Headford

Headford (Irish: Áth Cinn) is a town in County Galway, located 26 km north of Galway city in the west of Ireland. It is on the N84 national secondary road from Galway to Castlebar and the R333, and R334 regional roads also serve the town.

History

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

Headford appeared in the Oscar-winning film "The Quiet Man" starring John Wayne. The St. George's family ownership of the town is explored in "Headford, County Galway, 1775-1901" by Gerardine Candon ( ISBN 1-85182-764-1 )Maynooth Series 51

Headford today

The town is a popular angling centre for the eastern shore of Lough Corrib, and Greenfields, 6.5 km west of the town, is its boating harbour. It is 2 km south of the Black River which is the county boundary with Mayo and noted also for its trout angling. It is also the centre of an area richly endowed with archaeological monuments including prehistoric burial cairns, Iron Age stone enclosures, early Norman and later castles, and many monastic sites. These include Ross Errilly Friary, founded in 1351, which has been described as the best preserved monastic ruin in Ireland.