Loreto House & Ground

Facilities at Loreto House, Linsfort include: en-suite bedrooms, sitting room, country kitchen and dining area, library, oratory and conservatory. Within the grounds you will find an outdoor labyrinth for prayer or meditation, peace garden, sandy beach ideal for calming or invigorating walks, country setting for longer walks down peaceful lanes.

Gallery of House & Grounds

1.Cockhill Bower and Woodland

As you come in the gate of Loreto House, there is a small woodland to the right, called the ‘Cockhill Bower.’ The Confirmation Class of 1996 planted trees, daffodils and snowdrops that gladden the heart and bring delight to the eye each springtime.

2.The Labyrinth

The Labyrinth at Linsfort was designed by Jean Kirkpatrick RSCJ and constructed by William James McLaughlin and William McDaid in November 2002. There are leaflets and books in the Library to help you towards a fuller understanding and appreciation of the Labyrinth.

3.The Way to the Beach

Following the path in front of the house will lead you to a gate that opens onto the beach along Lough Swilly – the Lake of Shadows. When the tide is out, it is possible to walk all the way to Buncrana, past Fr Hegarty’s grave and on to Porthaw. There you can join the river walk and return to Linsfort by the road.

4.The Peace Garden and Statue of Mary

The Statue of Our Lady is a gift from Sr Marie Celine Clegg’s parents. It was originally in the Loreto School in Milford and since 2001 occupies pride of place in the Peace Garden beside the Beach House.

5.The Walled Gardens

Through the green door beside the Beach House there is a small orchard and two polytunnels where vegetables, herbs and flowers are cultivated.

6.The Beach House

This is a mobile house which has space for two/three people. It is used during Retreat times and when other activities are taking place in the Centre. When the main house is not busy, the mobile has proved to be a very attractive venue for those who have the gift of sabbatical time and want to enjoy solitude.

7.The Conservatory

The stained glass windows in the Conservatory are a memorial to the victims of the Omagh Bombing on 15th August 1998. The windows were designed and made by Philip & Sinead Coyle, Art Glass Studios, Derry. They tell the story of creation, leading to the New Jerusalem (right hand side).

8.The Black Madonna

The Black Madonna on the main staircase is a gift donated by Rita Childers, the wife of the late President Erskine Childers. She had it in Áras an Uachtaráin when her husband was President. It was her wish that this very beautiful statue of Our Lady would always be in a place where it would inspire people to pray and that it would always be respected.

9.The Bog Deal Altar

This is also a gift, from a family in the local community. The O’Connor family looked after this house, as voluntary caretakers, since the Loreto Community purchased it in 1928 until 1994. The altar was made by Mary Doherty, of Culdaff, from wood recovered from local bogs. The wood is thousands of years old.