Gort ( or ) is a town in south
County GalwayCounty Galway is one of the traditional Counties of Ireland. It is located in the province of Connacht. It was named after the city of Galway...
in the west of
IrelandIreland is a country in north-western Europe. The modern sovereign state occupies about five-sixths of the island of Ireland, which was partitioned on 3 May 1921. It is a parliamentary democracy and a republic...
.
An Gort is the official Irish name for the town, as defined by the Placenames Commission. In spoken Irish, however, the town is known by its traditional name
Gort Inse Guaire. It lies just north of the border with
County ClareCounty Clare commonly referred to as simply Clare, is a county of Ireland and part of the wider province of Munster. Clare is one of the 26 counties within the Republic of Ireland and it provides a basis for local government, in the form of its own constituency within the Dáil Éireann...
on the main N18 Galway–Limerick
roadThe island of Ireland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, has an extensive network of tens of thousands of kilometres of public roads, usually surfaced, existing throughout the island. These roads have been developed and modernised over centuries from trackways suitable only for walkers...
. Gort is situated in the territory of
Ui Fiachrach AidhneUí Fhiachrach Aidhne was a kingdom located in what is now the south of Co. Galway. In the centuries prior to the historical era, the Aidhne branch of the Ui Fiachrach dynasty emerged as the ruling tuath in this part of Connacht. Their territory was known as Aidhne or Maigh Aidhne / Maigh nAidhne...
also known as Maigh Aidhne ("the plain of
AidhneAidhne also known as, Uí Fhiachrach Aidhne, Maigh Aidhne / Maigh nAidhne was the territory of the Ui Fiachrach Aidhne, a tuath located in the south of what is now County Galway in the south of Connacht, Ireland. Aidhne is coextensive with the present diocese of Kilmacduagh...
"), which is coextensive with the diocese of
KilmacduaghKilmacduagh is a small village in south County Galway, near Gort, in Ireland. It is best known for Kilmacduagh monastery, seat of the Diocese of that name and in the Diocese of Limerick, Ardfert, Aghadoe, Killaloe, Kilfenora, Clonfert, Kilmacduagh and Emly in the Church of Ireland....
/ Cill Mhic Dhuach.
Gort takes its name,
Gort Inse Guaire, from
gort (a meadow), "inse" (island) and Guaire
Guaire Aidne mac ColmáinGuaire Aidne mac Colmáin was a king of Connacht. A member of the Ui Fiachrach Aidhne and son of king Colmán mac Cobthaig . Guiare ruled at the height of Ui Fiachrach Aidne power in south Connacht.-Early reign:...
, the sixth century
King of MunsterThe name Munster is derived from the Gaelic Goddess, Muman. The province of Munster was once divided into six regions: Tuadh Mhuman , Des Mhuman , Aur/Ur Mumhan , Iar mumhan or Iarmuman , Ernaibh Muman , and Deisi Muman...
and patron of St.
| Communications |
| Dialing Code: |
091 |
Gort ( or ) is a town in south
County GalwayCounty Galway is one of the traditional Counties of Ireland. It is located in the province of Connacht. It was named after the city of Galway...
in the west of
IrelandIreland is a country in north-western Europe. The modern sovereign state occupies about five-sixths of the island of Ireland, which was partitioned on 3 May 1921. It is a parliamentary democracy and a republic...
.
An Gort is the official Irish name for the town, as defined by the Placenames Commission. In spoken Irish, however, the town is known by its traditional name
Gort Inse Guaire. It lies just north of the border with
County ClareCounty Clare commonly referred to as simply Clare, is a county of Ireland and part of the wider province of Munster. Clare is one of the 26 counties within the Republic of Ireland and it provides a basis for local government, in the form of its own constituency within the Dáil Éireann...
on the main N18 Galway–Limerick
roadThe island of Ireland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, has an extensive network of tens of thousands of kilometres of public roads, usually surfaced, existing throughout the island. These roads have been developed and modernised over centuries from trackways suitable only for walkers...
