37-430: The Cong Canal is a derelict canal in the village of Cong, County Mayo . Ireland. It was abandoned unfinished in 1854 and is popularly known as 'The Dry Canal'. The Cong Canal was designed to provide a navigable link between Lough Corrib at the village of Cong and Lough Mask , six kilometres to the north. It was part of the large Corrib, Mask and Carra Drainage and Navigation project intended to provide land drainage to
74-519: A number of inhabited islands, such as the Aran Islands ( Irish : Oileáin Árann ) and Inishbofin ( Irish : Inis Bó Fine ). With the arrival of Christianity many monasteries were built in the county. Monasteries kept written records of events in the area and of its people. These were followed by a number of law-tracts, genealogies, annals and miscellaneous accounts. Extant manuscripts containing references to Galway include: Nearly 20% of
111-538: A population of 48,907, of which 30,978 said they could speak Irish; 23,788 classed themselves as native Irish speakers, while 7,190 speak Irish daily only within the classroom. There are 3,006 attending the ten Gaelscoil (Irish language primary schools) and three Gaelcholáiste (Irish language secondary schools) outside the Galway Gaeltacht. According to the Irish Census 2016, there are 9,445 people in
148-414: A tourist attraction in the village of Cong, County Mayo where a fully completed lock, the excavated dry channel and other heritage features may still be seen. In summer periods, the entire six kilometre stretch of the canal is completely dry and it is possible to hike along it. In winter, flood waters rush down the channel to an overflow just north of Cong village. The lower one-and-a-half kilometre stretch of
185-413: Is a number of medical device companies in the area, including Medtronic (with approximately 1,800 employees) and Boston Scientific (2,800 employees). Gaelic games are the most popular sport in the county. Galway had traditional regions in which Gaelic football or hurling is played. For example, in south and eastern County Galway, in places such as Portumna , Gort , Clarinbridge and Athenry , hurling
222-644: Is a strong Irish-language media presence in this area too, which boasts the radio station Raidió na Gaeltachta and Foinse newspaper in Carraroe and national TV station TG4 in Baile na hAbhann . The Aran Islands are also part of the Galway Gaeltacht. According to Census 2016, 84,249 people in County Galway claimed they could speak Irish. According to Census 2011, the Galway city and county Gaeltacht has
259-590: Is located on the isthmus connecting Loughs Corrib and Mask , near the towns of Headford and Ballinrobe and the villages of Clonbur , the Neale and Cross . Cong is known for its underground streams that connect Lough Corrib with Lough Mask to the north. The 1111 Synod of Ráth Breasail included Cong (Cunga Féichin) among the five dioceses it approved for Connacht , but in 1152 the Synod of Kells excluded it from its list and assigned what would be its territory to
296-580: Is now held in the National Museum of Ireland , Dublin. There is a High Cross in the village. The Cong Canal , built over five years by the Commissioners of Public Works between 1848 and 1854 as a combined scheme to provide navigation, drainage and mill-power. In 1854 the Commissioners abandoned the navigation aspect of the scheme and instructed Samuel Roberts, their engineer, "to suspend the execution of all navigation works in this division of
333-631: Is part of the Midlands–North-West constituency for European elections . County Galway is home to Na Beanna Beola ( Twelve Bens ) mountain range, Na Sléibhte Mhám Toirc (the Maum Turk mountains), and the low mountains of Sliabh Echtghe (Slieve Aughty). The highest point in the county is one of the Twelve Bens, Benbaun, at 729m. County Galway is partly home to a number of Ireland's largest lakes including Lough Corrib (the largest lake in
370-585: Is the dominant sport with successful teams at county and national level. Most of the rest of the county is considered to be footballing territory, with most of the county players being from the Tuam area, Oughterard , Moycullen or parts of Galway city . Galway United FC compete in the League of Ireland Premier Division and plays home games in Eamonn Deacy Park . Connacht Rugby , which competes in
407-659: The Annals of the Four Masters : County Galway County Galway ( / ˈ ɡ ɔː l w eɪ / GAWL -way ; Irish : Contae na Gaillimhe ) is a county in Ireland . It is in the Northern and Western Region , taking up the south of the province of Connacht . The county population was 276,451 at the 2022 census. There are several Irish-speaking areas in the west of the county. The traditional county includes
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#1732800755353444-684: The United Rugby Championship , is based in the Sportsgrounds in Galway city . The two main amateur rugby clubs in the county are Galway Corinthians RFC and Galwegians RFC which compete in the All-Ireland League . County Galway is home to multiple basketball clubs, including Super League teams University of Galway Maree and Moycullen Basketball Club . Athletics is also a very popular sport in Galway,
481-614: The archdiocese of Tuam . No longer a residential bishopric, Cunga Féichin is today listed by the Catholic Church as a titular see . Cong was also the home of Anglo-Irish landlord Sir William Wilde , who was also a historian and father to prominent playwright, novelist, poet, and short story writer Oscar Wilde . "The Bard of the West", Micheál Mac Suibhne , who composed his poetry and songs in Connaught Irish ,
