placenamesLoughrea
Baile Locha Riach
Lewis’s account records an 1832 lightning strike and an enterprise beside the lake.
The name
These Irish name elements are associated with this record in the Logainm glossary.
An element’s translation is a clue, rather than a complete explanation of the name. Its form and meaning depend on local history and the full Irish name.
Recorded forms
- Baile Locha Riach · Irish · main form · non-validated name
- Loughrea · English · main form
Place & story
Lightning before Sunday worship
Samuel Lewis reported that lightning struck Loughrea’s Church of Ireland parish church on the first Sunday of December 1832. The spire fell onto the roof about two hours before worship was due to begin. Writing in 1837, he recorded a subsequent £169 repair grant from the Ecclesiastical Commissioners. His account does not report casualties. This was the parish church built in 1821, distinct from the later Catholic cathedral. [2]
Brewing beside the water
Lewis also recorded an extensive brewery erected beside Lough Rea by L. Fahy. Thursday markets sold grain, provisions and poultry, while livestock fairs brought further trade to the town. These observations describe the market centre within the parish before the Great Famine. [2]
Geographic information
Sources & further reading
- Logainm.ie — Loughrea. Place names and geographic record, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
- Loughrea: A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland (1837) · Samuel Lewis
Name record retrieved 2026-10-25 · Source record modified 2025-01-10. How this page was prepared.