Lahinch
Lahinch
Irish: An Leacht | |
---|---|
Town | |
Coordinates: 52°56′13″N 9°20′42″W / 52.937°N 9.345°W | |
Country | Ireland |
Province | Munster |
County | County Clare |
Population | 638 |
Irish Grid Reference | R134877 |
Lahinch or Lehinch (Irish: An Leacht or Irish: Leacht Uí Chonchubhair, meaning "The Memorial cairn of O'Connor") is a small town on Liscannor Bay, on the northwest coast of County Clare, Ireland. It lies on the N67 national secondary road, between Milltown Malbay and Ennistymon, roughly 75 kilometres (47 mi) by road southwest of Galway and 68 kilometres (42 mi) northwest of Limerick.[2] The town is a seaside resort and is home to the Lahinch Golf Club. It has become a popular surfing location.
Etymology
Lahinch is the anglicised form of Leath Inse, meaning half island or peninsula.[3] This is not related to Leacht Uí Chonchubhair, which means "O'Connor's Grave", referring to the memorial cairn (Leacht) marking the burial place of one of the O’Connor chieftains, who were the ruling clan of the district of Corco Modhruadh Iartharach.[4]
The town was recorded by the Annals of the Four Masters as Leith Innse,[5] which is a variant of the Irish word for a peninsula leithinis ("half island"), which describes the village's location between the Inagh River and the sea.[6] The town today is mostly spelled "Lahinch", but some road signs in the area use the spelling "Lehinch".
History and landmarks
Several earth forts in the area indicate that the area was inhabited in ancient times, the most prominent of which is on the northern side of the hill above the village along the road to Ennistymon.[6] The fort is believed to have been built by the Danish Vikings and lies on a hill which later became known as "Doctor's Hill" after a doctor was murdered there.[7]
In the Middle Ages, the O'Brien clan dominated the coastline; Liscannor Castle and Dough Castle are now ruins.[8] The tower of Dough Castle stands on the golf course, and O'Brien's Bridge across the Inagh River is in the vicinity.[9] As late as the 18th century, Lahinch was still a small hamlet with only a few fisherman's huts. It grew in the 19th century to over 1000 people by 1835, but it was not until later in the century that the infrastructure of the town developed and it became a seaside resort following the opening of the West Clare Railway in 1887.[6][10] In 1883, the town was struck by a severe storm which destroyed the sea wall and promenade and damaged many buildings. Local governor William Edward Ellis overlooked the repair work which followed and the construction of a new sea wall and promenade were inaugurated by the wife of the Viceroy, Lady Aberdeen, in July 1893.[11]
A book "Holiday Haunts of the West Coast of Clare" (1891) stated that Lahinch's "strand for length, width and evenness is not to be excelled in Ireland", noting that the "accommodation is excellent, neat and respectable".[6] The following year, the establishment of Lahinch Golf Club further contributed to the growth of the town. In 1900, Gertrude Crowe of "Times Weekly" wrote: "Lahinch, a restful picturesque spot on the west coast of Clare, retains much of its primitive old world charm. In the good times, it is celebrated for the assemblage of rank and beauty and fashion who resorted thither for bathing. An 1822 Guide mentions that the neighbouring gentry was in the habit of having warmly contested races on the strand."[6] Historically the people of the town celebrated Garland Sunday on the last Sunday of July, attracting people from across the county. Stalls lined the main street with numerous other attractions for the visitors.[6]
On 22 and 23 September 1920, British RIC troops avenged the
The West Clare Railway closed in 1961,
Sport
Lahinch is home to the 36-hole Lahinch Golf Club, founded in 1892. The original links was laid out by Old Tom Morris. Alister MacKenzie, who co-designed Augusta National Golf Club, redesigned and extended the links in 1927 for a fee of £2,000.[18] Lahinch Golf Club is home to the South of Ireland Championship, an amateur golf tournament which began in 1895. It was also host to the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open, in July 2019.