518-635: The Loughs Corrib, Mask and Carra catchments and open up a navigation from the sea at Galway Bay to those lakes. The design and construction of the works was carried out by the government organisation known as the Board of Works (also known as The Commissioners of Public Works) over the period 1844 to 1859. Survey work commenced in June 1844 and a report with a proposed design was published in March 1846.This
555-674: The Republic of Ireland), Lough Derg and Lough Mask . The county is also home to a large number of smaller lakes, many of which are in the Connemara region. These include Lough Anaserd , Ardderry Lough , Aughrusbeg Lough , Ballycuirke Lough , Ballynahinch Lake , Lough Bofin , Lough Cutra , Derryclare Lough , Lough Fee , Glendollagh Lough , Lough Glenicmurrin , Lough Inagh , Kylemore Lough , Lettercraffroe Lough , Maumeen Lough , Lough Nafooey , Lough Rea , Ross Lake and Lough Shindilla . The location of County Galway, situated on
592-471: The canal at Cong village remains dry at all times. Cong, County Mayo Cong ( Irish : Conga , from Cúnga Fheichín meaning " Saint Feichin 's narrows") is a village in County Mayo , Ireland, straddling the border with County Galway . The village is part of a civil parish of the same name. Cong is situated on an island formed by a number of streams that surround it on all sides. Cong
629-452: The city of Galway , but the city and county are separate local government areas, administered by the local authorities of Galway City Council in the urban area and Galway County Council in the rest of the county. The first inhabitants in the Galway area arrived around the 5th millennium BC. Shell middens indicate the existence of people as early as 5000 BC. The county originally comprised several kingdoms and territories which predate
666-485: The collection of motor taxation , local roads and social housing . Under the Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898 , County Galway was divided into the urban districts of Ballinasloe and Galway , and the rural districts of Ballinasloe No. 1, Clifden, Galway, Glennamaddy, Gort, Loughrea, Mount Bellew, Oughterard, Portumna, and Tuam. Loughrea , within the rural district of Loughrea, and Tuam , within
703-449: The county who identify themselves as being daily Irish speakers outside the education system. Galway City Council and Galway County Council are the local authorities for the respective local government areas. The local government area of County Galway includes some suburbs of the city not within the city area. Each local authority is responsible for certain local services such as sanitation , planning and development , libraries ,
740-415: The district, and complete only such as were necessary for the regulation of the waters of Lough Mask, for drainage purposes." Now it is commonly known as the "Dry Canal"; the water level can vary between zero and 3.5 meters depending on the time of year (summer dry, winter full) and is 5 km in length. Built heritage features of the canal remain. From the Annals of Tigernach , Annals of Connacht ,
777-411: The engineers failed to take account of the cavernous nature of the limestone in the district and when they realized this, the work was halted. The overall Corrib-Mask project was initially planned as a straightforward drainage and navigation project but, due to the potato famine it was rushed forward as a Famine relief project to provide employment to the starving locals. Significant changes were made to
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#1732800755353814-427: The formation of the county. These kingdoms included Aidhne , Uí Maine , Maigh Seóla , Conmhaícne Mara , Soghain and Máenmaige . County Galway became an official entity around 1569 AD. The region known as Connemara retains a distinct identity within the county, though its boundaries are unclear, and it may account for as much as one third, or as little as 20%, of the county. The county includes
851-653: The local folk memory correctly records, the Board failed to take account of the cavernous nature of the limestone in the district. The result was that at times of low flow, all flow discharged through underground passages leaving the canal high and dry. Rather that admit its mistake, the Board opted for obfuscation and erected Sluices to essentially block up the channel it had just spent six years excavating through solid rock. The huge rusting sluices may still be seen at Killimor about six kilometres north of Cong village, but they are difficult to access. The canal has become something of
888-492: The movie make it a tourist attraction. (The film is still celebrated by the local "Quiet Man Fan Club"). Roman Catholic records for Cong do not survive from before 1870. Church of Ireland records from the 18th and 19th centuries have survived, however, and are held at the South Mayo Family Research Centre in nearby Ballinrobe . Cong is the home of Ashford Castle , a luxury hotel, which
925-540: The northern Galway region known as "Joyce Country" and Maam Valley ). All schools within the Gaeltacht use the Irish language for classroom instruction. There is also a third-level constituent college of NUIG called Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge in Carraroe and Carna . Clifden is the largest town in the region. Galway City is also home to Ireland's only Irish-language theatre, Taibhdhearc na Gaillimhe . There
