Lawrencetown is a village in east Galway bordering three counties; Roscommon, Offaly and Tipperary. It is only thirty minutes from the towns of Birr and Athlone and forty minutes from Galway City. Lawrencetown has a varied landscape of fine agricultural land, forestr, peat lands and is in close proximity to the river Shannon.

Two centuries ago the whole area of Kiltormer and Lawrencetown was made nationally famous by the erection of an elaborate gateway of very artistic design at the entrance to Belview mansion. It was specially built to commemorate the parliamentary independence of Grattan's Parliament and the Irish Volunteers, in the year 1782. On the entablature of the structure is the following Latin inscription in Roman capitals:

Post Longam Servitutem Libertas 16 April 1782 Hoc Die Hiberniae Armata Proles Summa Virtute et Fortitude Antiqua IURA Recuperavit.

This is translated as;
Liberty after long servitude was won on the 16 April 1782 by the armed sons of Hibernia, who with heroic fortitude regained their ancient laws and established their ancient independence.

Unfortunately, a large portion of this beautiful gateway on the avenue to Belview mansion has been defaced. The original façade, which was eighty feet long, has disappeared and nothing remains except the portico.

Clan Name

Lawrencetown is part of the ancestral home of the Maddens and forms a stage of the Beara-Breifne Greenway which is based on the historic march of O'Sullivan Beara in 1603.

Heritage Houses

For info on Ballymore House built by John Lawrence click here.
For info on Lismany House click here
For info on Lisreaghan (Bellevue) House click here

Greenways Festival 2003

Laurencetown is talking part in the Greenways Festival in summer 2003 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the legendary 1603 march of O’Sullivan Beara from the Beara Peninsula to the Breifne area. Click here for info on the events