(22) Lismore (Lios Mór), X046984.
Lios Mór means ‘the big fort’. Lismore is a beautiful town on the banks of the River Blackwater with Lismore Castle the feature point, built by King John in the 13th century and the house of the Dukes of Devonshire since 1753. It is worth visiting at night to see the castle lit up. The castle gardens are worth a wander around as in an average year American Speedwell is plentiful in the vegetable plot; Mexican Fleabane and Wall Lettuce are common on the walls, while Ivy Broomrape is found in a number of places. Goldilocks Buttercup occurs in small quantity on the grass slope of the lower garden. Lady Louisa’s Walk takes you east along the south side of the River Blackwater. On the wooded bank above the path is Blue Anemone and Three-nerved Sandwort, Southern Polypody grows on many of the trees. The path opens out to a large rough area of grass. Here the river bank can be accessed where Great Yellow-cress clings to the margins of the river. If you cross over Lismore Bridge and then the next bridge over the Owennashad River (Abha na Séad) and join the river bank you should find Sweet Violets and New Zealand Willowherb. Walking along the river path there are plenty of white flowered Wood Anemones and as you walk further north along the river the blue form starts to appear.
