Lorrha (from ) is a small village at the northern tip of County Tipperary, Ireland. It is located on a 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 The River Shannon ( ga, Abhainn na Sionainne, ', '), at in length, is the longest river in the British Isles. It drains the Shannon River Basin, which has an area of , – approximately one fifth of the area of the island of Ireland. The Shan ...

enters Lough Derg. It is also the name of a townland and a civil parish in the historical

barony Barony may refer to: * Barony, the peerage, office of, or territory held by a baron * Barony, the title and land held in fealty by a feudal baron * Barony (county division), a type of administrative or geographical division in parts of the British ...

of Ormond Lower. The civil parish borders Portumna in

County Galway "Righteousness and Justice" , anthem = () , image_map = Island of Ireland location map Galway.svg , map_caption = Location in Ireland , area_footnotes = , area_total_km2 = ...

and Birr in

County Offaly County Offaly (; ga, Contae Uíbh Fhailí) is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Eastern and Midland Region and the province of Leinster. It is named after the ancient Kingdom of Uí Failghe. It was formerly known as King's County, in hono ...

History

In 843 a Norse expedition led by Turgesius raided Lorrha and the neighbouring settlement of Terryglass. Close to an historic crossing point of the

, the area has a long history of bridges and ferry crossings. The present Portumna 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 (c. 1912), at the south of the village are the remains of a Dominican

Friary A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer which ...

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. 1000 AD and was itself built on the site of St. Ruadhan's Abbey, founded in the 6th century. Remains of two 8th-century

high cross A high cross or standing cross ( ga, cros ard / ardchros, gd, crois àrd / àrd-chrois, cy, croes uchel / croes eglwysig) is a free-standing Christian cross made of stone and often richly decorated. There was a unique Early Medieval traditi ...

es stand in the churchyard. The Augustinian Abbey founded in the 12th century 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. Lorrha Priory of St

The Lorrha Missal, a translation of the Latin and Gaelic Missal was transcribed at Lorrha in the 9th century. It is now commonly known as the

Stowe Missal The Stowe Missal (sometimes known as the Lorrha Missal), which is, strictly speaking, a sacramentary rather than a missal, is a small Irish illuminated manuscript written mainly in Latin with some Old Irish in the late eighth or early ninth cen ...

Annalstic references

See Annals of Inisfallen * ''AI707.2 Colmán, abbot of Lothra, rested.'' * ''AI747a.1 Kl. Repose of Dúngal, abbot of Lothra. The slaying of Aed Dub.'' * ''AI780.1 Kl. Repose of Ailill, abbot of Lothra.'' * ''AI809.1 Kl. Coibdenach the learned, abbot of Lothra, ested'' * ''AI1015.10 The vacating of Imlech Ibuir, and the invasion of Lothra.''

Notable buildings

* Lackeen Castle, A

Kennedy Kennedy may refer to: People * John F. Kennedy (1917–1963), 35th president of the United States * John Kennedy (Louisiana politician), (born 1951), US Senator from Louisiana * Kennedy (surname), a family name (including a list of persons with t ...

stronghold occasionally open to the public (built 12th century, rebuilt 16th century). It was here that the Lorrha Missal was rediscovered inside a stone wall in the 18th century. * Redwood Castle. Norman

castle A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...

(built c. 1200). * Abbeville. Small country house (built c. 1840 adjoining earlier structure). *The Church of Ireland features a

stained glass Stained glass is coloured glass as a material or works created from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant religious buildings. Although tradition ...

window from the

An Túr Gloine An Túr Gloine (; Irish for "The Glass Tower") was a cooperative studio for stained glass and ''opus sectile'' artists from 1903 until 1944, based in Dublin, Ireland. History An Túr Gloine was conceived of in late 1901 and established January 19 ...

studio by Michael Healy depicting ''The Holy Women at the Tomb'' (1918).

Religion

For those residents of a Christian faith Lorrha has both an active Roman Catholic and Anglican church. Lorrha is an ecclesiastical parish in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Killaloe.

Sport and recreation

Lorrha–Dorrha is the local GAA sports club. Several well known players have had Lorrha–Dorrha connections, see notable people below. Lorrha is on the route of the

Ormond Way The Ormond Way is a walking and cycling route in development between Upperchurch in County Tipperary and Portumna in County Galway. It forms one of the stages of the Beara-Breifne Way, a walking and cycling route between the Beara Peninsula, C ...

which forms part of the Beara-Breifne Way, a long distance walking and cycling trail from the Beara Peninsula in County Cork to

Blacklion Blacklion (; also ''An Leargaidh'') is a border village in west County Cavan, Ireland. It is situated on the N16 national primary road, just across the border from the County Fermanagh village of Belcoo. History The village is within the tow ...

County Cavan County Cavan ( ; gle, Contae an Chabháin) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Ulster and is part of the Border Region. It is named after the town of Cavan and is base ...

Representation

Lorrha East and Lorrha West are both in the Dáil constituency of Offaly which incorporates 24 electoral divisions that were previously in the Tipperary North Dáil constituency.

Notable people

* Ruadán mac Fergusa Birn, 6th century founder and first abbot of the monastery of Lorrha. *

Cú Connacht mac Dundach Known by his moniker, Cú Connacht mac Dundach ("The Hound of Connacht, Son of Dundach") (died 1006) was King of Síol Anmchadha, Ireland. He is described as King in the Annals of Innisfallen. He was killed in battle near Lorrha by the Muskerry ...

, King of Síol Anmchadha, (died 1006 near Lorrha). * Martin O'Meara VC (born 1882 in Sharragh, Lorrha), recipient of the Victoria Cross. * Martin Charles Reddington (born 1919), retired Irish sportsperson who played hurling for Lorrha-Dorrha GAA. * Liam King (born 1940 in Lorrha) retired Irish sportsperson. * John McIntyre (born 1961 in Lorrha) Irish hurling manager and former player. * James Kenneth Hogan (born 1963 in Lorrha), current Irish hurling manager and former player. * Patrick (Bonner) Maher (born 1989), current Irish sportsperson playing on the Tipperary senior hurling team.

External links

Lorrha Development association

References

{{Roman Catholic Diocese of Killaloe Towns and villages in County Tipperary Townlands of County Tipperary Civil parishes of Ormond Lower Tourist attractions in County Tipperary