Rathkeale Walks

21/02/2024

Happy International Tourist Guide Day!

Have you explored your local area with a tourist guide yet?

03/11/2022

10/10/2022

The Mustard Seed in Ballingarry, Co Limerick, has been named the recipient of the César award for the Best Hotel in Ireland 2023 by the Good Hotel Guide.

Ballingarry is also home to the fairy mountain of Knockfierna and has its very own tour guide.

The Sunday Times called the César awards ‘the Oscars of the hotel industry’ and the award is valued by travel writers, hoteliers and guests because of the Guide’s reputation for independence.

Describing the Mustard Seed, the Good Hotel Guide editors said,

“Warm Irish hospitality and superb food are on offer at this Victorian country mansion, where the restaurant is a destination in its own right. Angel Pirev uses food from the kitchen garden and orchard to help create his well-received menus, served in the deep-blue restaurant with wedding-cake plaster ceiling. Traditional-style bedrooms have fabrics and wallpaper by Zoffany, Jane Churchill, Cole & Son; everywhere there is carefully chosen artwork and furniture, plus vases brimming with flowers.”

The Blue Book property has won countless awards since it opened its doors almost 40 years ago. Commenting on this latest one, proprietor John Edward Joyce said,

“An award of this nature is testimony to the wonderful team here at the Mustard Seed. I am blessed to be surrounded by incredible people who are naturally committed to ensuring that every guest’s visit is a comfortable, relaxed, yet amazing and unforgettable experience.”

The news follows the Mustard Seed’s success at this year’s Irish Restaurant Awards where it received accolades for Best Customer Service in Limerick and Best Restaurant Manager in Munster.

Last week, the Adare Manor Hotel and Golf Resort in nearby Adare was named Best Hotel in the world by the readers of Condé Nast Traveller.

27/09/2022

Today is
If you’re booking a guide to see make sure to book a qualified guide
ATGI - Approved Tourist Guides Ireland

See www.Tourguides.ie for more

Since 1980, the United Nations World Tourism Organization has celebrated World Tourism Day as international observances on September 27.
This date was chosen as on that day in 1970, the Statutes of the UNWTO were adopted.
The adoption of these Statutes is considered a milestone in global tourism.
The purpose of this day is to raise awareness on the role of tourism within the international community and to demonstrate how it affects social, cultural, political and economic values worldwide.
At its Twelfth Session in Istanbul, Turkey, in October 1997, the UNWTO General Assembly decided to designate a host country each year to act as the Organization's partner in the celebration of World Tourism Day.

At its Fifteenth Session in Beijing, China, in October 2003, the Assembly decided the following geographic order to be followed for World Tourism Day celebrations:
2006 in Europe; 2007 in South Asia; 2008 in the Americas; 2009 in Africa and 2011 in the Middle East, and so on.

The official World Tourism Day celebration will be held in Bali, Indonesia, on 27 September, highlighting the shift towards tourism being recognized as a crucial pillar of development.

https://www.unwto.org/world-tourism-day-2022/join/

19/09/2022

⚠️⚠️ We are still desperately looking for fosterers for dogs, pups, cats, kittens. ⚠️⚠️

We cannot cope with the amount of animals waiting to or coming into our care at the moment. It is overwhelming. Dogs too sick or broken for kennels, cats and kittens in dire need of somewhere safe.

As always the rescue looks after all medical bills, all bedding, food, leads, collars etc.
Home checks as always apply.

Please PM our page. You will literally be saving lives. 🙏🏻

19/08/2022

Racing fans will have a rare opportunity to see some of Ireland’s top trainers and their teams in actions in a series of Trainer Open Mornings over the next couple of months.

11/08/2022

Vote for Ballingarry!!!

Vote for your favourite area, which is BALLINGARRY, by highlighting the circle beside your preferred group’s name below
Then click VOTE NOW to complete your voting.
Voting closes at midnight on Thursday with the winner announced the next morning (Friday) on Limerick Today with Joe Nash
Thank you for your entry, we'll be in touch with winners directly.

https://www.live95fm.ie/local/going-for-gold/

Vote now for your favourite group!

