Hello again everyone!
The team have now departed their second checkpoint and are heading on to The Purple Door Cafe in Leenaun, but let’s take a look at where they have just been; Clifden!
The Stepping Stones of Co. Galway
Clifden, or An Clochán, translates to ‘The Stepping Stones’ and looking at the stunning pictures of the place it’s easy to see why.
Founded by John D’arcy around a now ruined castle in the 1800’s, in 1831 a Quay was constructed which allowed the town to grow and become the largest in Connemara, identifying it as the capital.
The 1845 famine put an end to the towns exponential growth and large swathes of the population emigrated to America to escape the dire situation and start a new life for them and their families.
However, Clifden rose to prominence once more in 1905 when Marconi chose a location just 4 miles south to build the first ever point-to-point fixed wireless service connecting Europe with North America, providing up to 200 jobs in the area.
One of those jobs was held by Jack Phillips, who would later find himself aboard the Titanic…
On a lighter note, Clifden supposedly has 3 Supermarkets and 13 pubs, which is a fantastic ratio.
Horse and Pony Show
Perhaps the most interesting and obscure fact about Clifden is that since 1947 The Connemara Pony Show has been held annually there.
Connemara ponies are unlike anything I’ve ever seen before, and I’d have assumed they were full blown horses if Wikipedia hadn’t told me better.
This isn’t Clifden’s only equine association though, as during the Omey Island races, horses will race on the beaches nearby.
Clifden has a few notable people listed, but none are particularly cheerful stories so I’ll let you research them yourselves should you want to…
Next Up…
As I mentioned, the team will soon be arriving at The Purple Door cafe, which looks like a fantastic location to stop for a drink, so I’m sure we’ll have some pictures soon!