Claremorris
Encyclopedia
Claremorris is a town
in County Mayo
in the west of Ireland
, at the junction of the N17 and the N60
national routes. The population of Claremoris in the 2011 Census
was 3,979.
The town sits at the bottom of a valley with all roads which lead to the town following hills in particular the old Knock road (known as the Knock hill) and Ballyhaunis road. Although low lying the town does not experience flooding. There is no major river through the town.
Claremorris is the fastest growing town in County Mayo. There was a 25% increase in the town's population between 2006 and 2011 and a 23% increase between 2002 and 2006.
There are three hotels including the modern 4-star McWilliam Park Hotel, which opened in late 2006. It has a leisure centre, swimming pool and conference facilities. The town has several restaurants catering for Italian, Indian, Chinese and Irish cuisine.
Claremorris has many pubs, however a number have closed down in recent years. The town has two nightclubs.
A swimming pool and leisure centre opened on September 1, 2009. A new Garda Station opened in 2008. A new 6-screen cinema has been planned.
There are two secondary schools - St Colman's College
for boys and Mount St. Michael for girls - and several primary schools.
The surrounding countryside is of rolling drumlin
s, esker
s, woods and lakes.
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
.
Claremorris is situated at a major road junction. The N17 (Galway-Sligo
road) and the N60 (Castlebar-Roscommon
road) meet in the town.
Claremorris was once a major traffic bottleneck.
The busy N17 trundled through the town and met the N60 at a staggered junction at market square in the town, this junction as well as the old Bank of Ireland corner (where Galway Road meets Ballinrobe Road), were the worst blackspots in the town. By the late 1990s, over 13,000 vehicles were trundling through the town daily.
In 1994 a design for the bypass was completed by Mayo County Council, the CPO went ahead in 1995. Then there was a 3 year wait for funding for the scheme. Eventually in 1998 the go ahead was given and construction of the bypass commenced. The N17 bypass opened in July 2001. Journey times at peak periods were reduced by 30 minutes on the Galway/Sligo route after the opening. The project was built as a grade separated single carriageway which is rare for single carriageway bypasses in Ireland. The new 16km road bypassed one of Irelands most treacherous national routes, the original 7 mile stretch between Claremorris and Knock had a very high accident rate due to its poor alignment. The busy N60 still passes through the town via an inner relief road. A second bypass for the town is included in the proposed new N60 road to Castlebar, although this road won't be built until at least 2018.
Rail
Claremorris is served by the Westport/Ballina
-Dublin railway. There is currently a campaign underway to open the western rail corridor through Claremorris linking Limerick
to Sligo. The Claremorris-Tuam
phase is due to open in 2014.
", imparting this information to Gen. Eisenhower and the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In 1949 it was decided that the Irish Meteorological Service needed observations on an hourly basis from inland stations like Claremorris. It was decided to staff the station with full time permanent personnel. In 1996 staff were relocated to Knock airport and it now operates automatically
with data uploaded to Dublin http://www.met.ie/about/weatherobservingstations/claremorris_history.asp.
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
in County Mayo
County Mayo
County Mayo is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the village of Mayo, which is now generally known as Mayo Abbey. Mayo County Council is the local authority for the county. The population of the county is 130,552...
in the west of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
, at the junction of the N17 and the N60
N60 road (Ireland)
The N60 road is a national secondary road in Ireland, linking Castlebar, County Mayo to Roscommon town. The quality of the road varies significantly, with County Roscommon having a better alignment. The worst section of the route is between Castlebar and Claremorris where some stretches are...
national routes. The population of Claremoris in the 2011 Census
Census of Ireland 2011
The Census of Ireland 2011 was held on Sunday, 10 April 2011. It was administered by the Central Statistics Office of Ireland and found the population to be 4,581,269 people.. Before the census, the latest population estimate was published in September 2010 and calculated that the Irish population...
was 3,979.
The town sits at the bottom of a valley with all roads which lead to the town following hills in particular the old Knock road (known as the Knock hill) and Ballyhaunis road. Although low lying the town does not experience flooding. There is no major river through the town.
Claremorris is the fastest growing town in County Mayo. There was a 25% increase in the town's population between 2006 and 2011 and a 23% increase between 2002 and 2006.
Name
The town derived its name from Maurice de Prendergast, a Norman who came to Ireland in 1169. The town was established during the 18th century.Amenities
Many new shops have been added in the last few years, including The Silverbridge Shopping Centre. With the development of Chapel Lane from a derelict street to a commercial street, this part of the town has been transformed. Four supermarkets compete for customers in the town including retail giants Tesco and Aldi.There are three hotels including the modern 4-star McWilliam Park Hotel, which opened in late 2006. It has a leisure centre, swimming pool and conference facilities. The town has several restaurants catering for Italian, Indian, Chinese and Irish cuisine.
