Castlegar, County Galway

This article is about the electoral division near Galway city. For the demesne near Ahascragh, see Ahascragh § Castlegar Estate.

Castlegar (Irish: An Caisleán Gearr, meaning 'short castle')^[1] is a village and electoral division in County Galway, just outside the city of Galway, in Ireland. Castlegar is also an ecclesiastical parish in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Galway, Kilmacduagh and Kilfenora.^[2] It extends from Lough Corrib across to Merlin Park by the old Galway-Dublin road.

Castlegar An Caisleán Gearr
Village
Ruined tower house (An Caisleán Gearr) at Castlegar
Castlegar Location in Ireland
Coordinates: 53°18′00″N 9°01′07″W
Country	Ireland
Province	Connacht
County	County Galway
Time zone	UTC+0 (WET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-1 (IST (WEST))

The eponymous Castlegar Castle, a 15th or 16th century tower house, is historically associated with the Burke (de Burgo) family.^[3] Castlegar GAA club is based in the area.

History

The name Castlegar is derived from the Irish Caisleán Gearr, meaning "short castle".^[1] The small Castlegar Castle, in the middle of the parish, was built by Richard Burke, 4th Earl of Clanricarde (1572–1635) of Portumna Castle.^[4] The castle at Castlegar was a four-storey tower house,^[4] now in ruin, which was used as a "guest" castle for the Blake family's Menlo Castle.^{[citation needed]}

Irish language

As of 2006, the electoral division of Castlegar (Castlegar ED) had a population of over 1,000 people, of whom 11% spoke Irish daily.^[5]

Castles

Plaque at Castlegar Castle

Castles in the area include:^{[citation needed]}

• Ballybrit Castle
• Ballindooley Castle (Ballindooly)^[6]
• Castlegar Castle (Castle Gar; An Caisleán Gearr)
• Cloonacauneen Castle (Cluanacauneen)^[7]
• Killeen Castle (Killeen)
• Menlo Castle (Menlough)^[6]
• Merlin Park Castle (formerly Doughiska/Doughiskey)

Villages and townlands

Villages and townlands in the ecclesiastical parish of Castlegar include:^{[citation needed]}

• Ballybrit (home to Ballybrit Racecourse and the Galway Races)
• Ballindooley
• Ballintemple
• Briarhill
• Bruckey
• Cappanabornia
• Carrabrowne
• Castlegar townland^[8]
• Coolough
• Killeen
• Killtulla
• Kyloughter
• Menlo
• Two-Mile-Ditch

Notable people

• Blake baronets, were local landowners from 1622 through 1910
• John Connolly and Joe Connolly, hurlers and brothers from the Connolly family, are from Castlegar

Further reading

• Ó Laoi, Padraic (1996). History of Castlegar Parish. ASIN B0006FCB88.