Castlegar () is a village and Roman Catholic parish in

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 = ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

, located just outside the city of

Galway Galway ( ; ga, Gaillimh, ) is a City status in Ireland, city in the West Region, Ireland, West of Ireland, in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Connacht, which is the county town of County Galway. It lies on the River Corrib between Lo ...

. It extends from

Lough Corrib Lough Corrib ( ; ) is a lake in the west of Ireland. The River Corrib or Galway River connects the lake to the sea at Galway. It is the largest lake within the Republic of Ireland and the second largest on the island of Ireland (after Lough Nea ...

across to Merlin Park by the old Galway-

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...

road. The annual

Galway Races The Galway Races (Irish: ''Rásaí na Gaillimhe'') is an Irish horse-racing festival that starts on the last Monday of July every year. Held at Ballybrit Racecourse in Galway, Ireland over seven days, it is one of the longest of all the race ...

are held at

Ballybrit Racecourse Ballybrit Race Track, also known as Galway Racecourse, is a horse race course in County Galway, Ireland. It is located in the townland of Ballybrit, in the environs of Castlegar, just north of the N6 Bóthar na dTreabh, c.6 km northeast ...

in the area.

Irish language

As of 2006, the

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 ...

of Castlegar (Castlegar ED) had a population of approximately 1,000 people, of whom 11% were Irish speakers.

History

The name ''Castlegar'' is derived from the Irish words ''Caisleán Gearr'', which means "Short

Castle A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...

". The small Castlegar Castle, in the middle of the parish, was a guest or "short stay" castle for the Blake family's

Menlo Castle Menlo Castle or Menlough Castle (), also called Blake's Castle, is a 16th century castle situated on the bank of the River Corrib near Menlo village in County Galway, Ireland. History Menlo Castle is built on the site of, and incorporates por ...

. Emigrants from Ireland went to

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

and named a place there after it:

Castlegar, British Columbia Castlegar is the second-largest community in the West Kootenay region of British Columbia, Canada. In the Selkirk Mountains, at the confluence of the Kootenay and Columbia Rivers, it is a regional trade and transportation centre, with a local ...

Castles

* Ballybrit Castle *

Ballindooley Castle Ballindooley, officially Ballindooly (), is a village in County Galway, Ireland. It is north of Galway city and in the ecclesiastical parish of Castlegar. There is a 15th century castle in the area, Ballindooley Castle, which was refurbished a ...

(Ballindooly)Menlo and Ballindooley Castle
/ref> * Castlegar Castle (Castle Gar) * Cloonacauneen Castle (Cluanacauneen)Cluanacauneen and Killeen Castle
/ref> * Killeen Castle (Killeen) * Menlo Castle (Menlough) * Merlin Park Castle (formerly

Doughiska Doughiska () is a townland and suburb of Galway City in County Galway, Ireland. There has been continuous urban development between Doughiska and the city centre due to the growth of Galway City in the early 21st century. Name In ''Origin and ...

/Doughiskey)

Villages and townlands

Ballybrit Ballybrit () is an electoral division and townland in the civil parish of St. Nicholas, on the outskirts of Galway city in Ireland. The townland of Ballybrit is in area, and is home to Ballybrit Racecourse and a business park. Evidence of anci ...

* Ballindooley * Ballintemple * Briarhill * Bruckey * Cappanabornia * Carrabrowne * Castlegar Village * Coolough * Killeen * Killtulla * Kyloughter * Menlo * Two-Mile-Ditch

Notable people

* The

Blake baronets There have been four baronetcies for persons with the surname Blake, one in the Baronetage of Ireland, two in the Baronetage of Great Britain and one in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom. Two of the creations are extant as of 2010. The Blake ...

from 1622 through 1910 * Castlegar is home to the

hurling Hurling ( ga, iománaíocht, ') is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic Irish origin, played by men. One of Ireland's native Gaelic games, it shares a number of features with Gaelic football, such as the field and goals, the number of p ...

family, the Connolly brothers,

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Secon ...

and Joe Connolly.

References

Notes

Sources

* Ó Laoi, Padraic. ''History of Castlegar Parish''. 1996

External links

Castlegar Galway

List of Castles in Castlegar, Galway
{{Roman Catholic Diocese of Galway, Kilmacduagh and Kilfenora Civil parishes of County Galway