Pre-Norman The town is in an area that was historically called Trícha Máenmaige, which was under the control of
Ui Fhiachrach Fionn, and later of the
Uí Maine. The area contains many examples of Gaelic and Early Christian settlements. There is evidence of
crannog settlements on the Lake of Loughrea, with up to 14 individual crannogs identified dating back to the 6th–7th centuries AD.
Norman settlement The modern town was founded in 1236 by Richard de Burgo, an Anglo-Norman knight who built a castle along an ancient route between the River Shannon and the west coast. Today the remains of the medieval town wall,
medieval priory, moat and a town gate are all still to be seen. The
House of Burgh adopted the names and customs of
Gaelic Ireland and became closely intermarried and related to the local
Gaelic nobility of Ireland. The Burghs even assumed the
White Wand and the role of
Irish clan chiefs in the following centuries, until 1543 when Ulick "Bourck, alias Mac William", embraced the
surrender and regrant policies of
Henry VIII, receiving it back to pass down under
primogeniture with the new title, the
Earl of Clanricarde.
Pre-Famine By the 1700s, Loughrea was a regional market and garrison town. During the
Williamite War in Ireland, an attempt by Williamite forces to take Galway was defeated in a short skirmish at Loughrea.
Post-Famine Loughrea was at the centre of the
Gaelic Revival towards the end of the 19th century. The various elements of this revival in the town included Celtic Revival Art, the Irish Literary Revival,
Gaelic games and the Irish
language revival.
Independence Like many towns with garrisons, there was little support for the 1916 rebellion in Dublin, though some locals supported the rising in Galway. There was a Battalion of
Irish Volunteers in Loughrea. They were not involved in any major battles and instead they mainly protected the local
Sinn Féin Club members.
20th century From 1920 until 1960 Loughrea maintained its role as a market town. The town is also the cathedral town of the Roman Catholic diocese of Clonfert, and the 20th century saw a number of large-scale religious events. The 1960s brought industrial developments such as the
Tynagh Mines. == Economy ==