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County Galway · Connacht · An Cheathrú Rua

About Carraroe

Carraroe is a town in County Galway, 37 km west of Galway city, with 725 people at the 2022 census. The most populous Irish-speaking village in Connemara, spread over a peninsula between two bays, with a beach made of coral-like algae and the biggest regatta of Galway hookers.

Population
725 (2022 census)
Where
37 km from Galway, 222 km from Dublin
Position
53.2634° N, 9.5997° W
In Irish
An Cheathrú Rua
On the model
1,977 buildings, 12 streets, 171 places in 38 kinds
Read more
Carraroe on Wikipedia
The 3D model of Carraroe with every named place pinned
Maerl Fragments, Coral Beach (Trá an Dóilín), Carraroe, County Galway, Ireland
Maerl Fragments, Coral Beach (Trá an Dóilín), Carraroe, County Galway, Ireland
Emkaer, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Harbour buildings, Rossaveel
Harbour buildings, Rossaveel
N Chadwick, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Harbour buildings, Rossaveel
Harbour buildings, Rossaveel
N Chadwick, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Frozen pier
Frozen pier
Carraroe1, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

A short history

  1. Old times
    Turf boats. The big boats and half-boats, the Báid Mhóra and Leathbháid, carried turf from the Connemara bogs to the Aran Islands and the Burren, where there is none; the smaller Gleoiteoga fished.
  2. 1921 to 1964
    Charles Lamb. The painter lived in Carraroe from 1921 until his death.
  3. 1977
    Áras Mháirtín Uí Chadhain. The university's Gaeltacht centre opened, named for the author of Cré na Cille.
  4. 1986
    A UEFA Cup tie. Galway United played FC Groningen at Páirc an Chathanaigh, the community-owned ground, because Terryland Park did not meet UEFA's standards.
  5. 1993
    Glastonbury Song. The Waterboys named the village in their hit; the Carraroe Jig has been recorded by Patrick Street, Mick Moloney and The Corrs, and Andrew Greeley's heroine Nuala Anne McGrail comes from here.
  6. 2006
    Féile an Dóilín. The regatta named for the coral strand was the largest gathering of Galway hookers ever held.

The full history, 7 moments in order

What to see

  1. Trá an Dóilín

    The Blue Flag coral strand, a rare biogenic gravel beach made of the algae called maerl.

  2. Sruthán pier

    The main pier, where the hookers lie.

  3. Loch an Mhuilinn

    The lake by the village where the currach races are held.

  4. Séipéal Mhic Dara322 m

    The church, where every service is in Irish.

  5. Áras Mháirtín Uí Chadhain163 m

    The university's Irish-language centre, open since 1977.

  6. Teampall Inis Mac Ádhaimh2.2 km

    The old church on the island 2 km away.

All the things to see and do

Questions people ask

Where is Carraroe?
In County Galway, in the province of Connacht, in the west of Ireland: 37 km west of Galway city and 222 km west of Dublin, on the R343 off the R336 coast road.
What is the population of Carraroe?
725 people at the 2022 census.
What is there in Carraroe?
On the map, 171 named places in 38 kinds: 8 places to eat and drink, 6 shops, 9 schools, churches and public buildings, and 130 things to see within 12 km.
What is Carraroe known for?
Galway hookers and their regattas, the coral strand at Trá an Dóilín, and being the biggest Irish-speaking village in Connemara.

Getting around

Carraroe sits on the R343 off the R336 coast road. 1 bus stop and 0 car parks are on the map.

History, sights and civic facts summarise Wikipedia, "Carraroe" (CC BY-SA 4.0, read 2026-09-19). Population is the CSO census as listed there. Distances and everything on the model are OpenStreetMap.