Oranmore

Oranmore (Irish: Órán Mór) is a village in County Galway on the outskirts of the city of Galway in the west of Ireland. With its major housing developments, Oranmore is rapidly becoming a part of Galway's commuter or suburban belt.

Oranmore is situated 9 km (5.6 mi) east of Galway City on the edge of Oranmore Bay, an inlet of Galway Bay.

Etymology

Oranmore is the anglicisation of Uarán Mór. The first written record of Oranmore is in the Annals of the Four Masters. It was originally called Fuarán Mór (meaning 'Great Spring' in Irish). The name refers to a spring to the northwest of the main village. A bi-lingual information sign was erected by Oranmore Community Development Association in 2010 outlining the history of the spring.

Economy

The focus of local industry has recently shifted from primarily dairy agriculture to tourism, manufacturing and logistics. There are several industrial parks located near the village, such as Deerpark Industrial Estate which has been a hub for industry for many decades particularly in the precast concrete, chemical and steel fabrication industries. Oranmore now has four hotels and several restaurants.

County Galway

County Galway (Irish: Contae na Gaillimhe) is a county in the West of Ireland in the province of Connacht. It is named after the city of Galway. Galway County Council is the local authority for the county. There are several Irish-speaking areas in the west of the county. The population of the county is 250,541 according to the 2011 census.

History

The first inhabitants in the Galway area arrived over 7000 years ago. Shell middens indicate the existence of people as early as 5000 BC.

The county originally comprised several kingdoms and territories which predate the formation of the county. These kingdoms included Aidhne, Uí Maine, Maigh Seóla, Conmhaícne Mara, Soghain and Máenmaige. County Galway became an official entity around 1569 AD. In modern times, a number of inhabited islands are also administered by the county; these include Oileáin Árann (Aran Islands) and Inis Bó Fine (Inishbofin).

With the arrival of Christianity many monasteries were built in the county. Monasteries kept written records of events in the area and of its people. These were followed by a number of law-tracts, genealogies, annals and miscellaneous accounts. Extant manuscripts containing references to Galway include: