Oughterard
| Oughterard Uachtar Ard | |
|---|---|
| Town | |
|
Oughterard | |
  Oughterard Location in Ireland | |
| Coordinates: 53°25′00″N 9°20′00″W / 53.4167°N 9.3333°WCoordinates: 53°25′00″N 9°20′00″W / 53.4167°N 9.3333°W | |
| Country | Ireland |
| Province | Connacht |
| County | County Galway |
| Elevation | 68 m (223 ft) |
| Population (2011) | |
| • Urban | 2,605 |
| • Rural | 10,618 |
| Time zone | WET (UTC+0) |
| • Summer (DST) | IST (WEST) (UTC-1) |
| Irish Grid Reference | M113415 |
Oughterard (Irish: Uachtar Ard) is a small town on the banks of the Owenriff River close to the western shore[1] of Lough Corrib in County Galway, Ireland. The population of the town in 2006 was 1,305. Located some 26 km northwest of Galway on the N59 road, Oughterard is the chief angling centre on the lough.
Places of interest
Three kilometres outside the town stand the ruins of Aughnanure Castle, a well-preserved example of an Irish tower house. Much of the surrounding area was occupied by the O'Flaherty clan, but was taken over by The first Earl of Ulster, Walter de Burgo, in 1256. Ross Castle is also located a number of miles outside Oughterard. The mansion which is visible today was built by the Martin Family in the 17th century but there is some evidence still present of the original castle structure, built in the 15th century by the O'Flaherty Family, in its foundation.
The Quiet Man Bridge is located 5 miles past Oughterard, down the Leam Road, which was the setting for the 1950s film "The Quiet Man" starring John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara.
Also close to Oughterard, the Glengowla Mine (abandoned in 1865) is noted for its rare and beautiful octahedral crystals of fluorite and quartz.
Demography
As per Census 2006 the population of Oughterard was 1,305 (after 1,209 at Census 2002);[2] for the urban area the number for 2006 was 2,557 people (after 2,380 at Census 2002).[3]
Education
Oughterard has a primary school and a co-educational secondary school, St. Paul's.
People
- Tom Collins, filmmaker
- Michael Curley (~1850-1884), the father of James Michael Curley, was born in Oughterard
- Dennis Curran, Chairman of Barhale Construction PLC was born in Oughterard in 1944
- Michael Furey (a character from James Joyce's short story "The Dead") was buried in Oughterard
- John Purcell, recipient of the Victoria Cross
- Joe Shaughnessy, a professional footballer with Aberdeen F.C. was born in Oughterard
Transport
Oughterard railway station opened on 1 January 1895 and finally closed on 29 April 1935. There are daily buses going from and to Galway and Clifden. In wintertime on Sunday there is just one bus going from Oughterard to Galway.
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Oughterard. |
See also
- List of towns in the Republic of Ireland
- Oughter Ard, County Kildare
References
External links
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