Shanagolden, County Limerick

Shanagolden Seanghualainn
Village
Shanid Castle just south of Shanagolden Shanid Castle just south of Shanagolden
Shanagolden Location in Ireland
Coordinates:
Country	Ireland
Province	Munster
County	County Limerick
Elevation	25 m (82 ft)
Population (2006)
• Total	292
Irish Grid Reference	R252477

Shanagolden (or 'Seanghualainn', which in Gaelic means 'Old Shoulder') is a small village located in County Limerick, Ireland. The village located on the R521 regional road between Foynes and Newcastlewest. It is situated west of the 'Golden Vale', an area of fertile agricultural land in the province of Munster. The 2006 Irish census placed the population at 292 people.

History

The area is mentioned in the Annals of the Four Masters. In 968 the King of Munster, Mahon, defeated the Norsemen of Limerick and Waterford at Sengualainn in a "red slaughter". In 1124, Turlogh O'Connor gathered a fleet together to cross the River Shannon and plundered the lands of the Uí Conaill at Foynes Island. After the defeat of the Munster Geraldines by the English, Shanagolden village was laid out during the 1580s as a plantation village.

Places of interest

The ruins of Shanid Castle, an important Anglo-Norman stronghold, is located a short distance away from the village. The castle was possibly constructed in 1230 on land associated with the FitzGerald family which settled in the area after 1169 and was a fortress of the Knights of Glin before being burned in 1641. Known as the "Old Abbey", St. Katherine's Abbey, Monisternagalliaghduff (Manisternagalliaghduff) is a former Augustinian nunnery founded in 1298 and dissolved in 1541. One of the earliest recorded nunneries in Ireland, it is located in a valley about 2 miles east of Shanagolden. The town's history has been chronicled in a local book, written by students of the local primary school, and was published and distributed to many local shops.

See also

• List of towns and villages in Ireland