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19 unusual facts about County Galway


Arthur Plunkett, 8th Earl of Fingall

He married in 1785 Frances Donelan of Ballydonellan, County Galway who died in 1835.

Charter Company

The Mason mansion, which Mason still owns, is a castle in Ballynahinch, County Galway, Ireland, and was once owned by Ed Ball.

Chorus Communications

NTL also own the remaining MMDS licences (for cells covering counties Dublin, Galway, Mayo, and Waterford).

Dobhar-chú

Most recently in 2003 Irish Artist Sean Corcoran and his wife claim to have witnessed a Dobhar-Chú on Omey Island in Connemara, County Galway.

Galway City Gaeltacht

The Galway city Gaeltacht comprises five electoral divisions: Bearna, Ballybrit, Castlegar, Menlough and Knocknacarragh.

John Kernan Mullen

Mullen was born to Denis Mullen (1806–86) and Ellen Mulray (1816–88) in the town of Ballinasloe, County Galway, in June 1847.

John Monck Mason

Born in Dublin, he was eldest son of Robert Mason of Mason-Brook, County Galway, by Sarah, eldest daughter of George Monck of St. Stephen's Green, Dublin.

Linda Bhreathnach

Born in Rosmuc, County Galway, she is a former Miss Galway (2007) and a runner up for Miss Ireland in the same year.

Marquis de Lally-Tollendal

The family of Lally (also O'Lally or O'Mullally) were an Irish family originally from Tuam, County Galway, who distinguished themselves in the service of the Jacobite pretenders and in the French service.

Mary Lavin

Initially, Mary and Nora lived with Nora's family in Athenry in County Galway.

Meelick Martello Tower

Meelick Martello Tower is a Martello tower constructed on Moran Island in the River Shannon between Meelick, County Galway and Clonahenoge, County Offaly.

Neal McDonough

McDonough was born in Dorchester, Massachusetts, the son of Catherine (née Bushe) and Frank McDonough, motel owners who emigrated from Ireland, with his mother coming from County Tipperary and his father from County Galway.

Parlington Hall

In 1850, Isabella married Colonel Frederick Charles Trench of Woodlawn, County Galway, Ireland.

Seanchaí

At events such as mummers' festival in New Inn, County Galway, and the All-Ireland Fleadh Ceoil storytellers who preserve the stories and oratory style of the seanchaithe continue to display their art and compete for awards.

Spanish Arch

In the 18th century the Eyre family of Eyrecourt, County Galway, created an extension of the quays called The Long Walk and created the arches to allow access from the town to the new quays.

Steven Reid

Despite representing England at junior levels, Reid decided to play full international football for the Republic of Ireland, whom he qualifies to play for through his father who was born in County Galway.

The Conversations at Curlow Creek

The novel is also peppered with Adair's reminiscences of his aristocratic childhood in County Galway.

Thomas Arthur, comte de Lally

He was born at Romans-sur-Isère, Dauphiné, the son of Sir Gerald Lally, an Irish Jacobite from Tuam, County Galway, who married a French lady of noble family, from whom the son inherited his titles.

William Plunket, 4th Baron Plunket

The following year, he became Rector of Kilmoyan and Cummer in County Galway.


1702 in Ireland

January - Thomas Arthur, comte de Lally (died 1766), French general, born at Romans, Dauphin, the son of Sir Gerald Lally, an Irish Jacobite from Tuam, County Galway, who married a French noblewoman.

Anne Chamberlain

Her mother, Jane de Vere, was Irish, and traced her descent to the 15th Earl of Oxford; she would inherit Issercleran, Craughwell, County Galway in 1914.

Cairbre Crom

Eoghan Finn was the ancestor of King Tadhg Mór Ua Cellaigh (died 1014), from whom descend the Clann Ó Cellaigh or Kelly of County Galway, who were referred to as tuaiscert O Maine (northern Uí Maine).

Cathal mac Ógán

Cathal mac Ógán is an ancestor of the Ó CathailCahill family of County Galway.

Charles Edward Jennings de Kilmaine

His father was of Polaniran (Ironpool), Tuam, County Galway - see Soraca Jonin - left Ireland in 1738 and settled in the town of Tonnay-Charente in the south west of France with his wife.

Clifden Castle

Clifden Castle is a ruined manor house west of the town of Clifden in the Connemara region of County Galway, Ireland.

Colman O'Shaughnessy

When his uncle, William O'Shaughnessy, died in 1744, he became the Chief of the Name and commenced a lawsuit in the Court of Common Pleas to recover the ancient O'Shaughnessy estates at Gort in County Galway, Ireland.

