Oola

Oola
Úlla
Village
Oola view from nearby Prospect Hill, facing northeast. Above the town is the Hill of Oola, and beyond are the Silvermine Mountains.
Oola
Location in Ireland
Coordinates: 52°31′47″N 08°15′34″W / 52.52972°N 8.25944°W / 52.52972; -8.25944Coordinates: 52°31′47″N 08°15′34″W / 52.52972°N 8.25944°W / 52.52972; -8.25944
Country  Ireland
Province Munster
County County Limerick
Time zone UTC+0 (WET)
 • Summer (DST) UTC-1 (IST (WEST))
Approach to Oola on the N24

Oola (Irish: Úlla, IPA: [ˈuːl̪ˠə]; or Uibhle, [ˈɪvʲlʲə], from the drumlins) is a village in County Limerick, and the province of Munster, Ireland, near the border with County Tipperary in the midwest of the country.[1] The main N24 road from Limerick to Waterford passes through the town, with the town of Tipperary lying 12 kilometres south-east of Oola. It has approximately 500 inhabitants. The village is home to a church (The Church of The Sacred Heart), a petrol station, a convenience store, two public houses, a GAA pitch, a post office, a takeaway, a betting shop, a credit union, a hall, and a chemist. In the spring of 2012 a community council was formed to help in keeping the village archives and to maintain an information resource for villagers past and present.

History

The ruins of Oola Castle stand close to the village and in 1825, some large and perfect antlers of the Irish elk were discovered; and, in 1828, a brazen trumpet, and spear and arrow heads of bronze were found, which were placed in the museum of Trinity College, Dublin.[2] Locals to this day claim a princess named Theresa used to live in this castle. However, Princess Theresa was forced to move to Cavan in the 1700s for unknown reasons. The princess' story is particularly interesting as she had a rather unusual love of oranges and even their peels, an uncommon fruit in 18th century Ireland. A famous painting of Princess Theresa surrounded by fruit including lemons and grapes is now kept at University College Cork in the Aula Maxima.

Transport

Though the town is no longer connected to the rail network, the important station at Limerick Junction is nearby. Oola railway station opened on 9 May 1848 and finally closed on 9 September 1963.[3]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Placenames Database of Ireland". Dublin City University. Retrieved 28 November 2014.
  2. ↑ Library Ireland
  3. ↑ "Oola station" (PDF). Railscot — Irish Railways. Retrieved 2007-11-22.
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