Adare

Adare is a major tourist destination with many tours of Ireland's south-west stopping off in the village. The local heritage centre, which gives a deep insight into the history of the village, also hosts a number of craft shops. Adare is also a popular wedding and conference venue. Adare is becoming a major golf destination with two 18-hole courses, the Adare Golf Club, which incorporates a driving range and which is set to be the site of the 2007 Irish Open, the Adare Manor Golf Club and a Pitch and Putt course. Adare has two equestrian centres: Clonshire and Adare Manor. Adare is home to a number of world-renowned stables.

[edit] Architecture

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Photo of thatched cottages.

The main street combines quintessential 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

[edit] Schools

St. Joseph's National School (boys), Our Lady's Abbey NS (girls)http://www.ourladysabbey.com, St. Nicholas' primary school (mixed) and Scoil Seán tSraide (mixed)

[edit] Transport

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The planned route of the Adare bypass.

The main Limerick-Tralee road, the N21 goes through the village. The Adare Bypass is at an advanced planning stage with construction planned to begin in 2008. Adare is a stop on the hourly Limerick-Tralee/Killarney bus service. A railway line to Foynes passes through the town,^[3] but has been closed for decades. The station opened on 12 July 1856, was closed to passengers on 4 February 1963, but finally closed on 2 December 1974.^[4] Construction is anticipated to begin on the N21 Adare Bypass in 2008.

[edit] History

Adare is derived from Áth Dara, 'the ford of the oak'. The town was first settled near a ford (crossing point) on the river Mague in the region known as Ardshanbally (derived from ard sean bhaile, 'high old town'), near where the Desmond castle stands today. Historically a market town, in the middle ages Adare was a major settlement and boasted three monasteries and a castle.

[edit] Augustinian Priory

The Augustinian Priory was founded in 1316 by John FitzThomas FitzGerald, 1st Earl of Kildare. The Priory was suppressed in the reign of 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 rooved and converted into a schoolhouse. Between 1852 and 1854 a second restoration of the church was undertaken by Caroline, Countess of Dunraven.

[edit] Franciscan Abbey

The Franciscan friary was founded in 1464 by the Earl of Kildare 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.

[edit] Trinitarian Abbey

The Trinitarian order established their only monastery in Ireland in Adare in 1230. The Abbey was restored in 1811 by the first Earl of Dunraven as the Catholic Parish church.

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Desmond Castle

[edit] Desmond Castle

Said to have been built originally by the O'Donovans, and afterwards to have passed into the possession of the Kildare branch of the Fitzgeralds. Desmond castle, as it is popularly known stands on the north bank of the Mague. An extensive renovation is being carried out on the castle since 1996 and supervised tours are offered in the summer months.

[edit] Culture

[edit] Sport

Gaelic games, especially hurling is popular through Adare GAA. The hurling team finally won its first county hurling championship in 2001 and successfully defended their title in 2002, only to be denied a 3 in a row in 2003, after narrowly losing the county final to great rivals and neighbours Patrickswell. In 2007, they won the county championship for the 3rd time. In football Adare haven't traditionally been successful, however in 2002 they reached their first county final, where they drew the first game, and lost the replay by just a point. The village regularly enjoys success at underage level in both codes.

The local soccer team is known as Adare United AFC. They currently play at Deer Park Field, situated just off the Blackabbey Road in the village. Formed in 1937 they are one of the oldest Association Football teams outside of Limerick City and recently celebrated their 70th Anniversary. Adare Utd participate in the Limerick Desmond Schoolboys/Girls League at Under 8, U10, U12, U14 and U16 age groups and also in the Limerick Desmond League at Junior (adult) level. The 2006/07 Season saw the club form its first ever ladies team.

Golf is also popular in Adare. There are two 18 hole golf courses in the village. The Adare Golf Club is on the grounds of the Adare Manor and the other - which, confusingly, is actually called Adare Manor Golf Club - is on the northside of the river Maigue. From 2007 to 2009 the Irish Open will be held at Adare Golf Club.

As at November 2007, the Adare senior hurling team is managed by former Clare star forward and All Ireland winner, Ger 'Sparrow' O'Loughlin. O'Loughlin has previously trained the senior teams of both Clare, under the leadership of Cyril Lyons, and Clarecastle, his native village. The Adare team won the 2007 Limerick Senior Hurling Championship when they defeated Croom by 9 points at the Gaelic Grounds. This is Adare's third county title.

[edit] Interesting Facts

Adare was national winner of the tidy towns competition in 1976.

Cape Adare (Antarctica) was named in honour of Viscount Adare by his friend Captain Ross in January 1841. The title is derived from the village.

Adare is famous for the man better known as Farmboy / Ritchie to his friends (B Inspired)He also seems to be the last of the pillow Biters.. Bite hard Farmboy