Twelve Pins.

Connemara on a cloudy day.

A view of Connemara, taken from the N59 road.

Connemara (Irish: Conamara) is a district in the west of Ireland of which the boundaries are not well defined. Some^[who?] define it to be the land contained by Killary Harbour, the Maam Valley, Lough Corrib (as far as Moycullen); a line from there to the sea at Barna, and the Atlantic ocean. Others^[who?] draw the eastern boundary line from Killary Harbour to Kilkieran Bay in the west of County Galway.

Overview[link]

This section may contain original research. Please improve it by verifying the claims made and adding references. Statements consisting only of original research may be removed. More details may be available on the talk page. (December 2011)

Green indicates Joyce Country, with pale green showing it at its greatest defined extent; Red indicates Connemara,^{[citation needed]} with pink showing it at its greatest defined^{[citation needed]} extent (not including those who consider anywhere west of the Corrib to be in Connemara)

The term Connemara is frequently used to describe all of County Galway west of Lough Corrib; some^[who?] argue that this is incorrect. It is also used to describe the Gaeltacht (Irish-speaking areas) of western County Galway; again some^[who?] argue that this too is inaccurate as some of these areas are outside of the traditional boundary of Connemara.^{[citation needed]} Some^[who?] also argue that it is not correct to say that Connemara's eastern boundary ends around Barna just on the outskirts of Galway City or at Maam Cross.^{[citation needed]}

Etymology[link]

"Connemara" derives from the tribal name Conmacne Mara, which designated a branch of the Conmacne, an early tribal grouping that had a number of branches located in different parts of Connacht. Since this particular branch of the Conmacne lived by the sea, they became known as the Conmacne Mara. (Sea in Irish is muir, genitive mara, hence "of the sea".) The area in the east of what is now Connemara was called Delbhna Tír Dhá Locha.

Geography[link]

Connemara lies in the territory of Iar Connacht, "West Connacht", which is the portion of County Galway west of Lough Corrib. Connemara was traditionally divided into North Connemara and South Connemara. The mountains of the Twelve Bens and the Owenglin River, which flows into the sea at An Clochán/Clifden, marked the boundary between the two parts. Connemara is bounded on the west, south and north by the Atlantic Ocean. Connemara's land boundary with the rest of County Galway is marked^{[citation needed]} by the Invermore River (which flows into the north of Kilkieran Bay), Loch Oorid, (which lies a few miles west of Maam Cross), and the western spine of the Maumturks mountains. In the north of the mountains, the boundary meets the sea at Killary, a few miles west of Leenaun.

Connemara is composed of the Catholic parishes of Carna, Clifden (Omey and Ballindoon), Ballynakill, Roundstone and Inishbofin.^{[citation needed]} The territory contains the civil parishes of Moyrus, Ballynakill, Omey, Ballindoon and Inishbofin (the last parish was for a time part of the territory of the Clann Uí Mháille, the O Malleys of the territory of Umhall, County Mayo.)

History[link]

The Ó Cadhla (Kealy) clan were the rulers of Connemara up until the 13th century, when they were displaced by the Ó Flaithbertaighs. The latter had fled into Iar Connacht from Maigh Seola during the English invasion of Connacht in the early 13th century.

Like the Ó Cadhla clan, the Mac Conghaile (Conneely) clan was also a branch of the Conmhaicne Mara.^{[citation needed]}

The coast of Connemara consists of a number of peninsulas. The peninsula of Iorras Ainbhtheach (sometimes corrupted to Iorras Aithneach) in the south is the largest and contains the villages of Carna and Kilkieran. The peninsula of Errismore consists of the area west of the village of Ballyconneely. Errisbeg peninsula lies to the south of the village of Roundstone. The Errislannan peninsula lies just south of the town of Clifden. The peninsulas of Kingstown, Aughris, Cleggan and Renvyle are found in the north-west of Connemara. Of the numerous islands off the coast of Connemara, Inishbofin is the largest; other islands include Omey, Inishark, High Island, Friars Island, Feenish and Maínis.

