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Co. Limerick
History
In 3000BC, farmers cleared the forests and built their stone
houses on the banks of Lough Gur. In
2100BC, Bronze Age people built the largest stone circle in Ireland
nearby. In 900AD, a small farmstead was
built in the vicinity. Today, you can
see these and other signs of the human life that have existed for thousands of
years.
To See and Do
Take a self-guided walking tour of the area around the
lake. See The Spectacles, Carrigcroth
Hangman's Rock, Knockkennel View, Stone Plague, The Wishing Well, The Lime
Kiln, Flower Bed, Bouchiers Castle, Boilin Island, Pigeon House, The Cave of
the Echoes, Ash Point, Carraige Aille, Stone Forts, and Grange Stone
Circle. Find the beautiful vistas along
the way, with wooden benches for quiet contemplation. The lake itself is unsafe for swimming.
Visit the Lough Gur Visitor's Centre, wander through the
museum, and watch the audio-visual presentation about Lough Gur.
How to get there
Lough Gur is located 21km southeast of Limerick City.
By car:
From Limerick, take R512 south of Limerick City. Pass through Ballyneety and follow the road
for 4 miles farther. Turn left at
Reardon's Pub in Holycross.
By bus:
See www.buseireann.ie
website for all current travel details and restrictions.
Opening times
The Lough Gur Visitor Centre is open daily during May to
September from 10AM to 5:30PM.
(Opening times subject to change please check with myguideIreland)
Admission fee
Entry to the lake is free.
Lough Gur Visitor Centre:
Adults 5 euro
Senior Citizen 3.05 euro
Child 3 euro
Family 12.75 euro
My experience
Too bad the lake is unsafe for swimming; on a hot summer's
day, it calls for nothing less. I had
already put my swimsuit on, so I hiked around the shores, wearing it under my
clothes.
The actual banks of the lake were rather muddy and buzzing
with flies, so I found it more pleasant to view the lake from afar. I found a nice view on the hill next to the
visitor center.
Lots of kids and families were picnicking in the grass and
eating soft serve ice cream cones from the truck in the parking lot. The more adventurous were hiking around in
the hills and studying the stone house remains.
There is a lot to see in a relatively small area here. The Grange Stone Circle is a short distance
away from the lake - it is a bit too far away to walk and more easily
accessible by car. It is an amazing spot
to entice your imagination - what kinds of rites were performed here at
midsummer's dawn? There are several
other stones nearby, simply ask the caretaker Timothy to point you in the right
direction; he would be happy to.
Written by Liz O' Malley - Summer of Travel 2007
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