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Coordinates: 53°14′39″N 9°18′21″W / 53.244184°N 9.30586°W / 53.244184; -9.30586
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* [[Joe Burke (accordionist)#Discography|Charlie Lennon]] - Musician
* [[Joe Burke (accordionist)#Discography|Charlie Lennon]] - Musician
* Seán Ó Gallchobhair - Irish cyclist
* Seán Ó Gallchobhair - Irish cyclist
* John Feeney, born in An Spidéal, in 1854, was the father of [[John Ford]] & [[Francis Ford (actor)|Francis Ford]]. John Ford being the legendary film director and Francis was an actor/director. Francis appeared in the John Ford film, 'The Quiet Man'.
* John Feeney, born in An Spidéal, in 1854, was the father of [[John Ford]] & [[Francis Ford (actor)|Francis Ford]].
* Máirtín Thornton (died 1984) was an Irish heavyweight boxer in the 1940s.

Mairtin Thornton (died 1984) was an Irish heavyweight boxer in the 1940s. He was nicknamed the "Connemara Crusher".

Thornton was a native of Spiddal, Connemara, County Galway.

Thornton was the Irish Heavyweight Boxing champion in 1943. He fought Bruce Woodcock for the British Commonwealth Heavyweight title in 1945.[1]

He boxed from 10 January 1938 until 23 April 1949. He won 14 bouts and lost 8.[2]
He doubled for John Wayne in the fight scene in the movie The Quiet Man.

When he retired from boxing he ran a pub in Spiddal ; An Droighnán Donn. He also was a cattle dealer. He died in 1984.


==See also==
==See also==

Revision as of 18:00, 31 March 2017

An Spidéal
Village
An Caladh Mór, An Spidéal
An Caladh Mór, An Spidéal
Spiddal is located in Ireland
Spiddal
Location in Ireland
Coordinates: 53°14′39″N 9°18′21″W / 53.244184°N 9.30586°W / 53.244184; -9.30586
CountryIreland
ProvinceConnacht
CountyCounty Galway
Elevation
5 m (16 ft)
Population
 (2011)[1]
 • Village1,450
 • Urban
250
 • Rural
1,200
Irish Grid ReferenceM130225
The only official name of this Gaeltacht village is An Spidéal. The anglicized spellings Spiddal has no official status.[2]
R336, An Spidéal

An Spidéal (Irish: An Spidéal, meaning 'the hospital', Irish pronunciation: [ənˠ ˈsˠpʲɪdʲeːlˠ]) is a Gaeltacht[3] village on the shore of Galway Bay in County Galway, Ireland. It is 18 km 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

There are a broad range of shops and services. On the eastern side of the village is the Ceardlann, a craft village. he you can watch expert craftsmen design all thing Irish from Aran Sweaters to old traditional jewelry.[4] Cloon Kein Atelier candles are made in an industrial estate 1 km east of the village. There is a primary school, and a secondary school, in the village.

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.

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.[5]

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.

Examples of Irish colleges around the Spiddal area are 'Coláiste Chonnacht' and the well-known 'Coláiste Lurgan'.

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