Newmarket On Fergus: Churches, Walking Trails and Lough Gash

Newmarket on Fergus combines a distinctive landscape with traces of Christian history and a long circular walking trail. On the western edge of the village lies Lough Gash, a turlough, or periodically disappearing lake. There are also Kilnasoolagh Church and Our Lady of the Rosary Church, as well as the Mid Clare Way, which starts in Newmarket on Fergus and returns there. This gives you a mix of nature, walking and historic sites to consider when planning your trip.

Lough Gash and the Mid Clare Way

Lough Gash is not an ordinary, permanently filled body of water: as a turlough, the lake disappears periodically. This distinctive feature gives the landscape on the western edge of the village a different character from a lake that is always visible. If you are particularly interested in karst landscapes and changing bodies of water, you can make Lough Gash a focus of your stay.

Newmarket on Fergus is also a starting point for the Mid Clare Way, with information boards, maps and parking. The Mid Clare Way is a 150 km circular walking trail; it starts in Newmarket on Fergus and returns there. Its total length makes it an extensive walking project and an important factor in your personal planning. The trail is intended to be accessible year-round. However, you should not walk it in heavy rain or strong winds. Weather and trail length therefore go hand in hand when planning your walking days.

Churches and History

Kilnasoolagh Church brings together a present-day building and a much older history of worship at this site: Christian worship has been celebrated here since at least 1256. The present building was constructed in 1815 by James Pain. The church also contains a memorial to Sir Donat O’Brien, created by the English sculptor William Kidwell. These details make the church interesting to travellers who want to include architectural history and commemorative heritage in their explorations.

Our Lady of the Rosary Church also tells the story of the area. It was officially opened on 2 May 1971; Bishop Michael Harty blessed it and dedicated it to the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Rosary. Its seven gables are a distinctive feature. They represent the seven former parishes of Kilmaleery, Fenloe, Kilconry, Clonloghan, Kilnasoolagh, Drumline and Bunratty, which were united in 1782. In this way, a visible feature of the church connects its present-day architecture with an earlier ecclesiastical structure.

Mooghaun and the Shannon Estuary

Mooghaun Hillfort is in the area around Newmarket on Fergus. The National Monument is state-owned and managed by the Office of Public Works. The hillfort offers views of the River Fergus and the Shannon Estuary. Those interested in landscape and archaeology will find another point of interest here. The prehistoric gold hoard associated with Mooghaun is on display at the National Museum of Ireland in Dublin; it can therefore be considered a museum attraction in its own right, rather than something to see during a visit to the site.

When choosing a holiday rental in Newmarket On Fergus, you can weigh up these different interests: would you like to focus on the long circular walking trail, are you interested in the churches and their history, or would you like to include Lough Gash and the area around Mooghaun in your trip? Your answer will help you decide what you would like to focus on during your stay.

Discover more places

For further trip planning, you can also explore Baunkyle, Labasheeda, Lisdoonvarna, Killimer, Bunratty, Scarriff, Shannon and Kilrush.

For the broader travel overview: County Clare.