Eyrecourt

Eyrecourt, historically known as Donanaghta, is a village in County Galway, Ireland. Eyrecourt is on the R356 regional road 12 km west of the Banagher bridge over the River Shannon.

History
The Eyres after whom the village is named, as well as other places such as Eyre Square in Galway City, were an English family who came over with Cromwell. Their former residence, Eyrecourt Castle (now a ruin), provides the large metal gateway at the eastern end of main street and the 100 acre castle lawn beyond. The family were for many years closely associated with the local hunt, the Galway Blazers.

Amenities
The village stands midway along the Beara-Breifne Way; an historic Waymarked Way for walking, cycling and heritage first established in 1603. Eyrecourt is served by two public houses, a post office, library, village store, garage and fast food outlet, pharmacy, tractor dealer, medical centre, primary school, numerous small enterprises and the Meelick-Eyrecourt GAA club. In the evenings numerous groups and classes use the Village Hall, for pilates, martial arts, scouting and art classes.

Eyrecourt is approximately 40 minutes from Galway and two hours and twenty minutes from Dublin - both these journey times are likely to reduce with the completion of the N6 dual carriageway/motorway (Due to open 21 December 2009).

Each year in June it hosts a large festival of early machinery, the Eyrecourt Vintage Festival, when ancient tractors, steam-engines and a variety of early farm machines have a chance to run again.

It is home to the musician and whistler Roger Whittaker.

International relations
Eyrecourt is twinned with the village of Gouesnach in Brittany.

Parish
Eyrecourt in the south east corner of County Galway incorporates the ancient ecclesiastical centres of Dunanaughta, Clonfert and Meelick and is bounded by the Rivers Shannon and Suck for 16 mi.

Within the village are two churches; the Catholic Church of St Brendan which has some notable stained glass windows, (the work of John Early of Dublin) and the Church of Ireland Church of St John the Baptist (an Anglo Gothic structure built in 1867).

Meelick has the oldest Catholic church in Ireland with continuous use since 1414 AD, Dunanughta was the church with the highest altitude in East Galway.

Clonfert has the grave of Saint Brendan ("The Navigator"), the ancient Cathedral and famous doorway, the 14th century statue of Our Lady of Clonfert and Emmanuel House of Providence. Clonfert Cathedral is the oldest continually operating church in Ireland.

Notable people

 * Cornelius Coughlan, Victoria Cross recipient