. Gort is situated in the territory of
Ui Fiachrach AidhneUí Fhiachrach Aidhne was a kingdom located in what is now the south of Co. Galway. In the centuries prior to the historical era, the Aidhne branch of the Ui Fiachrach dynasty emerged as the ruling tuath in this part of Connacht. Their territory was known as Aidhne or Maigh Aidhne / Maigh nAidhne...
also known as Maigh Aidhne ("the plain of
AidhneAidhne also known as, Uí Fhiachrach Aidhne, Maigh Aidhne / Maigh nAidhne was the territory of the Ui Fiachrach Aidhne, a tuath located in the south of what is now County Galway in the south of Connacht, Ireland. Aidhne is coextensive with the present diocese of Kilmacduagh...
"), which is coextensive with the diocese of
KilmacduaghKilmacduagh is a small village in south County Galway, near Gort, in Ireland. It is best known for Kilmacduagh monastery, seat of the Diocese of that name and in the Diocese of Limerick, Ardfert, Aghadoe, Killaloe, Kilfenora, Clonfert, Kilmacduagh and Emly in the Church of Ireland....
/ Cill Mhic Dhuach.
History
Gort takes its name,
Gort Inse Guaire, from
gort (a meadow), "inse" (island) and Guaire
Guaire Aidne mac ColmáinGuaire Aidne mac Colmáin was a king of Connacht. A member of the Ui Fiachrach Aidhne and son of king Colmán mac Cobthaig . Guiare ruled at the height of Ui Fiachrach Aidne power in south Connacht.-Early reign:...
, the sixth century
King of MunsterThe name Munster is derived from the Gaelic Goddess, Muman. The province of Munster was once divided into six regions: Tuadh Mhuman , Des Mhuman , Aur/Ur Mumhan , Iar mumhan or Iarmuman , Ernaibh Muman , and Deisi Muman...
and patron of St.
Colman MacDuaghSaint Colman mac Duagh was born at Corker, Kiltartan, County Galway, Ireland, c. 550 , the son of the Irish chieftain Duac . He was educated at Saint Enda's monastery in Inishmore/Árainn, the largest of the Aran Islands...
. During the
Middle AgesThe Middle Ages of European history is a period of European history covering roughly a millennium in the 5th century through 16th centuries. More specific starting and ending points are sometimes adopted by scholars to suit their respective specializations or current focus...
the chiefs of
Cenél Áeda na hEchtgeCenél Áeda na hEchtge was a trícha cét Cenél Áeda na hEchtge (also Cenél Áeda, Kenloth, Kinalethes, Kenealea, Kinelea)was a trícha cét Cenél Áeda na hEchtge (also Cenél Áeda, Kenloth, Kinalethes, Kenealea, Kinelea)was a trícha cét (later a cantred, (a branch of the Uí Fiachrach Aidhne) and which...
, the
O'ShaughnessyÓ Seachnasaigh, O'Shaughnessy, collectively Uí Sheachnasaigh, clan name Cinél nAedha na hEchtghe, is a family surname of Irish origin.The name is found primarily in County Galway and County Limerick...
s (Ó Seachnasaigh, a clan descended from Guaire Aidhneach) had their principal stronghold in Gort, on a site which later became a
cavalryCavalry were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback in combat. Cavalry were historically the second oldest and most mobile of the combat arms...
barracksBarracks are living quarters for personnel on a military post. They are typically very plain and all of the buildings in the housing unit are often uniform structures.-History:...
. At the end of the seventeenth century the O'Shaughnessy lands were confiscated and
grantedPlantations in 16th and 17th century Ireland were established throughout the country by the confiscation of lands occupied by Gaelic clans and Hiberno-Norman dynasties, but principally in the provinces of Munster and Ulster. The lands were then granted by Crown authority to colonists from Britain...
to Sir Thomas Prendergast, 1st Baronet, whose grandson was
John Prendergast Smyth, 1st Viscount GortJohn Prendergast-Smyth, 1st Viscount Gort , was an Irish politician.Born John Smyth, Gort was the son of Charles Smyth, Member of the Irish Parliament for Limerick City, and Elizabeth Prendergast. His paternal grandparents were the Rt. Rev. Thomas Smyth, Bishop of Limerick, and Dorothea Burgh,...
