Counties in the Province of Connacht
Connacht, on some old maps also called “Connaught”, is the Western province of Ireland - and with only five counties the smallest of them all. Encompassing the counties of Galway, Leitrim, Mayo, Roscommon and Sligo it was the direction Oliver Cromwell pointed the unruly Irish in: "To Hell or to Connacht!" This should not be seen as a negative omen for the visitor ... as Connacht has a lot to offer.
Galway (in Irish Gaillimh) is maybe the most well-known County in the Province of Connacht, especially Galway City and the Connemara region. The county stretches over 5,939 square kilometres and has (according to the 2011 census) 250,653 inhabitants. Compared to 1991 this denotes an increase of 40%, one of the highest growths in Ireland. County Town is Galway City, the simple letter G is identifying the county on Irish numberplates.
There are many beauty spots in Galway - like Lough Corrib and Lough Derg, the Maumturk and the Slieve Aughty Mountains, the series of peaks known as the Twelve Pins, the rivers Shannon and Suck, the Connemara region and the Aran Islands are all on the tourist trail. Galway City had a reputation as ayoung, vibrant city, with loads of students, a leisurely lifestyle and buskers left, right and (city) centre. Readers of prolific crime author Ken Bruen might, however, have a slightly different image of the city.
In GAA circles players from Galway are known under two names – either as “The Herring Chokers” (a put-down based on the fishing industry) or as the “Tribesmen” (a direct adaptation of Galway City's nickname “City of the Tribes“, the tribes in question being wealthy merchant families).
More Information on County Galway:
An Introduction to County Galway
Things to Do in County Galway
An Introduction to Galway City
Things to Do in Galway CityMore »
Leitrim (in Irish either Liatroim or Liatroma, the numberplate letters read LM) is maybe the least-known county in the province of Connacht. Just 1,525 square kilometres of land play host to just 31,798 people (as the census in 2011 found). Since 1991 the population has grown by about 25%. Leitrim is one of the quietest counties of Ireland and has one of the highest numbers of non-inhabited houses ... result of an aggressive, but ultimately deeply flawed policy of tax-incentives for holidays homes.
The name Leitrim stands for a “grey ridge“, some stretches of higher ground certainly bear witness that this is appropriate. Tourism bodies like to speak of “Lovely Leitrim” instead. Common nicknames are also “Ridge County”, “O’Rourke County” (after one of the main families in the area) or, on a literary theme, “Wild Rose County” (the romance “The Wild Rose of Lough Gill“ is located in Leitrim).
More Information on County Leitrim:
An Introduction to County Leitrim
Things to Do in County LeitrimMore »
Mayo is NOT the county where mayonnaise comes from - although this is one of the best laugh-out-loud moments in Pete McCarthy's seminal Irish travelogue "McCarthy's Bar". The Connacht county in Irish is named Maigh Eo or Mhaigh Eo, meaning simply "the plain of the yews". This plain (which can be quite hilly in places) stretches over 5,398 square kilometres and plays host to (according to the census of 2011) 130,638 people. The population grew by just 18% over the last twenty years.
Mayo's county town is picturesque Westport, crowned as "the best place to liev in Ireland" in early summer 2012 by the Irish Times. The letters denoting Mayo on Irish numberplates are MO. There are quite a number of nicknames for Mayo, ranging from "the Maritime County" (mainly based on the long and rugged coastline and the sea-faring tradition, which included pirate queen Grace O'Malley), "the Yew County" or "the Heather County".
More Information on County Mayo:
An Introduction to County Mayo
Things to Do in County MayoMore »
Roscommon (in Irish Ros Comáin) is the only totally landlocked county in the province of Connacht and rarely visited by tourists. Generally speaking it is quiet here – on 2,463 square kilometres of land only 64,065 people live (so says the 2011 census), this still is 23% more than in 1991.
County town is the slightly old-fashioned Roscommon Town, the numberplates use the letters RN. While the Irish name simply derives from the “wood of Saint Coman”, in GAA circles players are better known as “the Rossies” ... if one is charitable. The other, more scathing nickname is “the Sheepstealers”. Sheep rustling seems to have been the main reason why Roscommon folk where deported to Australia.
More Information on County Roscommon:
An Introduction to County Roscommon
An Introduction to Roscommon Town
Things to Do in County RoscommonMore »
Sligo (in Irish “Sligeach” or “Shligigh“) is the Connacht county named after the many shellfish, mussles and cockles found in local waters. The land mass comprises 1,795 square kilometres, with (according to the census of 2011) as much as 65,393 inhabitants - around 19% more than just twenty years ago. County town is Sligo Town, the county numberplates reads SO.
The nicknames of the county are manifold ... inhabitants are known as “Herring Pickers” (with a nod to the rich fishing grounds just offshore), teams within the GAA are also known as “zebras” or “magpies” (they are using a black and white teamkit). More geared towards tourism are the nicknames “Yeats County” (hinting at the whole Yeats family, but mainly poet William Butler Yeats) or “the Land of Heart’s Desire” (after a Yeats poem).
