A Visit to Athea, Co. Limerick in 2013

A slideshow of photos I took during my first visit to Athea in County Limerick on Monday 8th July 2013.
Athea derives its name from the Irish: Áth an tSléibhe, which means "mountain ford" is a village in west County Limerick nestling in the rolling hills between Listowel, Abbeyfeale, Newcastle West and Glin. The village had a population of 369 in the 2016 Census.
Athea is situated on the river Galey and the crossroads of the R523 (Rathkeale - Listowel) and R524 (Glin - Abbeyfeale) regional roads. It is a 3 km east of the Limerick/Kerry border in the rolling hills of west Limerick and is one of the highest settlements in the county. Its highest point is in the Parkanna townland where, at 220 m above sea level, surrounding towns and counties can be seen.
The river Galey is a tributary to the larger River Cashen. The name is derived from the Gaelic "Abhainn na Gáile", River of the Gaille, a tribe who lived along its banks. In times of heavy rain, especially in winter, the river swells up over its banks causing floods which can last for days. There are two bridges across the river; the R523/R524 intersection bridge just east of the village and Barry's Bridge, 2 km northwest of the village. Ducks and swans can be seen under the main bridge and the bank has been transformed into a peaceful spot in recent times where locals have the opportunity to sit and feed the ducks and admire the natural beauty since a clean-up was completed.
Athea's only pedestrian bridge was opened by Donal Murray, Bishop of Limerick, in 2005. The bridge is located next to the existing road bridge at the intersection of the R523/R524 roads. It had been proposed for years for the local school pupils who were crossing the busy road bridge and was seen as a health and safety hazard sharing the bridge with cars. The bridge is 2m wide and 11m long. It was commissioned by Athea Community Council Ltd. who have raised €260,000. The debt was reduced to €27,000 by the "Lucky Numbers" drawings, held Saturday nights.
St.Bartholemnews Catholic Church in the village(renovated in 1987) is the centre for the Catholic parish of Athea, encompassing several townlands. Conn Colbert, the youngest man to be executed by the British after the Easter Rising in 1916, was born in the parish of Athea in 1888. The folklorist and historian Kevin Danaher was born and raised about a mile outside the town. There were also a number of other famous people from Athea, including the Ahern brothers of Olympian fame, David Quaid served with the Royal Munster Fusiliers from 1897-1909 he fought at the battles of Belmont, The Modder River and the Relief of Ladysmith during the Second Boer War in South Africa 1899-1902, he later served with his regiment in India under Lord Kitchener. David Quaid is buried in the "Old Graveyard" in Templeathea. The late Fianna Fail politician Kit Ahern is also from Athea.
The community was dependant on agriculture and a creamery was built near the river which acted as the centrepoint for local trade. A primary school was built near the creamary to cope with the rising younger population. Over time, cottages and workshops lined the main road to create the village of Athea. New local roads were built to neighbouring Moyvane and off the main Listowel-Limerick and Glin-Abbeyfeale roads. The Galey river was the primary water source as well as its use for drainage. The creamery closed in the late 1990s which was a major blow to the area.
The Goold Monument on the Listowel road is dedicated to the Goold family who were benevolent Landlords at the time of the Famine. The old graveyard in Templeathea dates back to the 14th century. The ruins of the original church with walls intact remain in the graveyard.
The Giant’s Garden, a reminder that Athea owes its origins to the mythical era of giants, stands on the Newcastle West road.
The parish of Athea is made up of farmland and bogland much of it now in forestry. Dairy farming is the main activity on the land with little or no tillage due to the nature of the soil. In recent years there has been a great decline in the numbers farming with most of the workforce employed in the large supermarkets and factories in nearby towns which are all within ten to fifteen minutes by car.
Community groups and clubs in Athea are the G.A.A. Club, Soccer club, Basketball Club, Golf Society, Tidy Towns Committee, Voluntary Housing, St. Vincent de Paul, Going Strong, Fishing Club, Gun Club, Motorcycle Road Racing , Horse and Pony Race Committee, Community Games, Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann, Foróige Youth Club, Athea Drama Group and many more charitable organisations.
Athea people are noted for their music, dancing, songs, sporting prowess but most of all for their hospitality. There is a ” Céad Míle Fáilte” waiting for each and every visitor to this peaceful, picturesque village.