Ballyhoura Walks

21/02/2024

Happy International Tourist Guide Day!

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

02/03/2023

It is clear to see why is often called the most beautiful village in Ireland.

To hear all about what makes this village so special a professional and qualified guide can show you around.

I’m back doing tours on request and they’re also found on

https://bit.ly/adarewalks

https://bit.ly/LimerickWalkingTours

Why not get in touch and experience yourself?

09/12/2022

If your pets are outside tonight ❄️❄️❄️

Go sit outside with them for a while - then decide if they should come back indoors with you

19/11/2022

⚠️‼️ WARNING ‼️⚠️

Residents of the Ballingarry and Granagh Areas of West Limerick please keep your pets indoors and safe.

The hunt are out.

05/11/2022

Catherine’s Story:
"After a relationship breakdown, I found myself homeless and with nowhere to go. I cannot describe the fear I had the first night. I slept on a bench outside the council offices, with no money and no place to go.

I spent the next seven years homeless. Sometimes I couch surfed and sometimes I stayed in hostels, but every day I woke with the first thought of where I would sleep later that night.

I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy, and today, it breaks my heart when I see people in the same boat. Early the next morning, a very kind man, who was also homeless, took me under his wing and showed me how to access homeless services and where I could eat.

I spent the next seven years homeless. Sometimes I couch-surfed and sometimes I stayed in hostels, but every day I woke with the first thought of where I would sleep later that night. I still sometimes have those moments of panic, and it’s great to know I have a safe, secure place. In February 2020, I finally got a call to view a property and I was ecstatic when it was offered to me. It was only small, but to me it was a palace. Unfortunately, before I moved in, the country went into lockdown and my plans were delayed. Focus Ireland arranged a virtual signing for me, and I got the keys for my new home. The shops were all closed, but I was happy to move in with no furniture and I set about making it a home.

Having a home meant I was able to focus on other things and not just on where to sleep each night. I volunteered in a charity, and I got a part-time cleaning job. I was able to restore friendships and relationships, because finally I felt I could offer people something. I always tried to be a good Mammy when I had no home, but it was really difficult. Today, I get great pleasure in cooking a dinner and inviting my adult children to my home. I have also become an ambassador for Focus Ireland as part of LEAP (Lived Experience Ambassador Programme) and I am using my experiences to help end homelessness. I have spoken in the media, to policymakers and the general public, and I love that I am making a real difference in improving things for people currently experiencing homelessness.

I still had a young son in care during this time, and at access visits, I tried to shield him from the worry that I had no home. Last year, he turned 18 and left care. We wanted to live together. With the support of my key worker, Alicia, I applied for a transfer for a two-bed apartment for us both.

Ten years ago, my life was so difficult and I felt hopeless. Today I am in a beautiful two bed apartment, living with my son. I can see a future again and my son is heading off to college and his future is looking bright.”

27/10/2022

With more than fifty frightening events taking place all across city and county over this Halloween period there is something for all ghosts, goblins and ghouls to enjoy. 🎃👻

Download our guide here:

https://www.limerick.ie/sites/default/files/media/documents/2022-10/Halloween-in-Limerick-2022-Event-Guide.pdf/

18/10/2022

Locals turn out in force to support conservation works in Limerick village

By Cian Ó Broin
[email protected]

ONE LIMERICK village turned out in force to mark the completion of conservation works to its historic graveyard.

Minister-of-State with responsibility for Office of Public Works Patrick O' Donovan hosted the event, which saw the conclusion of three-years worth of works by Ballingarry Development Association in County Limerick.

The works, conducted by volunteer groups and funded by the Heritage Council and Limerick City and County Council, included undergrowth clearance, as well as conservation works to the McCarthy Mausoleum and the Monckton Vault.

The funding was secured for "at risk structures" located in the graveyard at the heart of the village.

Emer O' Regan, Chairperson of Ballingarry Development Association said: "A lot of people think these structures were built for high wealth individuals but when we look at them we see the craftsmen who built them, the tradesmen, the young boys paddling mortar."

Limerick motorists advised of motorway closures due to resurfacing works
She described the monuments in the graveyard as "important for the ordinary people who are often unsung in these cases" and that for those reasons, the village decided to mark the occasion.

The event was attended by dozens of locals, several councillors from the Adare/Rathkeale Municipal District, as well as Richard O' Donoghue TD and classes from the local primary school, Scoil Chríost an Slánaitheoir.

Pupils were informed by the development association about the importance of family heritage in their community.

Emer spoke of one lady at the event, who is 82-years-old, stating that her great-grandfather is buried in the graveyard. He was the man who put the steeple on the top of the village's catholic church when it was being built in the 1800s.

"Family heritage links in this community go back a very long way and we are delighted to celebrate and make it accessible to people," she told Limerick Live last Friday afternoon.

