Cloonfad

Cloonfad
Cluain Fada
Town

Cloonfad Post Office
Cloonfad

Location in Ireland

Coordinates: 53°41′31″N 8°44′33″W / 53.691985°N 8.742478°WCoordinates: 53°41′31″N 8°44′33″W / 53.691985°N 8.742478°W
Country Ireland
Province Connacht
County County Roscommon
Time zone WET (UTC+0)
  Summer (DST) IST (WEST) (UTC-1)

Cloonfad (Irish: Cluain Fada, meaning "long meadow") is a village in County Roscommon, Ireland, at the crossroads of the N83 National secondary road and the R327 regional road, about 10 km from the town of Ballyhaunis in Co. Mayo. A public walkway takes walkers to surrounding villages through scenic moorland. This habitat gave rise to the village's name in Irish - Cluain Fada or "Long Meadow". Cloonfad's local church, the Church of Saint Patrick, has been publishing an annual parish magazine since 1992 "The Cloonfad Magazine".

As in many other villages in Ireland, economic prosperity since the 1990s has altered the demographic profile of Cloonfad with a number of people from Eastern Europe and Brasil taking up residence in the village.

The village has two pubs (public houses) formerly of three. It contains an An Post office and a convenience shop. In the national school car park is a beautiful tree.

Religion

The present church of St. Patrick was erected in 1934. Work on the foundation began in September 1932 with the foundation stone blessed by Thomas Gilmartin, Archbishop of Tuam in December 1932. The completed Church was dedicated on 12 August 1934 where, on that occasion His Grace presided at the Solemn Mass.

Alterations were made by the inclusion of porches by Fr. (later Monsignor) James Horan, parish priest of Knock, during his time in Cloonfad. In 1960 the Sanctuary was revised to accommodate the new Liturgy of the Mass. The church underwent further renovation in the late 1990s.

Sport

Handball

Established in the 1930s, Cloonfad Handball Club became one of the oldest sporting organisations in the parish. The present facilities were opened in 1980. The club is registered with County Roscommon Handball board and is affiliated to Croke Park. The club also plays host to racquetball.

Soccer

Cloonfad United is the local soccer team.

There are 8 Cloonfad teams in the following sports categories: Under-8s, U-10s, U-12s, U-14s, U-16s, Snr. B-team and A-team.

Annalistic references

See also