Lorrha Walking, History & Heritage Tours

31/05/2023

FREE talk - Monday 5th June (Bank holiday) is World Environment Day. To mark this, Portumna Castle & Gardens are delighted to have John McLoughlin present his talk 'The History of Forestry in Ireland - The Development, Decline & Rejuvenation' which will take place (Bank Holiday Monday) at 3pm in Portumna Castle Gallery.

John will outline the increase in forest cover after the ice age and the gradual decline since humans arrival. It is estimated that by 1600 there was less than 12% cover. Efforts by the RDS to increase forest cover are outlined together with the demise of the estates following the land acts of the late 19th century. He will then speak on the advent of State forestry at Avondale. State forestry was dominant until the EU grant aid began in the 1980s and by the 1990s private forestry dominated.

He will focus on forest recreation, biodiversity, and environmental considerations. He will speak about the champion trees project.

Finally he will talk about the current forestry programme which has declined over the past few years.

John is a forester and is business editor of the Society of Irish Foresters and past president of the society. He is chairperson of the Tree Register of Ireland. He worked as chief environmental officer with Coillte and was project manager of the People's Millennium Forest project. He is past president of the Tree Council of Ireland and former executive director. He was chairperson of Sculpture in Woodlands and chairperson of ECO - UNESCO. He is a graduate of UCD.

Spaces may be limited due to interest so seats can be booked in advance by contacting 09097 41658 or [email protected]




OPW - Office of Public Works
Heritage Ireland
Love Portumna
Visit Portumna
CaToCa Fine Food & Giftware
Discover Lough Derg
Ireland's Hidden Heartlands
Visit Galway
Discover Galway
Woodford Heritage Centre
B. Doherty, Archaeologist, Heritage in Schools Specialist
Podumna Village, Portumna, Co. Galway
Anne Rabbitte TD
An Gáirdín
Killimor Heritage Co. Galway
South East Galway Archaeological & Historical Society
Visit Lorrha & Dorrha
Lorrha Dorrha
Killaloe-Ballina Local History Society
Kilbarron & Terryglass Parish
Lorrha Tidy Towns & Lorrha Development Association
Portumna Tidy Towns
Rathcabbin Development Association & Tidy Towns
Portumna & District Lions Club
Irish Workhouse Centre - Portumna
Portumna Forest Park
Portumna Marina
Coillte
The Tree Council
ECO-UNESCO
Biodiversity Ireland
Forest Project
This Is Galway
Galway County Heritage Office

18/10/2022

15/07/2022

01/02/2022

St. Brighid of Ceall Dara was historically the chief Saint of Leinster. Her feast of the 1st February was an important date of the Celtic calender. There was a tradition of a perpetual fire at her church and was witnessed by Giraldus Cambrensis. This fire may have had pagan origins. The dubvious origin of the Saint herself may have derived from the pagan celtic divinity Brigantia.

During the 7th century her church rivaled that of St. Patrick for supremacy over the Irish churches. Such claims paved way for the life of the Saint been written in c. AD 675 with a further seven lives written over the next thousand years. Like St. Patrick, Brighid was associated with many sites in the four provinces. By the late 8th century, Armagh's supremacy was recognised by Kildare.

Brigid's cult spread to Britain and Europe. In AD 850 a life was composed for her by Donatus, bishop of Fiesole in Italy, where the Church of Santa Brigada was dedicated to her. Another life was composed by Laurence of Durham (died 1154) in England.

Here in Ireland over forty townlands are named either Kilbride or Kilbreedy (Church of Brighid) indicating the spread of her cult. There are also various localized variant names where the Saint is said to have visited.

Brighid is said to have been born in the c. AD 450 and died in c. AD 520

Source: Pádraig Ó Riain, A Dictionary of Irish Saints (Four Courts Press, 2016), pp 123-125.

25/01/2022

Jerpoint Abbey is a Cistercian abbey founded in the late 12th century by either Domnall Mac Gilla Pátraic I (d.1176) or Domnall Mac Gilla Pátraic II (d.1185), kings of Ossory.

Preserved within the church is an important collection of 13th to 16th century sculpted tombs, including carvings of saint and apostles associated with the 16th century O’Tunney ‘School’ of sculptors.  The reconstructed 15th century sculptured cloister arcade is unique in the context of Cistercian cloister arcades for its rich array of unique sculptures.  The tower also dates back to this period.

The Abbey flourished until the dissolution of the monasteries when it was granted to James Butler, the 9th Earl of Ormond.

Source: http://monastic.ie/history/jerpoint-cistercian-abbey/

For opening hours:
https://heritageireland.ie/places-to-visit/jerpoint-abbey/

Photo: Lorrhalore

16/01/2022

This collection of essays comes highly recommended 👍

17/12/2021

Lorrha & Dorrha Historical Society's journal 'The Lamp' 2022 is now available for sale at shop; Kelly's, Rathcabbin;
Hair and Beauty Salon or available from or myself directly.

This is our ninth journal which is dedicated to the memory of our honorary president Mick O'Meara (1917-2020). Once again colourful and covers a wide range of subjects as seen on the contents page, great value at €10. We have a lot of new contributors this year including a junior cert student Niamh Patterson , a promising historian.

Thanks to Ruth at for her hard work in producing this publication and also to for her help with editing.

There will be a virtual launch tomorrow where of will do the honours and chat with David Broderick .
Follow our page tomorrow.

We hope you enjoy this publication

On behalf of the Lorrha & Dorrha Historical Society -

David Broderick and James Heenan

17/12/2021

'Winter's Warmth'
On a cold winter's day, when the fingers are numb, the warmth of the winter's low sun heats the soul, you can feel the energy.

