- Ardpatrick
Ardpatrick is a small village in
County Limerick , Ireland. It lies at the foot of the north slopes of the Ballyhoura Mountains, on the edge of theGolden Vale . It had a population of 398 in 2006. [ [http://www.cso.ie/census/documents/2006PreliminaryReport.pdf CSO.ie - 2006 Census - Preliminary Report (Table 4 page 61)] ]On the hill above the village is the site of a 5th century
monastery andround tower or cloictheach, now in ruins. Legend tells of a peal of 7 silver bells which once hung in the tower. The monastery was reputedly founded by St.Patrick himself and is surrounded by earthworks probably far more ancient.Fact|date=December 2007From the hill can be seen
Castle Oliver , a 19th Century mansion built by the Oliver Gascoignes, an Anglo-Irish family. Its fine stained glass windows, which feature the life of St.Patrick, have recently been restored.About an hour from both Cork and Shannon airports, the village comprises a small number of houses around the parish church. At the south end of the village is a memorial garden and tourist information. Each summer there is a 3 day Festival na Fianna. The Greenwood, just to the south of the village gives access to walking trails across thousands of acres of countryside.
References
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