Lorrha
Encyclopedia
Lorrha is a small village at the northern tip of North Tipperary
, Ireland
. It is located on a local minor road between the R489
Birr
to Portumna
road and the N65
Nenagh
to Portumna road about five kilometres east of the point where the River Shannon
enters Lough Derg. It is a townland
and a civil parish
in the historical barony
of Ormond Lower
. The civil parish borders Portumna in County Galway
and Birr in County Offaly
. Lorrha is also an Ecclesiastical parish in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Killaloe
.
, the village has a long history of bridges and ferry crossings. The present bridge dates from 1911 (opening section replaced October 2008 )
Friary founded in the 13th century by Walter de Burgh, Earl of Ulster
. To the east of the village stands the Church of Ireland on the site of St. Ruadhan's church which was built c. 1000A.D. and was itself built on the site of St. Ruadhan's Abbey, founded in the C6th. Remains of two C8th high crosses stand in the churchyard . The Augustinian
Abbey founded in the C12th by the Order of Canons Regular stands nearby. The carved head over the door is thought to represent the wife of Walter De Burgh . Water for the monastic settlement was supplied from St. Ruadhan's well located south of the road that passes the present Church of Ireland cemetery.
The Lorrha Missal
, a translation of the Latin and Gaelic Missal was transcribed at Lorrha in the ninth century. It is now commonly known as the Stowe Missal
.
North Tipperary
North Tipperary is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-West Region and is also located in the province of Munster. It is named after the town of Tipperary and consists of 48% of the land area of the traditional county of Tipperary. The county was established in 1898 and has had a county...
, Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
. It is located on a local minor road between the R489
R489 road
The R489 road is a regional road in Ireland linking N52 south of Birr, County Offaly with the N65 2 kilometers south of Portumna, County Galway.The road is long.-References:* – Department of Transport...
Birr
Birr
Birr is a town in County Offaly, Ireland. Once called Parsonstown, after the Parsons family who were local landowners and hereditary Earls of Rosse. It is also a parish in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Killaloe....
to Portumna
Portumna
Portumna is a market town in the south-east of County Galway, Ireland, on the border with County Tipperary. The town is located to the west of the point where the River Shannon enters Lough Derg. This historic crossing point over the River Shannon between counties Tipperary and Galway has a long...
road and the N65
N65 road (Ireland)
The N65 road is a national secondary road in Ireland. It links the N52 at Borrisokane, County Tipperary to the M6 north of Loughrea in County Galway.En route it crosses the River Shannon at Portumna.The road is long.-See also:*Roads in Ireland...
Nenagh
Nenagh
Nenagh is the county town of North Tipperary in Ireland. It is the administrative centre of North Tipperary and in 2011 it had a recorded population of 7,995. It is a civil parish in the historical barony of Ormond Lower...
to Portumna road about five kilometres east of the point where the River Shannon
River Shannon
The River Shannon is the longest river in Ireland at . It divides the west of Ireland from the east and south . County Clare, being west of the Shannon but part of the province of Munster, is the major exception...
enters Lough Derg. It is a townland
Townland
A townland or bally is a small geographical division of land used in Ireland. The townland system is of Gaelic origin—most townlands are believed to pre-date the Norman invasion and most have names derived from the Irish language...
and a civil parish
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
in the historical barony
Barony (Ireland)
In Ireland, a barony is a historical subdivision of a county. They were created, like the counties, in the centuries after the Norman invasion, and were analogous to the hundreds into which the counties of England were divided. In early use they were also called cantreds...
of Ormond Lower
Ormond Lower
Ormond Lower is one of the baronies of Ireland, an historical geographical unit of land. It is one of 14 baronies in the traditional county of Tipperary between the baronies of Ormond Upper to the south-east and Owney and Arra to the south-west...
. The civil parish borders Portumna in County Galway
County Galway
County Galway is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the city of Galway. Galway County Council is the local authority for the county. There are several strongly Irish-speaking areas in the west of the county...
and Birr in County Offaly
County Offaly
County Offaly is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Midlands Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the ancient Kingdom of Uí Failghe and was formerly known as King's County until the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922. Offaly County Council is...
. Lorrha is also an Ecclesiastical parish in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Killaloe
Roman Catholic Diocese of Killaloe
The Diocese of Killaloe is a Roman Catholic diocese in mid-western Ireland. It is one of six suffragan dioceses in the ecclesiastical province of Cashel and is subject to the Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly. The diocese is in the secular province of the same name - Munster...
.
History
Close to an historic crossing point of the River ShannonRiver Shannon
The River Shannon is the longest river in Ireland at . It divides the west of Ireland from the east and south . County Clare, being west of the Shannon but part of the province of Munster, is the major exception...
, the village has a long history of bridges and ferry crossings. The present bridge dates from 1911 (opening section replaced October 2008 )
Ecclesiastic ruins
Lorrha has a rich ecclesiastical history evidenced by the ruins within the village. Beside the Roman Catholic Church (c1912), at the south of the village are the remains of a DominicanDominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
Friary founded in the 13th century by Walter de Burgh, Earl of Ulster
Earl of Ulster
The title of Earl of Ulster has been created several times in the Peerage of Ireland and Peerage of the United Kingdom. Currently, the title is a subsidiary title of the Duke of Gloucester, and is used as a courtesy title by the Duke's son, Alexander Windsor, Earl of Ulster...
. To the east of the village stands the Church of Ireland on the site of St. Ruadhan's church which was built c. 1000A.D. and was itself built on the site of St. Ruadhan's Abbey, founded in the C6th. Remains of two C8th high crosses stand in the churchyard . The Augustinian
Augustinians
The term Augustinians, named after Saint Augustine of Hippo , applies to two separate and unrelated types of Catholic religious orders:...
