Headford - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Headford is a town in County Galway

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...

, located 26 km north of Galway

Galway

Galway or City of Galway is a city in County Galway, Republic of Ireland. It is the sixth largest and the fastest-growing city in Ireland. It is also the third largest city within the Republic and the only city in the Province of Connacht. Located on the west coast of Ireland, it sits on the...

city in the west of 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 N84

N84 road (Ireland)

The N84 road is a national secondary road in Ireland. It is a major route in the West connecting Galway city with Castlebar. The route is of poor quality with a few short good sections in County Mayo between Ballintubber and Ballinrobe. Ballinrobe has become a bottleneck on the route in recent...

national secondary route

Roads in Ireland

The island of Ireland, comprising Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, has an extensive network of tens of thousands of kilometres of public roads, usually surfaced. These roads have been developed and modernised over centuries, from trackways suitable only for walkers and horses, to...

from Galway

Galway

to Castlebar

Castlebar

Castlebar is the county town of, and at the centre of, County Mayo in Ireland. It is Mayo's largest town by population. The town's population exploded in the late 1990s, increasing by one-third in just six years, though this massive growth has slowed down greatly in recent years...

passes through the town. The R333 road

R333 road

The R333 road is a regional road in Ireland connecting the N17 southwest of Tuam, County Galway, to the N84 in Headford, County Galway.-References:* – Department of Transport...

travels from Headford to Tuam. There are many other 'boreens' and third-class roads on the outskirts of the town. The town of Headford appeared in the Oscar-winning film "The Quiet Man

The Quiet Man

The Quiet Man is a 1952 American Technicolor romantic comedy-drama film. It was directed by John Ford and starring John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara, Victor McLaglen and Barry Fitzgerald. It was based on a 1933 Saturday Evening Post short story by Maurice Walsh...

" starring John Wayne

John Wayne

Marion Mitchell Morrison , better known by his stage name John Wayne, was an American film actor, director and producer. He epitomized rugged masculinity and became an enduring American icon. He is famous for his distinctive calm voice, walk, and height...

History

In his 1837 Topographical Dictionary of Ireland, Samuel Lewis recorded a population of 1,441. He described the town in some detail:

This is a neat and clean town, having been much improved by its proprietor, R. J. Mansergh St. George, Esq.; it has a considerable trade, and commands fine views of Lough Corrib, and the mountains of Joyces' country and Mayo. It comprises 217 houses, is a chief constabulary police station, and has petty sessions on Mondays; here is also a dispensary. Bobbin lace, coarse linen, and flannel are made. The market is on Tuesday, and fairs are held on May 11th and Oct. 14th. Headford Castle is the residence of R. J. M. St. George, Esq.; it is a handsome modern building, erected on the ruins of the ancient castle; the extensive demesne, which is laid out with great taste, is entered from the town by a good gateway. Here is also Clydagh House, the seat of G. Staunton Lynch, Esq.

Headford today

The town is the popular angling centre for the eastern shore of Lough Corrib

Lough Corrib

Lough Corrib is a lake in the west of Ireland. The River Corrib or Galway river connects the lake to the sea at Galway. It is the second largest lough in Ireland . It covers 178 km² and lies mostly in County Galway with a small area of its northeast corner in County Mayo.The first canal in...

, and Greenfields, some 6.5 km west of the town, is its boating harbour. The town is situated next to the Black River

Black River (Ireland)

The Black River is a river in Connacht in Ireland. For much of its length it forms the border between County Galway and County Mayo. It flows past Shrule, and drains into Lough Corrib....

(noted also for its trout angling) which is the county boundary with 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...

. Headford is also the centre of an area rich in archaeological monuments, ranging from prehistoric burial cairns, Iron Age

Iron Age

The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...

stone enclosures, early Norman

Normans

The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...

and later castles, to a bewildering array of monastic sites. These include nearby Ross Errilly Friary

Ross Errilly Friary

The Ross Errilly Friary is a medieval Franciscan friary located about a mile to the northwest of Headford, County Galway, Ireland. It is a National Monument of Ireland and among the best-preserved medieval monastic sites in the country...

, founded in 1351, which has been described as the best preserved monastic ruin in Ireland. Today, the modern cattle mart, although replacing the fairs and markets once held in the town's two squares, ensures the local popularity of this North Galway town.

The annual Saint Patrick's Day Parade in Headford in 2009 saw the first resurgence of a Market in the town, which since then has been held once a month in the square.

At the end of April 2009 a new set of traffic lights were erected and turned on at the main crossroads in the town. The move has, in general, been welcomed by locals.

Headford Sewage Scheme

Headford is currently undergoing a sewage scheme upgrade, worth €8 million, which will result in the addition of hundreds of new houses.

Twin towns — Sister cities

Headford is twinned

Town twinning

Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...

with:

Le Faouët, Brittany
Brittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...

, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

.
Morgan Hill, Santa Clara County, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

.

Politics

The polling station

Polling station

A polling place or polling station is where voters cast their ballots in elections.Since elections generally take place over a one- or two-day span on a periodic basis, often annual or longer, polling places are often located in facilities used for other purposes, such as schools, churches, sports...

for all elections in Headford is Headford Girls Primary School. Polling also takes place in Claran Primary School for the Claran and Greenfields area of the Headford townland.

European elections

Headford is part of the North–West constituency for European Parliament

European Parliament

The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...

elections.

National elections

Headford is part of the Galway East constituency for elections to Dáil Éireann

Dáil Éireann

Dáil Éireann is the lower house, but principal chamber, of the Oireachtas , which also includes the President of Ireland and Seanad Éireann . It is directly elected at least once in every five years under the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote...

Local elections

Headford is part of the Tuam electoral area for Galway County Council

Galway County Council

Galway County Council is the local authority which is responsible for County Galway in Ireland. The Council is responsible for Housing and Community, Roads and Transportation, Urban planning and Development, Amenity and Culture, and Environment. The county seat is at Galway County Hall in Galway...

elections.

Education

Headford has a small library. The town has two Primary Schools: Headford Girls National School has girls from Junior Infants to 6th Class and Boys from Junior Infants up to 2nd class; St. Brendans Boys school is attached to the girls school and takes boys from 3rd class to 6th class. There are another three primary schools within the parish and one second level school, the Presentation College Headford which has a student population of 740 students. The Presentation College is the largest secondary school in the whole western region.

Religion

The Headford Parish has two churches, both of which are Catholic and were built by Fr. Peter Conway and dedicated to St. Mary. The Church at Claran was built in 1859 and for many years was the home of the Parish priest; the church in Headford was built in 1865 on lands donated by the then Landlord St. George. Father James O'Grady is parish priest of the Headford parish with Fr. Martin Newell (retired) administrating in Claran.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.