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Baile Chláir or Baile Chláir na Gaillimhe (anglicised Claregalway) is a
Gaeltacht A ( , , ) is a district of Ireland, either individually or collectively, where the Irish government recognises that the Irish language is the predominant vernacular, or language of the home. The districts were first officially recognised ...
Placenames Database of Ireland
/ref> village about 10 km north of
Galway Galway ( ; , ) is a City status in Ireland, city in (and the county town of) County Galway. It lies on the River Corrib between Lough Corrib and Galway Bay. It is the most populous settlement in the province of Connacht, the List of settleme ...
city in
County Galway County Galway ( ; ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Northern and Western Region, taking up the south of the Provinces of Ireland, province of Connacht. The county population was 276,451 at the 20 ...
, Ireland. Claregalway was founded on the banks of the
River Clare The River Clare () is a river in counties Mayo and Galway in Ireland. The long river rises north of Ballyhaunis in Mayo and descends past Dunmore, where it flows west, then turns south past Milltown continuing down through Kilbennan Church ...
, hence the derivation of its name: ''Baile Chláir na Gaillimhe'' meaning "town on the Clare, in Galway". Claregalway lies within the Gaeltacht and traditionally most of the locals would have spoken English only as a second language. Until September 2017, the village sat at the junction of the busy N17 and N18 national primary routes with over 27,000 vehicles having formerly passed through the village every day. The village is in a
civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government. Civil parishes can trace their origin to the ancient system of parishes, w ...
and
barony Barony may refer to: * Barony, the peerage, office of, or territory held by a baron * Barony, the title and land held in fealty by a feudal baron * Barony (county division), a type of administrative or geographical division in parts of the British ...
of the same name.


Irish language

According to the 2022 census there were 1,632 people living in Baile Chláir, of which less than 2% claimed they spoke Irish every day outside of the education system. This makes Baile Chláir one of the weakest
Gaeltacht A ( , , ) is a district of Ireland, either individually or collectively, where the Irish government recognises that the Irish language is the predominant vernacular, or language of the home. The districts were first officially recognised ...
towns in the country, with the vast majority of the population speaking English.


History

This village has an ancient heritage stretching back over a thousand years. It has many features of historical interest but two of the largest ones on the banks of the river include the Claregalway Friary, founded in mid-13th century, and a
Norman Norman or Normans may refer to: Ethnic and cultural identity * The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 9th and 10th centuries ** People or things connected with the Norma ...
watchtower (small castle) completed in the 16th century. During 2001, a restoration of an old bridge over the old course of the
River Clare The River Clare () is a river in counties Mayo and Galway in Ireland. The long river rises north of Ballyhaunis in Mayo and descends past Dunmore, where it flows west, then turns south past Milltown continuing down through Kilbennan Church ...
was completed. These nine stone arches are above the level of the current road. Claregalway Parish is one of the largest in the county and includes a number of townlands (small clusters of houses) some of the bigger being Carnmore, Lydican, Loughgeorge and Cregboy. Lydican is notable as the origin of the Irish ancestors ( Patrick Lynch) of
Che Guevara Ernesto "Che" Guevara (14th May 1928 – 9 October 1967) was an Argentines, Argentine Communist revolution, Marxist revolutionary, physician, author, Guerrilla warfare, guerrilla leader, diplomat, and Military theory, military theorist. A majo ...
. Lydican was actually an O'Heyne Castle and the last of the chieftains, Connor Crone O Heyne, was living there in 1612. The lands of the O'Heyne chieftains was confiscated in the late 17th century and it was then that the Lynches took up residence there. The Lynches principal holdings were in the city of Galway.


Economy

Agriculture Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...
would once have been the main industry. The population has doubled between 2006 and 2022, since the village is within the commuter belt of
Galway City Galway ( ; , ) is a City status in Ireland, city in (and the county town of) County Galway. It lies on the River Corrib between Lough Corrib and Galway Bay. It is the most populous settlement in the province of Connacht, the List of settleme ...
.


Culture

Claregalway hosts a drama festival each year in March. Compántas Lir is an amateur drama group which is based in Claregalway and Carnmore.


Education

*
Coláiste Bhaile Chláir Coláiste Bhaile Chláir is an Irish co-educational and Multidenominational school, multidenominational community college situated in Lakeview, Claregalway, County Galway. It is under the patronage of the County Galway, Galway and County Roscom ...


Sport

Claregalway CLG Claregalway GAA is a Gaelic football club based in Claregalway, County Galway, Ireland. It is a member of the Galway GAA branch of the Gaelic Athletic Association. Underage teams up to U-16's play in the Galway league and championships, while t ...
is the local
Gaelic Athletic Association The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA; ; CLG) is an Irish international amateur sports, amateur sporting and cultural organisation, focused primarily on promoting indigenous Gaelic games and pastimes, which include the traditional Irish sports o ...
club. Claregalway Basketball club participate in local leagues at underage through to senior level. Claregalway Handball club has members from 7 to 70+ years old. A new-arena style handball alley was opened by the club in 2018.


Annals of Connacht

''1469: O Domnaill led a great army into Connacht to meet Macwilliam Burke. They both proceeded to Claregalway and burnt the town in spite of Thomond and Macwilliam, spent a night encamped there and were refused battle then. The next day they burnt the whole of Machaire Clainne Taidc, killing many horses and many men, including Domnall, son of O Conchobair of Corcomroe.''


Notable residents

*
Dana Rosemary Scallon Dana Rosemary Scallon (born Rosemary Brown; 30 August 1950) known professionally as Dana (), is an Irish singer, songwriter and politician. While still a schoolgirl she won the Eurovision Song Contest 1970, 1970 Eurovision Song Contest with "A ...
, Irish singer and former MEP.


References


External links

* — a community-curated website for Claregalway
Claregalway Castle
- Claregalway's landmark castle
Irish language study 2006
{{Authority control Towns and villages in County Galway Gaeltacht places in County Galway Civil parishes of County Galway Baronies of County Galway