Edge Rewrite
translate Source code View original
Jump to content

Croagh

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Croagh
Cróch
Village
Main Street in Croagh village
Main Street in Croagh village
Croagh is located in Ireland
Croagh
Croagh
Location in Ireland
Coordinates: 52°32′03″N 08°52′14″W / 52.53417°N 8.87056°W / 52.53417; -8.87056
CountryIreland
ProvinceMunster
CountyCounty Limerick
Population
 (2016)[1]
 • Total
216
Irish grid referenceR408428

Croagh (Irish: Cróch)[2] is a small village and civil parish in County Limerick, Ireland. It is located in mid-Limerick between Rathkeale and Adare just off the N21 national primary road,[3] approximately 22 kilometres (14 miles) southwest of Limerick City. The village was originally part of this route before construction of the Croagh by-pass in 1986.[4] The village is in the agricultural area known as the Golden Vale.

Name

[edit]

According to the Placenames Database of Ireland, the meaning and derivation of Croagh (Cróch) is unclear.[2] The word ‘cróch’ translates as ‘saffron’ in English, however it is unclear if this is related to the place name. [5] Over the centuries, Croagh has been known by a number of names, including Moycro (1239), Croch (1416), Croth (1452), Croghe (1586), Croaghstowne (1669) and Cruach (1840).[6]

History

[edit]

Evidence of ancient settlement in the area includes a number of ringfort and fulacht fiadh sites in the townlands of Croagh, Adamswood and Ballycannon.[7][8] The ruins of a medieval church and enclosure lie in the village.[9] The current Catholic church, which is dedicated to Saint John the Baptist and was built c. 1830,[10] is one of several protected structures within the village.[11]

Samuel Lewis in his 1837 ‘A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland’ claimed that King James II, while retreating from his loss at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690, spent one night at Amigan Castle, a local tower house within Croagh parish. This claim has never been verified however but the story persists. [12]

Amenities and sport

[edit]

Croagh, which had a population of 216 as of the 2016 census,[1] has a national (primary) school with an enrollment of approximately 70 children.[13] Other amenities include a Catholic church, garden centre, childcare facility, medical centre, music school, pubs, nursing home, community centre, a village park and sports ground.[3]

The local Gaelic Athletic Association club, Croagh-Kilfinny, won the 2020 Limerick Junior Hurling Championship (played in 2021 due to Covid restrictions), as well as the Limerick Intermediate Hurling Championship in 2024.[14][15]

The local association football club, Shountrade AFC, was founded in Croagh in 1987. It competes in the West Limerick based Limerick Desmond League. [16]

See also

[edit]

Further reading

[edit]
  • Lewis, Samuel (1837). "Croagh, a parish". A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland. Dublin: Lewis.

References

[edit]
  1. 1 2 "Sapmap Area: Settlements Croagh". Census 2016. Central Statistics Office (Ireland). Archived from the original on 13 March 2022.
  2. 1 2 "Cróch/Croagh". logainm.ie. Placenames Database of Ireland. Retrieved 8 July 2025.
  3. 1 2 Limerick Development Plan 2022-2028, Volume 2b (PDF) (Report). Limerick City and County Council. p. 106. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
  4. ↑ "Then & Now: Taking the road less travelled". limericklive. 16 June 2022.
  5. ↑ "cróch translation". gaois.ie. 27 September 2026. Retrieved 27 September 2026.
  6. ↑ "Croagh History". ballycannon lodge.com. 8 July 2025. Retrieved 8 July 2025.
  7. ↑ Record of Monuments and Places - County Limerick (PDF). National Monuments and Historic Properties Service. 1997.
  8. ↑ "2002:1071 - Adamswood/Croagh/Ballycannon, Limerick". excavations.ie. 16 July 2014. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
  9. ↑ Begley, J. (1906). The Diocese of Limerick ancient and medieval. Dublin: Browne & Nolan. p. 164.
  10. ↑ "Catholic Church of Saint John the Baptist, Ballycannon, Croagh, Limerick". buildingsofireland.ie. National Inventory of Architectural Heritage. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
  11. ↑ Limerick Development Plan 2022-2028 - Volume 3c - Record of Protected Structures (Adare-Rathkeale Municipal District) (PDF) (Report). Limerick City and County Council. June 2022. pp. 48–49. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
  12. ↑ "Amoganmore Castle". www.ouririshheritage.org. 27 September 2026. Retrieved 27 September 2026.
  13. ↑ "Croagh National School". gov.ie. 20 July 2023. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
  14. ↑ Redington, John (13 June 2021). "Croagh-Kilfinny end 118 year wait for county honour". www.limerickleader.ie.
  15. ↑ Keogh, John (26 October 2024). "Persistence pays as Croagh-Kilfinny end run of final defeats". www.irishexaminer.com.
  16. ↑ "About Shountrade AFC". shountradeafc.com. 27 September 2026. Retrieved 27 September 2026.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Croagh&oldid=1376931237"