Spiddal
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Spiddal | |
|---|---|
Village | |
| An Spidéal | |
 The Pier, Spiddal | |
  Location in Ireland | |
| Coordinates: 53°14′39″N 9°18′21″W / 53.244184°N 9.30586°W | |
| Country | Ireland |
| Province | Connacht |
| County | County Galway |
| Elevation | 5 m (16 ft) |
| Population (2011)[1] | |
| • Village | 1,450 |
| • Urban | 250 |
| • Rural | 1,200 |
| Irish Grid Reference | M130225 |
| The official name of the village is An Spidéal, and its English name is Spiddal.[2] | |
Spiddal (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 is a broad range of shops and services. On the eastern side of the village is An Ceardlann, a craft village. There is a primary school and a secondary school in the village.
On most weekend nights, and sometimes during the week in the summer, there is live traditional Irish music in the pubs, most of which double as restaurants.
The village is served by Bus Éireann route 424 from Galway City.
The village river, the Boluisce, flows south from Boluisce Lake and enters Galway Bay at Spiddal.[4]
Culture and sport
Each summer, groups of Irish teenagers visit Spiddal for three-week Irish language courses. American students visit for the autumn semester each year to study Irish-language literature and culture.
Coláiste Chonnacht and Coláiste Lurgan are two local Irish language schools.
The music group The Waterboys recorded part of their Fisherman's Blues album in Spiddal. They also recorded a song called Spring Comes to Spiddal on their album Room to Roam. The television series Ros na Rún is filmed there, and broadcast on TG4.
The local Gaelic Athletic Association club is Cumann Lúthchleas Gael An Spidéal, with Gaelic football and hurling being the most popular sports. There is also a sailing club in the village.
Notable residents
- Mary Bergin - Musician
- Ronan Browne - Musician
- Thom McGinty - Actor and stillness artist
- Michael Morris, 3rd Baron Killanin - Journalist, author, sports official and the sixth president of the International Olympic Committee
- Seán Ó Neachtain - Former Member of the European Parliament and Fianna Fáil politician
- Gráinne Seoige - Television presenter
- Síle Seoige - Television presenter
- Charlie Lennon - Musician
- Seán Ó Gallchobhair - Irish cyclist and musician
- John Feeney, father of John Ford & Francis Ford
- Máirtín Thornton (died 1984) was an Irish heavyweight boxer in the 1940s
See also
References
- ^ Census 2011 – Population Classified by Area Table 6 Population of each province, county, city, urban area, rural area and electoral division, 2006 and 2011
- ^ http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2003/act/32/enacted/en/print.html
- ^ Spiddal Placenames Database of Ireland. Retrieved: 2011-02-06.
- ^ Owenboliskey River Placenames Database of Ireland. Retrieved: 2011-11-20.
External links
- Spiddal Community Website
- Coláiste Chroí Mhuire, the secondary school in An Spidéal
- Information about Spiddal, including photographs
- Comhlacht Forbartha an Spidéil, the local community development organisation
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