Dromore Wood | |
---|---|
Dromore, County Clare | |
Woodland path in Dromore Wood | |
Nearest city | Ennis |
Coordinates | 52°55′29.9″N8°57′43.6″W / 52.924972°N 8.962111°W Coordinates: 52°55′29.9″N8°57′43.6″W / 52.924972°N 8.962111°W |
Area | circa 1,000 acres |
Established | 1985 |
Governing body | National Parks and Wildlife Service (Ireland) |
Dromore, County Clare is a rural townland in County Clare in the Republic of Ireland. It is located in the parish of Ruan and was formerly the location of Dromore House. Today, most of the townland is accounted for by Dromore Wood Nature Reserve. It is open to the public and also contains the ruins of Dromore Castle.
Dromore is located between the towns of Crusheen and Corofin, west of the M18 motorway and north of Ennis. The townland also contains Dromore Lake, fed by the River Fergus. The townland features a variety of terrain: rivers, lakes, turloughs, callows (flooded meadows), limestone pavement, fens, reed beds and woodland. [1]
Dromore Castle was probably constructed in the early 16th century. In the 17th century, Teige O'Brien of the O'Brien clan repaired and expanded it. The castle and lands of Dromore had been granted to Teige's father, Connor (Third Earl of Thomond), in 1579. Dermot, son of Teige, was an important protagonist in the Confederate Wars and participated in the Siege of Ballyalla Castle (Ennis). The last O'Brien at the castle was Conor, who left in 1689. The castle fell into ruin in the 18th century. [2]
In 1814, Jonas Studdert, third son of Richard Studdert of Clonderalaw, lived in Dromore House. He had married Mary Crowe of Dromore in 1795. In 1837, the house was the home of R. Crowe. Although it was originally a hunting lodge, it became the main seat of the Crowe family in the 1830s. [3] In 1855, during Griffith's valuation, Thomas Crowe was listed as occupier ("in fee") of Dromore and neighbouring Cahermacrea townlands and some others. [4] In 1901, the Census listed Thomas Crowe as proprietor. [5]
Dromore House was sold in 1936 and later demolished. [3] Dromore Wood was bought by the Irish state in the 1940s and subsequently used as a commercial forest. In the 1980s, the National Parks and Wildlife Service (Office of Public Works) took over. In 1985, the area became a statutory nature reserve. [1]
Other historical sites nearby include ruined Cahermacrea Castle, [6] the remains of Kilbakee Church, two ring forts, a limekiln, a children's burial ground and a chapel. [1]
Notable inhabitants of the area include the pine marten (a local study of this species in the 1970s has become a "major reference for the species"), [1] red squirrels, badgers, stoats, foxes, hares, shrews, wood mice, eight species of bats and otters. Birdlife includes coots, grebes, moorhen, water rail and heron. During the winter floods, teal, wigeon, goldeneye, tufted duck, pochard, shoveler and whooper swans visit. In 2011/12, a white tailed eagle was observed. Insects include dragonflies and various butterfly species. [1]
The Nature Reserve encompasses around 1,000 acres (400 hectares). [7] There is a Special Area of Conservation which covers a larger area. [8]
The visitor centre is run by the National Parks & Wildlife Service as an offshoot of the Coole Park Nature Reserve near Gort. The Dromore Wood Nature Reserve features six marked walking trails of differing length. [9]
Inagh is a village and civil parish in County Clare, Ireland. It is situated 14 km west of Ennis on the Inagh River. It contains the villages of Inagh and Cloonanaha.
Bunratty Castle is a large 15th-century tower house in County Clare, Ireland. It is located in the centre of Bunratty village, by the N18 road between Limerick and Ennis, near Shannon Town and its airport. The castle and the adjoining folk park are run by Shannon Heritage as tourist attractions.
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Cratloe is a village in County Clare, Ireland, situated between Limerick and Shannon in the mid-west of Ireland. It is possible that the name derives from Croit-shliabh meaning "hump-backed hill", referring to Woodcock Hill. The present-day parish of Cratloe consists of the former parish of Kilfintinan and a portion of the contemporary parish of Killeely. This was agreed upon by priests in the 18th century, who claimed there were not enough members of the clergy to operate fully in both parishes.
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Doonagore Castle is a round 16th-century tower house with a small walled enclosure located about 1 km south of the coastal village of Doolin in County Clare, Ireland. Its name may be derived from Dún na Gabhair, meaning "the fort of the rounded hills" or the "fort of the goats". Doonagore Castle is at present a private holiday home, inaccessible to the public.
Corofin is a village on the River Fergus in northern County Clare, Ireland and also a parish of the same name in the Catholic Diocese of Killaloe.
Kilshanny is a village and a civil parish in County Clare, Ireland.
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Bunratty is a village in County Clare, Ireland. Bunratty Castle is located near the village. The village is accessed by the N18 connecting it to Limerick and to Galway. The Raite river defines the eastern boundary of the parish, and flows into the Shannon Estuary, which defines the southern boundary.
Ruan is a village in County Clare in Ireland. It is in the Catholic parish of Dysart and Ruan.
Kilnaboy or Killinaboy is a village, townland and civil parish in County Clare, Ireland. It is located in the Burren, and as of the 2011 census the area had 347 inhabitants.
The High Sheriff of Clare was a High Sheriff title. Records show that the title was in existence from at least the late 16th century, though it is not used today in the modern Republic of Ireland. The title existed within County Clare in the west of Ireland during the time of the Kingdom of Ireland and then as part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.
Newtown Castle is a 16th-century tower house, located close to the village of Ballyvaughan within the Burren area of County Clare, Ireland. Uniquely for a tower house of its type in Ireland, Newtown Castle is mostly cylindrical in shape but rises from a square pyramidical base. It is today part of the Burren College of Art.
Templemaley is a civil parish in County Clare, Ireland. It contains the village of Barefield and part of the town of Ennis.
Kilchreest is a civil parish of County Clare, Ireland. It contains the village of Ballynacally and is part of the Roman Catholic parish of Ballynacally (Clondegad), which includes the civil parish of Clondagad to the north.
Dysart and Ruan is a Catholic parish in County Clare, Ireland. It covers the civil parishes of Ruan and Dysert, and includes the village of Ruan, which holds the parish office. The parish contains the ruins of the 12th century St. Tola's Church, part of Dysert O'Dea Monastery.
Kiltoraght is a civil parish in County Clare, Ireland. It is just south of Kilfenora and is part of Catholic parish of Kilfenora.
Dromore Lough is a freshwater lake in the Mid-West Region of Ireland. It is located in County Clare.
Dromore Castle is a tower house and National Monument located between the towns of Crusheen and Corofin in County Clare, Ireland.