Abbey founded in the C12th by the Order of Canons Regular stands nearby. The carved head over the door is thought to represent the wife of Walter De Burgh . Water for the monastic settlement was supplied from St. Ruadhan's well located south of the road that passes the present Church of Ireland cemetery.
The Lorrha Missal
Stowe Missal
The Stowe Missal, which is strictly speaking a sacramentary rather than a missal, is an Irish illuminated manuscript written mainly in Latin with some Gaelic in about 750. In the mid-11th century it was annotated and some pages rewritten at Lorrha Monastery in County Tipperary, Ireland...
, a translation of the Latin and Gaelic Missal was transcribed at Lorrha in the ninth century. It is now commonly known as the Stowe Missal
Stowe Missal
The Stowe Missal, which is strictly speaking a sacramentary rather than a missal, is an Irish illuminated manuscript written mainly in Latin with some Gaelic in about 750. In the mid-11th century it was annotated and some pages rewritten at Lorrha Monastery in County Tipperary, Ireland...
.
Notable Buildings
- Lackeen Castle, A KennedyKennedy (Ireland)The Kennedy family of Ireland is a royal dynasty founded in the Middle Ages who were Kings of Ormond. Their founder was the nephew of High King Brian Boru . Kennedy is an anglicised form of the Irish "Ó Cinnéide". The name Cinnéide belonged Brian Boru's father Cennétig mac Lorcáin, King of Thomond,...
stronghold occasionally open to the public. It was here that the Lorrha MissalStowe MissalThe Stowe Missal, which is strictly speaking a sacramentary rather than a missal, is an Irish illuminated manuscript written mainly in Latin with some Gaelic in about 750. In the mid-11th century it was annotated and some pages rewritten at Lorrha Monastery in County Tipperary, Ireland...
was rediscovered. (Built C12th, rebuilt C16th) - Redwood CastleRedwood CastleRedwood Castle is a Norman castle in Lorrha, North Tipperary, Ireland.The castle was built by the Normans around 1200 AD, and was occupied by them until c.1350, when the Mac Aodhagáin were installed on the lands.As hereditary Brehons or lawyers, the Mac Aodhagáin clan established a school of...
. NormanNorman architectureAbout|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
castleCastleA castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
(Built c1200). - AbbevilleAbbeville, TipperaryAbbeville is a small country house in the townland of Abbeville in North Tipperary. It is set in relict parkland. It is a three-bay, three-storey house with one-storey flanking wing walls to either side, built c. 1840, and with an earlier, possibly 17th century, three-bay, three-storey rear wing...
. Small country house (Built c1840 adjoining earlier structure).
Notable people
- Ruadán mac Fergusa Birn, sixth century founder and first abbot of the monastery of Lorrha.
- Cú Connacht mac DundachCú Connacht mac DundachCú Connacht mac Dundach was King of Síol Anmchadha.He is described as King in the Annals of Innisfallen. He was killed in battle near Lorrha by the Muskerry of County Cork, though other annals state he was killed by either Brian Boru or his son, Murchad. His son, Dundach mac Cú Connacht was lord...
, King of Síol AnmchadhaSíol AnmchadhaSíol Anmchadha was a sub-kingdom or lordship of Hy-Many, and ruled by an off-shoot of the Ui Maine called the Síol Anmchadha , from whom the territory took its name....
, (died 1006 near Lorrha). - Martin O'MearaMartin O'MearaMartin O'Meara VC was both an Irish recipient and an Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.-Early Life:O'Meara was born at Terryglass, Lorrha, County Tipperary...
VC (born 1882 in Sharragh, Lorrha), recipient of the Victoria CrossVictoria CrossThe Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
. - Martin Charles ReddingtonTony ReddinMartin Charles Reddington , better known as Tony Reddin, is a retired Irish sportsperson. He played hurling at various times with his local clubs Castlegar in Galway and Lorrha-Dorrha in Tipperary from the 1930s until the 1950s...
(born 1919), retired Irish sportsperson who played hurling for Lorrha-Dorrha GAALorrha-Dorrha GAALorrha-Dorrha GAA club is a Gaelic Athletic Association club in the parish of Lorrha & Dorrha, in North County Tipperary, Ireland. The club is most famous for Hurling Team of the Millennium goalkeeper Tony Reddin, who played with the club from 1947 to 1957...
. - Liam KingLiam King (hurler)Liam King is an Irish retired sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Lorrha-Dorrha and was a member of the Tipperary senior inter-county team from 1968 until 1975. King won his sole set of All-Ireland and Munster winners' medals with Tipp in 1971.-References:...
(born 1940 in Lorrha) retired Irish sportsperson. - John McIntyreJohn McIntyre (hurler)John McIntyre is an Irish hurling manager and former player. He is the former manager of the Galway senior hurling team....
(born 1961 in Lorrha) Irish hurling manager and former player. - James Kenneth HoganKen HoganJames Kenneth Hogan , better known as Ken Hogan, is an Irish hurling manager and former player. He is the current manager of the Tipperary under-21 hurling team....
(born 1963 in Lorrha), current Irish hurling manager and former player. - Patrick Maher (hurler)Patrick Maher (hurler)Patrick Maher is an Irish sportsperson. He plays hurling with his local club Lorrha and with the Tipperary senior inter-county team.-Career:Maher won Munster and All-Ireland Minor Hurling medals in 2007, scoring 3–2 from play in the 2007 Minor Championship....
(born 1989), current Irish sportsperson playing on the Tipperary senior hurling team
See also
- List of civil parishes of North Tipperary
- List of towns and villages in Ireland