Cloonfad Cluain Fada
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Town | |
Cloonfad Post Office
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Location in Ireland | |
Coordinates: 53°41′31″N 8°44′33″W / 53.691985°N 8.742478°WCoordinates: 53°41′31″N 8°44′33″W / 53.691985°N 8.742478°W | |
Country | Ireland |
Province | Connacht |
County | Roscommon |
Council | Roscommon County Council |
Dáil Éireann | Roscommon-Galway |
European Parliament | Midlands-North-West |
Time zone | WET (UTC+0) |
• Summer (DST) | IST (WEST) (UTC-1) |
Cloonfad (Irish: Cluain Fada, meaning "long meadow") is a village in County Roscommon, Ireland, at the crossroads of the N83 National secondary road and the R327 regional road, about 10 km from the town of Ballyhaunis in Co. Mayo. A public walkway takes walkers to surrounding villages through scenic moorland. This habitat gave rise to the village's name in Irish - Cluain Fada or "Long Meadow". Cloonfad's local church, the Church of Saint Patrick, has been publishing an annual parish magazine since 1992 "The Cloonfad Magazine".
As in many other villages in Ireland, economic prosperity since the 1990s has altered the demographic profile of Cloonfad with a number of people from Eastern Europe taking up residence in the village.
The village has three pubs (public houses). Local services include an An Post office, convenience shop, beauty parlour and a hair salon. In the national school car park is a beautiful tree.
The present church of St. Patrick was erected in 1934. Work on the foundation began in September 1932 with the foundation stone blessed by Thomas Gilmartin, Archbishop of Tuam in December 1932. The completed Church was dedicated on 12 August 1934 where, on that occasion His Grace presided at the Solemn Mass.
Alterations were made by the inclusion of porches by Fr. (later Monsignor) James Horan, parish priest of Knock, during his time in Cloonfad. In 1960 the Sanctuary was revised to accommodate the new Liturgy of the Mass. The church underwent further renovation in the late 1990s.
Established in the 1930s, Cloonfad Handball Club became one of the oldest sporting organisations in the parish. The present facilities were opened in 1980. The club is registered with County Roscommon Handball board and is affiliated to Croke Park. The club also plays host to racquetball.