Adare – One of Ireland’s Most Picturesque Villages

Adare is Designated as a Heritage Town by the Irish Government:

Adare Village Cottages, Co. Limerick

Adare is one of Ireland’s prettiest villages and a major tourist destination on many sightseeing tours of Ireland’s south-west.

Situated on the Maigue river, a tributary of the Shannon river, Adare’s existence dates back at least to the early 13th century.  Its Gaelic name ‘Ath Dara’ means the ‘ford of the oak’ – from the combination of water and woodland.

Our first visit to Adare some nine years ago was very brief and we distinctly remember the Adare village cottages and a quick stop at the visitor centre.  But there is a little more to see in this town as we discover on this trip.

If you only have a brief stop in the town, here are some of Adare’s sightseeing attractions.  They are all clustered along the Main Street and close to the visitor centre:

• most visitors come to Adare to see the pretty thatched cottages along the main road
• Adare’s parish church is one of the oldest monastic churches. Previously, there were three monasteries and one of them is now being used as the parish church. The church is next to the visitor centre and it is well worth going in to have a look
• Adare Manor was once the home of the Earl of Dunraven, a shrewd man who sold his house and estate to be developed into a luxury resort and golf course. He sold it for a large sum of money, but part of the deal was that he be allowed to keep a suit on the top for himself. So, on top of the large amount of money he received for the estate, he was able to keep a nice residence for himself

A Lunch Stop in Adare

If you’re stopping here for lunch, Adare has four public houses in the village: Bill Chawke’s, Collins’, Seán Collins’ and Auntie Lena’s, many of the which also serve food. Additionally, each of the three hotels and the two golf courses has bars and restaurants.

There are a couple of cafes at the Adare cottages, one of which, the Blue Door, has been there for a while.

The visitor centre has a cafeteria that serves soups, salads, sandwiches and freshly made quiches and pies. We had a very nice fetta cheese and sundried tomato sandwich which was delicious and fellow travellers enjoyed their quiches and pies.

From Limerick city, Adare is only 16 km by road.

Map of Ireland: Adare

Things to do in County Limerick

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