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Portumna (the landing place of the oak tree) is one of
Galway's most attractive towns and is ideally situated by
the River Shannon and Lough Derg to avail of all the
attractions these fine waters have to offer. Portumna Forest
Park provides a mile long sign-posted trail that guides you
through a marvellous world of common and exotic trees. Of
interest in Portumna would be Portumna Castle & Gardens, and
the Dominican Friary, which are within the town of Portumna.
The name Portumna derives from the Irish
Port Omna, meaning the landing place of the oak tree.
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Portumna Castle |
Portumna Workhouse |
Portumna Castle
(above left) was built prior to 1618 by Richard de Burgo
(Burke), the 4th Earl of Clanricarde, and a member of the
Anglo-Norman de Burgo (Burke) family. Located in eastern
County Galway near the north shore of Lough Derg, the
partially-fortified castle is Jacobean in design. The
immense structure is built in a rectangular block with a
tower on each corner, and firing holes for those who might
have to defend the castle can still be seen in each of the
towers. It was the Irish home to the de Burgo family for
over 200 years until it was destroyed by fire in 1828. The
castles surrounding woods and parklands were taken over in
1948 by the Forestry Service and are now a wildlife
sanctuary. Conservation and restoration on the building and
immediate grounds began when they were acquired by the
Office of Public Works in 1968. It has continued under
Duchas The Heritage Service. Restoration work on the castle
is ongoing with the first floor of the three-floor building
open to the public. Exhibitions on the ground floor tell the
history of the castle and of the de Burgo family. The
extensive walled 17th century kitchen garden and the formal
gardens have been completely restored and are open to the
public. Located within the precinct of the castle, there are
also ruins of a Dominican Friary built circa. 1425 and
destroyed in 1540. More on
Portumna Castle
Portumna Workhouse
Portumna was one of the new Poor Law Unions created in
Ireland between 1848 and 1850.
Portumna Workhouse
open in 1852 and was one of 33 opened after the Famine. As
such, life there was not as harsh as in the 130 earlier
workhouses opened before and during the Famine. Portumna Union was formally
declared on 22nd February 1850. It was created from the
southern parts of the Ballinasloe and Loughrea unions, and
occupied an area of 121 square miles. The new Portumna Union
workhouse was erected on a nine-acre site half a mile to the
north-east of Portumna. Designed by the Poor Law
Commissioners' architect George Wilkinson, the building was
intended to accommodate 600 inmates.
Forest Park
The lake fringed Forest Park and Wildlife sanctuary is home
to a variety of species of birds and deer. It is an
excellent setting for relaxing walks, scenic pinics and
beautiful nature trails. Portumna Forest Park was acquired
in 1948 and covers almost 600 hectares (1,500 acres). It was
formerly owned by the Clanrickarde family. Within the park
there is an old abbey that dates back to the 15th century.
There is a viewing tower along the nature trail where one
can get a bird's eye view of the forest, lake and lakeshore.
Adjacent to the Park is a marina giving access to the
Shannon waterway system. The park is easily accessible by
water and road. The forest is mainly coniferous but also
contains a wide variety of broadleaved trees, both native
and exotic. In addition to woodlands there are wide open
spaces, green fields, scrub, marsh, water and numerous
off-shore islands. This inter mix of forest, open area,
water and islands gives a wide choice of habitat to support
a great variety of flora and fauna. more on
Portumna Forest Park
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Portumna Abbey |
Portumna Yew Walk |
Portumna Yew Walk
The Yew Walk In Portumna is a short walk from the Adams
Gates of Portumna Castle to the rear wall of the Church of
Ireland. It is about 300 years old but fell into disuse
after a fire in the Castle in 1826. Many efforts have been
made to restore it - only for Sean Ryan the Yew Walk might
have never been opened.
The yew, with its poisonous dark evergreen leaves, tough
wood and long life, is a symbol of death, eternity and the
afterlife. Its excellent timber meant that it was considered
one of the most important trees to man. Yew trees are best
known for their association with graveyards where they are
widely found, often close beside churches. Gerald of Wales
in his History and Topography of Ireland remarks that: 'yews
with their bitter sap are more frequently to be found in
Ireland than in any other place I have visited; but you will
see them principally in old cemeteries and sacred places
where they were planted in ancient times by the hands of
holy men to give them what ornament and beauty they could'.
Portumna being on the tip of the Shannon's largest lake,
boasts a variety of activities for the water enthusiast,
such as ; jet ski-ing, sailing, wind-surfing, boating,
swimming, power-boat racing and cruising. |
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