One local stone mason, Aaron Condon, who lives one street up from the graveyard in the village, was responsible for the conservation works.

"The place was in complete disrepair when we started. All the cut stone from the top of the monument was on the ground and everything was overgrown," he said.

He outlined that the works on the McCarthy mausoleum, which took five weeks, was done using its traditional mortar, which had fallen from the roof.

"We are very happy with the finished product. It will stand for at least another 200 years," he concluded.

ONE LIMERICK village turned out in force to mark the completion of conservation works to its historic graveyard. Minister-of-State with responsibility for Office of Public Works Patrick O' Donovan hosted the event, which saw the conclusion of three-years worth of works by Ballingarry Development Ass...

13/10/2022

Are you curious❓

Do you like Limerick❓

If you love ❤️ to hear 👂 wonderful stories then we have a treat for you ❗️

Renowned author ✍️ historian and Limerick legend Sharon Slater is coming to

She will read from her acclaimed book 📕 “The A-Z of curious county Limerick” and she will no doubt have some wonderful stories to tell

This event will be held in the supper room of 📍 Ballingarry Parochial Hall
⏱8pm

There will be a cover charge of €5 on the night

The event is presented by Ballingarry Heritage and Ballingarry Development Association

Directions:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/h2xsAEAh1z7nZcZj6?g_st=ic

BALLINGARRY PAROCHIAL HALL
THE SQUARE, BALLINGARRY
V94 W688

Sharon Slater is an award-winning historian, receiving the National Heritage Hero award for 2017 and a Mayoral reception in 2018. Currently, Sharon is a Historian in Residence at Ormston House.
She has delivered heritage/cultural projects for groups including National Heritage Council, Limerick Chamber, Limerick Archives, Limerick Museum, Mary Immaculate College, The History Press, and Fáilte Ireland.
Her website Limerick’s Life has been focused on the development of the history of Limerick city since 2004. She can be found on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram under the name Limerick’s Life.

www.limerickslife.com
www.twitter.com/limerickslife/
www.facebook.com/limerickslife/
www.instagram.com/limericks_life/

11/10/2022

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.

https://joinus.focusireland.ie/fundraisers/jorgenhartogs/shine-a-light-night-gen-public?fbclid=IwAR1eOYHEcjmjwOe1ErBLqaiRQZX1tdvZsKjVWxC8Gd8wYHWq3K_kLX852jY

There is no legally protected right to adequate shelter and housing In Ireland. However, local authorities have a responsibility to provide housing for adults who cannot afford it themselves, and Tusla must provide accommodation for children who are homeless or in need of care.

In 2014, a Constitutional Convention recommended that the Constitution be amended to include a specific right to housing, but this did not proceed. The recommendation was also included in a number of later bills which have failed, because it is thought to be at odds with how private property is considered in the Constitution. A number of political parties and homeless organisations are now calling for a referendum on this issue.

While local authorities do not have a statutory obligation to house people, they do have general responsibility under the Housing Act 1988 to provide housing for adults who cannot afford to provide it for themselves.

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/

04/09/2022

31/08/2022

Askeaton Castle will remain open throughout Sept & Oct, tours at 10am 11.30am 1.30pm and 3pm daily.

30/08/2022

📮Ballingarry Post Office has been located in Spar Ballingarry now for 22 years.

📌Mike O’Connor has been Ballingarry Post Office Manager since 2019, taking the reins from Mary Taylor.

📌A wide range of services are available at Ballingarry Post Office including:

•Postal Services
•Social Welfare
•Dog & TV Licence
•State Savings
•Banking services (incl Ulster Bank/AIB/Bank of Ireland lodgements and withdrawals)
•One for All Gift Vouchers
•Passport
and lots more…

📌Our post box is located outside the store to ensure access for you 24/7. (Last post collection 15:45 on weekdays ✉️)

📌Call in to Mike and he will be happy to help you with any queries that you may have or you can contact Ballingarry Post Office at 069-68100 ☎️

23/08/2022

Unusual' and rare megalithic art discovery at stone circle in Co Limerick

Photographer Ken Williams said the new Lough Gur find was “well outside where you’d expect to see to find these type of carvings”.

Ken Williams said he was in the area last week and found that this stone now had visible carvings. The find was “well outside where you’d expect to see to find these type of carvings”.

“There’s only one other carved stone that’s carved in this similar manner in Munster and that’s off the coast of Cork on Clare Island,” Williams told RTÉ radio’s Morning Ireland.

He has two decades of experience photographing megalithic art so he said he was “quite familiar” with the different types of carving on stones.

“I was there [at Lough Gur] in about 2020 and I noticed a shape on the side of the stone, but the back of the stone was covered in moss at that stage and I wasn’t too sure,” he said.

