Irun ( es, Irún, eu, Irun) is a town of the Bidasoaldea region in the province of

Gipuzkoa Gipuzkoa (, , ; es, Guipúzcoa ; french: Guipuscoa) is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the autonomous community of the Basque Country. Its capital city is Donostia-San Sebastián. Gipuzkoa shares borders with the French depa ...

in the Basque Autonomous Community, Spain.

History

It lies on the foundations of the ancient Oiasso, cited as a

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...

Vasconic The Vasconic languages (from Latin 'Basque') are a putative family of languages that includes Basque and the extinct Aquitanian language. The extinct Iberian language is sometimes putatively included. The concept of the Vasconic languages is ...

town. During the

Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebelión, lin ...

, the city was site of the 1936

Battle of Irún The Battle of Irún was the critical battle of the Campaign of Gipuzkoa prior to the War in the North, during the Spanish Civil War. The Nationalist Army, under Alfonso Beorlegui, captured the city of Irún cutting off the northern provinces of ...

, which ended with a strategic victory for the Nationalist forces.

Geography and transport

One of the biggest towns in Gipuzkoa, its location on the

border Borders are usually defined as geographical boundaries, imposed either by features such as oceans and terrain, or by political entities such as governments, sovereign states, federated states, and other subnational entities. Political borders c ...

between Spain and France, across the Bidasoa river from Hendaye, has made Irun into a commercial and logistic centre. Irun railway station is a major break-of-gauge where the

SNCF The Société nationale des chemins de fer français (; abbreviated as SNCF ; French for "National society of French railroads") is France's national state-owned railway company. Founded in 1938, it operates the country's national rail traffi ...

rails meet the

broad gauge A broad-gauge railway is a railway with a track gauge (the distance between the rails) broader than the used by standard-gauge railways. Broad gauge of , commonly known as Russian gauge, is the dominant track gauge in former Soviet Union (CIS ...

Renfe ones. Currently Irun has a fairground with a modern exhibition and telecommunication facilities, just some 100 metres away from the actual border at the Santiago Bridge (river Bidasoa). Irun is part of the conurbation of Txingudi bay with

Hondarribia Hondarribia ( eu, Hondarribia; es, Fuenterrabía; french: Fontarrabie) is a town situated on the west shore of Bidasoa river's mouth, in Gipuzkoa, in Basque Country (autonomous community), Basque Country, Spain. The border town is situated on a ...

and Hendaye; the town is also within the area of the Eurocité Basque

Bayonne Bayonne (; eu, Baiona ; oc, label= Gascon, Baiona ; es, Bayona) is a city in Southwestern France near the Spanish border. It is a commune and one of two subprefectures in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine re ...

San Sebastián San Sebastian, officially known as Donostia–San Sebastián (names in both local languages: ''Donostia'' () and ''San Sebastián'' ()) is a city and Municipalities of Spain, municipality located in the Basque Country (autonomous community), B ...

, a European economic interest grouping. ( fr)

Culture and tourism

One of its main festivals is the Alarde de San Marcial, a parade recreating an episode of the

Peninsular War The Peninsular War (1807–1814) was the military conflict fought in the Iberian Peninsula by Spain, Portugal, and the United Kingdom against the invading and occupying forces of the First French Empire during the Napoleonic Wars. In Spain ...

, held every year on 30 June. There are hot mineral springs in the town.

Sports

The town is home to one of Europe's top

handball Handball (also known as team handball, European handball or Olympic handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outcourt players and a goalkeeper) pass a ball using their hands with the aim of throwing it into the g ...

teams,

CD Bidasoa CD Bidasoa Irun is a team of handball based in Irún, Spain. It plays in Liga ASOBAL. History The Basque club was founded in 1962. Five years after its foundation, CD Bidasoa managed to get promoted to the second division and after the 196 ...