962-416: The original proposed design and basic errors were made at the detailed design stage. Full account was not taken of the effect on milling interests of running off flood storage, and to compound this error, flood runoff was then directed into the tailraces of the mills of Cong. Legal action against the Board by the millers was successful. But an even greater error was made at the head waters of the canal where, as
999-553: The population of County Galway live in areas classed as Gaeltachts (Irish-speaking districts). County Galway is home to the largest Gaeltacht Irish-speaking region in Ireland. There are over 48,000 people living within this region, which extends from Galway city westwards through Connemara . The region consists of the following Irish-speaking areas: Galway City Gaeltacht (parts of the city), Gaeltacht Cois Fharraige , Conamara Theas , Aran Islands , and Duiche Sheoigheach (a part of
1036-418: The rural district of Tuam, had town commissioners . The rural districts were abolished in 1925. In 1937, the urban district of Galway became the borough of Galway, remaining part of County Galway. In 1986, the borough of Galway became the county borough of Galway and ceased to part of County Galway. In 2002, all county boroughs were redefined as cities. In 2002, the urban district of Ballinasloe and
1073-510: The town commissioners of Loughrea and Tuam became town councils . All town councils in Ireland were abolished in 2014. As part of the Northern and Western Region , Galway County Council has three representatives and Galway City Council has two representatives on the Northern and Western Regional Assembly. The county is part of three Dáil constituencies : Galway East (3 seats), Galway West (5 seats) and Roscommon–Galway (5 seats). It
1110-536: The west coast of Ireland, allows it to be directly influenced by the Gulf Stream . Temperature extremes are rare and short lived, though inland areas, particularly east of the Corrib, can boast some of the highest recorded temperatures of the summer in the island of Ireland (sometimes exceeding 30 °C); though these temperatures only occur when land warmed east winds sweep the area; the opposite effect can occur in
1147-500: The west coast of the county can receive up to 1900mm and beyond. Extreme weather such as blizzards, thunderstorms, flash flooding and hail, though rare, can and do occur, particularly when air masses of continental origin are undercut by more humid and unstable Atlantic flows. According to numbers published by Galway Chamber of Commerce in early 2019, there were then 196 information and communications technology (ICT) organisations in Galway, including IBM, SAP, Oracle and Cisco. There
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1184-527: The winter. Overall, however, Galway is influenced mainly by Atlantic airstreams which bring ample rainfall in between the fleeting sunshine. Rainfall occurs in every month of the year, though the late autumn and winter months can be particularly wet as Atlantic cyclonic activity increases and passes over and around the area, and which is why Galway tends to bear the brunt of severe windstorms that can occur between August and March. The county on average receives about 1300mm of rainfall annually, though some areas along
1221-433: Was born at Cong around the year 1760. He spent most of his life in Connemara and died in poverty in about the year 1820. Cong was 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 film was filmed on the grounds of Ashford Castle. The town and castle area remain little changed since 1952, and Cong's connection with
1258-422: Was brought to wide public attention in 1872 by the writer William Wilde who coined the name ‘The Dry Canal’. The Board of Works stated that the project was halted because it was proving to be too expensive, that labour had become scarce, and that railways had rendered canals redundant.The local folk memory has retained a different story down through the nearly two centuries since the canal was abandoned: it says that
1295-610: Was completed as planned. The navigation work on the Cong Canal, in Lough Mask and on the River Robe was abandoned in 1854 when an instruction issued from the Board "to suspend the execution of all navigation works in this division of the district, and complete only such as were necessary for the regulation of the waters of Lough Mask, for drainage purposes." The abandoned canal has remained an enigma ever since. The canal
1332-516: Was converted from a Victorian faux lakeside castle , built by the Guinness family. Ashford Castle is a tourist attraction in its own right. Cong also features a ruined medieval abbey, Cong Abbey , where Rory O'Connor , the last High King of Ireland, spent his last years. It also is the origin of a piece of Celtic art in the form of a metal cross shrine called the Cross of Cong . The 'Cross of Cong'
1369-814: Was one of four works of navigation part funded by the Treasury during the famine years (1845 to 1849) in Ireland. The other three were Lough Neagh and the River Bann in County Antrim; the Ballinamore-Ballyconnell Canal linking Lough Erne to the River Shannon across County Leitrim; and Lough Oughter and Lough Gowna in County Cavan. The navigation from the sea at Galway Bay to Lough Corrib and through Lough Corrib
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