“It looked a bit too eroded or weathered to be sure whether it was actually artificial or not, so I left it at that until I went back this time.

“Probably a combination of heat and people climbing over the stones maybe, a lot of the moss was gone on the back of the stone and using lighting then I was able to see that there’s quite a lot of carving on the back of the stone and on both sides, which is quite unusual.”

He added that the find is “great for Lough Gur”. “It really adds to the story of the place.”

“This type of megalithic art is more common up in the Boyne Valley so the passage tombs people would know – Newgrange and Dowth – they have these kind of carvings,” Williams said.

“There’s concentric circles and there’s arcs and all different kind of oval shapes and all that so it’s very, very consistent with passage tomb art.”

He said the meaning of the symbols have long been speculated, but it’s mostly abstract shapes like spirals and zig zags.

The stone with the art is part of a wider stone circle so it can’t easily be removed and put in a museum.

Williams said the carvings appear to continue below the ground so the main threat to keeping it preserved “would be people walking on it or climbing on it”.

12/08/2022

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.

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

31/07/2022

BFest continues today at Condron’s Bar in Ballingarry

Oil up those tractors and Go Karts.
We'll be gathering at the starting line at 3.30pm.

Dj Mossie will be belting out the tunes from 4pm

Teas, Coffees and Home-baked treats available from On the hoof

Bloomers food truck will be cooking up a storm on the street!

Trad Session with Darren Roche (Of Moxie Fame) & Friend

Strange Affair on the stage from 10pm

See you in the town of the gardens!

07/06/2022

ONE TIGHT-KNIT Limerick village has been brought even closer together through a collaborative rejuvenation project adding a shine to the centre of the community. Works have been completed on the Mall in Ballingarry, County Limerick which will help breathe new life into the village. Funding of just o...

02/06/2022

Calling all Camogie and hurling players in Limerick, and elsewhere of course 👍

Snow’s have amazing ash Hurleys again:
Size 20 inch to 36

And of course they still have flours too, dukes, the groceries, and so on

And always a friendly smile 😃

Don’t miss out on their 🍦 99 either

26/05/2022

Video recorded as part of a Ballyhoura Development CLG Rural Development Fund Project.Thanks to Julie for doing the filming. We realise the sound could be be...

13/05/2022

On this day in 1919 the famous rescue in Knocklong took place.

The rescue of Seán Hogan took place at the railway station in Knocklong during the War of Independence on 13 May 1919.

Hogan's colleagues from the Third Tipperary Brigade - Seán Treacy, Dan Breen and Séumas Robinson - were joined by Ned Foley, JJ O'Brien, Ned O'Brien, Seán Lynch, and Jim Scanlon from the East Limerick Brigade, to organise Hogan's rescue.
Hogan was being transported by train to Cork, and the men, led by Treacy, boarded the train in Knocklong.
A close-range shoot-out followed on the train. Treacy and Breen were seriously wounded in the gun fight, two RIC-men (Sergeant Peter Wallace and Constable Enright) died, but Hogan was rescued.
He was spirited away to Knocklong village, where his handcuffs were cleaved by Séan Lynch, one of the rescuers, in the local butcher's shop.

The rescue at Knocklong is commemorated in the song "The Station of Knocklong", which was a popular ballad during the Irish War of Independence.
Ned Foley was later arrested and executed for his part in the rescue along with Patrick Maher, a volunteer from Limerick, who had no involvement in the rescue at Knocklong.

It wasn’t the last time Tipperary and Limerick worked together 😁

12/05/2022

Company looking for D1/D drivers that are looking for work in the area
It is for a new service running between , and

Flexible days. Starting around 12pm and finishing by 6 each day.

The route will be open from June back holiday weekend for the duration of the summer.

You will be ferrying cyclists up and down the new Limerick Greenway

12/05/2022

The new flyers are there for

Opening Times
11 April – 2 November 2022

Entry is by guided tour only as there are ongoing conservation works at the site.
Tours at 10:00, 11:30, 13:30 & 15:00.

Please wait at the gate where the Guide will meet you and take you on tour.

☎️085 8013385
💻 [email protected]

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.

12/05/2022

Came across this lovely building near Askeaton and Creeves yesterday and struggling to find more information on it.
From the style it looks like it could have been a lodge on an estate or a barracks of some sorts.

Anyone with more information?

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.

03/05/2022

You might remember Ballingarry Heritage had great success last year securing funding from The Heritage Council to restore the McCarthy Mausoleum to its former glory?

We then worked with Open House Limerick to showcase it to the wider public for Halloween.

This year we have been advised that our grant application for conservation works to the Monckton Vault has been successful.

Thank you to The Heritage Council

We look forward to sharing the history of the Mockton family in Ballingarry and the progress of this project.

16/04/2022