Athlacca
Encyclopedia
Athlacca or Athlaca is a small village in County Limerick
, in the south west of Ireland
. It is situated 26 km south of Limerick City
, on the Morningstar river. The name Athlacca means 'ford of the flagstones', a feature that was once evident under the current St Catherine's Bridge. In the 17th century the parishes of Dromin and Athlacca amalgamated and became one; now the parish goes by the name Dromin/Athlacca.
There are two pubs
in the village, a National School in Athlacca and there are two pubs in Dromin. Whilst the Catholic
church remains in permanent use, the old Protestant
, although the church did lie in ruins they are at present the new Graveyard to the parish. The church itself has been demolished and all that remains is the steeple and gable wall. The parish extends from Rathcannon in the south to Crean in the north, the home of the famous hurling
and tug-of war teams (current townland champions).
Athlacca is in a rural area where farming, although in steep decline, still being the biggest employer.
Athlacca's most famous parishioners are Jim Cregan, the former European athletics champion, and PP Hogan, champion horse trainer. The most popular sports, in order of participation levels, are Hurling
, Gaelic football
, soccer and badminton
and Greyhound Racing
anyone interested in finding out more about greyhound racing should contact www.irishcoursingclub.ie Horse racing
,has a big following in the area and a point-to-point meeting is held annually. Not alone does Athlacca hold their own point to point but they hold the Bruff Point to Points and other parishes.
The Sheltered Housing known as "Dawn Court" was built on the grounds of the old creamery. It was opened by the President of Ireland, Mrs. Mary McAleese. The only part of the old creamery left is the chimney staff. There are at present 20 houses in this area. The houses consist of two bedrooms, kitchen, dining-sitting room and bathroom. There is a small shed out the back of the houses for storing coal or other items belonging to each individual. This housing system is unique as it is ecologically friendly. More houses went up a couple of years ago and to separate the dwellings there is a marble chair. This sculpture is of a high chair or Kings chair. It is made of green marble. On top of the chair is the head and antlers of a red deer; this is in honour of the giant elk that was found in Rathcannon at the turn of the 20th Century.
The Dromin/Athlacca community launched their defibrillator project on 25 August at the Church in Athlacca. This is a unique project in the southern region and its launch was testament to the commitment the community have shown to this issue. The project developed from money raised at the annual 'Community Cross Country Ride in 2004' and from a corresponding concern about the issue of heart-related emergencies in the region. Following the recruitment of a project co-coordinator, 18 volunteers were recruited to operate the defibrillators and two defibrillator machines are now in place at fixed sites. One of the defibrillators is on the wall to the left of Dromin Church and the second is on the wall on the right of the Church in Athlacca.
Lynch, O’Regan, Carmody, Casey, Irwin, Connors, Hogan, Ryan, Riordan, Dunworth, Slattery, O’Neill, O’Connor, Malley, Condon, Canty, Bourke.
County Limerick
It is thought that humans had established themselves in the Lough Gur area of the county as early as 3000 BC, while megalithic remains found at Duntryleague date back further to 3500 BC...
, in the south west of Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. It is situated 26 km south of Limerick City
Limerick
Limerick is the third largest city in the Republic of Ireland, and the principal city of County Limerick and Ireland's Mid-West Region. It is the fifth most populous city in all of Ireland. When taking the extra-municipal suburbs into account, Limerick is the third largest conurbation in the...
, on the Morningstar river. The name Athlacca means 'ford of the flagstones', a feature that was once evident under the current St Catherine's Bridge. In the 17th century the parishes of Dromin and Athlacca amalgamated and became one; now the parish goes by the name Dromin/Athlacca.
There are two pubs
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
in the village, a National School in Athlacca and there are two pubs in Dromin. Whilst the Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
church remains in permanent use, the old Protestant
Church of Ireland
The Church of Ireland is an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. The church operates in all parts of Ireland and is the second largest religious body on the island after the Roman Catholic Church...
, although the church did lie in ruins they are at present the new Graveyard to the parish. The church itself has been demolished and all that remains is the steeple and gable wall. The parish extends from Rathcannon in the south to Crean in the north, the home of the famous hurling
Hurling
Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...
and tug-of war teams (current townland champions).
Athlacca is in a rural area where farming, although in steep decline, still being the biggest employer.
Athlacca's most famous parishioners are Jim Cregan, the former European athletics champion, and PP Hogan, champion horse trainer. The most popular sports, in order of participation levels, are Hurling
Hurling
Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...
, Gaelic football
Gaelic football
Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
, soccer and badminton
Badminton
Badminton is a racquet sport played by either two opposing players or two opposing pairs , who take positions on opposite halves of a rectangular court that is divided by a net. Players score points by striking a shuttlecock with their racquet so that it passes over the net and lands in their...
and Greyhound Racing
Greyhound racing
Greyhound racing is the sport of racing greyhounds. The dogs chase a lure on a track until they arrive at the finish line. The one that arrives first is the winner....
anyone interested in finding out more about greyhound racing should contact www.irishcoursingclub.ie Horse racing
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
,has a big following in the area and a point-to-point meeting is held annually. Not alone does Athlacca hold their own point to point but they hold the Bruff Point to Points and other parishes.
The Sheltered Housing known as "Dawn Court" was built on the grounds of the old creamery. It was opened by the President of Ireland, Mrs. Mary McAleese. The only part of the old creamery left is the chimney staff. There are at present 20 houses in this area. The houses consist of two bedrooms, kitchen, dining-sitting room and bathroom. There is a small shed out the back of the houses for storing coal or other items belonging to each individual. This housing system is unique as it is ecologically friendly. More houses went up a couple of years ago and to separate the dwellings there is a marble chair. This sculpture is of a high chair or Kings chair. It is made of green marble. On top of the chair is the head and antlers of a red deer; this is in honour of the giant elk that was found in Rathcannon at the turn of the 20th Century.
The Dromin/Athlacca community launched their defibrillator project on 25 August at the Church in Athlacca. This is a unique project in the southern region and its launch was testament to the commitment the community have shown to this issue. The project developed from money raised at the annual 'Community Cross Country Ride in 2004' and from a corresponding concern about the issue of heart-related emergencies in the region. Following the recruitment of a project co-coordinator, 18 volunteers were recruited to operate the defibrillators and two defibrillator machines are now in place at fixed sites. One of the defibrillators is on the wall to the left of Dromin Church and the second is on the wall on the right of the Church in Athlacca.
Common surnames in Athlacca
According to Irish Census 1901 & 1911.Lynch, O’Regan, Carmody, Casey, Irwin, Connors, Hogan, Ryan, Riordan, Dunworth, Slattery, O’Neill, O’Connor, Malley, Condon, Canty, Bourke.
See also
- List of towns and villages in Ireland