Lahinch has become one of the foremost surfing locations in Ireland, and is home to a surfing school. lifeboat service, provides protection for water-users.
Moher Celtic and Sporting Ennistymon are the local soccer clubs. The clubs have underage teams from U8s up to U16s who play in the Clare Schoolboy/Girls Soccer League. The Youths and Junior A and B teams play in the Clare District Soccer League. The A team play in the Premier Division in the Clare District Soccer League and the B team play in the Third Division. The underage teams and only one of the Junior teams play their home fixtures in Lahinch Sportsfield. Mohers Celtics B team plays their fixtures at Liscannor Sportsfield while Sporting Ennistymon B team plays at Mullagh Sportfield.
Other activities in the area include fishing, cycling, hiking, and pony trekking.
Transport
Bus
Bus Éireann route 350 links Lahinch to several locations: Ennis, Ennistymon, Cliffs of Moher, Doolin, Lisdoonvarna and Galway. There are a number of journeys each way daily. Onward rail and bus connections are available at Ennis and Galway. Lahinch is also linked to Doonbeg, Spanish Point, Miltown Malbay, Kilfenora, Corofin and Ennis by Route 333, with services running Monday to Saturday once daily.
Rail
Lahinch was formerly served by the narrow gauge West Clare Railway, which linked Kilrush, Kilkee and Milltown Malbay with Ennis. The railway station opened on 2 July 1887; the entire line (including Lahinch station) closed on 1 February 1961.[22] Nowadays Ennis railway station is the nearest and Bus Éireann route 350 stops outside it.
Notable people
- Alphonsus Cullinan (born 1959), Roman Catholic prelate, current Bishop of Waterford and Lismore
- Kitty Hayes (1928–2008), concertina player, born in Fahanlunaghta
- Robert Dermot O'Flanagan (1901–1972), Roman Catholic prelate, Bishop of Juneau between 1951 and 1968
- Paddy Skerritt (1927–2001), professional golfer[23][24]
Gallery
-
The waterfront in August 2005
-
Lahinch promenade in February 2012
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View of the town from the beach
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Looking out to sea at Lahinch beach
See also
- List of towns and villages in the Republic of Ireland
- I Was Happy Here, movie filmed in Lahinch
References
- ^ "Census 2016 Sapmap Area: Settlements Lehinch". Central Statistics Office (Ireland). Archived from the original on 15 July 2021. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
- ^ Google (8 February 2014). "Lahinch" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 8 February 2014.
- ISBN 978-0-9519692-7-4.
- ISBN 978-1-59485-449-1.
- ^ Cléirigh, Mícheál Ó (1856). Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland by the Four Masters, from the earliest times to the year 1616. p. 77.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Lahinch". Clare County Library. Retrieved 8 February 2014.
- ^ Dublin University Magazine: A Literary and Political Journal. W. Curry, jun., and Company. 1841. p. 438.
- ^ Fraser, James (1844). Guide through Ireland. Dublin. p. 395.
- ISBN 978-1-900545-03-7.
- ISBN 978-0-9581796-5-2.
- ^ a b "Lahinch Places of Interest". Clare County Library. Retrieved 8 February 2014.
- ISBN 978-0-907606-67-3.
- ISBN 978-1-85635-669-5.
- ISBN 978-1-85635-715-9.
- ISBN 978-0-470-46508-0.
- ISBN 978-1-903164-21-1.
- ISBN 978-1-58536-080-2.
- ISBN 978-0-7649-1336-5.
- ISBN 978-1-86011-327-7.
- ^ "Lahinch surfing". Times Online. June 2006. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 8 February 2014.
- ISBN 978-1-4053-8916-7.
- ^ "Lahinch station" (PDF). Railscot - Irish Railways. Retrieved 28 October 2007.
- ISBN 978-1-55586-323-4.
- ^ "Paddy Skerritt (1927 - 2001)". Stanneslinksgolf.com. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 8 February 2014.
External links
- Lahinch at the Clare County Library
Bus Services