Roundstone, County Galway
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It has been suggested that Sean Gorham be merged into this article or section. (Discuss) Proposed since December 2009. |
| Roundstone Cloch na Rón
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| — Village — | |
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 Roundstone
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| Coordinates: 53°23′42″N 9°55′05″W / 53.395°N 9.918°WCoordinates: 53°23′42″N 9°55′05″W / 53.395°N 9.918°W | |
| Country | Ireland |
| Province | Connacht |
| County | County Galway |
| Elevation | 20 m (66 ft) |
| Population (2002) | |
| • Urban | 239 |
| • Environs | 423 |
| Irish Grid Reference | L725405 |
| Website | roundstone-connemara.com |
Roundstone (Irish: Cloch na Rón, meaning "seal's rock") is a village in Connemara, County Galway, Ireland, located on the west coast of Ireland. The town of Clifden is nearby to the north.
The anglicised name is usually considered an error on the part of the British colonial Ordnance Survey who translated the village name; while Cloch certainly means Stone or Rock, Rón means Seal, not Round. Still, according to Tim Robinson (in Connemara - Listening to the Wind, 2006) the names Cloch na Rón and Roundstone may be totally independent. The bay is referred to as Round-stone Haven as early as 1684 (Roderick O'Flaherty), and the rock after which it is named stands like a marker at the entrance and is strikingly round.
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[edit] Culture
Roundstone is known as a home for creativity and the arts. For many years some of the most important figures in Irish Art have painted there, including Paul Henry, Jack B. Yeats, Gerard Dillon and Nano Reid. The Roundstone Arts Week celebrates youth and environment on an annual basis. The local Summerfest, is held in July. Traditional Irish Nights are held weekly throughout July and August and offers music, song and dance from the Connemara area.
The village has a number of artists and crafts people. The Michael Killeen park houses Roundstone Ceramics a long established pottery studio and shop with beautiful locally inspired hand made ceramics. The House of Mag Aoide makes silver jewellery on the premises. The Stable Gallery at Errisbeg House houses the work of contemporary artists in a beautiful setting. Rosie Mcgurran opens her studio during the summer months showing her unique vision of Connemara. Local Roundstone artist Yvonne King runs a gallery in the village showing local scenes and watercolours.
[edit] Twin village
Roundstone is twinned with the village of Noyelles-sous-Lens (a suburb of Lens, Pas-de-Calais) in France.[1]
[edit] U.S. Senator Christopher Dodd controversy
In February 2009, Kevin Rennie, a columnist at the Hartford Courant, ran an op-ed concerning then-U.S. Senator Christopher Dodd's acquisition of a vacation home in Roundstone, Ireland.[2] The article alleged that Dodd's former partner in buying the home had ties to disgraced Bear Stearns principal Edward Downe, Jr. who has since been convicted of insider trading by the Securities and Exchange Commission.[3] After paying an $11 million fine for his role in the scam, Downe later obtained a pardon in the waning days of the Bill Clinton administration. The controversial pardon was granted after Dodd lobbied Clinton on Downe's behalf.[4] Dodd's letter to the President said, "Mr. President, Ed Downe is a good person, who is truly sorry for the hurt he caused others".[5] After Downes' pardon, Dodd bought out the interests of his partner for a price allegedly based on a 2002 bank appraisal of the Roundstone home, which yielded little profit for Dodd's partner.[6][7] Rennie criticized Dodd for claiming the Roundstone home was worth less than $250,000 in Senate ethics filings; some observers estimated the likely value in excess of $1 million USD.[8]
In June 2009, Dodd provided a new statement to the Senate reporting the actual value of his Irish property at $658,000.[9] The Wall Street Journal later compared this issue to the ethical charges which led to the political demise of Alaska Senator Ted Stevens.[10]
[edit] Gallery
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Two hookers at the Roundstone Regatta 2008
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Roundstone village during the Roundstone Regatta weekend in 2008
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The view of Galway Bay from Roundstone
[edit] See also
- List of towns and villages in Ireland
- Gurteen Bay
- List of abbeys and priories in Ireland (County Galway)
[edit] References
- ^ Twinning: Roundstone News, January 2009
- ^ Dodd's 'Cottage': A Cozy Purchase. Courant.com (2009-02-22). Retrieved on 2010-08-14.
- ^ "Business Ethics of the Rich and Famous?". Time. June 15, 1992. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,975748,00.html. Retrieved April 29, 2010.
- ^ Chris Dodd: A Few Real Estate Deals Among Friends. Citizensforethics.org (2009-03-16). Retrieved on 2010-08-14.
- ^ Dodd Delivers Heated Response To Critics - Politics News Story - WFSB Hartford. Wfsb.com. Retrieved on 2010-08-14.
- ^ Dodd's 'Cottage': A Cozy Purchase. Courant.com (2009-02-22). Retrieved on 2010-08-14.
- ^ Chris Dodd's Irish 'Cottage' - WSJ.com. Online.wsj.com (2009-03-12). Retrieved on 2010-08-14.
- ^ "How politics works: Senator Christopher Dodd and his cosy Irish cottage". The Daily Telegraph (London). February 24, 2009. http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/toby_harnden/blog/2009/02/24/how_politics_works_senator_christopher_dodd_and_his_cosy_irish_cottage. Retrieved April 29, 2010.
- ^ Topic Galleries. Courant.com. Retrieved on 2010-08-14.
- ^ Dodd's Irish Luck - WSJ.com. Online.wsj.com (2009-06-20). Retrieved on 2010-08-14.
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Roundstone |
