Garrafrauns () is a village and 202 acre

townland A townland (; Ulster-Scots: ''toonlann'') is a traditional small land division used in Ireland and in the Western Isles of Scotland, typically covering . The townland system is of medieval Gaelic origin, predating the Norman invasion, and mo ...

in north

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 Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

. The name Garrafrauns is derived from either ''Garra bhfearán'' (garden of the wild brambles) or ''Garbhthráin'' (rough grassy place). The village consists of a church, school, garage and a multiple-use community centre. Garrafrauns is four miles from

Dunmore Dunmore from the or , meaning "great fort", may refer to: People * Dunmore (surname) * Earl of Dunmore, a title in the Peerage of Scotland, includes a list of earls * Countess of Dunmore (disambiguation), a list of wives of earls of Dunmore Pl ...

along the R328 road. Other neighbouring towns and villages are

Cloonfad Cloonfad () is a village in County Roscommon, Ireland, at the crossroads of the N83 National secondary road and the R327 regional road, about 10 km from the town of Ballyhaunis in County Mayo. A public walkway takes walkers to neighbouri ...

(5 miles), Irishtown (3 miles), Milltown (5 miles), and

Tuam Tuam (; , meaning 'mound' or 'burial-place') is a town in Ireland and the second-largest settlement in County Galway. It is west of the midland Region, Ireland, midlands of Ireland, about north of Galway city. The town is in a civil parishe ...

(9 miles).

St. Patrick's Church

A sandstone, cruciform, gothic design church with a thatched roof and whitewashed interior was built in Garrafrauns village in 1820. A replacement church situated across the road from this original, was completed in 1913 and consecrated by Archbishop Gilmartin of Tuam. The bell tower has since been removed. Garrafrauns lies in the middle of a half parish of Dunmore, and the parish comprises 16 townlands. File:Old_church,_Garrafrauns,_exterior.jpg, Exterior view of old church File:St_Patrick's_Church,_Garrafrauns,_exterior.jpg, Exterior view of St. Patrick's Church File:Alter,_St_Patricks_Church,_Garrafrauns.jpg, Altar and window File:Statue,_St_Patricks_Church_grounds,_Garrafrauns.jpg, Statue in grounds

Garrafrauns National School

Garrafrauns National School was opened in 1975, with the school increased in size in 1985 with amalgamation with nearby Strawberry Hill National School. Originally built as a three-room school, it has now been extended and has a large mixed use play area to the front. The school has developed a vegetable garden for which the pupils are responsible. The school participates in the Green School Project, which is intended to raise awareness of environmental issues.

Local heritage

Heverin's Mill is a thatched mill which was built in 1842. The single movement mill wheel measured 11 feet in diameter and 2 feet 8 inches wide. Corn for milling was dried in two kilns, made from stones covered by straw, heated by a turf fire. Garrafrauns Heritage Group was formed in 2003 and produced a book, entitled '"Garrafrauns Through the Ages"' outlining the history of the area in 2010.The Tuam Herald, Local Notes, Vol.174, No.27, p.14. Issue date 2011-01-20. ISSN 2009-3136

References

External links

GarrafraunsGarrafrauns National School
{{County Galway Towns and villages in County Galway Townlands of County Galway