Kilkieran
| Cill Chiaráin | |
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| Village | |
Boats in Kilkieran
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 Cill Chiaráin
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| Coordinates: 53°19′33″N 9°44′07″W / 53.3258°N 9.7353°WCoordinates: 53°19′33″N 9°44′07″W / 53.3258°N 9.7353°W | |
| Country | Ireland |
| Province | Connacht |
| County | County Galway |
| Elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
| Irish Grid Reference | L844319 |
| Cill Chiaráin is the only official name. The anglicized spelling Kilkieran has no official status. | |
Cill Chiaráin (anglicized as Kilkieran) is a village in Connemara County Galway, Ireland. The R340 road along the coast from Galway city passes through Cill Chiaráin on your way to Clifden.
Cill Chiaráin is a Gaeltacht area of Ireland. It is linked to the nearby town of Carna by the Irish college of Coláiste Sheoisaimh, which runs courses in Irish during the summer and mid-term breaks.
Cill Chiaráin is Irish for "Ciarán's church" and is named after Saint Ciarán, who lent his name to the village. There is a national school, a church and a holy well named after him. Also, up on the hill overlooking Cill Chiaráin there is a cross erected in his honour, and in front of that there is a place called "Leaba Chiaráin" ("Ciarán's bed"). On St Ciaráns feastday, there is a day of celebration held in the saint's honour held in the village. Organised by the local festival committee , Coiste Fhéile Chill Chiaráin, there is a Roman Catholic mass read at the well which St Ciarán blessed back in the 6th century. There is a grotto there with a statue of St Ciarán, which is the only statue to the Saint in Ireland.
There is also a Cill Chiaráin in County Kilkenny.
Although Cill Chiarain is located close to Carna, it hosts a number of facilities and public buildings. These include a health centre - which is shared by the existing one in Carna. Doctors and nurses share both practices. People may travel from areas such as Cashel and Rosmuc to visit the doctor here. Close to the health centre is Tigh Chadhain, Coyne's Bar & Bistro. It is a family-run business. The Arramara Teo seaweed factory is also nearby. The company was previously Irish owned, but has since been bought by a Canadian company. It is located on the pier and sports a factory hall. Further through the village is the local supermarket, Tigh Mhic Dhonnachadha. The village also has a church, school, community hall and fish factory. Like the health centre, the church shares its priest with the Carna equivalent.
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Wikipedia