Ahascragh
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Ahascragh Áth Eascrach
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 Ahascragh
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| Coordinates: 53°24′00″N 8°20′00″W / 53.4°N 8.3333°WCoordinates: 53°24′00″N 8°20′00″W / 53.4°N 8.3333°W | |
| Country | Ireland |
| Province | Connacht |
| County | County Galway |
| Population | |
| • Total |
4,500 urban = 500 rural = 4,000 |
| Time zone | WET (UTC+0) |
| • Summer (DST) | IST (WEST) (UTC-1) |
| Irish Grid Reference | M775386 |
4,500 urban = 500
Ahascragh (Irish: Áth Eascrach, meaning "Ford of the Esker") is a village in east Galway, Ireland. It is located 11 km (7 mi) (7 mi) north-west of Ballinasloe on the Ahascragh/Bunowen River, a tributary of the River Suck. The R358 regional road passes through the village.
The Patron saint of the village is Saint Cuan. His death is recorded in the Annals of the Four Masters in 788 A.D. St. Cuan's Well lies to the northeast. The Annals also mention the battle of Ahascragh in 1307 between the English forces and O'Kelly Chieftains.
Ahascragh had two Anglo-Irish seats of residence, located in Castlegar and Clonbrock, with respective period houses. In Castlegar sat the Mahon family. The Mahons were settled at Castlegar from the late 17th century. They intermarried on a number of occasions with members of the Browne family of Westport. In 1819 the head of the family became a baronet. In the 1830s, at the time of the first Ordnance Survey, Ross Mahon was the proprietor of several townlands in the parish of Ahascragh. The Mahon estate was one of the principal lessors in the parish of Grange, barony of Loughrea at the time of Griffith's Valuation. Mr. Charles Filgate acted as agent for this property. The Mahons also held extensive lands in the baronies of Clonmacnowen and Killian. In the 1870s the Castlegar estate amounted to over 32 km2 (8,000 acres) in county Galway as well as over 3.2 km2 (800 acres) in the parish of Termonbarry, barony of Ballintober North, county Roscommon. In 1906 Sir William Mahon held over 4.9 km2 (1,200 acres) of untenanted land in the Ahascragh area. MacLochlainn writes that most of the estate was sold to the Land Commission in 1977. In 1979 the house was sold by the Mahons to John Horan, who advertised the house for sale again in 1988. There is still a house at this site.
In Clonbrock sat the Dillon family. Lord Clonbrock was listed as a resident proprietor in county Galway in 1824. At the time of Griffith's Valuation, Lord Clonbrock was one of the principal lessors in the parishes of Ahascragh, Fohanagh, Killalaghtan and Killosolan in the barony of Kilconnell and Killoran in the barony of Longford. In the 1870s the Clonbrock estate in county Galway amounted to over 110 km2 (28,000 acres). Lands, house and demesne at Cahir, barony of Clonmacnowen, owned by James Dillon, were offered for sale in the Encumbered Estates court in July 1854. In 1906 Lord Clonbrock held over 8.1 km2 (2,000 acres) of untenanted land and the mansion house at Clonbrock.
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