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. Twentieth-Century The period from 1920 until 1960 saw Loughrea maintaining its role as a market town. The town is also the cathedral town of the Roman Catholic diocese of Clonfert and the twentieth century saw a number of large-scale religious events. The 1960s brought industrial developments such as the development of the Tynagh Mines. Economy Loughrea was traditionally a farming town that cut its industrial teeth with the Tynagh mines, to the east. There is now a gas-powered electricity power station on the site of the mines. As well as being a dormitory town for Galway, Loughrea now hosts a number of pharmaceutical and data-processing industries. Loughrea's tourist infrastructure is supported by several hotels, a country resort, as well as many bed-and-breakfasts, restaurants, coffee shops and pubs. Demographics Birthplace and Nationality 4,270 of the population were born in Ireland, with 386 being born in the United Kingdom, 245 in Poland and Lithuania, 190 in the rest of the EU and 414 in the Rest of the World. 4,585 of the population are Irish nationals, with 143 being British, 257 Polish or Lithuanian, 198 other EU 28, 217 Rest of the World and 105 not stated. Ethnicity White Irish are the largest ethnic group in Loughrea, with 4,011 of the population identifying as such, followed by Other White (703), White Irish Traveller (223), Asian or Asian Irish (189) and Black or Black Irish (77), with the rest identifying as other or not stating their ethnicity. Religion Roman Catholicism is the most predominant religion in the town, with 4,331 residents identifying as Roman Catholic, followed by no religion (534) and Other Stated Religion (533) Places of interest The Cathedral of St. Brendan on the lakeshore, in the town centre, is considered an important repository of Celtic-revival art and architecture in Ireland. St. Brendan's Catholic Cathedral was designed by William Byrne in 1897 and completed five years later. Its double transepts are an unusual architectural feature. Spring-fed Loughrea Lake (Lough Rea) is overlooked by Knockash and fished for brown trout, pike and perch. There are also rudd, brook