16/12/2021

St. Jacob's Well Nenagh.

While I was waiting at the NCT centre, I decided to explore Lisbunny and came across this holy well which is near A stream. A plaque with an incised prayer is inserted on the interior of the back wall which would be a modern refurbishment of the well.

05/12/2021

Out and about early this morning walking the Lorrha section of the Ormond way part of the national Beara Breifne Way with my trusted clippers, pruners & bill hook clearing the obstacles!

04/12/2021

"December Splendor"

A dawn photo of the Dominican Priory Lorrha. The Lorrha river babbles by despite weather, season, year, century or millennia.

02/12/2021

"Are you going for a pint?"

Smithwick's brewery was founded in Kilkenny in 1710 by John Smithwick and run by the Smithwick family of Kilkenny until 1965 when it was acquired by Guinness, now part of Diageo.

01/12/2021

🎄Kilkenny Christmas - lovely effect.

20/11/2021

A great collection of essays, looking forward to reading this:
Gaelic Ireland
(c.600~c.1700)
Lordships, saints and learning
Essays for the Irish Chiefs' and Clans' Prize in history
Edited by
Luke McInerney and Katherine Simms

Order your copy from
https://wordwellbooks.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=1997

18/11/2021

*** CLANS OF IRELAND ANTHOLOGY LAUNCH - TOMORROW (FRIDAY 19TH NOVEMBER) at 18:15 via ZOOM***

A gentle reminder that the Clans of Ireland’s anthology launch is set to take place tomorrow Friday, 19th November at the Stephen’s Green Club, Dublin.

You are invited to join us for this wonderful event free via Zoom, simply follow the link here for details on how to participate:

https://fb.me/e/2hJMXy6pH

The evening will include talks and a lecture on late medieval towerhouses.

Softcover copies can be purchased immediately and hardcopies pre-ordered at the link below: https://wordwellbooks.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=1997&search=Gaelic

We very much look forward to welcoming you to the event via Zoom. Please do share across you social networks.

18/11/2021

"The Fallen"

Cast Iron Cross Grave marker at the Dominican Priory, Lorrha.

12/11/2021

Ballaghmore Castle.
The castle derived its name from the Bealach Mor, the ancient road to Munster on which the castle is located.
The castle was built in 1480 by the Irish chieftain Mac Giolla Phádraig (FitzPatrick). Like other castles at the time, it was damaged by Cromwellian forces in 1647 during the Laois-Offaly Plantation. The castle was restored by a Mr. Ely in 1836 who also found a hoard of gold on the land. He was later killed by an angry farmer. The castle was used as a granary until it was bought be it's present owners in 1990.
A sheela-na-gig is carved on a quoin stone on the north east corner, ten metres above ground level

Picture: lorrhalore

For more info & pictures: http://www.megalithicireland.com/Ballaghmore%20Castle,%20Laois.html

http://www.castleballaghmore.com/

11/11/2021

Dairthech / Oak house.
This would have been similar to the oak house built by the monastery of St. Ruadhán at Lorrha in the 6th century preceding the 10th/11th century Damliac which still stands (in ruins) at Lorrha. This one pictured is an artist impression of the dairthech of Colmán Eala, son of Beoghain who died in 611. The later Damliac (c.1000 AD) built of stone replaced and replicated the earlier oak churches

Picture source: www.offaly.ie

10/11/2021

Ballyragget Castle, Co. Kilkenny is a ruined square tower house. It was strategically important for the Ormond Butlers along the northern lines of defence of Kilkenny Castle.

Ballyragget is said to take its name from Richard le Ragget, a local Anglo-Norman leader who owned the land in the 13th century.

However, the castle is of a much later date. Popular stories in the area say it was built about 1485 by Lady Margaret FitzGerald, who that year married Pierce ‘Ruadh’ Butler (1467-1539), 8th Earl of Ormond.

A stone bench at the top of the castle is called ‘Lady Margaret’s Chair’ and is also known as the ‘Wishing Chair.’ The older people in Ballyragget said that if you sat in the chair your wish would be granted.

Source and further reading: http://www.patrickcomerford.com/2018/09/ballyragget-castle-sleeping-giant-with.html?m=1

https://www.kilkennypeople.ie/news/home/207139/Ballyragget-Castle---The-forgotten.html

09/11/2021

'Times of Change'

As the seasons change so does the years adding to centuries gone by.

This site at Lorrha has had nearly 1500 years of worship from the early Monastic site founded by St. Ruadhan's in 550AD to the present day Church of Ireland.

08/11/2021

The Great Irish Elk was the heaviest deer species to have existed and roamed the Irish landscape around 11,000 years ago. Although called 'Irish Elk' it lived across the Eurasian plain from Ireland into Russia favouring boreal steppe-woodland. It is not closely related to the modern day elk but rather the fallow deer. It stood at 6' 11" at shoulder and it's antlers were 12' tip to tip.

More reading: http://irishdeercommission.ie/the-giant-irish-deer/

Pic 1: Antler on display at Kilkenny Castle (Lorrhalore)
Pic 2: https://www.waterfordtreasures.com/news/the-great-irish-elk-has-arrived-in-waterford-at-city-hall

07/11/2021

'The wind that makes music in November'

06/11/2021

'Autumn Frame'

-13th century Dominican Priory and early 19th century St. Ruadhan's R.C. church, Lorrha.

04/11/2021

Fireplaces in Palmer's mid 18th century house. Both fireplaces of which one is on ground floor and the other on first floor, are incorporated into the corner of the rooms utilizing more space in this moderately sized house.

03/11/2021

"The turn of the Field'