan, and completed two years later. It is currently a ruin and is located inside the Adare Manor Golf Club. Every Easter Sunday a dawn mass is celebrated in the Abbey.
Trinitarian Abbey
The Trinitarian OrderTrinitarian Order
The Order of the Holy Trinity is a Catholic religious order that was founded in the area of Cerfroid, some 80 km northeast of Paris, at the end of the twelfth century. The founder was St. John de Matha, whose feast day is celebrated on 17 December...
established their only monastery in Ireland in Adare in 1230. The Abbey was restored in 1811 by the first Earl of Dunraven
Earl of Dunraven and Mount-Earl
Earl of Dunraven and Mount-Earl was a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created on 5 February 1822 for Valentine Quin, 1st Viscount Mount-Earl. Quin was created a Baronet, of Adare in County Limerick, in the Baronetage of Ireland, in 1781, Baron Adare in 1800 and Viscount Mount-Earl in 1816...
as the Catholic Parish church.
Desmond Castle
A castle or fortress is said to have first been built by the O'DonovanO'Donovan
O'Donovan or Donovan is an Irish surname, as well as a hereditary Gaelic title. It is also written Dhonnabháin in certain grammatical contexts, and Donndubháin, being originally composed of the elements donn, meaning lord or dark brown, dubh, meaning dark or black, and the diminutive suffix án...
s, rulers of the region into the late 12th century, and afterwards to have passed into the possession of the Kildare branch of the FitzGerald dynasty, who may be responsible for the majority of the remains of the present fortress (which occurred with Croom Castle
Croom Castle
Croom or Crom Castle, also called the Castle of Crom, is an historic castle in the town of Croom, County Limerick, that is notable for its occupation as one of the principal residences of the Kildare branch of the FitzGerald dynasty. Their ancient war cry and motto "Crom a Boo", or in Irish "Crom...
, also on the Maigue). Desmond Castle, as it is popularly known, stands on the north bank of the Maigue. An extensive renovation has been in progress on the castle since 1996 and supervised tours are offered in the summer months. This is one of a series of significant Desmond properties, which also include the banqueting hall in Newcastle West
Newcastle West
Newcastle West is a town in west County Limerick, Ireland. The town is the largest town in the county, excluding Limerick city, and is sited on the River Arra which flows into the River Deel...
, County Limerick
County Limerick
It is thought that humans had established themselves in the Lough Gur area of the county as early as 3000 BC, while megalithic remains found at Duntryleague date back further to 3500 BC...
.
Sports
- Gaelic gamesGaelic gamesGaelic games are sports played in Ireland under the auspices of the Gaelic Athletic Association. The two main games are Gaelic football and hurling...
, particularly hurlingHurlingHurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...
, are popular in Adare. The Adare GAAAdare GAAAdare GAA club is a GAA club based in Adare, west County Limerick, Republic of Ireland. Hurling is more popular in the village.Adare have reached the county senior hurling final on 11 occasions, most recently in 2009 when they defeated Na Piarsaigh...
club was founded in 1929. The senior hurling team has won the county championship in 2001, 2002, 2007Limerick Senior Hurling Championship 2007-Championship structure:The Limerick county championship does not operate on a group system; it instead uses a knock-out system with a last chance backdoor system for teams knocked out in the first and second rounds....
and 2008. In footballGaelic footballGaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
, Adare have been less successful, although in 2002 Adare only narrowly lost out on the county title in the Limerick Senior Football Championship.
- The local soccer team is known as Adare United AFC. They currently play at Deer Park Field, situated just off the Blackabbey Road in the village. Founded in 1937, Adare has one of the oldest soccer clubs outside Limerick City. Adare United participate in the Limerick Desmond Schoolboys/Girls League at Under 8, U10, U12, U14 and U16 age groups and in the Limerick Desmond League at Junior (adult) and Youth level. The 2006/07 Season saw the club form its first ladies team, who compete in the Limerick Desmond Ladies League. In the 2009/10 Season, the ladies were runners up in the League Cup, losing on penalties to Glin Rovers F.C. The team were also cup finalists the following year, this time in the Desmond Cup but were beaten by Murroe FC. The Under 10 team were Division 3 Champions in the 2008/09 season and Division 4 winners in 2010/11. The Under 8 team completed a league and cup double in 2010/11. The Junior team won promotion from Division Two in the 08/09 season and immediately gained promotion to the premier league, the following year.
- The Irish OpenIrish Open (golf)The Irish Open is a professional golf tournament on the European Tour, currently played at the end of July or early August each year. The event has been played in many locations on the island; its current home is the Killarney Golf & Fishing Club in County Kerry in southwestern Ireland...
golf championship was staged there in 2007 and 2008. There are two 18-hole golf courses in the village: The Adare Golf Club which is on the grounds of the Adare Manor Hotel, and the Adare Manor Golf Club, which is a separate entity.
Interesting facts
- Adare was national winner of the Irish Tidy Towns CompetitionIrish Tidy Towns CompetitionTidy Towns is an annual competition, first held in 1958, organised by the Irish Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government in order to honour the tidiest and most attractive cities, towns and villages in the Republic of Ireland...
in 1976.
- Cape AdareCape AdareCape Adare is the northeastern most peninsula in Victoria Land, East Antarctica. The cape separates the Ross Sea to the east from the Southern Ocean to the west, and is backed by the high Admiralty Mountains...
(Antarctica) was named in honour of Viscount AdareEdwin Wyndham-Quin, 3rd Earl of Dunraven and Mount-EarlEdwin Richard Wyndham-Quin, 3rd Earl of Dunraven and Mount-Earl KP, FRS was a British Peer. He was styled Viscount Adare from 1824 to 1850....
by his friend Captain RossJames Clark RossSir James Clark Ross , was a British naval officer and explorer. He explored the Arctic with his uncle Sir John Ross and Sir William Parry, and later led his own expedition to Antarctica.-Arctic explorer:...
in January 1841.
Common surnames in Adare
According to Irish Census 1901 & 1911.Fitzgerald, Hickey, McNamara, Kelly, McMahon, Ryan, Smith, Carmody, Collins, Hogan, Lyons, O'Donnell, O'Regan, Switzer, Walsh.
See also
- List of towns and villages in Ireland
- Knockpatrick Gardens, an award winning 3 acre garden overlooking the scenic Shannon Estuary near Foynes is located 15 km from Adare.