Cleggan
Encyclopedia
Cleggan is a picturesque fishing village in County Galway
, Ireland
. The village lies 10 km (7 mi) northwest of Clifden
and is situated at the head of Cleggan Bay.
A focal point of the village is the pier, built by Alexander Nimmo in 1822 and extended in 1908. Ferries leave the pier daily for Inishbofin (Galway)
, and there is also a ferry to Inishturk
.
is said to have been beheaded by a pagan chief. Lore has it that the chief then picked up his head and took it to the Holy Well in Clooncree where he washed it before lying down to die. At the top of Cleggan head, which gives a commanding view of the harbour, is the remains of a watchtower constructed during the Napoleonic wars
.
In 1927, in what became known as the Cleggan Disaster, 25 fishermen from the local area drowned during a great gale which arose without warning while they were mackerel fishing in the bay. The nearby village of Rossadilisk lost sixteen men and was subsequently abandoned. Nine men from Inishbofin
and twenty men from County Mayo
were also lost. Due to the death of so many breadwinners, the area was devastated. The disaster and the devastation visited on the local families made international news and funds were raised from as far away as the U.K., U.S. and Australia. The disaster is remembered in stories, poems and on stone markers. It was recorded by local Marie Feeney in her book “The Cleggan Bay Disaster”, by TG4
Documentary "The Cleggan Disaster" / "An Bádhadh Mór" directed by Petra Conroy, and remembered in Richard Murphy
's poem "The Cleggan Disaster", from his 1963 book "Sailing to an Island".
Offshore, the island of Inishbofin can be reached by boat from Cleggan pier. Inishbofin has a population of about 200 people. In 665 St. Coleman
founded a monastery on the island. A roofless thirteenth century chapel in the present day graveyard is believed to be the site of his monastery. The harbour entrance of the island is dominated by the Cromwellian fort which was a prison camp for Catholic priests. The island also holds the remains of castle built by the “pirate queen” Gráinne O'Malley.
A notable feature of the physical geography around Cleggan is blanket bog
. Few plant species can live in the acid condition of the bog, but those that can form a vegetation not found outside Ireland.
Near Cleggan is a collection of prehistoric monuments including tombs, standing stones and walls.
County Galway
County Galway is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the city of Galway. Galway County Council is the local authority for the county. There are several strongly Irish-speaking areas in the west of the county...
, Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
. The village lies 10 km (7 mi) northwest of Clifden
Clifden
Clifden is a town on the coast of County Galway, Ireland and being Connemara's largest town, it is often referred to as "the Capital of Connemara". It is located on the Owenglen River where it flows into Clifden Bay...
and is situated at the head of Cleggan Bay.
A focal point of the village is the pier, built by Alexander Nimmo in 1822 and extended in 1908. Ferries leave the pier daily for Inishbofin (Galway)
Inishbofin, Galway
Inishbofin is an island lying about off the coast of Connemara, County Galway, Ireland. It is about 5.5 km long and wide, and has around 200 inhabitants. The island is popular with artists. Inishbofin can be reached by ferry from the pier in Cleggan...
, and there is also a ferry to Inishturk
Inishturk
Inishturk is an inhabited island off the coast of County Mayo in Ireland. It has a permanent population of about seventy people. There are two main settlements, both on the more sheltered eastern end of the island, Ballyheer and Garranty. Bellavaun and Craggy are abandoned settlements...
.
History
An Cloigeann means head or skull, apparently referring to the coastal headland. Legend, however, provides a different origin of the name. St. CeannanachCeannanach
Ceannanach aka Gregory, early Irish missionary, fl. c. 490-500?-Biography:Ceannach's original name is said to have been Gregory, the former name only associated with him after his death....
is said to have been beheaded by a pagan chief. Lore has it that the chief then picked up his head and took it to the Holy Well in Clooncree where he washed it before lying down to die. At the top of Cleggan head, which gives a commanding view of the harbour, is the remains of a watchtower constructed during the Napoleonic wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
.
Inishbofin, Galway
Inishbofin is an island lying about off the coast of Connemara, County Galway, Ireland. It is about 5.5 km long and wide, and has around 200 inhabitants. The island is popular with artists. Inishbofin can be reached by ferry from the pier in Cleggan...
and twenty men from County Mayo
County Mayo
County Mayo is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the village of Mayo, which is now generally known as Mayo Abbey. Mayo County Council is the local authority for the county. The population of the county is 130,552...
were also lost. Due to the death of so many breadwinners, the area was devastated. The disaster and the devastation visited on the local families made international news and funds were raised from as far away as the U.K., U.S. and Australia. The disaster is remembered in stories, poems and on stone markers. It was recorded by local Marie Feeney in her book “The Cleggan Bay Disaster”, by TG4
TG4
TG4 is a public service broadcaster for Irish language speakers. The channel has been on-air since 31 October 1996 in the Republic of Ireland and since April 2005 in Northern Ireland....
Documentary "The Cleggan Disaster" / "An Bádhadh Mór" directed by Petra Conroy, and remembered in Richard Murphy
Richard Murphy (poet)
Richard Murphy is an Irish poet. He is a member of Aosdána and currently lives in Sri Lanka.-Early years:Murphy was born to an Anglo-Irish family at Milford House, near the Mayo-Galway border, in 1927...
's poem "The Cleggan Disaster", from his 1963 book "Sailing to an Island".
Offshore, the island of Inishbofin can be reached by boat from Cleggan pier. Inishbofin has a population of about 200 people. In 665 St. Coleman
Colmán of Lindisfarne
Colmán of Lindisfarne also known as Saint Colmán was Bishop of Lindisfarne from 661 until 664. He succeeded Aidan and Finan. Colman resigned the Bishopric of Lindisfarne after the Synod of Whitby called by King Oswiu of Northumbria decided to calculate Easter using the method of the First...
founded a monastery on the island. A roofless thirteenth century chapel in the present day graveyard is believed to be the site of his monastery. The harbour entrance of the island is dominated by the Cromwellian fort which was a prison camp for Catholic priests. The island also holds the remains of castle built by the “pirate queen” Gráinne O'Malley.
A notable feature of the physical geography around Cleggan is blanket bog
Blanket bog
Blanket bog or blanket mire is an area of peatland, forming where there is a climate of high rainfall and a low level of evapotranspiration, allowing peat to develop not only in wet hollows but over large expanses of undulating ground. The blanketing of the ground with a variable depth of peat...
. Few plant species can live in the acid condition of the bog, but those that can form a vegetation not found outside Ireland.
Near Cleggan is a collection of prehistoric monuments including tombs, standing stones and walls.
Economy
Cleggan now receives more tourists, but traditionally the main source of income in the village has been fishing, supplemented by farming, which is difficult in the area’s soil. Fishing continues to be an important industry. The village has four bars (Olivers, Joyces, Newmans, and The Pier Bar), one grocer, a post office, and a sit-down restaurant, as well as a take-out. In addition to trips to the local islands, popular leisure activities for visitors include horseback riding and fishing.See also
- List of towns and villages in Ireland
- CladdaghduffCladdaghduffCladdaghduff is a village in County Galway, in the province of Connacht, Ireland. It is located northwest of Clifden, the gateway to Omey Island, and like much of Connemara is noted for its beautiful seascapes.-History:The village, now sparsely populated, offers much history...
- ConnemaraConnemaraConnemara is a district in the west of Ireland consisting of a broad peninsula between Killary Harbour and Kilkieran Bay in the west of County Galway.-Overview:...