Lismore participated in the Entente Florale Competition and the town trail follows the judging route. The walk introduces you to the history and architecture of the town.

The Heritage Centre has a beautifully descriptive book called 'A Walking Tour of Lismore, Co. Waterford', portions of which we have abstracted.

The walk begins [1] at the entrance to the town, at the north side of the Lismore Bridge [2], which is situated on the Cappoquin road. At the beginning of the walk there is a magnificent view of the castle from the old canal bridge, on the Cappoquin road.

Immediately on your left before you cross the bridge, is the remainder of the Butter Processing Factory and Gas Works for the town and also the Salmon Hatchery.

The bridge which spans the River Blackwater and its tributary, the Abha na Shead, was built by the Duke of Devonshire in 1775, destroyed by floods in 1852 and rebuilt again to the design of its original designer Thomas Ivory. Lismore Castle towers above the bridge, perched impressively on wooded slopes overhanging the river. There is a mixture of architectural features built at various times throughout the centuries. Thus, parts of the building date from the early 17th century, with many renovations from 1840.

King James II of England spent a night in the castle in 1689 and is said to have been awed by the dramatic views from the castle windows of the Blackwater Valley both up and down the river and valley. The river was referred to by Thackeray, as the Irish Rhine.

There is a fine front view of the castle from the Ballyduff road and it is floodlit by night.

There is also a very pretty riverside trail, Lady Louisa's Walk, which lies to the left as you cross the bridge. The castle is not open to the public, but the gardens are.

Having crossed the bridge, take the right hand fork, the New Way and enter the middle of the town.

At the beginning of the New Way is a natural spring well, locally known as 'The Spout' (3), which once provided water for the estate workers, who lived in this area until the early part of the last century.

The lane rising to the left is the old Ferry Lane which was the main roadway between the town and the river until the middle of the last century. On your walk up the New Way, alongside the castle walls, the quaint Deanery Hill may be viewed to the left and further on the cross, marking the Holy Well of St. Carthage rises above the wall.

Next on your right is the entrance to what is known as the Castle Avenue (4) or the outer gate house to the castle; this can be viewed half way down the avenue. As you face down the avenue, the walls to your left surround the gardens developed by the Duke. These gardens are one of the few Jacobean Gardens to survive in almost original form.

Continuing on up the road past the town centre, one meets an elaborate gothic fountain which dominates the road junction (5).

Turn right at this junction to what is known as Gallows and the summit of the hill is dominated by the Christian Brothers Monastery.

Walking up the hill, the library building is found on the right. This building (6) was designed in 1912 and was built in a unique Irish Hiberno Romanesque style. Funding for the library was provided by the philanthropist Andrew Carnegie.

A bust of the scientist Richard Boyle may be seen in the library's exhibition area; displays relating to items of local interest may also be viewed there.

Turn back down the road at the grotto of the Blessed Virgin (7), the statue is an enduring link with the Presentation Sisters, who have contributed to the education in Lismore and the surrounding districts for 157 years. Turning and walking back downhill past the Bank of Ireland, one sees the entrance to New Street on the right (8).

The houses along this street were built about 1820 and are typical of the homes provided by the Duke of Devonshire for his tenants. Walking back towards the Monument, the Red House and Heritage Centre (9) dominate the right hand side of the street.

The brightly painted red houses are typical of many buildings in the town, embellished gables, mullioned windows and dormers in an attempt to give them an old English appearance.

The Heritage Centre is an imposing and substantial building in classical style. Local sandstone was used in its construction, and until recently, it was the Courthouse. Today the most informative and enjoyable 'Lismore Experience' may be viewed in the centre.

Turn to your right into Chapel Street (10), along which many of the houses were embellished with half timbering in the late 19th century and are extremely attractive. The street is largely residential today, but in the past it was a busy hive of activity, being one of the main routes to the railway station and workhouse. As you pass up the street you meet St. Carthage's Church (11), which was opened in 1884.

It is one of the finest examples of Lombardo Romanesque Churches in Ireland. The sandstone, quarried locally, and white limestone was used in the churches construction.

A guide may be purchased inside the church which provides some very interesting information. Continuing along Chapel Place is another building of distinct style the Billiards Hall, known as the News Room and the Mechanics Institute at various times during its history.

Originally the building was a Freemasons hall. Before the days of television, this was the venue of a thriving men's club. Having negotiated Chapel Place by turning left at the Church, you then turn left into the South Mall (12), which in 1832 was planned and constructed on the estate.

The Duke spread the cost of construction among his tenants by having housing erected to three life leases by the tenants. The Parochial House is on the left and the author, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is reputed to have resided there. Along this road on your right, you meet a house, 'Inchigeela', a beautiful example of early 19th century housing constructed with an unusual rusty coloured stone. The preserved Doric Door should be noted. At this point there is a spectacular view of the Church of Ireland Cathedral (12), with the Knockmealdown Mountains in the background.

At the junction of the main street, on the right hand corner, is another house in the old English style.

At this cross-roads, you have Main Street on the left, East Main Street on the right, and straight ahead is the elegant expanse of the green and lime lined Mall. This leads to the Cathedral and provides a valued amenity area for the town. This spacious entrance to the Cathedral was first opened in 1726. St. Carthage's Cathedral lies beyond the tall gothic gates at the avenue's end. This has been a place of worship since the time of St. Carthage, and gravestone slabs from the Monastic times may be found inside the Cathedral. The first stone church was built on this site around 1207 and the present church dates from 1630.

The Earl of Cork had the building restored at the time but the structure has been altered and extended since. The pointed windows and ribbed ceilings were inserted by Sir Richard Morrisson around 1820, and the superb tower and rib spire were added by the Payne brothers in 1827.

An interesting library is attached to the Cathedral. The remarkable table tomb of the McGraths', dating from 1846, is also worth viewing.

On leaving the Cathedral grounds by the cobbled path, Deanery Hill lies to the right by the Deanery. Retrace your steps back along the Mall, turn right and enter the Main Street (14) which has many early town houses and fine old shop fronts.

The iron cresting and timber work on many of these buildings are admirable. Many of the shops and pubs along the street have maintained their traditional character and appearance down through the years. A stone archway by the Credit Union building, marks the entrance to a Public Market place in use until 1910.

At the end of Main Street is Lismore Hotel (15), at the monument junction. It was built to provide extra guest accommodation for the castle and this first purpose built hotel in Ireland began serving its customers in the late 18th century.

For those wishing to learn more about Lismore, visit the Heritage Centre and follow this route using their booklet.