Renvyle or Rinvyle () is a

peninsula A peninsula (; ) is a landform that extends from a mainland and is surrounded by water on most, but not all of its borders. A peninsula is also sometimes defined as a piece of land bordered by water on three of its sides. Peninsulas exist on al ...

and

electoral division An electoral district, also known as an election district, legislative district, voting district, constituency, riding, ward, division, or (election) precinct is a subdivision of a larger state (a country, administrative region, or other poli ...

in North-West

Connemara Connemara (; )( ga, Conamara ) is a region on the 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, w ...

County Galway "Righteousness and Justice" , anthem = () , image_map = Island of Ireland location map Galway.svg , map_caption = Location in Ireland , area_footnotes = , area_total_km2 = ...

, close to the

border Borders are usually defined as geographical boundaries, imposed either by features such as oceans and terrain, or by political entities such as governments, sovereign states, federated states, and other subnational entities. Political bo ...

with

County Mayo County Mayo (; ga, Contae Mhaigh Eo, meaning "Plain of the yew trees") is a county in Ireland. In the West of Ireland, in the province of Connacht, it is named after the village of Mayo, now generally known as Mayo Abbey. Mayo County Coun ...

in Ireland.

History

The ruins of the castle of

Grace O'Malley Grace O'Malley ( – c. 1603), also known as Gráinne O'Malley ( ga, Gráinne Ní Mháille, ), was the head of the Ó Máille dynasty in the west of Ireland, and the daughter of Eóghan Dubhdara Ó Máille. In Irish folklore she is commonly k ...

(''Gráinne Mhaol'') can be found on the peninsula's western fringe. Close by, in Cashleen, is the ruined medieval Church of the Seven Daughters which was named after the

Seven Sisters of Renvyle The Seven Sisters of Renvyle were Medieval Irish people, said to be the daughters of a King of Leinster, or a chief of Omey Island. They preached along the coast of Conmhaícne Mara, lending their names to holy wells at Renvyle, Cleggan, Aillebr ...

who preached in the area.

Geography

Renvyle is surrounded on three sides by the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the "Old World" of Afr ...

and by the Dawros

river A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater Fresh water or freshwater is any naturally occurring liquid or frozen water containing low concentrations of dissolved salts and other total dissolved solids. Although the ...

on the other side. It contains the villages of

Tully Tully may refer to: People * Tully (surname), origins and history of the Tully surname in Ireland ** List of people with surname Tully * List of people with given name Tully * Marcus Tullius Cicero, or Cicero, a Roman philosopher, politician, l ...

and Tully Cross. Renvyle is situated in the parish of Ballinakill and historically was part of the barony of

Ballynahinch Ballynahinch may refer to: Northern Ireland * Ballynahinch, County Armagh, a townland *Ballynahinch, County Down, a town Republic of Ireland * Ballynahinch (barony), in County Galway *Ballynahinch, County Galway, a townland in County Galway * Ball ...

. The villages of Leenane and

Letterfrack Letterfrack or Letterfrac () is a small village in the Connemara area of County Galway, Ireland. It was founded by Quakers in the mid-19th century. The village is south-east of Renvyle peninsula and north-east of Clifden on Barnaderg Bay and l ...

are close by and Clifden is the nearest town, lying 12 miles (9 km) to the south. The peninsula is dominated by Letter Hill (also known as Tully Mountain) which is 356m high. The

Twelve Bens , photo=Boats and mountains, Roundstone (6047965086).jpg , photo_caption= View of the range from Roundstone village. , region = Connacht , region_type = Provinces of Ireland , translation = The peaks of Beola , language = Irish language ...

Mountains are also visible, as is Mweelrea, the largest mountain in Connacht. The islands of

Inishturk Inishturk (''Inis Toirc'' in Irish, meaning ''Wild Boar Island'') is an inhabited island of County Mayo, in Ireland. Geography The island lies about off the coast; its highest point reaches above sea level. Between Inisturk and Clare Isl ...

, Inishbofin, Crump, and Freachoileán lie off the rugged coastline.

Amenities

Located in a tourist area, local facilities include a pharmacy, three primary schools, several hotels and B&Bs, a post office, supermarket and other shops, church, community centre, credit union, several pubs, horse-riding, golf course and a crèche. Several festivals take place in the area including the Connemara Mussel Festival, Bog Week and Sea Week.

Kylemore Abbey Kylemore Abbey ( ga, Mainistir na Coille Móire) is a Benedictine monastery founded in 1920 on the grounds of Kylemore Castle, in Connemara, County Galway, Ireland. The abbey was founded for Benedictine Nuns who fled Belgium in World War I and ...

is also two miles away and was the main place of education for teenage girls in the area until it was closed (as a school) in 2010. Secondary school students now generally attend Clifden Community School or Coláiste Naomh Feichín, Corr na Móna. There are three national schools in the area, namely Eagle's Nest NS, Tully NS and Lettergesh NS. Renvyle GAA, Gráinne Mhaoils and West Coast United are some of the sporting teams based in the vicinity.

Renvyle House

Renvyle House, now a hotel, is situated in Rusheenduff in West Renvyle. It was originally single storey, with an extra storey added in the mid-19th century. The timber used in the building of the house extension was said to have been from a shipwreck in the bay. It was initially the home of the Anglo-Irish

Blake family Blake is a surname which originated from Old English. Its derivation is uncertain; it could come from "blac", a nickname for someone who had dark hair or skin, or from "blaac", a nickname for someone with pale hair or skin. Another theory, presum ...

who were landlords and owned the peninsula as far as Lettergesh East in the 19th century. The house was sold before the

Irish War of Independence The Irish War of Independence () or Anglo-Irish War was a guerrilla war fought in Ireland from 1919 to 1921 between the Irish Republican Army (1919–1922), Irish Republican Army (IRA, the army of the Irish Republic) and United Kingdom of Gre ...

to surgeon, poet, novelist and senator

Oliver St. John Gogarty Oliver Joseph St. John Gogarty (17 August 1878 – 22 September 1957) was an Irish poet, author, otolaryngologist, athlete, politician, and well-known conversationalist. He served as the inspiration for Buck Mulligan in James Joyce's novel ...

. It was burned to the ground during the

Irish Civil War The Irish Civil War ( ga, Cogadh Cathartha na hÉireann; 28 June 1922 – 24 May 1923) was a conflict that followed the Irish War of Independence and accompanied the establishment of the Irish Free State, an entity independent from the United ...

in 1923 by the

anti-Treaty IRA The 1921 Anglo-Irish Treaty ( ga , An Conradh Angla-Éireannach), commonly known in Ireland as The Treaty and officially the Articles of Agreement for a Treaty Between Great Britain and Ireland, was an agreement between the government of the ...

, as were many other homes of

Irish Free State The Irish Free State ( ga, Saorstát Éireann, , ; 6 December 192229 December 1937) was a State (polity), state established in December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty of December 1921. The treaty ended the three-year Irish War of Independ ...

supporters. The house was rebuilt by Gogarty as a hotel in the 1930s. One of Marconi's first radio receiving stations was built at Tooreena on the peninsula and operated for a short time.http://www.connemaramusselfest.com

References

External links

* {{Peninsulas of Ireland Towns and villages in County Galway