05/08/2022

Limerick is buzzing ‼️‼️‼️

Limerick is fully behind heritage week and you will have the chance to explore the amazing heritage around Limerick.

Below is just a small selection of events:

13th August
Comhrá, Ceol agus Stair at Collins’ Well in Bruff
A free guided tour of Ballingarry graveyard and the Monckton vault
Knockfierna Heritage Society Walking Tour
14th August
Askeaton Ballysteen River and Estuary Community Workshops
15th August
Ballyhoura Outdoor Classroom Wildlife Tour
16th August
Meditation at the Binn Liosín in Bruff
Painting in the Park in Bruff
In a World of our Own, from the Cradle to the Grave in Askeaton
17th August
Cladh na Leac - Tracing Lough Gur's Ancient Pathway
Discover the Biodiversity of the Mahore River in Hospitaal
18th August
Genealogy Workshop In Fitzgerald Centre Bruff
Bruff/Grange/Meanus National School Roll Books - Old BGM School Roll Books open for viewing
Discover the Biodiversity of The Glen River in Charleville
19th August
Lough Gur Nature Day
An evening of song and story in Lough Gur
A Way with Words: An evening of Song, Poetry, and Stories by Lough Gur side
20th August
Kids’ Treasure Hunt starts from Fitzgerald Centre in Bruff
An evening with Dan Cooke talking about the birds of the area in Fitzgerald Centre
21st August
Medieval Kilmallock Walking Tour
Askeaton Ballysteen River and Estuary Community Workshops

Every day
Glenquin castle is open every day during heritage week
Newcastle west Desmond Hall is open for free guided tours every day during heritage week
Dysert Aonghasa is open every day during heritage week
Askeaton castle is open for free guided tours every day during heritage week
Adare’s Desmond castle is open for guided tours every day during heritage week

15th to 19th August Guided Tour of the Book of Kells in Knockainey
15th to 19th August The Sculptural Imagination of Seanie Barron in Askeaton

Check the website for more details

https://www.heritageweek.ie/event-listings

26/07/2022

On Friday 14th of October, I will be sleeping out for one night to shine a light on homelessness in Ireland and raise vital funds for Focus Ireland.

In May, homelessness figures surpassed 10,000, the highest figure recorded since before the pandemic due to a lack of affordable, secure housing in Ireland. Right now, there are 1,366 families, including 3,028 children without a home. These families can spend up to two years in a one-bedroom room in an emergency accommodation situation, which has a significant impact on mental health, self-esteem, and child development.

However, homelessness would be much worse without the work of Focus Ireland. Focus Ireland are ending homelessness every day for families and individuals and our services are working hard to protect people who are currently homeless – especially children from the trauma caused by homelessness.

Please donate to my Shine A Light Night to help Focus Ireland support the thousands of families and children without a home in Ireland right now.

On Friday 14 October, I am participating in Shine A Light Night for . I will be sleeping out for one night to shine a light on homelessness in Ireland and support Focus Ireland’s vital work in helping families and children exit homelessness. Help me, help Focus Ireland challenge homel...

06/05/2022

The Rathkeale Community Councilis relocating its Failte Ireland Tourist Point to the Irish Palatine Museum at the start of the Limerick Greenway from Monday May 9.

Its friendly staff will be available from 10 am to 2 pm Mondays through Thursdays and from 10 am to 1:30 pm on Fridays.

Rathkeale

.ie

05/05/2022

Please note that Askeaton Castle and The Franciscan Friary have a new phone number: (085) 801 3385

The previous phone number is no longer working.

Open Daily from 11 April – 2 November 2022

Free Admission
Tours at 10:00, 11:30, 13:30 & 15:00

Askeaton Castle,
Office of Public Works,
Askeaton, Co Limerick

In the very heart of this County Limerick town stand the impressive remains of a medieval fortress. Askeaton Castle dates from 1199, when William de Burgo built it on a rock in the River Deel.

