Ireland (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Fionn Davenport [174]
Information
The locally – and enthusiastically – run tourist office ( 058-54975; www.lismoreheritage.ie; Main St; 9.30am-5.30pm Mon-Fri, 10am-5.30pm Sat, noon-5.30pm Sun mid-Mar–Christmas, 9.30am-5.30pm Mon-Fri Jan–mid-Mar) is inside the Lismore Heritage Centre.
Sights
‘One of the neatest and prettiest edifices I have seen’, commented William Thackeray in 1842 about the striking St Carthage’s cathedral (1679). And that was before the addition of the Edward Burne-Jones stained-glass window, which features all the Pre-Raphaelite hallmarks: an effeminate knight and a pensive maiden against a sensuous background of deep-blue velvet and intertwining flowers. Justice, with sword and scales, and Humility, holding a lamb, honour Francis Currey, who helped to relieve the suffering of the poor during the Famine. Among the cathedral’s oddities and wonders are some noteworthy tombs, including the elaborately carved MacGrath family crypt dating from 1557 and fossils in the pulpit.
From the Cappoquin road there are stunning glimpses of the riverside Lismore Castle, which is closed to day-trippers but available for groups to hire. You can visit the 3 hectares of gardens ( 058-54424; www.lismorecastle.com; adult/child €8/4; 11am-4.45pm mid-Mar–Sep), thought to be the oldest in Ireland, divided into the walled Jacobean upper garden and less formal lower garden. There are brilliant herbaceous borders, magnolias and camellias, and a splendid yew walk where Edmund Spenser is said to have written The Faerie Queen. The contemporary sculptures dotting the gardens have been joined by a contemporary art gallery ( 058-54061; www.lismorecastlearts.ie) in the west wing of the castle.
The original castle was erected by Prince John, lord of Ireland, in 1185. After a stint as the local bishop’s residence, it was presented to Sir Walter Raleigh in 1589 along with 200 sq km of the surrounding countryside. He later sold it to the Earl of Cork, Richard Boyle, whose son Robert, known as the ‘father of modern chemistry’ for devising Boyle’s Law, was born here.
Most of the current castle was constructed in the early 19th century. During its rebuilding, workmen discovered the 15th-century Book of Lismore and 12th-century Lismore Crozier, both in the National Museum in Dublin. The book not only documents Irish saints’ lives but also has an account of Marco Polo’s voyages. The castle is owned by Peregrine Cavendish, 12th Duke of Devonshire.
In the old courthouse, the Lismore Heritage Centre ( 058-54975; www.discoverlismore.com; Main St; adult/child €5/3.50; same hr as tourist office) features a 30-minute audiovisual presentation taking you from the arrival of St Carthage in AD 636 to the present day via the discovery of the Book of Lismore behind a wall in the castle in 1814 and John F Kennedy’s visit in 1947.
Tours
The tourist office runs 45-minute guided walking tours (€5) of the town year-round on request, or you can pick up the info-packed Lismore Walking Tour Guide (€3).
Sleeping & Eating
Beechcroft B&B ( 058-54273; beechcroftbandb@eircom.net; Deerpark Rd; d with/without bathroom from €70/60; ) Homey touches at this central B&B just off East Main St include electric blankets.
Glencairn Inn & Pastis Bistro ( 058-56232; www.glencairninn.com; Glencairn, Lismore; s/d €60/95; restaurant dinner Thu-Sat, lunch Sun, inn & restaurant closed mid-Nov–mid-Jan; ) Painted the colour of churned butter, this south-of-France-style country inn has four rooms with brass beds, French cuisine like pear and Roquefort salad, and steak-frites with whiskey-peppercorn sauce (mains €22 to €29), and a quintessentially Provençal pétanque pitch. Follow the signposts 4km west of town.
Lismore House Hotel ( 058-72966; www.lismorehousehotel.com; Main St; r €99-139; ) Directly opposite the Heritage Centre, Ireland’s oldest purpose-built hotel was built in 1797 by the Duke of Devonshire. He’d still recognise the exterior, but inside rooms have had a contemporary makeover with sleek dark timber furniture