Lorrha is a tiny hamlet nestled in a hollow surrounded by gentle hills. It's history stretches back into the mists of time. St. Ruadhan founded a monastic site here in the year 584. The monastery was attacked and sacked several times over the next 5 centuries. In the 13th century a house for Augustian canons was established here, the remains still stand imposingly to this day. There is also a beautiful well-preserved ruin of an abbey, which was used by the Dominican Order of monks. The other historic attractions are too numerous to mention, but one curiosity is the bullaun stones which are dotted around the village, these stones are found on other monastic sites, nobody really knows the use to which they were put. Any suggestions would be appreciated!

There is a beautiful little lake known as Friar's Lough which is teeming with fish, and also is reputed to hold a dragon, hence none of the local people dare to swim there. There is an award winning self catering holiday complex in the village which attracts repeat business evey year and the two pubs are the hub of the village and provide music and craic in the evenings.

The monks left us a gift, that is, a sense of timelesness, a pervading sense of tranquillity and the ability to look into a middle distance whilst drawing a long deep breath of fresh air and thanking God for being so kind to you.

Clan Name

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

Greenways Festival 2003

Lorrha 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