Kilkieran
# Kilkieran

Cill Chiaráin (anglicized as Kilkieran) is a coastal village in the Connemara area of County Galway in Ireland. The R340 passes through Cill Chiaráin.

Cill Chiaráin lies in a Gaeltacht region (Irish-speaking area), and Coláiste Sheoisaimh hosts Irish language courses within the village.

## Name

The village is named after Saint Ciarán, "Cill Chiaráin" translates to "Ciarán's church" from Irish. It shares its name with a second Cill Chiaráin in County Kilkenny.

## History

On St Ciarán's feast day, there is a Pattern Day in honour of the saint held in the village. Organised by the local festival committee, Coiste Fhéile Chill Chiaráin, there is a Roman Catholic Mass performed at the well which St Ciarán blessed back in the 6th century.

## Amenities

Cill Chiaráin has a number of facilities and public buildings, including a health centre, a "gastropub" (Tigh Chadhain), local supermarket, a national school, community hall, church and fish factory.

The Arramara Teo seaweed factory is also nearby. The company was previously Irish owned, but has since been bought by a Canadian company.

The village also has a children's playground and the Páirc Peile Chill Chiaráin (artificial pitch) which opened in 2015. The pitch is used by the local GAA team, Carna-Cashel, and the athletics club.

