Carna, County Galway

Carna is a small area in Connemara, County Galway, Ireland, located on the contry's west coast about 50 km west of of Galway city.

The National University of Ireland, Galway, has an Irish-language and educational centre ("Áras Shorcha Ní Ghuairim") in Carna. It also operates a marine biology station in Maínis and an atmospheric research station at Mace Head, Carna, which is run by the university's experimental physics department. [ [http://macehead.nuigalway.ie NUI, Galway Atmospheric Science Research Group ] ]

Since Carna is in Connemara, it is an area that Catholics emigrated to during the Cromwell days, when the statement "Go to hell or Connaught" was familiar to all Catholics.

The village is in the Gaeltacht, so most of the people speak Irish at home. The population is almost totally (96 per cent - 2006) bilingual with English being the second language spoken.

Off the coast of Mace Head in Carna Parish is Mac Dara's Island / Oileán Mhic Dara. This is the location of a stone-built early Christian church and the cross of Saint Mac Dara, who is the Patron Saint of fishermen and sailors in the area. There is a pilgrimage to the Island once a year on 16 July followed by a race of traditional boats.

Another archaeological gem in the area is a standing stone on Lake Scannive / Loch na Scainimhe, which can still be seen.

Famous Residents

* Éamon a Búrc, considered Ireland's most brilliant storyteller in the Irish language, was an almost lifelong resident of Carna. The thousands of pages of his transcribed tales remain in the possession of the Irish Folklore Commission.

References