nuggled in a wooden and lush countryside setting, Adare is widely regarded as being Ireland’s prettiest and most picturesque village. Situated on the river Maigue, a tributary of the Shannon river, Adare (Gaelic name: "Ath Dara" - the "ford of the oak" - from the combination of water and woodland) dates back, at least, to the early 13th century. During its long history, Adare, as a strategic location, has been the subject of many conquests, wars and rebellions.

 The old town of Adare, which stood on the northern bank of the river Maigue, near the Desmond castle, was destroyed during the 16th century wars. Almost all of the present village was built in the 19th century. The early developments were very haphazard but from about 1820, streets and buildings were laid out according to the, then, Earl of Dunraven’s design. He built houses and rented them, under various agreements, to his tenants, working on his estate lands.

Today, Adare village has a rich wealth of heritage, as well as architectural and scenic beauty. Two groups of, world famous, ornate, thatched cottages line part off the village’s broad main street, punctuated with beautiful stone buildings, medieval monasteries and ruins.

 Situated in the centre of County Limerick, with just 15 minutes from Limerick City and 40 minutes from Shannon Airport, Adare Village is regarded as being the most unique and ideal base for exploring the many visitor attractions in County Limerick (Lough Gur, King John’s Castle, etc.), as well as those of nearby counties, such as Kerry (Killarney, Dingle, etc.), Cork (Blarney, Kinsale, etc.), Clare (the Burren, Cliffs of Moher, etc.) and Tipperary (Rock of Cashel, Glen of Aherlow, etc).

Sightseeing in the village

The Trinitarian Abbey

Situated next to the Heritage Center, this is the only recorded Trinitarian monastery in Ireland. It was originally built by the Fitzgerald Clan for the Trinitarian order of monks in the early 13th century. This order of friars was founded in France, following the Holy-Land Crusades, with the main purpose of raising ransom money in order to rescue Christian captive taken, by the Moors, during the crusade wars. It is believed that the Trinitarian monks who came to Adare may have come from Scotland. The monastery was suppressed and badly damaged during the reign of King Henry VIII. Repaired and enlarged in the mid 19th century, the building is, today, called the "Holy Trinity Abbey" and is used as the local Roman Catholic Church. A visit to this historical and beautiful building is highly recommended. Phone: xxx-353-61-396177. Also, see the following Web sites:
Churches in Adare parish and Adare Churches for further information on the Abbey
 

The Wishing Pool

Situated opposite the Heritage Center, this small pool is contained in a triangular space, bounded on two sides by masonry walls and, on the road side, by a coursed stone parapet wall, with access to a local stream (a small tributary of the river Maigue) on either side. This was used, in bygone days, by the women of Adare as a laundry washing pool, as well as a watering place for horses. Groups of women used to gather regularly at the pool to wash the family clothes and talk about life in the village. Before the days of washing powder and detergents, these hard-working women did their washing on "spittle stones" in the stream bed or by pounding the clothes with wooden beetles. The stream flows under a small two-arched bridge (the droichidin). The pool was restored during the European architectural heritage year, in 1975.
 

The Village Park

Next to the Washing Pool is the lovely Village Park. The land for this park was once part of the Dunraven estate. Here visitors and locals, alike, can stroll along the park’s winding paths or relax on the park benches, soaking up the unique atmosphere of Adare village. The village park is used as a unique photo backdrop for the many weddings that occur in Adare, each weekend during the Spring & Summer months.


 

Adare Manor Hotel

The former family seat of the Earls of Dunraven, this magnificent Tudor, gothic-style, building stands along the meandering river Maigue, amid 1000 acres of lush parklands. In recent years, the Manor has been transformed into a world-class luxury hotel and now resembles a museum of architecture with wonderful assorted woodwork and stone carvings. Entering the grounds through the ornamental gates, long stretches of emerald green turf, ancient ruins and majestic trees are the settings that will be found for a unique, peaceful, atmosphere, where one can enjoy a stroll or a refreshing brisk walk, at anytime of day. This should not be missed during your stay in Adare (Many famous people have stayed in the Manor, including President Bill Clinton, during his Irish visit in Sep. 1998). Phone: xxx-353-61-396566.
 

