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When visiting Lismore, stop and admire the beauty of the Heritage Town and the ducal Castle that salutes it from above.
St. Carthage founded a monastery in Lismore in 636 AD and the town, after its monastic foundation, became a seat of learning and holiness. Lismore's history is inextricably linked with the Church, from St. Carthage's Monastery in the 6th century to the Cathedral named in his honour a thousand years later. However, in spite of being ransacked more than once by the Vikings, the Monastery managed to retain its influence in Munster until the arrival of the Normans in 1172.
Some of history's most famous characters have strolled the streets of Lismore from William Thackeray on his travels to Edward Burne-Jones who left his mark on the Cathedral's beautiful stain glass window right up to the young statesman John F. Kennedy to the twinkled toed Fred Astaire.
Lismore Castle was built by Prince John in 1185 and is now the property and temporary residence of Lord and Lady Burlington, son and daughter in law of the Duke of Devonshire. The Castle became the residence of the Bishop's of Lismore before Sir Walter Raleigh leased and later bought the castle in 1589. he sold it in 1602 to Sir Richard Boyle, Earl of Cork whose son Robert Boyle became Father of Modern Chemistry. The castle and its lands passed to the 4th Duke of Devonshire following his marriage in 1748 to Lady Charlotte Boyle.
‘The Lismore Experience’, an audio visual presentation in the Lismore Heritage Centre, is a must for all those wishing to learn of the town's illustrious past.
