Dromcollogher, officially Dromcolliher, is a small town located at the crossroads of the R522 and R515 regional roads in the west of County Limerick, Ireland. It is part of the parish of Dromcollogher-Broadford. It is also very close to the boundary of north County Cork. There are many variations of 'Drom'. The locals spell it Dromcollogher, but Drumcolloher, Dromcolloher, Drumcullogher, and numerous other variations can be found. Dromcolliher is the version adopted by the Ordnance Survey, and postal authorities. Since 1962, the town has been home to the Irish Dresden pottery factory, which closed its doors in April 2009 but re-opened in June 2015.
History
It was first mentioned in the 1160, in "The Book of Leinster". Other historical records include references in "Westropp", Munster Journal, and the population was recorded as 658 in 1831. It is classed a medieval town by Limerick County Council, and has a list of protected structures under the 'County Development Plan'. These include the facades of Aherne's and O'Kelly's, the local creamery, and courthouse, as well as two churches, Killagholehane and St. Timothys. The modern church was built in 1824, by Fr. Micheal Fitzgerald, who purchased the land from a local landowner. It was restored several times, but was given a dramatic overhaul in the late 1980s/early 1990s by Healy and Partners Architects, Limerick. Dromcollogher was one of the starting points for the Irish Co-Op Movement, with the first Co-Operative creamery being set up here in 1889 on the initiative of Horace Plunkett. The listed building has since been restored, and is now the National Dairy Cooperative Museum. Percy French, the renowned Irish Composer, once stayed here and composed the song "There's Only One Street In Dromcollogher". This is in fact untrue as there are many streets in Dromcolligher and if you ask anyone from the area they will be proud to tell you so.
Dromcollogher fire
On 5 September 1926, a timber barn being used as a temporary cinema in Dromcollogher caught fire when a candle ignited a reel of nitrate film. Forty-eight people died in this tragedy, always known locally as the Dromcollogher Burning; forty-six of them are buried in a large grave in the grounds of the local church. It remained the worst known fire disaster in Irish history until the Betelgeuse incident in 1979 and the Stardust disaster in 1981, which claimed fifty and forty-eight lives respectively.
Sport
won the 2015 Limerick Junior Hurling Championship, beating Na Pairsaigh in the final. This was the club's second such championship win since Dromcollogher/Broadford joined forces, with the first being in 1993. In 2008, Dromcollogher/Broadford GAA club won their first and only Munster Senior Club Football Championship competition, defeating Kilmurry-Ibrackane from Clare at the Gaelic Grounds. The only other team from Limerick to win the championship had been Thomond College in 1977. Dromcollogher-Broadford Ladies football club was founded in 1999, and won 2 All IrelandNational Division 2 Titles in the Peil na nÓg under 14 competition - in 2003 and in 2004. The club have also competed in Munster Junior club semi-finals on 3 occasions, and in 2016, competed in their first Munster club Junior Final, losing to Kinsale by 4 points.
Festivals
The Dromcollogher Carnival is held each year in early July. This street festival, which includes a number of activities and attractions for different age-groups, has been running for over 74 years. Activities range from a 4 km run, to a Harley Davidson parade, to live street bands.
