Abbeylara

Abbeylara
Mainistir Leathrátha
Village
Abbeylara Abbey
Abbeylara
Location in Ireland
Coordinates: 53°45′53″N 7°26′46″W / 53.764611°N 7.446194°W / 53.764611; -7.446194
CountryIreland
ProvinceLeinster
CountyCounty Longford
Elevation
82 m (269 ft)
Time zoneUTC+0 (WET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-1 (IST (WEST))
Irish Grid ReferenceN363797

Abbeylara (Irish: Mainistir Leathrátha, meaning 'abbey of the half rath or little rath')[1] is a village in County Longford, Ireland. It is at the eastern end of the county, three kilometres east of Granard, on the R396 road. The village is in a townland and civil parish of the same name.

Name and history

Abbeylara's name is derived from a monastery, the great Abbey of Lerha, founded in 1205 by Hiberno-Norman magnate, Risteárd de Tiúit, for Cistercian monks. The monastery was dissolved in 1539, although its ruins are still apparent on approach to the village.

An ancient earthwork, the Duncla (Irish Dún-chlaí meaning "fortified ditch") or Black Pig's Dyke, which runs south-eastwards from Lough Gowna to Lough Kinale, goes through the larger parish of Abbeylara, and passes about one kilometre north of the village.

On 20 April 2000, the Gardaí (police) shot dead local man John Carthy in a siege at his home.

Sport

Abbeylara GFC are the local Gaelic football club.

Because of its proximity to Lough Kinale and Lough Derragh, which has supplies of trout, tench, bream and pike, Abbeylara attracts anglers and local angling clubs hold regular competitions.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Mainistir Leathrátha/Abbeylara". Placenames Database of Ireland (logainm.ie). Retrieved 8 October 2021.