County Galway

"Galway County" redirects here. For the UK Parliament constituency, see Galway County (UK Parliament constituency).

County Galway Contae na Gaillimhe
Coat of arms
Motto: Ceart agus Cóir  (Irish) "Righteousness and Justice"
Location in Ireland
Country	Ireland
Province	Connacht
Dáil Éireann	Galway East Galway West
EU Parliament	North-West
County seat	Galway
Government
– Type	County Council
Area
– Total	6,148 km2 (2,373.8 sq mi)
Area rank	2nd
Population (2011)	250,541 (175,127 excl. Galway City)
– Rank	5th
Code	G
Website	galway.ie

County Galway (Irish: Contae na Gaillimhe) is a county in Ireland. It is located in the Border Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the city of Galway. Galway County Council and Galway City Council are the local authorities for the county. There are several strongly Irish-speaking areas in the west of the county. The population of the county is 250,541 according to the 2011 census.^[1]

History

Dunguaire Castle, circa 1520, one of the many castles of County Galway.

The first inhabitants in the Galway area arrived over 7000 years ago. Shell middens tell us about the existence of people as early as 5000 BC.

The county originally comprised several kingdoms and territories which predate the formation of the county. They included Aidhne, Uí Maine, Maigh Seóla, Conmhaícne Mara, Soghain and Máenmaige. County Galway came into official existence c. 1569.

A number of inhabited islands are administered by the county; they include Oileáin Árann (Aran Islands) and Inis Bó Fine (Inishbofin).

With the arrival of Christianity many monasteries were built, and written records of events in the area and of its people were kept. These were followed by a number of law-tracts, genealogies, annals and miscellaneous accounts. Extant manuscripts containing references to Galway include:

Crichaireacht cinedach nduchasa Muintiri Murchada Annals of Lough Cé Annals of Connacht Triallam timcheall na Fodla Leabhar Adhamh Ó Cianáin Leabhar Ua Maine Corporation Book of Galway The Book of the Burkes Annals of the Four Masters

Leabhar na nGenealach Cuimre na nGenealach Obituary Book of the Franciscan monastery at Galway Annals of the Poor Clares Dominican Annal of Athenry Ogygia[citation needed] West or Iar-Connacht The Lynch Manuscript

Irish language

Nearly 20% of the population of County Galway live in the Gaeltacht. County Galway is home to the largest Gaeltacht Irish-speaking region in Ireland. There are over 45,052 people living within this region which extends from Galway city westwards through Connemara. All schools within the Gaeltacht use Irish language as the medium of instruction. There is also a third-level constituent college of NUIG called Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge in Carraroe and Carna. Spiddal is the largest town in the region. Galway city is also home to Ireland's only Irish language theatre Taibhdhearc na Gaillimhe. There 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.

Galway County Hall, Galway City.

Local government and politics

The area of the county is now covered by two local administrative authorities: Galway County Council and Galway City Council. They rank equally as first level local administrative units of the NUTS 3 West Region for Eurostat purposes. There are 34 LAU 1 entities in the Republic of Ireland. The remit of Galway County Council includes some suburbs of the city not within the remit of Limerick City Council. Both local authorities are responsible for certain local services such as sanitation, planning and development, libraries, the collection of motor taxation, local roads and social housing. The county is part of the North–West constituency for the purposes of European elections. For elections to Dáil Éireann, the county is divided into two constituencies: Galway East and and Galway West. Together they return 9 deputies (TDs) to the Dáil.

Geography

A view over the karst landscape on Inishmore, from Dún Aengus, an ancient stone fort.

County Galway is home to Lough Corrib (the largest lake in the Republic of Ireland) the 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.

Climate

The location of County Galway, situated on 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 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 the west coast of the county can receive up to 1900mm and beyond. Extreme weather such as blizzards, thunderstorms, flashflooding and hail, though rare, can and do occur, particularly when air masses of continental origin are undercut by more humid and unstable Atlantic flows.

Flora and fauna

One of the least densely-populated counties, County Galway harbors a variety of wildlife. The region's biodiversity is best represented by Connemara National Park, situated in the west of the county.

