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* [[Síle Seoige]] - Television presenter
* [[Síle Seoige]] - Television presenter
* [[Joe_Burke_(accordionist)#Discography|Charlie Lennon]] - Musician
* [[Joe_Burke_(accordionist)#Discography|Charlie Lennon]] - Musician
* Jenny Gallagher - Musician
* [[Jenny Gallagher]] - Musician
* Seán Ó Gallchobhair - Irish cyclist
* Seán Ó Gallchobhair - Irish cyclist


Revision as of 19:39, 21 October 2016

An Spidéal
Village
An Caladh Mór, An Spidéal
An Caladh Mór, An Spidéal
CountryIreland
ProvinceConnacht
CountyCounty Galway
Elevation
5 m (16 ft)
Population
 (2011)[1]
 • Total1,445
Irish Grid ReferenceM130225
The only official name of this Gaeltacht village is An Spidéal. The anglicized spellings Spiddal has no official status.[citation needed]

An Spidéal (Irish: An Spidéal, meaning 'the hospital', Irish pronunciation: [ənˠ ˈsˠpʲɪdʲeːlˠ]) is a Gaeltacht[2] village on the shore of Galway Bay in County Galway, Ireland. It is 19 km (12 mi) west of Galway city, on the R336 road. An Spidéal is on the eastern side of the county's Gaeltacht (Irish-speaking area) and of the Connemara region. It is a tourist centre with a scenic beach, harbour, and shore fishing.

The village

Local shops and services include a newsagent's shop, grocery shop, post office, petrol station, a pizzeria, a Supermac's and a Chinese takeaway in the centre of the village. There is also a pharmacy, a bank, a butcher shop, a music shop, a medical centre, a barber, a wellness centre, a hairdresser and a hardware store. On the eastern side of the village is the Ceardlann, a Craft Village, where there are several craft studios, and an award-winning cafe.

On most weekend nights, and sometimes during the week in summer, there is live traditional Irish music in the pubs, most of which double as restaurants. On the first Wednesday of every month there is an Alternative Session at 9pm in An Droighneán Donn, one of the pubs.

There is a primary school, Scoil Éinne, and a secondary school, Coláiste Chroí Mhuire, in the village.

Cloon Kein Atelier candles are made in an industrial estate 1km east of the village.

There is one hotel in the village, and bed and breakfast accommodation in and nearby.

The village is served by Bus Éireann route 424 from Galway City.

An tSean Chéibh

The local river, Abhainn Bhoth Loiscthe, flows south from Loch Bhoth Loiscthe and enters Galway Bay at An Spidéal.[3]

Culture and sport

Each summer, groups of Irish teenagers visit An Spidéal for three-week Irish language courses. American students from the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University in Collegeville Township, Minnesota visit for the autumn semester each year to study Irish-language literature and culture.

The English/Irish folk-influenced music group The Waterboys recorded part of their Fisherman's Blues album in An Spidéal. They also recorded a song called Spring Comes to Spiddal on their album Room to Roam. The television series Ros na Rún is filmed in Spiddal and shown on TG4.

The local Gaelic Athletic Association club is CLG An Spidéal. Gaelic football and hurling are the most popular local sports, and there is also a sailing club in the village.

Notable residents

See also

References

  1. ^ "Table 8: Population of each Province, County, City, urban area, rural area and Electoral Division, 2006 - 2011". Central Statistics Office Census 2011 Reports. Central Statistics Office Ireland. Retrieved 2012-05-05.
  2. ^ Spiddal Placenames Database of Ireland. Retrieved: 2011-02-06.
  3. ^ Owenboliskey River Placenames Database of Ireland. Retrieved: 2011-11-20.
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