Dromcolliher

Dromcollogher, officially Dromcolliher (Irish: Drom Collachair),[2] is a village located at the crossroads of the R522 and R515 regional roads in the west of County Limerick, Ireland. It is part of the parish of Dromcollogher-Broadford (previously known as Killagholehane). It is also very close to the boundary of north County Cork.

Dromcollogher
Drom Collachair
Village
Church at Dromcollogher
Church at Dromcollogher
Dromcollogher is located in Ireland
Dromcollogher
Dromcollogher
Location in Ireland
Coordinates: 52°20′N 8°55′W
CountryIreland
ProvinceMunster
CountyCounty Limerick
Population
 (2016)[1]
518
Time zoneUTC+0 (WET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-1 (IST (WEST))
Irish Grid ReferenceR380212

There are many variations of 'Drom'. The locals spell it Dromcollogher, but Drumcolloher, Dromcolloher, Drumcullogher, and numerous other variations can be found. Dromcolliher is the version adopted by the Ordnance Survey, and postal authorities.

History

Dromcollogher was first mentioned in 1160 in the Book of Leinster. Other historical records include references in "Westropp" (1201), Munster Journal (1751), and the population was recorded as 658 in 1831.

It is classed as a medieval town by Limerick County Council, and the council's 'County Development Plan' lists a number of protected structures in the area.[3] These include the local creamery, courthouse, and the churches of Killagholehane and St. Timothy (now known as St. Bartholomew). This church was built in 1824, by Fr. Micheal Fitzgerald, who purchased the land from a local landowner. It was restored several times, including in the 1950s and 1990s.[4]

Percy French, the Irish composer, once stayed here and composed the song "There's Only One Street In Dromcollogher".[5]

Dromcollogher fire
Aftermath of the Dromcollogher fire

On 5 September 1926, a timber barn being used as a temporary cinema in Dromcollogher caught fire when a candle ignited a reel of nitrate film. Forty-eight people died in this tragedy, always known locally as the Dromcollogher Burning; forty-six of them are buried in a large grave in the grounds of the local church.[6]

It remained the worst recorded fire disaster in Irish history until the Betelgeuse incident in 1979 and the Stardust disaster in 1981, which claimed fifty and forty-eight lives, respectively.

Economy

Dromcollogher was one of the starting points for the Irish Co-Op Movement, with the first Co-Operative creamery being set up here in 1889 on the initiative of Horace Plunkett. This protected structure has since been restored, and is now the National Dairy Cooperative Museum.[7]

Since 1962, Dromcollogher has been home to the 'Irish Dresden' pottery factory, which closed its doors in 2009 but re-opened in 2015.[8]

Sport

The local GAA club, Dromcollogher/Broadford GAA, won the 2015 Limerick Junior Hurling Championship.[9] This was the club's second such championship win since Dromcollogher/Broadford joined forces, with the first being in 1993. In 2008, Dromcollogher/Broadford GAA club won the Munster Senior Club Football Championship competition, defeating Kilmurry-Ibrackane from Clare at the Gaelic Grounds.[10]

Dromcollogher-Broadford Ladies football club was founded in 1999. The club has competed in Munster Junior club semi-finals on 3 occasions, and in 2016, competed in its first Munster Junior club final, losing to Kinsale by 4 points.

Festivals

An annual street festival, the Dromcollogher Carnival, is held in early July.[11] Past events have included street entertainment, parades, live music and a 4-mile run.[12][13]

See also

References
  1. "Sapmap Area - Settlements - Drumcollogher". Census 2016. Central Statistics Office. April 2016. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
  2. "Drom Collachair / Dromcolliher". logainm.ie. Placenames Database of Ireland. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
  3. "Limerick County Development Plan 2010-2016 - Volume 3 - Record of Protected Structures - Edition 4" (PDF). limerick.ie. Limerick County Council. November 2010. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
  4. "Saint Bartholomew's Roman Catholic Church, Dromcolliher, Limerick". buildingsofireland.ie. National Inventory of Architectural Heritage. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
  5. "Percy French - "There's only one street in Dromcollogher"". dromheritage.ie. Dromcollogher Heritage Trail. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
  6. "1926 fire tragedy recalled". irishtimes.com. Irish Times. 13 September 2006. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
  7. "National Dairy Co-Op Museum, Dromcolliher, Limerick". buildingsofireland.ie. National Inventory of Architectural Heritage. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
  8. "Irish Dresden reopens in Dromcollogher". limerickleader.ie. Limerick Leader. 23 June 2015. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
  9. "Limerick junior hurling champions in Munster action". limerickleader.ie. Limerick Leader. 1 November 2015. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
  10. "Callinan late surge secures crown for Broadford". independent.ie. Independent News & Media. 8 December 2008. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
  11. "'Hawaii 501' set for Dromcollogher Carnival". independent.ie. Independent News & Media. 8 July 2013. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
  12. "Dromcollogher 4mile race". limerickpost.ie. Limerick Post. 3 July 2013. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
  13. "Limerick Festivals". ilovelimerick.ie. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
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