Day 8: Adare Village and Lough Gur

Today we’re bound for the prettiest village in Ireland and get ready to take a voyage back in time to 6000 BC. Our first stop will be Adare Village County Limerick, a picture postcard village lined with traditional thatched cottages. This charming village is a favourite amongst the Irish and has lots to offer where antique shops, galleries cafes and restaurants sit side by side.

The heritage centre in the centre of the village offers an insight into centuries of history that have shaped this famous village. Following Adare we’ll take a short drive to Lough Gur, here we’ll take a tour and discover 6000 years of human development, Lough Gur Heritage Centre provides an overview of one of Ireland’s most important archaeological sites. It is the only area in the country where you can see visible evidence of every age since Neolithic times. Here a guide will take you to several sites providing historical information and folklore associated with the lake. The sites visited include the Great Grange Stone Circle, composed of 113 standing stones, and the Grange Stone Circle which is the largest and finest in Ireland. It was built c. 2,200 B.C. after the arrival of the Bronze Age People in Lough Gur. It is a ritual site akin to our churches of the present day and also served as an astronomical calendar. We can only speculate on the rituals which took place here but know that they were of great importance also to people from surrounding settlements. The circle is aligned on the sunrise of the summer solstice. Other sites include Tempall Nua (15-century church), Giants Grave (megalith wedge tomb), Carraig Aille (5th-century ring forts) and the lakefront – taking in information on Bourchiers Castle, Bolin island (Crannóg), Hangman’s rock and entrance to the Heritage Centre. The guide will have history and folklore associated with all the sites located here. A fascinating look back into ancient Ireland.