The main town of Connemara is Clifden. The area around the town is rich with megalithic tombs. The famous "Connemara Green marble" is found outcropping along a line between Streamstown and Lissoughter. It was a trade treasure used by the inhabitants of the prehistoric time. It continues to be of great value today. It is available in large dimensional slabs suitable for buildings as well as for smaller pieces of jewellery. It is used for the pendant for the Scouting Ireland Chief Scout's Award, the highest award in Irish Scouting.

Notable towns and villages[link]

• Ballyconneely - (Baile Conaola / Baile Mhic Chonghaile)
• Ballynahinch - (Baile na hInse)
• Carna - (Cárna)
• Carraroe - (An Cheathrú Rua)
• Claddaghduff - (An Cladach Dubh)
• Cleggan - (An Cloigeann)
• Clifden - (An Clochán)
• Inverin - (Indreabhán)
• Kilkieran - (Cill Chiaráin)
• Leenaun - (An Lionán / Leenane)
• Letterfrack - (Leitir Fraic)
• Lettermore - (Leitir Móir)
• Lettermullen - (Leitir Mealláin)
• Maum - (An Mám , also 'Maam')
• Recess - (Sraith Salach)^[1]
• Renvyle - (Rinn Mhaoile)
• Rosmuck - (Ros Muc)
• Roundstone - (Cloch na Rón)

Notable islands[link]

• Inishbofin - (Inis Bó Finne)
• Omey Island - (Iomaidh)

Other uses[link]

• French singer Michel Sardou had an international hit with the song "Les Lacs du Connemara" in 1981.
• The Irish drinking song "The Hills of Connemara" has been recorded and performed by a number of Irish and Celtic-themed bands.
• Poet Carl Sandburg's home of 22 years in Flat Rock, North Carolina, which is now a national monument, is named after the Connemara region.
• Conamara Chaos is a region of chaotic terrain on Jupiter's moon Europa.

Annalistic references[link]

• 807. A slaughter was made of the Conmaicni by the foreigners.

Notable people associated with Connemara[link]

• John Ford, the American film director, and winner of 4 academy awards, whose real name was Sean O'Feeney, was the son John Augustine Feeney from Spiddal, and filmed the Classic Movie The Quiet Man in nearby Cong, County Mayo.
• Máire Geoghegan-Quinn is an Irish politician, and is the current European Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science. was born in Carna.
• Richard Martin, MP, known as "Humanity Dick", was born in Ballynahinch Castle, Ballynahinch, and represented Galway in the House of Commons.
• Michael Morris, 3rd Baron Killanin, was president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and lived at the family seat in Spiddal.
• Máirtín Ó Cadhain was one of the most prominent Irish language writers of the twentieth century, and wrote the Irish Language classic Cré na Cille, was born in Connemara.
• Peter O'Toole, the noted actor of stage and screen, who achieved stardom in 1962 playing T.E. Lawrence in Lawrence of Arabia, was born in Connemara in 1932, according to accounts of his life.
• Pádraig Pearse who was one of the leaders of the Easter Rising in 1916, owned a cottage near Rosmuc, where he spent his summers learning the Irish Language and writing.
• Maharaja Jam Sahib of Nawanagar, an Indian prince and cricket player, was the first head of state to make an official visit to the newly-founded Irish Free State, bought Ballynahinch Castle estate and visited the area every year till his death in 1932.
• Tim Robinson, a cartographer, has lived many years in Connemara and published books on the area.
• Gráinne Seoige, the Irish TV presenter and Journalist, who has worked for TG4, RTE, SKY and the BBC, is a native of Spiddal.
• Mairtin Thornton was a heavyweight boxer, nicknamed the "Connemara Chrusher", he was the Irish HeavyWeight Boxing champion in 1943, and fought Bruce Woodcock for the British heavyweight title in 1945.
• Ludwig Wittgenstein, an Austrian philosopher, was a temporary resident, for some months in 1948, at Rosroe on Killary Harbour.

