Adare Village
Overtouted as ‘Ireland’s prettiest village’, Adare’s fame centres on its string of thatched cottages built by 19th-century English landlord, the Earl of Dunraven, for workers constructing Adare Manor. Today the pretty cottages house craft shops and fine restaurants, while prestigious golf courses nearby cater to golf enthusiasts. The Irish name for Adare is Áth Dara – the Ford of the Oak.
The Desmond Castle
The time-worn remains of this Anglo-Norman fortress stands on the bank of the “Maigue” river and viewable from the bridge. This castle was erected, within an ancient ring-fort, around the early part of the 13th century. It became a strategic fortress during the following turbulent years.It was the property of the Earls of Kildare for nearly 300 years until the Silken Thomas’s rebellion of 1536, when it was forfeited and granted to the Earls of Desmond (they gave the castle its present name). Barely forty years later, in 1578, the Munster Geraldines were themselves in rebellion and lost the castle to English troops after an eleven-day siege. Tours of the castle are available.
Golf
Adare has two 18-hole golf courses and a pitch & putt course all within walking distance from the village. There are also over 20 golf courses within 1 hours drive from Adare. Plan a golfing holiday in Adare, which recently staged the J P McManus Pro Am. You will be spoilt for choice as Adare is the preferred base for golfers playing the world renowned parkland and links courses in this region.
The neighboring course at The Adare Manor is an award-winning course which is staged to host the Ryder Cup in 2027. The course has being recently transformed into a parkland paradise befitting a country in the top tier of global golfing destinations. The new course has been created in harmony with the outstanding natural beauty of its surroundings: lush, softly rolling terrain, mature tree scaping, and the sweeping banks of the River Maigue.