, who play at the

Pabellón Polideportivo Artaleku Pabellón Polideportivo Artaleku is an arena in Irun, Spain. It is primarily used for team handball and is the home arena of CD Bidasoa CD Bidasoa Irun is a team of handball based in Irún, Spain. It plays in Liga ASOBAL. History The Basq ...

. Its

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

club is

Real Unión Real Unión Club, S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in Irun, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country, in the province of Gipuzkoa, near the border with France. Founded on 15 May 1915 it currently plays in Primera División RFEF ...

who play in the third tier, and are based at

Stadium Gal Stadium Gal is a football stadium in Irun, Gipuzkoa, Basque Country, Spain. It is owned by Real Unión, currently in Segunda División B. The capacity of the stadium is 5,500 spectators. The stadium is located on the left bank of the Bidasoa ri ...

. There is a in the seventh tier.

Climate

Irun has an

oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate, is the humid temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring cool summers and mild winters ( ...

courtesy of strong maritime moderation from the

Bay of Biscay The Bay of Biscay (), known in Spain as the Gulf of Biscay ( es, Golfo de Vizcaya, eu, Bizkaiko Golkoa), and in France and some border regions as the Gulf of Gascony (french: Golfe de Gascogne, oc, Golf de Gasconha, br, Pleg-mor Gwaskogn), ...

. Rainfall is frequent year-round since Irun is on the windward side of the

Pyrenees The Pyrenees (; es, Pirineos ; french: Pyrénées ; ca, Pirineu ; eu, Pirinioak ; oc, Pirenèus ; an, Pirineus) is a mountain range straddling the border of France and Spain. It extends nearly from its union with the Cantabrian Mountains to C ...

. Rain often falls in high quantities on individual days with falling on just 138 days.

People from Irun

Manuel Anatol Manuel Anatol Aristegi (8 May 1903 – 17 May 1990) was a naturalized French professional footballer and athlete. Football career Anatol was born in Irun, a town in the Basque Country of Spain. A defender, he played for three clubs in the c ...

(8 May 1903 – 17 May 1990) was a naturalized French professional football player. *

Ramón Iribarren Ramón Iribarren Cavanilles Ing.D (15 April 1900 – 21 February 1967) was a Spanish civil engineer and professor of ports at the School of Civil Engineering ( es, link=no, Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros de Caminos, Canales y Puertos ...

(1900 - 1967), Engineer who made notable contributions in the field of coastal engineering. *

Tirso de Olazábal y Lardizábal Tirso is Spanish and Portuguese for Thyrsus, and usually refers to the saint of that name (Saint Thyrsus) (San Tirso, Santo Tirso). It can also refer to: People * Tirso Cruz III (born 1952), Filipino actor * Tirso de Molina (1579-1648), Spanish pl ...

(1842–1921), Carlist politician *

Juan Olazábal Ramery Juan Olazábal Ramery (1863–1937) was a Spanish Traditionalism (Spain), Traditionalist politician, first as a Carlist, then as an Integrism (Spain), Integrist, and eventually back in the Carlist ranks. In 1899-1901 he served in the Cortes Gener ...

(1860–1937), Carlist politician *

Luis Mariano Luis Mariano Eusebio González García (13 August 1914 – 14 July 1970), also known as Luis Mariano, was a popular tenor of Spanish origin who achieved celebrity in 1946 with "La belle de Cadix" ("The Beautiful Lady of Cadix") an operetta by ...

, singer. *

Amaia Montero Amaia Montero Saldías (; born 26 August 1976) is a Spanish singer and songwriter mainly known as the former vocalist of the Spanish pop-band La Oreja de Van Gogh between 1996 and 2007. Amaia has sung in a variety of languages, including Basqu ...

, singer. *

Fermin Muguruza Fermin Muguruza (born 20 April 1963) is a Basque rock musician, singer, songwriter, producer, record label manager, and co-founder of the ska punk band Kortatu, active from 1983 to 1988, and of the crossover group Negu Gorriak, active from 1990 t ...

