Spiddal

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Spiddal
An Spidéal

Location

WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates:
53°14′48″N 9°18′10″W / 53.2467, -9.3028

Irish grid reference
M130225

Statistics

1 m

Population (2006)

1,357

Spiddal, (official name: An Spidéal), is a village on the shore of Galway Bay in County Galway in the Republic of Ireland. The town is 19 km (12 miles) west of Galway city on the R336 road. Spiddal is located in the heart of the Gaeltacht (Irish-speaking district), west of the city of Galway, and is a tourist centre with a sandy beach and shore fishing. Thousands of tourists visit the area every year, most of them being from France or Germany.

Every summer groups of teenagers come to Spiddal for 3 week Irish language(Gaelic) courses. Signposts are in the Irish language exclusively, as elsewhere in the Gaeltacht, but unlike the rest of Ireland where bilingual Irish-English signs are the norm. English is becoming the main language of the town, however Irish can often be heard spoken. Since the town is so close to Galway city it has inherited many people from the city and this has led to a reduction in the use of the Irish language. The TG4 soap Ros na Rún is set in Spiddal. Well-known people to come from Spiddal include Gráinne Seoige and Síle Seoige.

The town has 2 shops (one with a petrol station), and 4 restaurants (including a Supermac's franchise outlet). There are also a number of pubs in the town. On most weekend nights and sometimes during the week in summer time there is live traditional Irish music in the pubs. Hughes' pub in the centre of the village hosts traditional music sessions where famous musicians sometimes play. The pub An Crúiscín Lán was another music venue but it was recently transformed into a hotel by John Foye. The Boluisce, named after a local lake, is another popular pub-restaurant for seafood. Once a year, Spiddal welcomes 25 American students spending a semester abroad at the nearby Park Lodge Hotel. The students, from the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University in Collegeville Township, Minnesota, spend a the autumn months studying Gaelic literature and culture.

An Spidéal main street.

[edit] Sport

The local Gaelic Athletic Association club is CLG An Spidéil (Spiddal GAA club). Gaelic football and hurling are the dominant sports in Spiddal however, there are also Karate and sailing clubs in the town.