Headford

Not to be confused withHendford.

Headford Irish:Áth Cinn
Town
Main Street
Motto: Áth Cinn le Chéile
Headford Location in Ireland
Coordinates:53°28′09″N9°06′25″W
Country	Ireland
Province	Connacht
County	County Galway
Government
•Dáil Éireann	Galway East
Population (2022)	1,235
Time zone	UTC+0(WET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-1(IST(WEST))
Irish Grid Reference	M269468

Headford(Irish:Áth Cinn)is a small town inCounty Galway,located 26 km north ofGalwaycity in the west ofIreland.It is an angling centre for the eastern shore of Lough Corrib, and Greenfields, approximately 6.5 km west of the town, is its boating harbour. The town is situated next to the Black River (known also for its trout angling) which is the county boundary with Mayo. Located on theN84national secondary roadfromGalwaytoCastlebarand theR333,andR334regional roads,the town is a commuter town to Galway City.

The town is the centre of an area which contains a number of prehistoric burial cairns,Iron Agestone enclosures, earlyNormanand later castles, and several monastic sites. These includeRoss Errilly Friary,located northwest of Headford, which is one of the best preserved monastic ruins of its period in Ireland.

According to2022 census,there were 1,235 people living in Headford.

History

Headford in the late 19th century

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

This is a neat and clean town, having been much improved by its proprietor, R. J. Mansergh St. George, Esq.; it has a considerable trade, and commands fine views of Lough Corrib, and the mountains of Joyces' country and Mayo. It comprises 217 houses, is a chief constabulary police station, and has petty sessions on Mondays; here is also a dispensary. Bobbin lace, coarse linen, and flannel are made. The market is on Tuesday, and fairs are held on May 11th and Oct. 14th. Headford Castle is the residence of R. J. M. St. George, Esq.; it is a handsome modern building, erected on the ruins of the ancient castle; the extensive demesne, which is laid out with great taste, is entered from the town by a good gateway. Here is also Clydagh House, the seat of G. Staunton Lynch, Esq.

The St. George's family ownership of the town is explored in "Headford, County Galway, 1775-1901" by Gerardine Candon (ISBN1-85182-764-1).

The tradition oflacemakingin Headford has been covered in exhibitions and public artworks,and in the Irish National Inventory of IntangibleCultural Heritage.Lace, in a style known asTorchon,is reproduced by modern lacemakers. A public art project, theLace Matrix,created a sculpture of iron and lace to represent the local lace tradition.

Education

Headford has a small library with two book clubs - one for children from 8 to 13 years and one for adults.

Headford has one secondary school,Presentation College Headford,which had approximately 780 pupils as of late 2019.

The town itself has two primary schools: Headford Girls National School and St Brendan's Boys National School (which is attached to the girls' school and takes boys from third to sixth class).

There are three primary schools in the surrounding areas, Scoil Naomh Fursa in Claran, Cloughanover National School and Clydagh National School.

Sports

Headford is home to a number of sporting clubs and groups, including Corrib Rugby Football Club and Moyne Villa Football Club.

Gaelic Athletic Association(GAA) clubs in the area include Headford GAA club and St Fursey's Ladies GAA.

There is also a badminton club, karate club and the Black River Game and Conservative Club.

Politics

The town is part of theMidlands–North-Westconstituency forEuropean Parliamentelections. It is part of theGalway Eastconstituency for elections toDáil Éireann,and is part of the Tuam electoral area forGalway County Councilelections.

The localpolling stationsare in the area's primary schools.

Religion

Headford Catholic church

The Headford Parish has two churches, both of which are Catholic and were built by Fr. Peter Conway and dedicated to St. Mary. The church at Claran was built in 1859 and for many years was the home of the parish priest. The church in Headford was built in 1865 on lands donated by the landlord St. George. Father Ray Flaherty is parish priest of the Headford parish with Fr. Martin Newell (retired) administrating in Claran.

Killursa,a ruined medieval church dedicated toSaint Fursey,lies 2.6 kilometres (1.6 mi) to the west of Headford, in the Owertownland.

The ruins ofRoss Errilly Friary,a 14th or 15th century monastery, lie approximately 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) northwest of the town, and appeared very briefly in John Ford'sThe Quiet Man(1952).

Twin towns

Headford istwinnedwith:

• Le Faouët,Brittany,France.
• Morgan Hill,Santa Clara County,California, United States.

Notable people

See also:Category:People from Headford, County Galway

See also

• List of towns and villages in Ireland
• Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Tuam

External links

• Headford and Claran Churches
• Headford Environment Group
• Headfest Festival
• Headford.org(archived 2018)