Loughrea, from the Irish meaning “town of the grey/ speckled lake”, is a town in County Galway.
The town lies to the north of a range of wooded hills, the Slieve Aughty Mountains, and the lake from which it takes its name.
The town was founded in 1236 by Richard de Burgo, an Anglo-Norman knight who built a castle along an ancient route between the River Shannon and the west coast.
Today the remains of the medieval town wall, medieval priory, moat, and a town gate are all still to be seen.
The town’s cathedral, Loughrea Cathedral, dominates the town’s skyline and is considered an important repository of Celtic-revival art and architecture in Ireland.
The lake is listed as a site of international importance for the shoveller and a site of national importance for the coot and tufted duck.
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