The Augustinian Priory

Situated within a short walk from the village center (at the Limerick City end), the priory was founded by the Earls of Kildare in the early 14th century. It became and remained the home of the Augustinian Order until they were driven out, in the mid 15th century. The Priory was suppressed and badly damaged during the reign of King Henry VIII. Repaired and renovated during the early part of the 19th century, the building is regarded as a fine example of what a mediaeval Irish church looked like. The building has been used as the local Protestant Church (Church of Ireland) since the early 19th century. Phone: xxx-353-61-396227. Also, see the following Web site:
Adare Churches for further information on the Priory


The Village Bridge

Visitors to Adare, coming from the Limerick City direction, cross the bridge over the river Maigue, before they enter the village itself. This was originally built by the Earl of Kildare in the late 14th century. At first it was very narrow, being barely wide enough to allow the passage of a cart and for that reason V-shaped (chevron style) recesses, or openings, were built into both sides as pedestrian refuges to avoid being crushed by horses or carts. When the bridge was being widened in the last century, these unusual features were retained on the upstream side.

 

The Desmond Castle

The time-worn remains of this Anglo-Norman fortress stands on the bank of the "Maigue" river and viewable from the bridge. This castle was erected, within an ancient ring-fort, around the early part of the 13th century. It became a strategic fortress during the following turbulent years. It was the property of the Earls of Kildare for nearly 300 years until the Silken Thomas's rebellion of 1536, when it was forfeited and granted to the Earls of Desmond (they gave the castle its present name). Barely forty years later, in 1578, the Munster Geraldines were themselves in rebellion and lost the castle to English troops after an eleven-day siege. Attempts to retrieve the castle resulted in a series of notably bloody sieges in 1579, 1581 and 1600, leaving the fabric badly damaged. In 1657, it was dismantled by the Palliamentary forces of Oliver Cromwell. The castle initially comprised a large square tower and an enclosing D-shaped fosse, together with a hall block to the south in an outer ward. The tower, notable for having corner turrets projecting from the side walls, was remodelled in the fifteenth century and is thus difficult to assess confidently, though it appears originally to have had three storeys with a first floor entrance. No doubt it served as the lord's accommodation and thus complemented the more public function of the Great Hall by the river, which was clearly built to entertain visitors: a spacious rectangular apartment with round-headed lights with roll mouldings. At a later period its basement was subdivided and a latrine added on the south side. The curtain walls around the inner ward and along the west side of the outer ward were possibly built around 1240, no doubt replacing timber palisades. The inner ward has a south gate tower and an open-gorged bastion on the west side, while there is a square west-gate tower into the outer ward. The very ruined aisled Great Hall, to the east of the old hall, may have been added in 1326 when the second Earl of Kildare undertook extensive works at the castle. It is flanked by kitchens and service rooms, which extend to the eastern perimeter of the outer ward - whose well-preserved battlemented walls may be largely fifteenth century in date. In the early 19th century and in the years that followed, considerable repairs were implemented but full restoration was deemed, economically, to be impossible. However, the castle ruins remain of considerable extent and make an interesting and picturesque group of buildings. Extensive maintenance and renovation work has been carried out in recent years. The castle is regarded as being one of the most interesting examples of feudal architecture in Ireland.

The Franciscan Friary

Located in the grounds of the Adare Manor Golf Club, the friary is a characteristic example of the monasteries erected in Ireland during the 14th and 15th centuries. It was founded in 1464 by the Thomas, the 7th Earl of Kildare, for the "Franciscan Friars of the Strict Observance". Although now in ruins, the remaining walls show a remarkable outline of its former elegance. Many of it’s excellent proportioned gables remain in a good state, as does it’s graceful and beautiful seventy two foot central tower, soaring over a roofless nave and transepts, with gable ends gaunt against the skyline.
John Wesley preached to the people of Adare in 1765 from the shade of an ash tree close to the east wall of the Franciscan friary. This tree was still there until about 1860. Today a stone marks the site where this tree stood. The local Methodists community of Adare hold a ceremony here in June each year. Also, see the following Web site:
Adare Churches for further information on the Friary

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