Conmhaícne Mara

The territory contains the five Catholic parishes of An Clochán (Clifden, Omey & Ballindoon), Iorras Ainbhtheach (Carna), Cloch na Rón/(Roundstone), Baile na Cille (Ballynakill) and Inis Bó Fine/(*Inishbofin (County Galway).

Don't Feed the Gondolas

A running gag of the show, whereby the host Seán Moncrieff would make prank calls under the alias 'Monica Loolly' and claim to be from a small town in Galway named Ahascragh.

Donn Óge Mag Oireachtaigh

Anglicised Geraghty, descendants of the family are still found in large numbers in County Mayo, County Galway, and County Roscommon

Earl of Clancarty

William Le Poer Trench, third son of the third Earl, was a Colonel in the Royal Engineers and briefly represented County Galway in the House of Commons.

Emily Lawless

She spent part of her childhood with the Kirwans of Castle Hackett, County Galway, her mother's family, and drew on West of Ireland themes for many of her works.

Francis d'Aguilar

Francis' grandmother, Catherine Burton, was the daughter of Reverend Edward Burton, Vicar of Annaghdown, County Galway and Maria Margaretta Campbell, who it is claimed was descended from Louis XIV of France by a Countess of Montmorency.

John na Seamar Burke

One of his most notorious acts was the destruction of Athenry in 1572, after which he demolished most of the castles in Clanricarde, afterwards plundering south County Galway, County Roscommon, and crossed the Shannon into County Westmeath, where he buried Mullingar, Meelick and Athlone.

Kilronan

Cill Rónáin (anglicized as Kilronan) is the main settlement on Inishmore, one of the Aran Islands off the west coast of Ireland in County Galway.

Loch Na Fooey

The closest village is Finny, County Mayo with the picturesque Galway village of Leenaun (and Ireland's only "fjord", Killary Harbour) approximately 11 km distant.

Lugh Delbáeth

The royal dynasty of the Delbhna Tir Dha Locha adopted the surname MacConraoi, sometimes anglicised as Conroy, still found in Connemara and other parts of County Galway, but more often as King.

Na Ceannabháin Bhána

Na Ceannabháin Bhána "The Fair Canavans" is a song in slip jig time from Carna in Connemara, County Galway, Ireland.

Naisrín Elsafty

Naisrín is one of the younger daughters of Treasa Ní Cheannabháin, a native of County Galway and a fine singer in the sean-nós tradition, and Saber Elsafty, an Egyptian doctor.

Ó Cillín

Ó Cillín is the name of a family now rendered as Killeen (also Killian and Killion), found mainly in County Roscommon, County Mayo and County Galway.

Peter Tyrrell

Tyrrell was born in 1916 to poor parents near Cappagh, Ahascragh, County Galway, Ireland.

Richard Óg de Burgh

Richard Óge is credited as been the ancestor of the Burke family of Clanricarde in south Connacht (now County Galway, who became an extremely powerful family in their own right following the Burke Civil War of the 1330s.

Richard W. Dowling

Dowling was born in Knockballyvisteal, Milltown, near Tuam, County Galway, Ireland in 1838, the second of eight children, born to Patrick and Bridget Dowling (née Qualter).

Rita Keane

Rita Keane (born 31 December 1922, Caherlistrane, near Tuam, County Galway, Ireland - died 28 June 2009, Galway City) was an Irish traditional singer and accordionist.

Rita Kelly

Rita Kelly (born 1953) is an Irish poet from Ballinasloe in eastern County Galway who now lives in an old lock house along the river Barrow between Athy and Carlow.

Roundstone, County Galway

In 1998 Sean Gorham of Inishnee, Roundstone, County Galway, was engaged in turf-cutting in Roundstone Bog "when he noticed what appeared to be a series of flat stones laid at regular intervals ... Believing them to be the remains of an ancient trackway, Mr. Gorham left the stones undisturbed, and through the good offices of Martin O'Malley, Roundstone, and Michael Gibbons, Clifden, his discovery was brought to the attention of the National Museum of Ireland."

Sir John Kirwan

Sir John Kirwan, Irish Entrepreneur, founder of the Kirwans of Castle Hackett, County Galway.

Swede Hollow

The legendary Irish-language storyteller Éamon a Búrc spent several years in the district before a railroad accident took his leg, leading him to return to his village in County Galway, Ireland.

Teens in the Wild

The first series, broadcast in four parts over four weeks, followed six male teenagers, each with their own individual behavioural difficulties, as they undertook a three-week activity programme at Delphi Adventure in Connemara, County Galway during September 2008.

Tom F. Hazell

Hazell was born in Roundstone, County Galway on the west coast of Ireland, to Thomas Hazell and Cecile Buckley.