Kilkieran Explained

Official Name:Cill Chiaráin
Settlement Type:Village
Pushpin Map:Ireland
Pushpin Label Position:right
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in Ireland
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:Ireland
Subdivision Type1:Province
Subdivision Name1:Connacht
Subdivision Type3:County
Subdivision Name3:County Galway
Unit Pref:Metric
Population As Of:2002
Population Density Km2:auto
Coordinates:53.3258°N -9.7353°W
Elevation M:0
Blank Name:Irish Grid Reference
Footnotes:Cill Chiaráin is the only official name. The anglicized spelling Kilkieran has no official status.

Cill Chiaráin (anglicized as Kilkieran) is a coastal village in the Connemara area of County Galway in Ireland.[1] The R340 passes through Cill Chiaráin.

Cill Chiaráin lies in a Gaeltacht region (Irish-speaking area), and Coláiste Sheosaimh hosts Irish language courses within the village.[2]

Name

The village is named after Saint Ciarán, "Cill Chiaráin" translates to "Ciarán's church" from Irish. It shares its name with a second Cill Chiaráin in County Kilkenny.

History

On St Ciarán's feast day, there is a Pattern Day in honour of the saint held in the village. Organised by the local festival committee, Coiste Fhéile Chill Chiaráin, there is a Roman Catholic Mass performed at the well which St Ciarán blessed back in the 6th century.

Amenities

Cill Chiaráin has a number of facilities and public buildings, including a health centre, a "gastropub" (Tigh Chadhain), local supermarket, a national school, community hall, church and fish factory.

The Arramara Teo seaweed factory is also nearby. The company was previously Irish owned, but has since been bought by a Canadian company.

The village also has a children's playground and the Páirc Peile Chill Chiaráin (artificial pitch) which opened in 2015. The pitch is used by the local GAA team, Carna-Cashel, and the athletics club.

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Ordnance Survey Ireland - National Mapping Agency. www.osi.ie. 2019-05-06.
  2. Web site: Colaiste Sheosaimh. www.colaistesheosaimh.com. 2019-05-06.