Maam Valley facts for kids

The Maam Valley is a beautiful valley in County Galway, Ireland. It was carved out by huge glaciers long ago, making it a "glacial valley." The valley is found in a special area called Joyce Country within Connemara.

The Maam Valley is also part of a plan to create a geopark. A geopark is a place with amazing geology and landscapes that are protected and used to teach people about Earth's history. Much of the valley is in the Connemara Gaeltacht, which means it's an area where the Irish language is still spoken every day.

Where is the Maam Valley?

The Maam Valley stretches from a small village called An Mám (also known as Maam) in the south, all the way north to Leenaun (also called Leenane). An Mám is close to the top end of Lough Corrib, a large lake. Leenaun is near Killary Harbour, which is a long, narrow inlet of the sea, like a fjord.

Rivers and Mountains

Several rivers flow through the Maam Valley. The main river is the Joyce River, which starts in the northern part of the valley. It collects water from smaller streams as it flows. This river then joins with the Bealnabrack River. Finally, these combined rivers flow into Lough Corrib.

The valley is surrounded by the Maamturk Mountains. These mountains are a big part of the stunning scenery. There is also a special path called the Mamean Pass. This pass crosses over part of the mountains and leads to another important valley, the Inagh Valley.

Getting Around the Valley

You can drive through the Maam Valley on a road called the R336. This road connects with another main road, the R59, at Maam Cross and again at Leenaun. It's the main way to explore the valley by car.

Villages and Places to Visit

At the southern end of the Maam Valley is the small village of An Mám. At the northern end is Leenaun. While some people say Leenaun is just outside the valley itself, it's very close.

An Mám has a lively pub where people can gather. Leenaun offers more places to stay and eat, like a pub, a hotel, and restaurants. It also has an outdoor activity center. Nearby, you can find the Delphi Resort, which offers even more activities. There are also smaller groups of houses scattered throughout the valley.

Other villages close to the Maam Valley include Cornamona and Clonbur.

Cool Science Discoveries

The Maam Valley is very interesting to scientists, especially geologists. The valley was formed along a crack in the Earth's crust, called a fault. Then, huge glaciers changed its shape a lot.

In 2018, an important discovery was made here. A fossil found in the valley in the 1990s was identified as a brand new species! It was named after the person who found it, Dr. Eamon N. Doyle. This discovery got attention from all over the world.

A famous Irish nature writer, Michael Viney, said this fossil find makes the case even stronger for creating the "Maam Valley and Joyce Country Geopark." This would be similar to the successful Burren and Cliffs of Moher Geopark, which protects and teaches about amazing geological sites.

History and Religion

There was once an old pilgrimage site in the Mamean Pass, high above the valley. People would travel there for religious reasons.