Over the centuries, the castle proved itself key to the history of Munster. It was the power base of the earls of Desmond after 1348. In 1579 it held out against the English general Sir Nicholas Malby, an incident that helped spark the second Desmond Rebellion.

The banqueting hall is one of the finest medieval secular buildings in Ireland. The tower is partly ruined, but some fine windows and an exquisite medieval fireplace have remained.

The early eighteenth-century building nearby was used as a Hellfire Club. These clubs were rumoured to be dens of excess in which wealthy gentlemen indulged in drink, mock ritual and other nefarious activities.

The Franciscan friary of Askeaton lies by the river Deel, to the north of the village of Askeaton, Co. Limerick and the impressive castle of the Earls of Desmond, which stands on a rocky island in the centre of the town. The friary was founded either in 1389 by Gerald Fitzgerald (1335-98), 3rd earl of Desmond and Lord Justice of Ireland, or in 1420 by James Fitzgerald Fitzgerald (c.1380–1462), 7th earl of Desmond. The extensive remains of the friary and its surroundings represent an imposing medieval architectural landscape that was probably planned intentionally in the early fifteenth century. The friary’s cloister is intact and an image of St Francis is carved into the cloister arcade to remind the Franciscan friars of their patron saint as they went to and from Divine Office.

22/04/2022

‘Walking Dead’ actor stars in Limerick horror film with shots in Rathkeale
https://www.limerickpost.ie/2022/04/22/irish-horror-thriller-starring-walking-dead-actor-is-being-filmed-in-limerick/

THE Irish horror-thriller ‘Double Blind’ is currently filming in University of Limerick and Rathkeale. Written by Dublin native Darach McGarrigle, ‘Double Blind’ is being directed by Ian-Hunt-Duffy and produced by Simon James Doyle from Dublin-based production company Failsafe Films. Screen ...

18/04/2022

A short history of Irish Travellers
This is really well done and gives the history of travellers without any judgement or without covering anything up.
This should be shown to all visitors to Ireland

14/04/2022

If you don’t have to book yet, go and get it!
You won’t regret it!

A talk will be given on Thursday 21st April at 8pm in the Fitzgerald Centre, Bruff on the history of County Limerick women.

Sharon Slater, of , the renowned and prolific historian, will speak of those women who made huge impacts on our county, past and present.

Women have been largely discarded into supportive roles in our history, seen as facilitators rather than activists, a shameful bypass by historians and society in general.

We seem to focus on History instead of Herstory and we need to bring some balance to our story

Everybody needs role models and here is your opportunity to learn of the gaping hole in our history that is only now being written about.

Sharon is an excellent speaker and an intriguing night is guaranteed. Surely a night for adults of both sexes to attend and for young girls to see what can and has been achieved.

11/04/2022

ENHANCEMENT works are to take place at a popular Limerick tourist attraction.

The Office of Public Works (OPW) is planning a series of works at Desmond Castle in Newcastle West, which re-opened last Thursday for the summer season.

New signage and flagpoles are planned for the medieval castle, while consultants have been appointed to progress the long-term project of roofing the Halla Mór.

The OPW Minister and local TD Patrick O'Donovan was on his home turf in Newcastle West this week, where he had a tour of the castle ahead of its summer opening.

"Visitors can not only enjoy free entrance for guided tours of the medieval castle with one of the most impressive surviving banqueting halls in Ireland, but can also look forward to resting afterwards in the courtyard on additional seating that will be installed in the course of the 2022 season," he said.

ENHANCEMENT works are to take place at a popular Limerick tourist attraction. The Office of Public Works (OPW) is planning a series of works at Desmond Castle in Newcastle West, which re-opened last Thursday for the summer season. New signage and flagpoles are planned for the medieval castle, while....