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Loughrea
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Loughrea is a
beautiful town situated on the main Dublin to Galway road some 35km
south east of Galway City. The town lies north of a range of wooded
hills, the Slieve Aughty Mountains. The town itself is generally
regarded as dating from 1236 AD when the Anglo-Norman knight Richard
de Burgo built a castle there. Although the site of the castle is no
longer known, a number of other medieval features remain, the most
unique of these being Ireland's only functioning medieval town moat.
This water filled moat was built in the mid-13th century. It ran
directly outside the medieval walls, and its circuit can still be
seen today.
Loughrea - "The town of the grey lake" - sits pleasantly on the
northern shores of Lough Rea - the largest limestone lake, after
Lough Corrib, in County Galway. The clear waters of Lough Rea
provide some of the best trout angling available in the region. The
small islands on the lough are the remains of ancient crannógs. The
Turoe Stone, located near Loughrea, is one of the most instantly
recognisable examples of ancient art in Ireland. It is the best
example, from a select few surviving examples, of a Celtic art style
called La Tène.
The greatest jewel in Loughrea is the Cathedral, where one can see
Irish craftsmanship and art at its highest level - it is a treasure
house of arts and crafts of celtic revival. Architecturally notable
are the stained-glass windows by An Tur Gloaine and the banners to
designs by J. B. Yeats.
Loughrea Golf Club is 2 km in north of Loughrea. This beautiful golf
course was redesigned by Eddie Hackett in 1992. This parkland course
measures 5,756 yards in length and has 18 holes. |
Loughrea Holiday Homes - County Galway, Ireland