Lettermullen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lettermullen
Leitir Mealláin
|
|
|---|---|
|
Village
|
|
 |
|
 Lettermullen
Location in Ireland
|
|
| Country | Ireland |
| Province | Connacht |
| County | County Galway |
| Elevation | 1 m (3 ft) |
| Population
(2022)
|
|
| • Total | 214 |
| Irish Grid Reference | L848522 |
Lettermullen (pronounced Let-ter-MULL-en) is a small island and village. It is located on the coast of southern Connemara in County Galway, Ireland. Its Irish name is Leitir Mealláin. This name might mean "Mealláin's rough hillside" or "the hill with the mill."
The village is about 36 miles (58 km) west of Galway city. It sits at the very end of Galway Bay. Lettermullen is the westernmost of three main islands. These islands are Lettermullen, Gorumna, and Lettermore. Along with smaller islands, they are known as Ceantar na nOileán. This means "District of the Islands." Bridges and causeways connect these islands to the mainland.
Contents
Exploring Lettermullen's Location and Land
Lettermullen is part of the Kilcummin parish. It is also in the Moycullen area and the Connaught province. The island forms one side of Kiegall Bay. Its northern end is part of the shore of Casheen Bay.
The island has about 250 acres (101 hectares) of land. This land is good for farming and for animals to graze. People living here mostly work in fishing. They catch herring and cod. They also collect seaweed to use as fertilizer for crops. Lettermullen is connected to other small islands. These include Dinish, Furnish, Inisherk, and An Crappagh.
How Lettermullen's Rocks Were Formed
The northern part of Lettermullen is made of a type of rock called granite. This granite formed during the Devonian period. It is similar to the granite found under most of Galway. This rock was created when the Earth's crust melted. This happened because of a big mountain-building event called the Caledonian Orogeny. This event took place in the late Silurian period.
The rest of the island has older rocks. These rocks formed during the Ordovician period. They include sedimentary rocks from the sea and basalt.
Understanding Lettermullen's Culture
Lettermullen is part of the Gaeltacht. This means it is an Irish-speaking region of Ireland. Because of this, Irish is the most common language spoken here. Its official name, Leitir Mealláin, is in Irish.
Important Places to See in Lettermullen
The Old Signal Station
Near Golam Head, there is a very well-preserved Signal Station. The British built these stations all along the Irish coast. They were built between 1804 and 1806. Their purpose was to watch for ships that might try to invade.
A Peaceful Cemetery
A beautiful cemetery is located just south of the R374 road. You will see it right after you cross the bridge from Gorumna to Lettermullen.
Lettermullen's Population Over Time
Lettermullen is a small community. Its population has changed over many years. Here is a look at how many people have lived on the island:
| Historical population | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Source: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Famous People From Lettermullen
- Antoine Ó Flatharta – He is a well-known playwright and scriptwriter.