, singer. * Alberto Górriz, footballer. *

Alberto López Fernández Alberto is the Romance version of the Latinized form (''Albertus'') of Germanic ''Albert''. It is used in Italian, Portuguese and Spanish. The diminutive forms are ''Albertito'' in Spain or ''Albertico'' in some parts of Latin America, Albertin ...

, footballer. *

Iñaki Descarga Iñaki Descarga Retegui (born 25 August 1976) is a Spanish former footballer. Mainly a central defender, he could also operate as a right back. He started and ended his 16-year professional career with Real Unión, but played mainly for Levante ...

, footballer. *

Javier Garrido Javier Garrido Behobide (born 15 March 1985) is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a left back. Formed at Real Sociedad, he made 104 La Liga appearances for that club and for Las Palmas. Abroad, he represented Manchester Ci ...

, footballer. *

Javier Irureta Javier Iruretagoyena Amiano (born 1 April 1948), Irureta for short, is a Spanish retired football attacking midfielder and manager. He had a distinguished playing career with Atlético Madrid and Athletic Bilbao, playing in 344 La Liga games ...

, footballer. *

Javier Yubero Francisco Javier Yubero Solanilla (21 January 1972 – 22 September 2005) was a Spanish footballer who played as a goalkeeper. Football career Born in Irun, Gipuzkoa, Yubero made his professional debut with Real Sociedad in 1991–92, playing i ...

, footballer. *

Luis Regueiro Luis Regueiro Pagola ( 1 July 1908 – 6 December 1995), sometimes nicknamed ''Corso'', was a footballer, and an Olympian from the Basque Country in the north of Spain. Football career He began his career in 1924 playing for Real Unión in t ...

, footballer. * Patricio Arabolaza, footballer. * Oier Olazábal, footballer. *

Sergio Francisco Sergio Francisco Ramos (born 19 May 1979), known as Sergio Francisco, is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a striker, currently manager of Real Sociedad B. Playing career Born in Irun, Gipuzkoa, Sergio Francisco spent the ...

, footballer. *

Juan Manuel Gárate Juan Manuel Gárate Cepa (born 24 April 1976 in Irun) is a Spanish professional road racing cyclist, who last rode for the team. He is perceived to be a climbing specialist, and to date his greatest achievements have been in the Giro d'Italia, ...

, cyclist. * Basilio Sánchez Beguiristáin, mayor of the Chilean commune of

Pichilemu Pichilemu (, ), originally known as Pichilemo, is a beach resort city and commune in central Chile, and capital of Cardenal Caro Province in the O'Higgins Region. The commune comprises an urban centre and twenty-two villages, including Ciruelo ...

. *

Kortatu Kortatu was a Basque ska punk band from the Basque Autonomous Community formed in Irun in the summer of 1984. Kortatu was born in the context of the first democracy years in Spain in 1984. They had a big significance for left-wing basque natio ...

, punkrock band *

Menchu Gal Carmen Gal Orendain, better known as Menchu Gal, (Irún, Guipúzcoa, 7 January 1919 – San Sebastián, Guipúzcoa, 12 March 2008) was a Spanish painter from the Basque Country. Her work in landscapes and portraits made her famous with her pers ...

, painter * , reporter * Leontxo García, chess player & commentator for the

El País ''El País'' (; ) is a Spanish-language daily newspaper in Spain. ''El País'' is based in the capital city of Madrid and it is owned by the Spanish media conglomerate PRISA. It is the second most circulated daily newspaper in Spain . ''El Pa ...

newspaper * Mari Jose Urruzola, educator, feminist, writer Junkaleko Andre Mariaren eliza Irun 2006

References

External links

Irun municipal government website

Lakaxita gaztetxea
{{Authority control Vascones Bidasoaldea France–Spain border crossings Municipalities in Gipuzkoa