About Lismore Village

Lismore and the Vee Drive

Lismore- The Vee - Clogheen - Goalenbridge - Newcastle - Mount Melleray - Cappoquin - Lismore

From Lismore via the Clogheen road, head north on the R668 through the Knockmealdown mountains and the famous Vee. This spectacular gap in the mountains gives views of West Waterford, Tipperary and the Galtee mountains in the distance. The Cyclopean tomb just above the viewpoint marks the grave of Samuel Richard Grubb, High Sheriff of County Tipperary, who, it is said, wished to be buried in a standing position to gaze on the Vee for all eternity.Continue toward the beautiful Bay Lough and Kilballyboy Wood. Situated below the Vee, Kilballyboy is planted with Scots pine, Sitka spruce and Douglas fir. The forest trail is 3km long and there is a car park off the road. Clogheen village with its attractive sandstone villages also marks the beginning of the Blackwater Way Walking Trail. On the Clonmel Road, (1km), just after the bridge over the renowned game angling fishery, the River Tar, is Parsons Green Park and Pet Farm.  Return to the Vee Road and turn left, signposted Newcastle.  At the village of Goatenbridge, a riverside viewpoint presents a beautiful view of the River Tar and the picturesque Goatsbridge, a 5-arch old stone bridge.  Continue towards Newcastle village where you will find the ruin of a castle and a manorial church. Just 2km to the north-east at Moloughnewtown is the ruin of a nunnery, Mollough Abbey founded in the 6th century and dedicated to St. Brigid. 

Return to the outskirts of Newcastle on the Clogheen road and turn left, signposted Mount Mellary 7 miles (11km).This road forms part of the East Munster Way for about 4km. The drive now follows the old Cappoquin road where the Monastery sign, right, signals the entrance to Mount Melleray founded in 1832 by Cistercian monks who had been expelled from the Abbey of Melleray in France. Mount Melleray has a  Religious Repository, a Heritage Centre and the 'Cloister' restaurant and tea rooms. The 10 km Glenshelane 'Glen of the Fairies' River Walk outside Cappoquin can be accessed here and at other points along its route. Cappoquin House, in the centre of the town, is an 18th century Georgian mansion built on the site of an old Fitzgerald castle.  The house and gardens enjoy magnificent views over the Blackwater. Continue to Lismore and the end of the drive.
Mount Melleray Abbey.

Lismore Castle & Gardens

Situated in the beautiful Blackwater Valley and commanding a superb position overlooking the river Blackwater this is one of the most delightful parts of Ireland. King John who later handed it over to the church originally built Lismore Castle. It remained a Bishop's Palace until 1589 when it was acquired by Sir Walter Raleigh and then sold on to Richard Boyle, first Earl of Cork, in 1602. This well-known castle was renovated and extended several times throughout the centuries, is now the property and temporary residence of the Duke of Devonshire’s. It derives its name from the 'Ráth' now known as the 'Round Hill', but in former times as 'An Líos Mór' and as some scholars would assert in pre-Christian times as 'Dún Scéinne'. It was built or rather rebuilt by King John (The Earl of Morton) in 1185 as prior to this, it was probably originally built by the orders of Henry 2nd, who visited Líos Mór in 1171. Milo De Cogan and Robert Fit Stephen were sent by him to choose a site for a stronghold as protection against the 'mere Irish'. In 1181 Culann O' Cuileáin and Ó Faolaín, Prince of Na Déise, attacked and destroyed the castle and killed about 60 of its garrison. The entrance to the castle is by the 'Riding Gate' so called from its having formerly been guarded by two mounted sentries, the niches for the horses still being shown. The castle has a number of towers. King John's Tower is situated to the right of the entrance and the Carlisle Tower on the left and is about 245' in height. Stone for the parts of it and for other parts of the castle, we were told, were at Chatsworth, England, and were brought over in specially chartered vessels. There is also Sir Walter Raleigh's Tower. This tower was probably part of the ecclesiastic building. The castle was for a long time the residence of the Bishop's of Lismore. Miler Macgrath, Archbishop of Cashel rented it to Sir Walter Raleigh in 1589 for the sum of £13-6-8 per annum. It passed later to Sir Richard Boyle, 1st Earl of Cork and it is here that the philosopher Robert Boyle was born in 1686. There is also the Flag Tower, which flanks the northeast angle. The drawing room contains a large bay window over hanging the river, known as 'King James' Window. While dining in the castle on 1689 he approached this window but started back when he saw the depth below. Lismore Castle had to withstand several sieges in its long and chequered history. It was attacked and besieged three times during the civil wars of 1641-1649. When the 4th Earl of Cork died, without male heirs in 1753 the ownership passed to his eldest daughter Lady Charlotte who had married the 4th Duke of Devonshire in 1748. It thus passed to the Devonshire family who still own it. During the renovation in 1814 the valuable manuscript now known as the 'Book of Lismore' but really the 'Book of Mac Cartach Riabhach' and the 'Lismore Crozier' were found in an excellent state of preservation. They are now in the National Museum in Dublin. The castle gardens are set on 7 acres of land within the castle's 17th century outer defensive walls. The gardens have many magnolias, camellias and rhododendrons and are open to the public from mid-April to early October between 1.45pm and 4.45 pm. The gardens are believed to be the oldest in Ireland retaining much of their original Jacobean form.

The Towers
This magical woodland trail is located 3 miles outside of Lismore Town. Here the visitor can stroll through woodlands and view the exocitic gate lodge and bridge that were constructed by landlord Arthur Kiely Ussher to impress a very demanding wife who wished to live in a large house. The cost of building the elaborate Gothic entrance proved so great that the house was never built.

Railway Station
In 1904 King Edward and his long-suffering Danish wife Queen Alexandra visited Ireland and were received everywhere with rapturous enthusiasm. On leaving Waterford, they travelled by train to Lismore, where they were welcomed at the station by their hosts the duke and duchess of Devonshire. A memorial on the wall of the station commerates the event.

The Millennium Park
Lismore Millennium Park is a joint development between Lismore Mochuda Development Company Ltd and Waterford County Council. Situated right in the center of the town the park hosts a number of interesting features and belies the small area that it covers. These features include:

Republic of Ireland: 058 52917, International Number: 00353 5852917