Towns and villages

Historical populations
Year	Pop.	±%
1659	33,390	—
1821	169,503	+407.6%
1831	204,691	+20.8%
1841	440,198	+115.1%
1851	321,684	−26.9%
1861	271,478	−15.6%
1871	248,458	−8.5%
1881	242,005	−2.6%
1891	214,712	−11.3%
1901	192,549	−10.3%
1911	182,224	−5.4%
1926	169,366	−7.1%
1936	168,198	−0.7%
1946	165,201	−1.8%
1951	160,204	−3.0%
1956	155,553	−2.9%
1961	149,887	−3.6%
1966	148,340	−1.0%
1971	149,223	+0.6%
1979	167,838	+12.5%
1981	172,018	+2.5%
1986	178,552	+3.8%
1991	180,364	+1.0%
1996	188,854	+4.7%
2002	209,077	+10.7%
2006	231,670	+10.8%
2011	250,541	+8.1%
[2][3][4][5][6][7]

• Ahascragh
• Ardrahan
• Athenry
• Aughrim
• Ballinasloe
• Ballinderreen
• Ballyconneely
• Ballygar
• Ballymacward
• Ballymoe
• Ballynahinch
• Barna
• Bealadangan
• Bullaun
• Camus
• Carnmore
• Carraroe
• Casla
• Castleblakeney
• Castlegar
• Claregalway
• Clarinbridge
• Cleggan
• Clifden
• Clonbur
• Corofin
• Corrandulla
• Corr na Móna
• Craughwell
• Dunmore
• Eyrecourt
• Furbo
• Glenamaddy
• Gort
• Headford
• Hollygrove
• Inverin
• Kilcolgan
• Kilconnell
• Kilkerrin
• Kilkieran
• Killimor
• Kilronan
• Kiltullagh
• Kinvara
• Laurencetown
• Leenaun
• Lettercallow
• Letterfrack
• Lettermore
• Loughrea
• Maam Cross
• Maum
• Menlough
• Milltown
• Monivea
• Mountbellew
• Moycullen
• Muckanaghederdauhaulia
• Maree
• Newbridge
• New Inn
• Oranmore
• Oughterard
• Peterswell
• Portumna
• Recess
• Rosmuck
• Rossaveal
• Roundstone
• Roscam
• Skehana
• Spiddal
• Tuam
• Turloughmore
• Williamstown
• Woodford

See also

• Connacht Irish
• Galway East (Dáil Éireann constituency)
• Galway West (Dáil Éireann constituency)
• Galway GAA
• List of abbeys and priories in Ireland (County Galway)
• Joyce Country
• Lord Lieutenant of Galway
• High Sheriff of County Galway
• High Sheriff of Galway Town

References

1. ^ Census 2006 - Population of each province, county and city
2. ^ For 1653 and 1659 figures from Civil Survey Census of those years, Paper of Mr Hardinge to Royal Irish Academy March 14, 1865.
3. ^ Census for post 1821 figures.
4. ^ http://www.histpop.org
5. ^ http://www.nisranew.nisra.gov.uk/census
6. ^ Lee, JJ (1981). "On the accuracy of the Pre-famine Irish censuses". In Goldstrom, J. M.; Clarkson, L. A.. Irish Population, Economy, and Society: Essays in Honour of the Late K. H. Connell. Oxford, England: Clarendon Press. 
7. ^ Mokyr, Joel; O Grada, Cormac (November). "New Developments in Irish Population History, 1700-1850". The Economic History Review 37 (4): 473–488. doi:10.1111/j.1468-0289.1984.tb00344.x. http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/120035880/abstract. 

• History of Galway, James Hardiman, 1820
• Education in the Diocese of Kilmachduagh in the nineteenth century, Sr. Mary de Lourdes Fahy, Convent of Mercy, Gort, 1972
• The Anglo-Normans and their castles in County Galway, Patrick Holland, pp. 1–26, in Galway:History and Society, 1996. ISBN 0-906602-75-0
• From Warlords to Landlords: Political and Social Change in Galway 1540-1640, Bernadette Cunningham, pp. 97–130, op.cit.
• The Politics of the 'Protestant Ascendency': County Galway 1650-1832, James Kelly, pp. 229–270, op.cit.
• The Galway Tribes as Landowners and Gentry, Patrick Melville, pp. 319–370, op.cit.
• Scríobhaithe Lámhscríbhinní Gaeilge i nGaillimh 1700-1900, William Mahon, pp. 623–250, op.cit.
• Early Eccleiastical Settlement Names of County Galway, Dónall Mac Giolla Easpaig, pp. 795–816, op. cit

External links

• Galway County Council
• Tourist information website
• Map of Galway County
• *FLIRT FM* Galways Student Radio Station NUIG/GMIT
• Galway GAA
• County Galway Guide
• / local newspaper
• Extensive list of places in County Galway.

Coordinates: 53°20′N 9°00′W / 53.333°N 9°W / 53.333; -9