town information ireland

In Irish, Ath na nUrlaidhe, "the ford of the sledgings" according to O'Curry, where by tradition a battle was fought in the 10th century in which "the Irish and the Danes did sledge each other's heads". The ford from which the name of the pretty town is taken is marked by the bridge which crosses the River Gowl between the old parish church and the Butler Castle of Urlingford. The pre-Reformation church, though in a ruined condition, has substantially perfect walls. A large church stood here...

Established by St. Jarlath at the beginning of the 6th century, it is 32.19km north of Galway City and today is the major town in the north Galway-mid Connaught region. It is a thriving commercial and industrial centre with a well established agricultural hinterland.

The present layout of the town resulted from the Charter of James I of England in 1613 with all roads converging on the town square -which is in fact a diamond shape. This layout disregarded the much earlier Celtic settlemen...

Located 2km from the town off the Kilkelly road, you will find an example of a "clumped village". This village formation was due to the population rise during the period 1800 to 1841. The area was subdivided into smaller plots where the people tried to sustain a living. These villages suffered drastically during the famine of 1845-1849. Renovations are currently underway to restore parts of the village to its original state....

Often known as the capital of West Cork, it is a lively fishing and market town. It has a variety of places to visit if you visit the town. The Grecian style Cathedral was built in 1826 and the local museum opens in July and August to exhibit local folk artefacts. The fourteenth century ruins of the abbey is worth a visit, as it contains mass graves from the famine. Also the West Cork Arts Centre in North Street displays paintings and sculptures from the local artistic community....

Cornamona village is one of the major centres for trout and salmon angling on the northern shores of Lough Corrib. There are large pike to be caught here also as is evidenced by the large one exhibited in the local pub.

Most of the larger islands on the Corrib, including Inchagoill, lie directly south-east of the Doorus Peninsula on which Cornamona is situated. The village is in part of the Gaeltacht or Irish speaking region of North Connemara....

For all your information needs on Inishowen contact the number above or call into the Tourist Office.

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Glenamaddy, in the east of the County, is a pleasant town....

Dunmore, from the Irish Dun Mor - Large Fort, lies 15 km north east of Tuam. The original fort was a stronghold of the ancient O'Conor kings, later dispossessed by the Norman de Berminghams. These newcomers built their own stone castle beside the Sinking River here after the conquest of 1235.

The upper section of the present massive structure of four storeys, with wide windows, dates mostly to the 16th or early 17th centuries. On the eastern side of the town, stand the ruins of an...

The road passes through high, forested ground. The highest point, Maghera Mountain to the left, is the site of a television mast. The village has the remains of a medieval parish church (St. Moculla). There are several prehistoric gallery graves in the vicinity.

Tulla is a fishing centre, with a number of small lakes dotted about which give good sport. The area is, in fact, known as the Clare Lakelands, a country of lakes and hills, the latter known as drumlins. The village is buil...