Adare Town Park - 4 Things to Know Before Visiting

Adare Heritage Centre offers an exciting range of facilities for every visitor. Learn about the history of the picturesque heritage town of Adare in County Limerick at the Adare Heritage Centre.Step back in time and take a journey through the Historical Exhibition, a reconstruction of Adare’s unique past from the arrival of the Normans to the ancient Abbeys of the Middle Ages.

Holy Trinity Abbey Church is now the Roman Catholic parish church in the centre of the picturesque nineteenth-century estate village of Adare. The foundation date of Trinitarian order at Adare is unknown. The church underwent considerable restoration in the nineteenth century which incorporated remains of the medieval church including the nave, chancel and tower.

The Adare Friary, located in Adare, County Limerick, Ireland, formerly known as the "Black Abbey", is an Augustinian Friary founded in 1316 by the Earl of Kildare. It is now known as "St. Nicholas' Church of Ireland" parish church, and St Nicholas' National School. Many of the features of the friary are very well preserved, particularly the small 15th century cloister and sedilia.

The Desmond Castle is located on the edge of the village of Adare, just off the N21 on the main Limerick to Kerry road. The castle was erected with an ancient ring-fort around the early part of the 13th century. 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.

Curraghchase is a 774-acre forest park located in County Limerick. There are over 300 hectares of rolling parkland, trails, mixed woodland, lakes and an arboretum here. There are a number of looped way marked trails in the park to suit all visitors. They vary from the multi-access trails suitable for wheelchair users and family walkers to the longer Curragh and Glenisca trails suitable for those looking for more demanding walking and cycling options.

Desmond Castle in Kinsale dates from around 1500. It is a classic urban tower house, consisting of a three-storey keep with storehouses to the rear.It served as a prison in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Because it usually held French inmates, as well as Spaniards, Portuguese, Dutch and Americans, it became known locally as the French Prison and carries that name to this day.