Pollagh

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Pollagh
Pollach

Location

WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates:
53°16′36″N 7°42′29″W / 53.2767, -7.7081

Irish grid reference
N185250

Statistics

68 m (226 ft)

Population (2006)

229^[1]

See also Pollagh, Achill Island, Co Mayo ^[2]

Pollagh (also spelled "Pullough") is a village in County Offaly, Ireland, located in the midlands of the island of Ireland. The name Pollagh comes from the Irish Poll ach, literally meaning expansive hole, but practically meaning "broad expanse of shallow water". It is a rural village, not on any major roadway or motorway, and lies between Ferbane and Tullamore, with Tullamore being the nearest recognized town. Much of the surrounding area is bogland, and is used to produce fossil fuels such as peat turf. Despite not being on any major roadway, the village is one of the few places that the Grand Canal and the River Brosna are very close together. The canal was used for transporting peat and bricks produced in the area. Pollagh has benefited from the influence of the canal as in earlier years it brought investment and employment from Bord na Móna, and it is now an important part of the tourist attraction. Pollagh is also popular for its church, particularly its bog oak altar and stained glass windows, designed by Harry Clarke.

1 Amenities
2 Activities
3 References
4 See also

[edit] Amenities

Turraun Nature Reserve
Turraun is based around the former site of the Bord na Móna operations in the area. Bord Na Móna produced peat in Turraun, but the plant has long since closed and is now the site of Turraun nature reserve. There is still some evidence of their operations here, such as the railway line, and factory floor. Nearby the factory ruins there are remnants of a charcoal factory from this period. Much of the bog-land that was used for peat production is now under water, as a lake was created to encourage wildlife into the area. The lake is a popular spot for bird watching, and a wooden hut allows for a discreet view of the lake. A gravel road runs through the reserve leading eventually to further lakes and a heritage site. Following this route will lead to Lough Boora ^[3] , which has been developed as a tourist attraction including environmental sculptures and a mesolithic site containing evidence of dwellings. The bog of Allen surrounding the area is the largest example of raised bog in Ireland ^[4]. Peat production has slowed more recently, due to the closing of the Ferbane power station and people changing to other forms of heat production. Because of this, some of the bogland in the area is being reclaimed and it is likely that peat production will be completely stopped to protect the remaining bogland. Similar to the Burren, in County Clare, the bogland is popular with tourists for its barren and unique environment.

St. Mary's Church

St Mary's Church
The Bog oak altar in the Church, with Harry Clarke windows in background

The local church, St. Mary's, was built in 1907, and is still in use today. Pollagh is in the Ballinahown parish, consisting of Ballinahown, Boher and Pollagh Churches. Inside the church the altar, backed by two large stained glass windows faces the door. The shape of the church is somewhat unusual^[5] , resembling an inverted "V", with the sanctuary at its point. The church is divided by a central isle, which was used to divide the congregation into men and women, but now there is no evidence of this partition remaining. The Harry Clarke windows were installed in 1936, and depict the Blessed Virgin and the Sacred Heart . Between the two windows is the tabernacle, which was part of the bog oak work, including the altar, seat and pulpit. The altar depicts Jesus on the front facing the congregation with his arms outstretched, as on the cross. In 2007 the carpet surrounding the altar was replaced with wood, in preparation for the celbration of mass live on Irish television channel RTÉ One.

Canal
The canal runs from Dublin to Shannon Harbour in Offaly. The stretch of the canal that Pollagh is on was opened in 1804.^[6] The canal is separated by locks, allowing for a drop in height of the surrounding land. Pollagh is built on the longest stretch between locks on the canal. The canal divides Pollagh in two, and the Plunkett Bridge, built in 1809^[7], is the only bridge in the nearby area that allows for passage across the canal. It is peculiar in shape, resembling an 'n', meaning the a driver must make two sharp turns at the peak of the bridge. In recognition of the importance of benefits of tourism from the canal the area along the canal has been developed to include a mooring platform for the boats, a walkway and a 'Bog-man' sculpture. The canal is increasing in popularity for cruises and draws a number of international tourists to Pollagh.

The Street, Pollagh
View of canal through Pollagh taken from Plunkett Bridge

[edit] Activities

The village has a Gaelic football team which plays in the Pollagh Community Centre grounds. Due to the small size of the community, the team often struggles in league competition, hovering between intermediate and junior county championship level. A shortage of players in under-age teams means that a number of the local villages joined to form the Brosna Gaels. The community centre and adjacent football pitch is equipped for a range of sporting activities, as well as hosting the local bingo. Both the canal and river are popular for fishing. The canal is used in coarse fishing competitions and attracts anglers from a variety of countries. The Brosna contains salmon and trout and is also used for duck shooting. The Pollagh festival includes live music and some events, and is popular with tourists and locals.