See also[link]

• Alcock and Brown's first non-stop flight across the Atlantic crash landed near Clifden
• Aran Islands (day trips from Rossaveal)
• Connacht Irish
• Connemara Heritage & History Centre
• Connemara National Park
• Lough Corrib
• The Twelve Pins and Maumturks mountains
• The Western Way (Long-distance trail)
• The Connemara Pony

Coordinates: 53°30′05″N 9°50′50″W / 53.501321°N 9.847183°W / 53.501321; -9.847183

References[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Connemara

Michel Sardou
Michel Sardou performing in Bercy in 1998
Background information
Born	(1947-01-26) 26 January 1947 (age 65) Paris, France
Genres	French popular music
Occupations	Singer-songwriter
Years active	1965–present
Labels	Barclay Records, Trema, Universal Music Group
Website	www.michelsardou.net

Michel Sardou (born 26 January 1947) is a French singer.

He was born in Paris, the son of Fernand Sardou and Jackie Rollin (Jackie Sardou). Contrary to claims common towards the beginning of his career, he is not the grandson of the dramatist Victorien Sardou. However, he is the father of the French novelist Romain Sardou, and the actor Davy Sardou.

He is known not only for his love songs ("La Maladie d'Amour"), but also for songs dealing with various social and political issues, such as the rights of women in Islamic countries, clerical celibacy, colonialism and the death penalty. Another sometimes controversial theme found in some of his songs ("Les Ricains" and "Monsieur le Président de France" for example) is his respect and support for the culture and foreign policies of the United States. He has been accused of being a racist due to his 1976 song : Le temps des colonies where he sang positively about colonialism and slavery. He has focused his full attention on his homeland, ignoring the prospect of an international audience, although his 1981 single "Les Lacs du Connemara" did manage to become a big international hit. A number of his hit songs were written in collaboration with Jacques Revaux, a few others (most notably "En Chantant") with Italian singer Toto Cutugno.

Even in the 21st century, Michel Sardou remains quite popular in France, selling out 18 consecutive dates at Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy in 2001, while his 2004 album "Du plaisir" went straight to the no. 1 spot on the French album charts.

He has been married three times; first (1965–1977) to a dancer Françoise Pettré, the mother of his daughters Sandrine (born 1970) and Cynthia (born 1973); then (1977–1998) to Elizabeth "Babette" Haas, the mother of his sons Romain (born 1974) who is a writer and Davy (born 1978) who is a comedian; and lastly to a lifelong friend Anne-Marie Périer (the daughter of the actor François Périer) who was the editor of the French version of Elle magazine.

Biography[link]

Childhood[link]

He is the heir to a long family tradition of spectacle. Indeed, his paternal grandparents were comic actors in Marseille; his grand mother was a dancer. When he was a child, he spent the most of his time in cabarets or on tour with his parents.

His school situation was not brilliant and he carried out a life behind the scene and in theaters, so he decided to stop his studies. In 1963, at 16 years old, he planned to run away in Brazil in order to open a Strip-tease club. His father caught him at the Airport. Then Michel announced to him his desire to work and to leave school.

While he was a waiter in his father's cabaret, he was earning his spurs on stage, he met Michel Fugain and had an audition for Eddie Barclay.

Career[link]

The early stages (1965–1970)[link]

In 1965, Michel began to sing with Le Madras, co-written with Michel Fugain and Patrice Laffont. Thanks to this song, he could be on TV for the first time but then he was completely forgotten.

In 1967, his career was really launched, thanks to a censorship: while France left NATO's military command and the Vietnam War caused an anti-American sentiment in France, Michel Sardou launched Les Ricains (The Yankees), this song insists on the duty of gratitude towards the USA. Charles de Gaulle didn't like this song and he advised against broadcasting it on the air.

This conferred a new notoriety to the singer. The song allowed espacially to lay the foundations for his futur artistic style. However from 1967 to 1970, he had difficulties being a big hit.

In view of the mitigated success of his singles, in 1969, Eddie Barclay decided to terminate his contract, estimating that Michel was not cut out to be a singer.

