Ardrahan
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Ardrahan Ard Raithin
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| villiasge | |
 Ardrahan
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| Coordinates: 53°09′27″N 8°48′21″W / 53.1575°N 8.8058°WCoordinates: 53°09′27″N 8°48′21″W / 53.1575°N 8.8058°W | |
| Country | Ireland |
| Province | Connacht |
| County | County Galway |
| Area | |
| • Total | 9.8 km2 (3.8 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 29 m (95 ft) |
| Population (2011) | |
| • Total | 540 |
| • Density | 55/km2 (140/sq mi) |
| Time zone | WET (UTC+0) |
| • Summer (DST) | IST (WEST) (UTC-1) |
| Irish Grid Reference | M461121 |
Ardrahan (Irish: Ard Raithin, meaning "high ringfort") is a village in County Galway, Ireland.
Richard de Brugo conquered Galway in 1236, and granted the land to Maurice Fitzgerald who built the castle whose ruins still stand today. The churchyard wall contains the remains of a round tower, which suggests that a monastic community may have existed on the site before the castle was built.
The most noteworthy attraction in Ardrahan is Tullira Castle, once owned by playwright and independence activist Edward Martyn. Tullira Castle is private property.
Ardrahan is on the N18 road.
Ardrahan railway station opened on 15 September 1869, was closed to passenger traffic on 5 April 1976 and finally closed on 11 June 1983. A new railway station has opened as part of phase one of the reopening of the Western Rail Corridor between Ennis and Athenry.
There are three schools in Ardrahan: Labane N.S, Ballyglass N.S and Kiltiernan N.S. All 3 have recently been renovated.
Ardahan hurling club won its first Galway Senior Hurling Club Championship title in 1894 and since then has won it on 11 occasions, having contested 18 County Finals in its history. It is second on the role of honour to Castlegar who have won 16 titles. The last title was won after a replay in 1978, against rival neighbours Ballindereen.
Other significant wins include the U21 title in 1977, the U21 B in 2001 and also in 2010, and two county minor titles in 1975, and 1978.
In 2007 the Under-14 team, winners of that year's League, reached the Feile final, losing out by the narrowest of margins after a replay.
Ardrahan also have a very successful Camogie club. In 2006 the U14 girls won the Feile Final and went on to represent Galway in Cork at All-Ireland stage. They got to the All-Ireland Semi-Final.
The Camogie team are representing Galway in Feile this year also.
Ardrahan is mentioned in William Hope Hodgson's book The House on the Borderland as the nearest greater village to a small village called Kraighten, near which the author’s diary has been found. Ardrahan also features in the rousing ballad The West's Awake, most famously rendered by Joe McDonagh in the immediate aftermath of Galway's All Ireland Hurling Championship victory of 1980.
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Wikipedia