Adare

Adare Irish: Áth Dara
County Limerick
Tír na nÓg, a cottage in Adare
Location
Grid reference:	R463461
Location:	52°33’50"N, 8°47’24"W
Data
Population:	1,106  (2011)
Dialling code:	061
Local Government
Dáil constituency:	Limerick West

Adare is a small town in County Limerick, located south-west of the city of Limerick; a little place, but reputed to be the prettiest town in Ireland. Adare is designated as a heritage town by the Irish government.

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.

History

Main Street, Adare

The River Maigue is tidal as far as Adare, with the settlement forming around the eastern bank of the Maigue overlooking the fording point from which the village gets its name. An annalistic reference is made in the mediæval 'Annals of Inisfallen' stating: "The Tree of Mag Adar was broken by Leth Cuinn".

Owing to the strategic importance of the river crossing the Desmond castle was built overlooking the site near Ardshanbally (derived from Ard an tSeanbhaile - 'high ground of the old town'), and was first mentioned in 1226. Historically a market town, in the Middle Ages, Adare boasted three monasteries. Owing to the influence of the Earls of Dunraven, who built the Adare Manor (now a luxury resort hotel) a strict plan was laid out for the town.

Desmond Castle

Desmond Castle

A castle or fortress is said to have first been built with an ancient ring-fort, by the O'Donovans, 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, another castle in Askeaton and Castle Matrix near Rathkeale, further west in County Limerick.

Abbeys and priories

Augustinian Abbey, Adare, 1842

An Augustinian Priory was founded in 1316 by John FitzThomas FitzGerald, 1st Earl of Kildare. The Priory was suppressed in the reign of King 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.

A Franciscan 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 Monastery

The Trinitarian Order established their only monastery in Ireland in Adare in 1230. It is believed that the Trinitarian monks who came to Adare may have come from Scotland. The Abbey was restored in 1811 by the first Earl of Dunraven as the Roman Catholic Parish church.

Adare Manor

Adare Manor is a mansion located on lands on the banks of the River Maiguem and the former seat of the Earl of Dunraven and Mount-Earl. The present building was built in the early 19th-century in a Tudor-revival style, while retaining part of an earlier structure. It is now the Adare Manor Hotel & Golf Resort, a luxury resort hotel, reopened after an extensive restoration in October 2017.

Historic surnames in Adare

Some of the most common, well-respected surnames in Adare include the following: Blake, Brennan, Carmody, Chawke, Griffin, Hickey, McNamara, Kelly, Lavin, McMahon, Ryan, Smith, Hogan, Lyons, Masterson, O' Connor, O'Donnell, O'Regan, Switzer, Fitzgerald, Walsh.

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 village is a popular wedding and conference venue. Adare has two 18-hole golf courses - the Adare Golf Club, which incorporates a driving range and which was the site of the 2007 and 2008 Irish Open, the Adare Manor Golf Club and a pitch and putt course. Adare also has an equestrian centre, located in Clonshire.

The village has three hotels: The Adare Manor, the Dunraven Arms and, to the east of the village on the road to Croom, the Woodlands House Hotel.

Transport links

The main Limerick-Tralee road, the N21 passes through the village, causing heavy congestion. In late 2015 a corridor for the long-delayed bypass was chosen that realigns national route 21 north of the village as part of a new dual carriageway planned to link Foynes port to Limerick.

The abandoned "Limerick-Foynes" railway line passes half a mile to the north-west of the town. Adare railway station, opened on 12 July 1856 by the Limerick & Foynes Railway company, 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, designated an engineer's siding, is still officially open for traffic.

Sport

• Athletics: The Adare 10K run is held every February
• Football: Adare United AFC, who play at Deer Park Field
• Cricket: Limerick Cricket Club
• Gaelic games: Adare GAA club, founded in 1929
• Golf:
  • Adare Golf Club, on the grounds of the Adare Manor Hotel
  • Adare Manor Golf Club (a separate entity)

Outside links

("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Adare)

• Adare Heritage Centre
• Shannon Region Tourism's page on Adare
• General Information on Adare
• Obituary of the 7th Earl of Dunraven, Thady Wyndham-Quin
• Index of the Earl of Dunraven Papers at the University of Limerick
• Knockpatrick Gardens