Welcome to Lorrha and Dorrha, Co Tipperary

ANZAC Day, 2021

At dawn on April 25th 1915, troops from Australia and New Zealand, known as the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, or ANZAC, in addition to British, French, Irish and Indian troops, were landed on the Gallipoli Peninsula to attack the Ottoman Empire (modern Turkey). It was a military disaster with horrendous casualty figures. Every year since 1916, Dawn Services have been held on this date to commemorate and honour the ANZACS who took part.

Since then, ANZAC Day has become the National Day of Remembrance for all service personnel, past and present, from Australia and New Zealand.

Martin O’Meara VC, of Lissernane, Lorrha travelled to Australia in the early 20th century, enlisted in 1915 and was the only Irish-born ANZAC to be awarded the Victoria Cross during the First World War.

This year, thanks to the generosity of the Australian Embassy, who provided the appropriate floral tribute, it was decided to hold a simple yet moving ceremony at the Martin O’Meara VC memorial in the village. Nancy White assembled a complementing second floral tribute from the Village of Lorrha.

Visit the SCEAL Community Shop

Opening Times

Monday to Friday 10:00AM to 4:30PM

Saturday and Sunday 10:00AM to 1:00PM

The SCEAL community shop is managed and staffed entirely by local volunteers, providing a much needed service for the surrounding area as well as a fascinating opportunity for visitors to explore local crafts. So whether you need your weekly groceries or a unique idea for a gift, be sure to call in!

The SCEAL shop has also functioned as a vital social hub for the community, giving a chance for people to catch up with friends and family over a cuppa and a slice of cake. Visitors are just as welcome, and often get a wonderful insight into the local area by getting to sit down and share some food and drink with locals.

Of course we have had to make a lot of changes this year due to the Covid-19 crisis, and the safety of both our volunteers and our customers is our highest priority. For the immediate future, takeaway tea and coffee only is available, but we look forward to bringing our community together again soon for a cuppa and a chat.

If you have any queries about the shop, please don't hesitate to get in touch.

Buy a Brick - Extend St Ruadhan's Community Hall - €100 per brick

If you would like to support our work extending and redeveloping our community hall into a dedicated cafe, shop, and heritage centre, you can now make an online donation via PayPal.

For each brick that is bought, the donor's name will eventually be included on a commemorative plaque inside the new extension.

If you would like your name to be featured, please be sure to include your details in the comments section when making the donation.

Each plaque can hold a maximum of approximately 4 words, for example "The Kennedy Family, Rathcabbin", "Joe & Mary Bloggs, Lorrha", "Patrick Reilly, New York".

Any names or contact details will only be used for this purpose and for future communication between S.C.E.A.L. and the donors. They will not be shared or sold to third parties.

Welcome to the website of Visit Lorrha and Dorrha; run by SCÉAL, the Social Community Enterprise for the Advancement of Lorrha/Rathcabbin. Scéal is the Irish word for "story", and we are here to tell the story of one of Ireland's most historic areas. Few areas in the country combine the astonishing breadth of history, heritage, natural beauty and enterprise that can be found within our locale. This website will be a continuously growing resource for visitors to the area, collecting all the information that you could need in one place. This will include sites of interest, maps, and a directory of local services and businesses.