Cong, County Mayo

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Cong
Cúnga Fheichín

Location

WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates:
53.5333° N 9.2833° W

Irish Grid Reference
M150545

Statistics

21 m

Population (2002)
- Town:
- Rural:

185
750

Cong (Irish: Conga or Cúnga Fheichín is a village in County Mayo, Republic of Ireland, next to the Galway border. It is located on the north shore of Lough Corrib, near the town of Ballinrobe and the villages of Neale and Cross.

Cong is known for its underground streams that connect Lough Corrib with Lough Mask to the north. It was also the home of Sir William Wilde, historian and father to prominent playwright, novelist, poet, and short story writer, Oscar Wilde.

Cong's famous Ashford Castle

Cong is the home of Ashford Castle, one of Ireland's finest hotels, converted from a medieval lakeside castle, and a tourist attraction in its own right. Cong also has a fine example of a ruined medieval abbey, and Celtic art in the form of a stone High cross called the Cross of Cong, which shows Viking influences. The "Cross of Cong" is now held in the National Museum of Ireland, Dublin.

The Cong Canal, also known as the "Dry Canal" was a failure, primarily due to its inability to hold water. Now used as a drainage channel only, the water level can vary between 6 inches and 12 feet depending on the time of year (summer dry, winter full). Built heritage features of the canal remain.

Cong was also the setting and the filming location for John Ford's 1952 Oscar-winning film, The Quiet Man, featuring John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara and Barry Fitzgerald. Much of the movie was filmed on the grounds of Ashford Castle. The town and castle area remain little changed since 1952, and Cong's connection with the movie make it a major tourist attraction in that part of Mayo.

Roman Catholic records for Cong did not commence until 1870. Church of Ireland records from the 18th and 19th centuries have survived and are held at the South Mayo Family Research Centre in nearby Balinrobe.