Aunty Lena's &
Adare Court House

The Geraldines of Kildare developed Adare in mediaeval times and the present village was largely an early 19th century creation by the Dunravens. The building of the Gothic style Adare manor began in 1831.
In 1756 John Wesley preached to the people of Adare from under an ash tree near the Franciscan Friary and the tree was still there until about 1860. Today a stone marks the site where this tree stood and the Methodists hold a Field Meeting here in June each year. In the early 19th century, the Earl of Dunraven, laid the plans for the existing streets and townhouses of Adare. These lands and dwellings were rented to tenants under various agreements, some of which still exist today.

Aunty Lena’s

Adare in Irish is pronounced ‘Áth Dara’ which translates as “ford of oak”, as previously mentioned Adare is renowned as one of the prettiest villages in Ireland and it certainly lives up to this herald, the Irish Government even agree having given Adare the designation ‘Heritage Town’. Situated on the river Maigue, a tributary of the river Shannon, Adare is steeped in history dating back to the 12th Century.
Adare originated as a settlement on the eastern side of the crossing point over the River Maigue some 16km from the Viking forged City of Limerick. Historically a market town, in the Middle Ages, Adare was a major settlement with three monasteries and a castle.

Adare’s three Monasteries:

The Adare Friary formerly known as the “Black Abbey” is an Augustinian Friary which was founded in 1316 by friars invited to Adare by the 1st Earl of Kildare, John Fitzthomas Fitzgerald. They set up home here building a beautiful abbey which due to extensive care and restoration still retains many of its original features; they also owned some land and cottages in and around the village and a fishing weir on the River Maigue. However after the reign of Henry VIII and his Tudor Suppression of Irish Monasteries, by the end of the 16th Century the Augustinians had fled to Limerick City. In 1807 the friary was given to the local Church of Ireland congregation for use as their parish church, St. Nicholas Church of Ireland. It also now houses St. Nicolas National School which was built in the abbey’s refectory. It has been extensively restored by the Dunraven family throughout the 19th Century.

The Franciscan Abbey in Adare was founded in 1464 by Thomas Fitz-Maurice, the 7th Earl of Kildare taking two years to complete. It is currently a ruin and is located inside the Adare Manor Golf Club.
The Trinitarian Order established their only monastery in Ireland in Adare in 1230. The Abbey was restored in 1811 by the first Earl of Dunraven as the Catholic Parish church.

Desmond Castle

A fortress type structure is said to have first been built by the O’Donovans, who were rulers of the region into the late 12th century, and afterwards to have passed to the Kildare branch of the FitzGerald dynasty, who may be responsible for the majority of the remains of the present fortress. Desmond Castle, as it is popularly known, stands on the north bank of the River Maigue.
The castle was fortified with an ancient ring-fort, around the early part of the 13th century. There is a large square tower, close to the main road and bridge over the River Maigue. It is surrounded by a strong battlemented rampart with semicircular bastions. A gate to the south has a drawbridge. It became a strategic fortress during the following turbulent years. It was the property of the Earls of Kildare for nearly 300 years until the rebellion in 1536, when it was forfeited and granted to the Earls of Desmond who gave the castle its present name.
An extensive renovation has been in progress on the castle since 1996 but there is limited access granted to visitors via organised tours, not all areas are accessible due to the works but beautiful views of the castle can always be seen from the bridge.
​

​Adare Court House

A detached six-bay, two-storey courthouse built in 1863, with cut stone external limestone staircase to north elevation. Pitched slate roof with cut limestone copings and brackets to gables and cut limestone chimneystacks and eaves course. Rubble limestone walls with cut limestone plinth and flush dressed quoins.

Square-headed openings with dressed limestone block-and-start flush surrounds and timber sliding sash windows, bipartite arched one-over-one pane to first floor and one-over-one pane to ground floor. Those to ground floor with relieving arches over. Square-headed opening to north elevation with replacement window and dressed stone surround. Pointed arch openings to front (east) elevation and north elevation with dressed limestone surrounds, cut limestone steps, timber battened doors and overlights. Cut stone staircase to north with cut limestone banister wall having cut copings. Cut limestone curved boundary wall to north with cut stone copings and square-headed openings with timber battened doors.

William Fogerty was the architect of this courthouse, which was financed by the Earl of Dunraven. The symmetrical façade gives the appearance of a pair of houses, each with three bays and a central door. The domestic element is further underlined as it was built to accommodate a caretaker on the ground floor. The unadorned limestone construction adds a certain austerity to the façade which gives the building a civic dimension. The fine stonework adds artistic interest and is indicative of the quality of craftsmanship used in the construction. The external staircase is another notable feature as this is where the public entered the first floor court. The building and its associated boundary walls make a notable addition to the town of Adare and additional significance can be attributed to this courthouse due to its close links with local history, having been financed by the Earl of Dunraven.