Abbeyfeale (Mainistir na Féile in Irish) is a historical market town in County Limerick, Republic of Ireland near the boundary with County Kerry. The town is in the midwest of Ireland, some 21 km (13 miles) from Newcastle West on the N21 - the main road from Limerick to Tralee.
Geography
The town is situated on the banks of the River Feale in the foothills of the Mullaghareirk Mountains .
History
Abbeyfeale was first settled in 1188 when Brien O'Brien founded a Cistercian abbey on the banks of the River Feale. In 1209, the abbey became a cell of Monasternanagh in the barony of Pubblebrien.
The Rockites under their leader Sean Fitzmaurice (Captain Rock) used Abbeyfeale as a base camp for their activities in 1822. Around the same time Samuel Lewis stated that the village of Abbeyfeale was 'almost inaccessible'. This problem was removed with the building of roads under the stewardship of Richard Griffith in the early 1820s.
Today Abbeyfeale has a population of around 2,000 people and is growing rapidly.
The Town
The main feature in Abbeyfeale's square is a statue of Father William Casey. Fr Casey was the parish priest from 1883 to 1907 who helped the tenant farmers fight against their landlords.
There was a cinema in the town during the 1950s, 60s and 70s: the Abbey Cinema. Today it is no longer open.
Virtually no trace remains of the abbey, the only identifiable remnants of being those used in the construction of the Roman Catholic church.
The Geraldine Portrinard Castle is situated about 2.5 km northwest of the town, on the northbank of the Feale.
See also
External links
