Claddaghduff (derived from the Irish ''An Cladach Dubh'' meaning ''the black shore'') is a village 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 ...

. It is located northwest of Clifden, the gateway to

Omey Island Omey Island ( ga, Iomaidh) is a tidal island situated near Claddaghduff on the western edge of Connemara in County Galway, Ireland. From the mainland the island is almost hidden. It is possible to drive or walk across a large sandy strand to t ...

History

The village, now sparsely populated, overlooks Omey Island which contains the ruins of Teampal Feichin, a medieval granite church dedicated to

St. Feichin ST, St, or St. may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Stanza, in poetry * Suicidal Tendencies, an American heavy metal/hardcore punk band * Star Trek, a science-fiction media franchise * Summa Theologica, a compendium of Catholic philosophy ...

. Omey Island is a part of the Omey Granite Pluton, one of the oldest granites in Connemara; and its human history dates back at least 5,000 years. Claddaghduff has been a site for writers and artists. Richard Murphy's poetry was inspired by the local lore, landscapes, and seascapes and novelist John McGahern also resided in the village. Much of the scenery and ambience of

Walter Macken Walter Macken (3 May 1915 – 22 April 1967) (Irish Uaitéar Ó Maicín), was born in Galway, Ireland. He was a writer of short stories, novels and plays. Biography Walter Macken was originally an actor, principally with the Taibhdhearc (where h ...

's famous novels is based on his time in and around Claddaghduff. The townland, as with most of Connemara, was deeply affected by the

Great Irish Famine The Great Famine ( ga, an Gorta Mór ), also known within Ireland as the Great Hunger or simply the Famine and outside Ireland as the Irish Potato Famine, was a period of starvation and disease in Ireland from 1845 to 1852 that constituted a ...

(or ''Gorta Mor'') of 1847–48, with large numbers leaving for America and Boston in particular. At Grallagh there remains a graveyard by the shore which was chosen to hold the deceased children whose lives were cut short by the starvation and disease which wreaked havoc on the region. 19th century rural Ireland was largely controlled by British landlords and their (often Irish) land agents. Such was no different in and around Claddaghduff, where the majority of farmlands were owned by English landlords who rented out the land to subsistence farmers. Evidence of the effect of such a tenuous existence is shown in the large number of abandoned houses which surround the village and outlying townland. Claddaghduff was the scene of at least one of

Daniel O'Connell Daniel O'Connell (I) ( ga, Dónall Ó Conaill; 6 August 1775 – 15 May 1847), hailed in his time as The Liberator, was the acknowledged political leader of Ireland's Roman Catholic majority in the first half of the 19th century. His mobilizat ...

's 'Monster Rallies' during the campaign in Ireland for religious and political emancipation.

Tourism

Claddaghduff is reliant upon the seasonal tourism of the spring and summer months, and is known for its deep sea angling, lake fishing, boat trips to

Inishturk Inishturk (''Inis Toirc'' in Irish, meaning ''Wild Boar Island'') is an inhabited island of County Mayo, in Ireland. Geography The island lies about off the coast; its highest point reaches above sea level. Between Inisturk and Clare Islan ...

and Inishbofin. There is also pony trekking, pitch & putt, dive sites, beaches and historical tours.

References

External links

Cleggan/Claddaghduff Community site
Towns and villages in County Galway Articles on towns and villages in Ireland possibly missing Irish place names {{Galway-geo-stub

History

Tourism

See also

References

External links