Ballyvaughan

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BallyVaughan
Baile Uí Bheacháin

Location

WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates:
53°06′56″N 9°08′58″W / 53.115556, -9.1494

Irish grid reference
M264077

Statistics

Population (2006)

224

Website: www.clarecoco.com

Ballyvaughan: the village centre

Ballyvaughan (Irish: Baile Uí Bheacháin, meaning Town of the Beacháin (Behan) family or Townland of the Mushrooms) is a small harbour village in County Clare in the Republic of Ireland. It is located on the south shores of Galway Bay, in the northwest corner of The Burren; the Burren is an area of great rocky expanse, considered by many to be a unique landscape.

Each year botanists and naturalists roam this karst landscape in search of Arctic, Alpine and Mediterranean plants that grow in profusion over the limestone pavements. The Burren is renowned for its archaeology. Ballyvaughan is surrounded by megalithic tombs such as Poulnabrone dolmen, celtic ring forts such as Caherconnell Stone Fort, medieval churches and castles.

Close to Ballyvaughan, is Aillwee Cave, a tunnel cave approximately 1 kilometre long created by melt waters of the Ice Age.

Ballyvaughan is also home to the Burren College of Art.

Ballyvaughan is a busy village with many pubs, restaurants, shops, B&Bs and other amenities including the new pier and slipway,constructed in 2006, which has opened up the area to boating, fishing, scuba diving and other sea activities.

Ballyvaughan has been tagged Ireland's 'Gold Coast' as a result of the huge boom in property prices in the area. Demand for holiday homes has seen the average house price in the town rise from €45,000 in 1995 to €480,000 in 2005. However, a planned development of 40 holiday houses has prompted concern that the local property market will lose value.

History

In May 1921 an IRA unit of approximately 25 men successfully ambushed a party of 10 Royal Marines and their sergeant in the village near the old post office. The IRA unit captured some weapons and withdrew. Privates Chandler and Bolton were mortally wounded and Privates Lavin and Currell wounded.