Roundstone, County Galway
| Roundstone Cloch na Rón | |
|---|---|
| Village | |
 | |
  Roundstone | |
| Coordinates: 53°23′42″N 9°55′05″W / 53.395°N 9.918°WCoordinates: 53°23′42″N 9°55′05″W / 53.395°N 9.918°W | |
| Country | Ireland |
| Province | Connacht |
| County | County Galway |
| Elevation | 20 m (70 ft) |
| Population (2002) | |
| • Urban | 239 |
| • Environs | 423 |
| Irish Grid Reference | L725405 |
| Website | roundstone-connemara.com |
Roundstone (Irish: Cloch na Rón, meaning "seal's rock") is a village on the west coast of Ireland, in the Connemara region of County Galway. The town of Clifden is nearby to the north.
The anglicised name is usually considered an error on the part of the British colonial Ordnance Survey who translated the village name; while Cloch certainly means Stone or Rock, Rón means Seal, not Round. Still, the names Cloch na Rón and Roundstone may be totally independent.[1] The bay is referred to as Round-stone Haven as early as 1684 (Roderick O'Flaherty), and the rock after which it is named stands like a marker at the entrance and is strikingly round.
Transport
The Bus Éireann Clifden to Galway route serves Roundstone three days a week during the winter and daily during the summer. [2]
Culture
Roundstone is known as a home for creativity and the arts. For many years some of the most important figures in Irish Art have painted there, including Paul Henry, Jack B. Yeats, Gerard Dillon and Nano Reid. The Roundstone Arts Week celebrates youth and environment on an annual basis. The local Summerfest, is held in July. Traditional Irish Nights are held weekly throughout July and August and offers music, song and dance from the Connemara area.
The village has a number of artists and crafts people. The Michael Killeen park houses Roundstone Ceramics a long established pottery studio and shop with beautiful locally inspired hand made ceramics. The House of Mag Aoide makes silver jewellery on the premises. The Stable Gallery at Errisbeg House houses the work of contemporary artists in a beautiful setting. Rosie Mcgurran opens her studio during the summer months showing her unique vision of Connemara. Local Roundstone artist Yvonne King runs a gallery in the village showing local scenes and watercolours.
Twin village
Roundstone is twinned with the village of Noyelles-sous-Lens (a suburb of Lens, Pas-de-Calais) in France.[3]
Archaeological discovery
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."
Gorham's find was located in the townland of Derrycunlagh. Investigation revealed that earlier turf-cutters had removed part of the trackway but its two extant stretches determine its route. The trackway appeared to date from the early Bronze Age, while the field wall may have been of an earlier date.
In an article of 2002, it was stated that "Thanks are due to the late Sean Gorham, whose keen eye and interest save the trackway from destruction and brought it to scientific attention."
Gallery
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Two hookers at the Roundstone Regatta 2008
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Roundstone village during the Roundstone Regatta weekend in 2008
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The view of Galway Bay from Roundstone
See also
- List of towns and villages in Ireland
- Gurteen Bay
- List of abbeys and priories in Ireland (County Galway)
References
- ↑ Tim Robinson, Connemara - Listening to the Wind, 2006.
- ↑ http://buseireann.ie/pdf/1340110589-419.pdf
- ↑ Twinning: Roundstone News, January 2009
- pp. 24-26, "A possible pre-bog field wall and an ancient trackway in Roundstone Bog, County Galway", Archaeology Ireland, Autumn 2002
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Roundstone. |