Oughterard () is a small town on the banks of the Owenriff River close to the western shore of Lough Corrib in

Connemara Connemara ( ; ) is a region on the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast of western County Galway, in the west of Ireland. The area has a strong association with traditional Irish culture and contains much of the Connacht Irish-speaking Gaeltacht, ...

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 ...

. It is located about northwest 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 ...

on the N59 road. Oughterard is the chief angling centre on Lough Corrib. One of the fastest-growing towns in Ireland, it had a population of 1,846 in 2022, an increase of 40.1% from the 2016 census.

Places of interest

Three kilometres outside the town stand the ruins of Aughnanure Castle, a well-preserved example of a medieval

tower house A tower house is a particular type of stone structure, built for defensive purposes as well as habitation. Tower houses began to appear in the Middle Ages, especially in mountainous or limited access areas, to command and defend strategic points ...

. Much of the surrounding area was occupied by the O'Flaherty clan, but was taken over by Walter de Burgh, 1st Earl of Ulster, in 1256. Ross Castle is also located a number of kilometres outside Oughterard. The mansion, which is visible today, was built by the Martin family in the 17th century but there is some evidence still present of the original castle structure, built in the 15th century by the O'Flaherty family, in its foundation. The 'Quiet Man Bridge' is located 8 kilometres past Oughterard, down the Leam Road, which was the setting for the 1950s film '' The Quiet Man'' starring

John Wayne Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne, was an American actor. Nicknamed "Duke", he became a Pop icon, popular icon through his starring roles in films which were produced during Hollywood' ...

and

Maureen O'Hara Maureen O'Hara (; 17 August 1920 – 24 October 2015) was an Irish-born naturalized American actress who became successful in Hollywood from the 1940s through to the 1960s. She was a natural redhead who was known for playing passionate b ...

. Also close to Oughterard, the Glengowla Mines (abandoned in 1865) is a "show mine" with exhibits on the

lead Lead () is a chemical element; it has Chemical symbol, symbol Pb (from Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a Heavy metal (elements), heavy metal that is density, denser than most common materials. Lead is Mohs scale, soft and Ductility, malleabl ...

and

silver mining Silver mining is the extraction of silver by mining. Silver is a precious metal and holds high economic value. Because silver is often found in intimate combination with other metals, its extraction requires the use of complex technologies. In ...

history of the area.

Transport

Oughterard railway station was opened by the Midland Great Western Railway on 1 January 1895 as part of its line from Galway to

Clifden Clifden () is a coastal town in County Galway, Ireland, in the region of Connemara, located on the Owenglin River where it flows into Clifden Bay. As the largest town in the region, it is often referred to as "the Capital of Connemara". Frequen ...

. The station, and the line, were closed by the

Great Southern Railways The Great Southern Railways Company (often Great Southern Railways, or GSR) was an Ireland, Irish company that from 1925 until 1945 owned and operated all railways that lay wholly within the Irish Free State (the present-day Republic of Irelan ...

on 29 April 1935. There are daily buses going to and from Galway and Clifden along the N59. City Link and Bus Éireann are the two bus services that travel to and from Galway.

Amenities

Oughterard has a primary school, 'Scoil Chuimín agus Caitríona', and a co-educational voluntary secondary school, St Paul's. Oughterard also has a public library, which is based in the town's old courthouse, as well as a community centre with a public gymnasium.

Events

Oughterard hosts a fishing festival every year in early May. The festival lasts for four days and includes fishing events, art exhibitions and concerts.

Sport

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,

Oughterard GAA Oughterard GAA () is a Gaelic football club based in Oughterard, County Galway, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is a member of the Galway GAA branch of the Gaelic Athletic Association. Oughterard had a hurling team in the 1920s, but is primaril ...

, won the All-Ireland Intermediate Club Football Championship in 2020. Oughterard Golf Club, located outside the town, was incorporated in 1969 and developed in the early 1970s. It consists of an 18-hole championship course with a clubhouse, pro-shop and restaurant.

People

Tom Collins The Tom Collins is a Collins cocktail made from gin, lemon juice, sugar, and carbonated water. This "gin and sparkling lemonade" drink is typically served in a Collins glass over ice with a cherry garnish. A non-alcoholic "Collins mix" drink mi ...

, filmmaker based in Oughterard * John Purcell, soldier and recipient of the

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious decoration of the Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom, British decorations system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British ...

, was born in Kilcommonn near Oughterard * Joe Shaughnessy, a professional footballer with

Southend United F.C. Southend United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, England, which competes in the National League (English football), National League, the fifth English football league system, level of En ...

, was born in Oughterard * Matthew Tierney, Gaelic footballer, part of the

Galway county football team The Galway county football team ( ) represents County Galway, Galway in men's Gaelic football and is governed by Galway GAA, the County board (Gaelic games), county board of the Gaelic Athletic Association. The team competes in the three major a ...

References

External links

Discover Oughterard

Oughterard Tourism

Oughterard Heritage Site
{{Roman Catholic Diocese of Galway, Kilmacduagh and Kilfenora Towns and villages in Connemara