So he launched the record label Tréma which would produce his records, with Jacques Revaux, who will become his most loyal composer and Regis Talar, a French record producer.

The 2000s[link]

Michel Sardou at the Palais des Sports (Paris) in 2005

Michel Sardou seemed to leave the scene in order to devote to acting and to his Théâtre de la Porte Saint-Martin.

But Michel Sardou has proved that he has not gave up his singer career, as in 2004 he signed a contract with Universal Music for a new album entitled "Du plaisir", he took part also to the French television show Star Academy and finally he organized a big tour in 2004 and 2005, in which he sang in France, in Belgium, in Switzerland and in Canada.

His new double album, entitled "Hors Format" was released on 13 November 2006. This album includes 23 new songs, one of whom is a duet with Chimène Badi, "Le chant des hommes". Hors Format has reached 400 000 copies sold and it's a double platinum.

In 2007, he started his last tour, he sung in among others the Olympia and the Zénith de Paris.

Private life[link]

Michel Sardou has been married three times :

• with Françoise Pettré, a dancer. They got married in 1965, they divorced in 1977. They had two daughters : Sandrine (born in 1970) and Cynthia (born in 1973).
• with Elizabeth Haas, called Babette. They got married in 1977, they divorced in 1998. They had two sons : Romain, writer (born in 1974) and Davy, actor (born in 1978).
• with Anne-Marie Périer, the daughter of the actor François Périer, the sister of the photographer Jean-Marie Périer and the former editor-in-chief of Elle. They were married in 1999 in Neuilly-sur-Seine by the former Mayor of Neuilly, and former President of France, Nicolas Sarkozy.

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

Emblematic songs[link]

La Maladie d'amour (love disease) is certainly the most famous song of Michel Sardou, it remained at the top for 11 weeks. Michel drew his inspiration for this song from the Pachelbel's Canon.

Les Lacs du Connemara (Connemara Lakes) is also one of the most popular song of Michel Sardou. It is very often sung at the end of French student parties and at weddings in Flanders.^{[citation needed]}

Other activities[link]

Theater manager[link]

In 2001, he bought the Théâtre de la Porte Saint-Martin, with his producer Jean-Claude Camus. In 2005, he resold his shares to his associate.

Theater actor[link]

• 1996 : Bagatelle(s) by Noël Coward, directed by Pierre Mondy, in the Théâtre de Paris, with Natacha Amal, Philippe Khorsand, Frédéric Diefenthal…
• 1999 : Comédie privée by Neil Simon, directed by Adrian Brine, in the Théâtre du Gymnase Marie Bell, with Marie-Anne Chazel.
• 2001–2002 : L'homme en question by Félicien Marceau, directed by Jean-Luc Tardieu, on tour and in the Théâtre de la Porte Saint-Martin, with Brigitte Fossey, Davy Sardou...
• 2008–2009 : Secret de famille by Eric Assous, directed by Jean-Luc Moreau, in the Théâtre des Variétés, with Davy Sardou, Laurent Spielvogel, Mathilde Penin, Elisa Servier and Rita Brantalou.

Movie actor[link]

• 1982 : L'Été de nos 15 ans by Marcel Jullian : Bernard. with Cyrielle Claire, Elisa Servier...
• 1986 : Cross by Philippe Setbon : Thomas Crosky, called Cross. With Roland Giraud, Patrick Bauchau, Marie-Anne Chazel...
• 1990 : Promotion canapé by Didier Kaminka : Bernard. With Grace de Capitani, Thierry Lhermitte, Claude Rich, Patrick Chesnais, Jean-Pierre Castaldi, Zabou, Martin Lamotte, Pierre Richard, Eddy Mitchell...

TV actor[link]

• 1993 : L'Irlandaise by José Giovanni : Régis Cassani. With Jean-Michel Dupuis, Thérèse Liotard...
• 2003 : Le Prix de l'honneur by Gérard Marx : le colonel Christian Legoff. With Alexandra Vandernoot...

Awards[link]

External links[link]

• (French) Official site
• Biography of Michel Sardou, from Radio France Internationale