Connacht
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| Connacht Cúige Chonnachta |
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| Area: | 17,713.18 | |
| Population (2006) | 503,083 | |
Connacht (pronounced /ˈkɒnəxt/, alternately /ˈkɒnɔːt/[1]; Irish: Connachta (pronounced [ˈkɔnəxtə]) "(land of the) descendants of Conn") is the western province of Ireland, comprising Counties Galway, Leitrim, Mayo, Roscommon, Sligo. Its main urban centres are Galway in the south, and Sligo in the north. It has a population of 503,083, the smallest of the four Irish provinces.
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[edit] The name
In Irish the province is usually Cúige Chonnacht i.e. the province (literally, fifth) of Connacht. An alternative anglicised spelling which was used more before Irish independence by British authorities is Connaught.[2]
[edit] Irish language
The Irish language is spoken in the Gaeltacht areas of west Mayo and west Galway, the largest being in Cois Fharraige (Irish meaning 'by the sea'), and parts of Connemara, both in Galway.
[edit] Geography
The highest point of Connacht is Mweelrea (814 metres), in Mayo. The largest island in Connacht is Achill, also the largest island of Ireland. The biggest lake is Lough Corrib.
The largest urban area, and only city, in Connacht is Galway with a population of 72,414 in the city proper. The largest towns are Sligo (pop. 19,402), Castlebar (pop. 11,891) and Ballina (pop. 10,409).
[edit] History
Up to the early historic era, it was known as Cóiced Ol nEchmacht. It is said that the tribe of the Fir Bolg ruled all of Ireland right before the Tuatha Dé Danann arrived. When the latter arrived in Ireland (which the Fir Bolg called Ériu) and demanded land, the Fir Bolg king refused. When the Fir Bolg were defeated, the Tuatha Dé Danann were so touched by the courage of their enemy that they would give them a quarter of Ireland. They chose Connaught.
In 1188, John de Courcy, a Norman knight who had invaded Ulster in 1177, invaded Connacht, but was repulsed.[3]
Connacht was a kingdom during the middle ages with kings inaugurated officially up until the late 17th century. The ruling O'Conor Don family have survived until the present day. The "Republic of Connaught" had a brief existence in 1798 with French military support.
[edit] Politics
Connacht-Ulster was one of Ireland's four regional constituencies for elections to the European Parliament until it was superseded in 2004 by the new constituency of Ireland North West.
[edit] See also
- Connacht Irish
- Cóiced Ol nEchmacht
- Coin of Connaught
- Duke of Connaught
- Kingdoms of ancient Ireland
- Kings of Connacht
- Provinces of Ireland
- Connachta
- The Peoples or Nations of Ancient Ireland
- Medb (Medhbh , Maeve), Queen of Connacht in the Ulster Cycle.
- Connacht GAA
- Connacht Rugby
- Lords of Connaught
- The Connaught Rangers
- Connaught plc
[edit] References
- ^ according to the Oxford English Dictionary
- ^ The spelling Connaught reflects the former English practice — in Ireland, though not in Scotland — of representing the Gaelic voiceless velar fricative /x/ as gh (compare lough for loch), gh having been used in Middle English for the same sound. Although this sound later disappeared from standard English, the spelling of words like "thought" and "caught" remained unaltered -- and in a further Anglicisation the "new" English pronunciation of -aught was even applied in England to titles like that of the Duke of Connaught. In Ireland, however, the original pronunciation having remained intact, the Gaelic-style spelling Connacht is now used more often in English. It may have gained currency by mistranslation of the Irish name into English: in Irish, the form Cúige Chonnacht 'province of Connacht' is almost always used, and this may have led to people misunderstanding genitive case Connacht as the Gaelic version instead of nominative case Connachta.
- ^ DeBreffny, D & Mott, G (1976). The Churches and Abbeys of Ireland. London: Thames & Hudson, p60-61.
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