Claremorris has many pubs, however a number have closed down in recent years. The town has two nightclubs.
A swimming pool and leisure centre opened on September 1, 2009. A new Garda Station opened in 2008. A new 6-screen cinema has been planned.
There are two secondary schools - St Colman's College
St Colman's College, Claremorris
St Colman's College is an all-boys secondary school in Claremorris, County Mayo. Approximately 400 pupils attend.-History:The School was founded in 1945, as a school for the boys of Claremorris to attend instead of having to travel to Ballinrobe. An Old Manor House on the Knock Road was used as the...
for boys and Mount St. Michael for girls - and several primary schools.
The surrounding countryside is of rolling drumlin
Drumlin
A drumlin, from the Irish word droimnín , first recorded in 1833, is an elongated whale-shaped hill formed by glacial ice acting on underlying unconsolidated till or ground moraine.-Drumlin formation:...
s, esker
Esker
An esker is a long winding ridge of stratified sand and gravel, examples of which occur in glaciated and formerly glaciated regions of Europe and North America...
s, woods and lakes.
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
Church of Ireland
The Church of Ireland is an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. The church operates in all parts of Ireland and is the second largest religious body on the island after the Roman Catholic Church...
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
Ballinrobe
-Early history:Dating back to 1390, Ballinrobe is said to be the oldest town in South Mayo. The registry of the Dominican friary of Athenry mentions the monastery de Roba, an Augustinian friary whose recently restored ruins are one of the historical landmarks of the town today...
.
Sports
There are a number of sporting clubs including:- The Gaelic Athletic AssociationGaelic Athletic AssociationThe Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...
, who train at many pitches in the town, and compete at many levels from under-10s up to senior in both Men's & Ladies' Competitions. They have been County MayoCounty MayoCounty Mayo is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the village of Mayo, which is now generally known as Mayo Abbey. Mayo County Council is the local authority for the county. The population of the county is 130,552...
senior hurlingHurlingHurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...
champions twice: 1968, and 1971 and senior county Gaelic footballGaelic footballGaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
champions four times: 1961, 1964, 1965 and 1971. - The Swimming Club train at the all-new, ultra-modern Claremorris Leisure Centre. The swimming club incorporates water poloWater poloWater polo is a team water sport. The playing team consists of six field players and one goalkeeper. The winner of the game is the team that scores more goals. Game play involves swimming, treading water , players passing the ball while being defended by opponents, and scoring by throwing into a...
. In recent years the team became the first club from ConnachtConnachtConnacht , formerly anglicised as Connaught, is one of the Provinces of Ireland situated in the west of Ireland. In Ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for...
to win the all-Ireland under 16 & under 19 Boys championships, as well as being the first club to win the inaugural Girls Under-16 & Under-19 Championships. - The new Claremorris Leisure Centre opened on September 1, 2009. It has a 25 metre, 6 lane, short course competition pool. It also incorporates a large gymnasium & fitness studio. It offers a wide variety of fitness classes.
- The Soccer Club, which trains & plays their matches at Concannon park. Derek GlynnDerek GlynnDerek Glynn is a Irish football player and plays as a striker.He joined Galway United in 2007 from Claremorris AFC where he was top scorer in the Mayo league for 3 consecutive years earning him recognition as a striker with a keen eye for goal. Was the SWAI Player of the Month in June 2007...
began his career playing for Claremorris. - The GolfGolfGolf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
club play at the local 18-hole course located just outside Claremorris on the Galway Road - The AthleticsAthletics (track and field)Athletics is an exclusive collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking. The most common types of athletics competitions are track and field, road running, cross country running, and race walking...
Club train on the racetrack. - The TennisTennisTennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
Club courts at the centre of town are the most modern in Mayo.
Transport
RoadClaremorris is situated at a major road junction. The N17 (Galway-Sligo
Sligo
Sligo is the county town of County Sligo in Ireland. The town is a borough and has a charter and a town mayor. It is sometimes referred to as a city, and sometimes as a town, and is the second largest urban area in Connacht...
road) and the N60 (Castlebar-Roscommon
Roscommon
Roscommon is the county town of County Roscommon in Ireland. Its population at the 2006 census stood at 5,017 . The town is located near the junctions of the N60, N61 and N63 roads.-History:...
road) meet in the town.
Claremorris was once a major traffic bottleneck.
The busy N17 trundled through the town and met the N60 at a staggered junction at market square in the town, this junction as well as the old Bank of Ireland corner (where Galway Road meets Ballinrobe Road), were the worst blackspots in the town. By the late 1990s, over 13,000 vehicles were trundling through the town daily.
