Location

Gort - Gateway to the West of Ireland is a town in south County Galway.

Gort is clearly on the commuter belt : it is only half an hour from both Ennis and Galway city and is also less than an hour from Limerick and Shannon.

The new motorway is close to completion and the new Western Rail Corridor is operating since March 29th, 2010.


Gort is highly accessible to those who want the best of both worlds, working in the city and living in the country...

Lifestyle

Gort town centre is a bustling hive of activity with a vast array of amenities and services in the form of schools, pubs, restaurants, community centre, broadband, GAA Club, etc.

The renowned Gort Golf course designed by Christy O'Connor Jnr has a magnificent clubhouse with over 1000 members.

The Lady Gregory Hotel situated on the N18 opened its doors in 2002. With its ideal location it hosts many weddings and conferences, the hotel has recently opened the Swan Leisure Club complete Health and Leisure Club with 18m swimming pool which is greatly welcomed in the growing town of Gort.

With Gort's array of shops and supermarkets such as Supervalu, Centra, Aldi and Lidl the choice is endless.

Gort Community School, a coed school, was founded in 1995 and has approximately 750 students. The school campus contains the main school building, a GAA pitch, a rugby pitch, a football pitch and a canteen. The school has many sports teams including Hurling, Rugby, Soccer, Basketball, Athletics, Golf and even an Equestrian team.

Gort hosts a Traditional Irish Music Festival annually and most Pubs have Irish Music at the weekends.

Gort also was given the good news that the Gas line is now available to the town.



Without doubt, Gort can be described as a town that offers something for everyone and therefore there is little wonder why so many people are making Gort their home.

 

History

Gort is also a heritage town steeped in history, which attracts a large tourist base each year.

Local historical places of interest include :

• Coole Park : Nature Reserve and Heritage Centre formerly the home of Lady Gregory and cradle of the Irish literary revival
• the monastic tower of Kilmacduagh (one of the oldest in Europe),
• Thoor Ballylee (formerly home of W B Yeats) ,
• The Kiltartan Gregory Museum and Millennium Park at the historic spot "Kiltartan Cross".

The Burren is located south of Gort and North Clare, it is a place of surprise and tranquillity. Gort is located just 10 miles from the beautiful village of Kinvara that can only be described as the Kinsale of the west and must be visited to truly appreciate it. 3 miles further on the Ballyvaughan Rd is the blue flag beach of Tracht.

Gort takes its name, Gort Inse Guaire, from gort (a meadow) and Guaire Aidhneach, the sixth century King of Connacht and patron of St. Colman Mac Duach. During the Middle Ages the chiefs of Cinel Aedha na hEchtghe, the O'Shaughnessys (O Seachnasaigh) (a clan descended from Guaire Aidhneach) had their principal stronghold in Gort, on a site which later became a cavalry barracks. At the end of the seventeenth century the O Shaughnessy lands were confiscated and granted to Sir Thomas Prendergast, 1st Bt., whose grandson was John Prendergast-Smyth, 1st Viscount Gort.