Bruff

Bruff An Brú
—  Town  —
Bruff Location in Ireland
Coordinates: 52°28′37″N 8°33′00″W
Country	Ireland
Province	Munster
County	County Limerick
Population (2006 )
• Urban	724
• Rural	1,977
Time zone	WET (UTC+0)
• Summer (DST)	IST (WEST) (UTC-1)
Irish Grid Reference	R647369

Bruff (Irish: Brú na nDeise) is a town in east County Limerick, in the midwest of Ireland, located on the old Limerick–Cork road (R512). The town lies on the Morning Star river, with two bridges in the town itself. The area around Bruff is quite scenic,^{[citation needed]} and the horse-shoe lake of Lough Gur is nearby.

History

Historical artifacts around the area date back to the Stone Age, with various buildings up to the early Christian still extant. Bruff is the hometown of American missionary and bishop John Joseph Hogan. In the sixteenth century it was granted to the Standish family from whom it passed by inheritance to the Hartstonge Baronets, and ultimately to the Earl of Limerick. The town suffered heavy fighting in the Battle of Killmallock during the Irish Civil War. Near the Catholic Church, there is a large statue of Sean Wall, a volunteer of the War of Independence. The imposing building which formerly served as the Garda station in the town is listed for preservation, and its current owner has converted it into living accommodation.^{[citation needed]} Another notable attraction is the number of murals that have been painted on the walls of buildings in the town over the last few decades. Ard Scoil Mhuire is the only secondary school in the town, and may be closed in 2012, amid protests.

Sport

The town's sporting background is evident in the town's active Gaelic Athletic Association, Club which can be found at http://www.bruff.limerick.gaa.ie/index.html, Pitch & Putt club, Hockey Club, soccer club, and rugby union. Bruff R.F.C. is the home club of Irish International player John Hayes.

Development and economy

Bruff town has of late seen an increase in population and a general renewal, mainly due to its classification as a satellite town of Limerick City. Major expansion for the town is planned with a new development plan by Limerick County Council in the final design stages. The population is expected to double over the next ten years or so.^{[citation needed]} There are five pubs (one with a restaurant), another restaurant, a Eurospar, a Centra, a pharmacy and a Post Office in the town. Bruff is located near the edges of the Ballyhoura Fáilte tourist area. Bruff has an active Cultural and Arts Society which organises an Annual Summer Festival. The Bruff festival has been held each of the last four years since it's beginning in 2006 most notably including the Morning Star Rose Competition and the Morning Star Escort Competition (since 2008).The Sean Wall Committee organise Bloomsday in Bruff festival every year on the 16th of June

See also

• List of towns and villages in Ireland

Accommodation in the town is provided in what used to be the Old AIB Bank, known as "The Old Bank", this historic 4* banking town house offers accommodation in luxurious ensuite jacuzzi rooms, ranging from family interconnecting rooms to the serene intimacy of four poster bedrooms over looking peaceful courtyard gardens. Each room possesses its very own distinct individual style that blend period decoration with all of today's modern services and luxuries. See www.theoldbank.ie for more details

External links

• http://www.deise.org
• bitsfrombruff + bruffhistory.blogspot.com
• Bruff Heritage Group
• Bloomsday in Bruff