Leenaun
Encyclopedia
Leenaun also Leenane, is a village and 1,845 acre townland
Townland
A townland or bally is a small geographical division of land used in Ireland. The townland system is of Gaelic origin—most townlands are believed to pre-date the Norman invasion and most have names derived from the Irish language...

 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...

, 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,...

. It is on the shore of Killary Harbour
Killary Harbour
Killary Harbour/An Caoláire Rua is a fjord located in the West of Ireland in the heart of Connemara which forms a natural border between counties Galway and Mayo. It is 16 kilometres long and in the centre over 45 metres deep...

 (Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

's only fjord
Fjord
Geologically, a fjord is a long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created in a valley carved by glacial activity.-Formation:A fjord is formed when a glacier cuts a U-shaped valley by abrasion of the surrounding bedrock. Glacial melting is accompanied by rebound of Earth's crust as the ice...

), on the northern edge of Connemara
Connemara
Connemara 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:...

 and is on the route of the Western Way
Western Way
The Western Way is a long-distance trail in Ireland. It is long and begins in Oughterard, County Galway and ends in Ballycastle, County Mayo. It is typically completed in seven days...

 long-distance trail
Long-distance trail
Long-distance trails are the longer recreational trails mainly through rural areas, used for non-motorised recreational travelling ....

. The village is at the junction of the N59
N59 road (Ireland)
The N59 road is a national secondary road in Ireland. It commences in County Sligo, south of Sligo Town at the Belladrehid interchange with the N4 north of Ballysadare. The route circles around the west of Ireland, passing west from Sligo into County Mayo and through Ballina. The N59 continues...

 and R336 road
R336 road
The R336 road is a regional road in Ireland. Heading west the route connects the city of Galway to An Cheathrú Rua through Casla. From Casla the route proceeds north, further into Connemara, passing through Screeb and crossing the N59 at Maam Cross...

s in a valley between the mountains of Munterowen West and Devilsmother
Devilsmother
Devilsmother , also known as Binn Gharbh , is a small mountain in Connemara, Ireland. It is just off the edge of the Maumturks chain and overlooks the Western Way long distance path....

, with a direct view of Ben Gorm
Ben Gorm
- References :*...

 mountain to the north, across the fjord.

Leenaun was the setting for the film, The Field
The Field
The Field is a play written by John B. Keane, first performed in 1965. It tells the story of the hardened farmer "Bull" McCabe and his love for the land he rents. The play debuted at Dublin's Olympia Theatre in 1965, with Ray McAnally as "The Bull" and Eamon Keane as "The Bird" O'Donnell. The play...

, and of Martin McDonagh
Martin McDonagh
Martin McDonagh is an Irish-British playwright, filmmaker, and screenwriter. Although he has lived in London his entire life, he is considered one of the most important living Irish playwrights.-Life:...

's plays The Beauty Queen of Leenane
The Beauty Queen of Leenane
The Beauty Queen of Leenane is a 1996 black comedy by Irish playwright Martin McDonagh which was premiered by the Druid Theatre Company in Galway, Ireland...

and The Lonesome West
The Lonesome West
The Lonesome West is a play by contemporary Irish playwright Martin McDonagh, part of his Connemara trilogy, which includes The Beauty Queen of Leenane and A Skull in Connemara...

.

Amenities

The village is on the shore of Killary Harbour
Killary Harbour
Killary Harbour/An Caoláire Rua is a fjord located in the West of Ireland in the heart of Connemara which forms a natural border between counties Galway and Mayo. It is 16 kilometres long and in the centre over 45 metres deep...

 fjord. The ancient woods at Maam Valley
Maum
An Mám is a village in County Galway, Ireland. Its name is Irish for "the pass".-See also:* List of towns and villages in Ireland...

 are nearby, as is the Delphi Valley in 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...

.

Following torrential rain on 18 July 2007, the only river bridge in the village was swept away, cutting the town in half. It was part of the N59 national secondary road
National secondary road
A national secondary road is a category of road in Ireland. These roads form an important part of the national route network, but are secondary to the main arterial routes which are classified as national primary roads. National secondary roads are designated with route numbers higher than those...

 and had stood there for 182 years. A permanent replacement bridge was constructed with increased hydraulic capacity.

See also

  • Mac ind Óclaich
    Mac ind Óclaich
    Mac ind Óclaich was the surname of a Gaelic-Irish erenagh and brehon family. They were based in Killary Harbour, between what is now County Mayo and County Galway.-See also:* Aengus Mac ind Oclaich, Archdeacon of Killery, rested in Christ, 1362...

  • Connemara
    Connemara
    Connemara 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:...

  • List of towns and villages in Ireland
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