Roundstone, County Galway Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Roundstone Irish: Cloch na Rón
Village
View of harbour towards Roundstone village
Roundstone Location in Ireland
Country	Ireland
Province	Connacht
County	County Galway
Elevation	20 m (70 ft)
Population (2016)	214
Irish Grid Reference	L725405

Roundstone (which means "seal's rock" in Irish) is a small village. You can find it on the west coast of Ireland. It's part of the beautiful Connemara area in County Galway.

The village sits across from Inishnee island, right on Roundstone Bay. By road, it's about 76 kilometers (47 miles) northwest of Galway. It's also 18 kilometers (11 miles) southeast of Clifden. Roundstone is a popular spot for artists and creative people. Every July, the village hosts a fun boat race called a regatta.

What's in a Name? The Story of Roundstone
Roundstone's Past: A Look at History
Culture and Creativity in Roundstone
Movies Filmed in Roundstone
Getting Around: Transport in Roundstone
Gallery
See also

What's in a Name? The Story of Roundstone

The name Roundstone in English might be a mistake. It's thought that the British Ordnance Survey translated the Irish name. Cloch means "stone" or "rock," and Rón means "seal." So, the Irish name Cloch na Rón means "seal's rock."

However, the names might be separate. As early as 1684, the bay was called Round-stone Haven. There's a very round rock at the bay's entrance. This rock looks like a marker, and it's quite round.

Roundstone's Past: A Look at History

The land north of Roundstone was once ruled by the O'Flaherty family. In the 1400s, they built a Dominican Priory. This old building is about 2 miles north of today's Roundstone.

The village of Roundstone was created in the 1820s. A Scottish engineer named Alexander Nimmo started it. He was busy building houses, roads, and harbors across western Ireland. Fishermen from Scotland came to live here.

After Catholic Emancipation, a Franciscan Monastery was built in 1835. By the late 1840s, Roundstone was a busy fishing village. It had about 400 people living there.

Culture and Creativity in Roundstone

Roundstone is famous for its art and creative spirit. Many important Irish artists have painted here over the years. These include Paul Henry, Jack B. Yeats, Gerard Dillon, and Nano Reid.

You can visit local art spots like Yvonne Kings Studio and the Stable Gallery. The village holds its Summerfest and regatta in July. In July and August, you can enjoy Traditional Irish Nights. These nights feature music, songs, and dances from the Connemara area.

Did you know that rock star Sting lived in Roundstone in the early 1980s? He wrote many songs for his band The Police's album, Zenyatta Mondatta, while living there.

Roundstone is also connected to a village in France. It is twinned with Noyelles-sous-Lens, which is near Lens, Pas-de-Calais.