Claremorris
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| Claremorris Clár Chlainne Mhuiris | ||
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WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: | ||
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| Irish Grid Reference M338751 | ||
| Statistics | ||
| Province: | Connacht | |
| County: | County Mayo | |
| Elevation: | 73 m | |
| Population (2006) - Town: - Rural: | 3,170 14,177 | |
Claremorris (Irish: Clár Clainne Mhuiris) is a town in County Mayo in the west of Ireland, at the junction of the N17 and the N60 national routes. It has a population of 3,170 (14,156 rural). One of the fastest growing towns in the West of Ireland, Claremorris is a selected location for the Government's decentralisation programme, with the OPW to start its move to the town in February 2007.[citation needed]
The surrounding countryside is composed of rolling drumlins, eskers, woods and lakes. There are two secondary schools, St. Colman's College for boys, and Mount St. Michaels for girls, and many primary schools.
Genealogical records for Claremorris consist of Roman Catholic church records of marriage which commenced in 1805 and baptisms which commenced in 1825. Church of Ireland records consist of baptisms from 1834 onwards, marriages from 1846 onwards and burials from 1878 onwards. These are held at the South Mayo Family Research Centre in Ballinrobe.
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[edit] Sport
There is an active Gaelic Athletic Association club in the town. They have been County Mayo senior hurling champions twice: 1968, and 1971 and senior county Gaelic football champions four times: 1961, 1964, 1965 and 1971.
[edit] Transport
Claremorris is connected by rail to neighbouring Westport and Ballina, as well as to Dublin. Claremorris railway station opened on 19 May 1862.[1] The Ballina/Westport–Dublin route is intersected at Claremorris by the disused Limerick–Sligo line (dubbed the Western Railway Corridor – see Irish railway history). There is currently a campaign (West-On-Track) to re-open passenger links with Sligo, Galway and Limerick, as well as towns such as Tuam and Gort. Historically, there was also a branch to Ballinrobe from Claremorris.
[edit] Weather Station
Claremorris is home to one of the Republic of Ireland's eight inland weather observing stations, located 2 kilometres from the town centre. It began recording weather in November 1943 and was run by a local family, the Vaheys. In 1996 staff were located to Knock airport and it now operates automatically with data downloaded to Dublin.
During the Second World War, Ireland provided detailed weather reports to the Allies. There are weather report forms still in Claremorris for the period of the Allied invasion of France which confirm that the weather in the rest of Ireland was improving with an area of high pressure replacing an active low. This improving situation with reports from Blacksod Lighthouse and Claremorris was the reason that the launch of the invasion of France went ahead on the 6 June 1944.[2]
[edit] People
The town is the birthplace of:
- Cardinal John D'Alton.
- Provost of Trinity College John Hegarty
- First Mayo man to lift the Sam Maguire trophy Seamus O'Malley
[edit] Local Schools
- St. Colman's College, the boys' Secondary School.
- Mount St. Michaels, the girls' Secondary School.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Claremorris
- Claremorris, The Heart of the West
- Claremorris Golf Club
- West=on=Track
- Claremorris Community Radio
[edit] References
- ^ Claremorris station. Railscot - Irish Railways. Retrieved on 2007-09-06.
- ^ Met Éireann.
ga:Clár Clainne Mhuiris it:Claremorris nl:Claremorris