In 1994 a design for the bypass was completed by Mayo County Council, the CPO went ahead in 1995. Then there was a 3 year wait for funding for the scheme. Eventually in 1998 the go ahead was given and construction of the bypass commenced. The N17 bypass opened in July 2001. Journey times at peak periods were reduced by 30 minutes on the Galway/Sligo route after the opening. The project was built as a grade separated single carriageway which is rare for single carriageway bypasses in Ireland. The new 16km road bypassed one of Irelands most treacherous national routes, the original 7 mile stretch between Claremorris and Knock had a very high accident rate due to its poor alignment. The busy N60 still passes through the town via an inner relief road. A second bypass for the town is included in the proposed new N60 road to Castlebar, although this road won't be built until at least 2018.
Rail
Claremorris is served by the Westport/Ballina
Ballina, County Mayo
Ballina is a large town in north County Mayo in Ireland. It lies at the mouth of the River Moy near Killala Bay, in the Moy valley and Parish of Kilmoremoy, with the Ox Mountain range to the east and the Nephin Beg mountains to the west...
-Dublin railway. There is currently a campaign underway to open the western rail corridor through Claremorris linking Limerick
Limerick
Limerick is the third largest city in the Republic of Ireland, and the principal city of County Limerick and Ireland's Mid-West Region. It is the fifth most populous city in all of Ireland. When taking the extra-municipal suburbs into account, Limerick is the third largest conurbation in the...
to Sligo. The Claremorris-Tuam
Tuam
Tuam is a town in County Galway, Ireland. The name is pronounced choo-um . It is situated west of the midlands of Ireland, and north of Galway city.-History:...
phase is due to open in 2014.
Weather Station
Claremorris is home to one 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 and staffed by a local family. During WWII Ireland provided detailed weather reports to the Allies. Weather reports from Claremorris and Blacksod Lighthouse (located on the west coast of Mayo) played a significant factor in selecting the date of launch for the invasion of France (D Day) on the 6th June 1944. Many will remember the weather expert in the film "The Longest DayThe Longest Day (film)
The Longest Day is a 1962 war film based on the 1959 history book The Longest Day by Cornelius Ryan, about "D-Day", the Normandy landings on 6 June 1944, during World War II....
", imparting this information to Gen. Eisenhower and the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In 1949 it was decided that the Irish Meteorological Service needed observations on an hourly basis from inland stations like Claremorris. It was decided to staff the station with full time permanent personnel. In 1996 staff were relocated to Knock airport and it now operates automatically
Automatic weather station
An automatic weather station is an automated version of the traditional weather station, either to save human labour or to enable measurements from remote areas...
with data uploaded to Dublin http://www.met.ie/about/weatherobservingstations/claremorris_history.asp.
Climate
Claremorris has a temperate oceanic climate with cold winters and warm damp summers. The coldest months being January and February and the wettest being December and October. Claremorris received roughly 1,500 hours of sunshine in 2010.People
The town is the birthplace of:- Cardinal John D'Alton.
- Provost of Trinity College John HegartyJohn HegartyJohn Hegarty was elected 43rd Provost of Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland in 2001 for a ten-year term.-Life:He was born in Claremorris, County Mayo, and was educated locally at St Colman's College...
- Sir John Gray
- Seamus O'Malley, who captained Mayo to their first All Ireland Senior Football Championship in 1936
- Lucinda CreightonLucinda CreightonLucinda Creighton is an Irish Fine Gael politician. She has been a Teachta Dála for the Dublin South East constituency since 2007. She was appointed the Minister of State for European Affairs in March 2011.-Early and private life:...
TD - Pat RabbittePat RabbittePat Rabbitte is an Irish Labour Party politician who has been Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources since March 2011...
TD, former Labour Party leader - Derek GlynnDerek GlynnDerek Glynn is a Irish football player and plays as a striker.He joined Galway United in 2007 from Claremorris AFC where he was top scorer in the Mayo league for 3 consecutive years earning him recognition as a striker with a keen eye for goal. Was the SWAI Player of the Month in June 2007...
Irish Soccer Player (striker)
Local Schools
- St. Colman's CollegeSt Colman's College, ClaremorrisSt Colman's College is an all-boys secondary school in Claremorris, County Mayo. Approximately 400 pupils attend.-History:The School was founded in 1945, as a school for the boys of Claremorris to attend instead of having to travel to Ballinrobe. An Old Manor House on the Knock Road was used as the...
, boys' secondary school. - Mount St. Michael, girls' secondary school.
Local Events
- The Claremorris Open Exhibition, is an annual arts exhibition in the town held since 1978.
See also
- List of towns and villages in Ireland