Garrafrauns () is a village and 202 acre
townland
A townland ( ga, baile fearainn; Ulster-Scots: ''toonlann'') is a small geographical division of land, historically and currently used in Ireland and in the Western Isles in Scotland, typically covering . The townland system is of Gaelic orig ...
in north
County Galway,
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 ...
. The name Garrafrauns is derived from either ''Garra bhfearán'' (garden of the wild brambles) or ''Garbhthráin'' (rough grassy place). The village consists of a church, school, garage and a multiple-use community centre. Garrafrauns is four miles from
Dunmore Dunmore from the ga, Dún Mór, link=no or gd, Dùn Mòr, link=no, meaning "great fort", may refer to:
People
* Dunmore (surname)
* Earl of Dunmore, a title in the Peerage of Scotland, includes a list of earls
* Countess of Dunmore (disambiguat ...
along the
R328 road. Other neighbouring towns and villages are
Cloonfad
Cloonfad () is a village in County Roscommon, Ireland, at the crossroads of the N83 National secondary road and the R327 regional road, about 10 km from the town of Ballyhaunis in County Mayo.
A public walkway takes walkers to neighbou ...
(5 miles), Irishtown (3 miles),
Milltown (5 miles), and
Tuam
Tuam ( ; ga, Tuaim , meaning 'mound' or 'burial-place') is a town in Ireland and the second-largest settlement in County Galway. It is west of the midlands of Ireland, about north of Galway city. Humans have lived in the area since the Bronz ...
(9 miles).
St. Patrick's Church
A sandstone, cruciform, gothic design church with a thatched roof and whitewashed interior was built in Garrafrauns village in 1820. A replacement church situated across the road from this original, was completed in 1913 and consecrated by
Archbishop Gilmartin of Tuam. The bell tower has since been removed. Garrafrauns lies in the middle of a half parish of Dunmore, and the parish comprises 16 townlands.
File:Old_church,_Garrafrauns,_exterior.jpg, Exterior view of old church
File:St_Patrick's_Church,_Garrafrauns,_exterior.jpg, Exterior view of St. Patrick's Church
File:Alter,_St_Patricks_Church,_Garrafrauns.jpg, Altar and window
File:Statue,_St_Patricks_Church_grounds,_Garrafrauns.jpg, Statue in grounds
Garrafrauns National School
Garrafrauns
National School was opened in 1975, with the school increased in size in 1985 with amalgamation with nearby Strawberry Hill National School. Originally built as a three-room school, it has now been extended and has a large mixed use play area to the front. The school has developed a vegetable garden for which the pupils are responsible. The school participates in the Green School Project, which is intended to raise awareness of environmental issues.
Local heritage
Heverin's Mill is a thatched mill which was built in 1842. The single movement mill wheel measured 11 feet in diameter and 2 feet 8 inches wide. Corn for milling was dried in two kilns, made from stones covered by straw, heated by a turf fire.
Garrafrauns Heritage Group was formed in 2003 and produced a book, entitled '"Garrafrauns Through the Ages"' outlining the history of the area in 2010.
[The Tuam Herald, Local Notes, Vol.174, No.27, p.14. Issue date 2011-01-20. ISSN 2009-3136]
References
External links
GarrafraunsGarrafrauns National School
{{County Galway
Towns and villages in County Galway
Townlands of County Galway