Loughrea (Abbey), Co. Galway

Photo provided by A. McKenna, and following information was provided by C.Mitchell.
It was built sometime around the 1930's as a recreational facility for young priests and monks who were training at the Abbey. It is located in an enclosed garden at the back of the parochial house which is attached to the Abbey church. This was an enclosed order around the early 1900's which meant that the priests and monks were not allowed out to use the alley in town.

It seems handball was a big deal in Loughrea around that time, big enough a deal for the Abbey to actually go and build their own alley so they had somewhere to play for themselves. Other than that due to the fact that it was an enclosed order not much else is known about the alley.