. In 1831, the town had a population of 3,627 and 563 houses. The Great Hunger of the mid-1840s devastated the population.
A number of historic sites around Gort are included in the Sites and Monuments Record.
Kilmacduagh monasteryKilmacduagh Monastery is found 5 km from the town of Gort in County Galway, Ireland. It was the birthplace of the Diocese of Kilmacduagh, whose name means "church of Duagh's son"...
and
round towerRound tower may refer to:Types of tower:* Irish round tower, a type of early mediaeval stone tower* Broch, a type of Iron Age drystone structure found in Scotland* Round-tower church, a type of church found mainly in England...
are situated approximately 3 km (1.9 mi) west of Gort.
Transport
Gort railway stationGort railway station is a planned railway station intended to serve the town of Gort in County Galway. The station originally opened on 15 September 1869 and closed on 5 April 1976. As part of Iarnród Éireann's Western Rail Corridor project, under the Transport 21 plan, Iarnród Éireann will rebuild...
opened on 15 September 1869 and was closed for goods traffic on 3 November 1975 and for passenger traffic on 5 April 1976. However, a new railway station is currently under construction as part of the Western Rail Corridor project. Work on the new station was delayed by planning objections but those were subsequently withdrawn and the station is expected to open some time in 2009.
The Galway Road bypass is under construction and making good progress as of June 2009.
People
The poet
William Butler YeatsWilliam Butler Yeats was an Irish poet and dramatist and one of the foremost figures of 20th century literature. A pillar of both the Irish and British literary establishments, in his later years Yeats served as an Irish Senator for two terms...
renovated an old tower house near the village ("Thoor Ballylee") and took up residence there. He was also a frequent visitor to the home of
Lady GregoryIsabella Augusta, Lady Gregory , born Isabella Augusta Persse, was an Irish dramatist and folklorist. With William Butler Yeats and others, she co-founded the Irish Literary Theatre and the Abbey Theatre, and wrote numerous short works for both companies. Lady Gregory produced a number of books of...
at nearby
Coole ParkCoole Park is a nature reserve of approximately operated by the Irish National Parks & Wildlife Service and is located a few miles west of Gort, County Galway, Ireland. The park contains extensive woodlands and a series of turloughs with 6 kilometres of signposted nature trails plus a formal...
. Coole Park is located just off the Galway Road, just 1 km from the town of Gort.
Demographics
Some 40% of the residents of Gort are non-Irish, according to the 2006 Census, which showed that 83% of these were
BrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is a country in South America. It is the fifth largest country by geographical area, occupying nearly half of South America, the fifth most populous country, and the fourth most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Atlantic Ocean...
ians. They originally came to work in the meat processing plants in Gort where the pay is generally much higher than in similar plants in Brazil. According to Claire Healy "a large community of Brazilians now live, work and attend school in Gort, gradually altering the appearance and the character of the town". The Roman Catholic church caters to the Brazilian community with a mass in Portuguese every Sunday held in Gort Catholic Church.
Gort Community School
The school was founded in 1995. The school serves a large area of South Co. Galway. As of current, the student population at the school is over 750. The current Principal is Mr. Dennis Corry and the current Vice- Principal is Ms. Amy Talbot. The school campus contains the main school building, a GAA pitch, A rugby union pitch, a football pitch and a canteen. The school has many sports teams including Hurling, Rugby Union, Soccer, Basketball, Athletics, Golf and an Equestrian team. Gort's only national title ever won by the school, was during the 2007/2008 season of first year boy's basketball national championships.
See also
- List of towns and villages in Ireland
External links