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Carna

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Carna is a small
quiet village on the shores of Galway Bay in scenic Connemara about
50 km west of Galway city. Carna is in the heart of the Connemara
Gaeltacht. This is an area rich in ancient culture and tradition.
The area is also renowned for its skilled boat makers and their
boats. The best known of these being the Galway Hookers and a small
craft called the currach, commonly used along the west coast and in
the Aran Islands.
The area around Carna features breathtaking scenery, wonderful
coastline and many sandy beaches. This makes it a terrific holiday
destination in which to unwind and explore Connemara. Recreational
and sports facilities in the region include angling, pony treking,
walk trails and traditional music sessions.
University College Galway has an Irish-language and educational
centre (Áras Shorcha Ní Ghuairim) in Carna. It also operates a
marine biology station in Maínis and an atmospheric research station
at Mace Head, Carna, which is run by the university's experimental
physics department.
Off the coast of Mace Head in Carna Parish is Mac Dara's Island /
Oileán Mhic Dara. This is the location of a stone-built early
Christian church and the cross of Saint Mac Dara, who is the Patron
Saint of fishermen and sailors in the area. There is a pilgrimage to
the Island once a year on 16 July followed by a race of traditional
boats.
Another archaeological gem in the area is a standing stone on Lake
Scannive / Loch na Scainimhe, which can still be seen. |