More Information on County Sligo:
An Introduction to County Sligo
Things to Do in County SligoMore »
•County Galway
Galway (in Irish Gaillimh) is maybe the most well-known County in the Province of Connacht, especially Galway City and the Connemara region. The county stretches over 5,939 square kilometres and has (according to the 2011 census) 250,653 inhabitants. Compared to 1991 this denotes an increase of 40%, one of the highest growths in Ireland. County Town is Galway City, the simple letter G is identifying the county on Irish numberplates.
There are many beauty spots in Galway - like Lough Corrib and Lough Derg, the Maumturk and the Slieve Aughty Mountains, the series of peaks known as the Twelve Pins, the rivers Shannon and Suck, the Connemara region and the Aran Islands are all on the tourist trail. Galway City had a reputation as ayoung, vibrant city, with loads of students, a leisurely lifestyle and buskers left, right and (city) centre. Readers of prolific crime author Ken Bruen might, however, have a slightly different image of the city.
In GAA circles players from Galway are known under two names – either as “The Herring Chokers” (a put-down based on the fishing industry) or as the “Tribesmen” (a direct adaptation of Galway City's nickname “City of the Tribes“, the tribes in question being wealthy merchant families).
More Information on County Galway:
An Introduction to County Galway
Things to Do in County Galway
An Introduction to Galway City
Things to Do in Galway CityMore »
•County Leitrim
Leitrim (in Irish either Liatroim or Liatroma, the numberplate letters read LM) is maybe the least-known county in the province of Connacht. Just 1,525 square kilometres of land play host to just 31,798 people (as the census in 2011 found). Since 1991 the population has grown by about 25%. Leitrim is one of the quietest counties of Ireland and has one of the highest numbers of non-inhabited houses ... result of an aggressive, but ultimately deeply flawed policy of tax-incentives for holidays homes.
The name Leitrim stands for a “grey ridge“, some stretches of higher ground certainly bear witness that this is appropriate. Tourism bodies like to speak of “Lovely Leitrim” instead. Common nicknames are also “Ridge County”, “O’Rourke County” (after one of the main families in the area) or, on a literary theme, “Wild Rose County” (the romance “The Wild Rose of Lough Gill“ is located in Leitrim).
More Information on County Leitrim:
An Introduction to County Leitrim
Things to Do in County LeitrimMore »
•County Mayo
Mayo is NOT the county where mayonnaise comes from - although this is one of the best laugh-out-loud moments in Pete McCarthy's seminal Irish travelogue "McCarthy's Bar". The Connacht county in Irish is named Maigh Eo or Mhaigh Eo, meaning simply "the plain of the yews". This plain (which can be quite hilly in places) stretches over 5,398 square kilometres and plays host to (according to the census of 2011) 130,638 people. The population grew by just 18% over the last twenty years.
Mayo's county town is picturesque Westport, crowned as "the best place to liev in Ireland" in early summer 2012 by the Irish Times. The letters denoting Mayo on Irish numberplates are MO. There are quite a number of nicknames for Mayo, ranging from "the Maritime County" (mainly based on the long and rugged coastline and the sea-faring tradition, which included pirate queen Grace O'Malley), "the Yew County" or "the Heather County".
More Information on County Mayo:
An Introduction to County Mayo
Things to Do in County MayoMore »
•County Roscommon
Roscommon (in Irish Ros Comáin) is the only totally landlocked county in the province of Connacht and rarely visited by tourists. Generally speaking it is quiet here – on 2,463 square kilometres of land only 64,065 people live (so says the 2011 census), this still is 23% more than in 1991.
County town is the slightly old-fashioned Roscommon Town, the numberplates use the letters RN. While the Irish name simply derives from the “wood of Saint Coman”, in GAA circles players are better known as “the Rossies” ... if one is charitable. The other, more scathing nickname is “the Sheepstealers”. Sheep rustling seems to have been the main reason why Roscommon folk where deported to Australia.
More Information on County Roscommon:
An Introduction to County Roscommon
An Introduction to Roscommon Town
Things to Do in County RoscommonMore »
•County Sligo
Sligo (in Irish “Sligeach” or “Shligigh“) is the Connacht county named after the many shellfish, mussles and cockles found in local waters. The land mass comprises 1,795 square kilometres, with (according to the census of 2011) as much as 65,393 inhabitants - around 19% more than just twenty years ago. County town is Sligo Town, the county numberplates reads SO.
The nicknames of the county are manifold ... inhabitants are known as “Herring Pickers” (with a nod to the rich fishing grounds just offshore), teams within the GAA are also known as “zebras” or “magpies” (they are using a black and white teamkit). More geared towards tourism are the nicknames “Yeats County” (hinting at the whole Yeats family, but mainly poet William Butler Yeats) or “the Land of Heart’s Desire” (after a Yeats poem).
More Information on County Sligo:
An Introduction to County Sligo
Things to Do in County SligoMore »
Source...