Abbeylara

Abbeylara is a village in County Longford, Ireland. It is at the eastern end of the county, three kilometres east of Granard, on the R396 road. The village is in a townland and civil parish of the same name.

Name and history

Abbeylara's name is derived from a monastery, the great Abbey of Lerha, founded in 1205 by Hiberno-Norman magnate, Risteárd de Tiúit, for Cistercian monks. The monastery was dissolved in 1539, although its ruins are still apparent on approach to the village.
An ancient earthwork, the Duncla or Black Pig's Dyke, which runs south-eastwards from Lough Gowna to Lough Kinale, goes through the larger parish of Abbeylara, and passes about one kilometre north of the village.
On 20 April 2000, the Gardaí shot dead local man John Carthy in a siege at his home.

Sport

are the local Gaelic football club.
Because of its proximity to Lough Kinale and Lough Derragh, which has supplies of trout, tench, bream and pike, Abbeylara attracts anglers and local angling clubs hold regular competitions.