Cloonfad

Cloonfad Cluain Fada
—  Town  —
Cloonfad Location in Ireland
Coordinates: 53°41′31″N 8°44′33″W / 53.691985°N 8.742478°W / 53.691985; -8.742478Coordinates: 53°41′31″N 8°44′33″W / 53.691985°N 8.742478°W / 53.691985; -8.742478
Country	Ireland
Province	Connacht
County	County Roscommon
Time zone	WET (UTC+0)
- Summer (DST)	IST (WEST) (UTC-1)
Irish Grid Reference

Cloonfad Post Office

Cloonfad (Irish: Cluain Fada, meaning "long meadow") is a village in County Roscommon, Ireland. It is located at the crossroads of the N83 National secondary road and the R327 regional road. Cloonfad is located around 10 km from the town of Ballyhaunis in Co. Mayo. In recent years, a scenic walkway has been opened to the public which takes walkers to surrounding villages through scenic moorland. It is indeed this habitat which gave rise to the village's name in Irish - Cluain Fada or "Long Meadow". Cloonfad's local church - The Church of Saint Patrick, has been publishing an annual parish magazine since 1992 "The Cloonfad Magasine".

Like in many other villages in Ireland, economic prosperity since the 1990s has altered the demographic profile of Cloonfad with notably a number of people from Eastern Europe and Brasil now resident in the village.

Religion

The present church of St. Patrick was erected in 1934. Work on the foundation began in September 1932 with the foundation stone blessed by the Most Rev. Dr. Gilmartin, Archbishop of Tuam in December 1932. The completed Church was dedicated on the 12th August 1934 where, on that occasion His Grace presided at the Solemn Mass.

Alterations were made by the inclusion of porches by Fr. Horan, later Monsignor Horan, parish priest of Knock, during his time in Cloonfad and in 1960 the Sanctuary was revised to accommodate the new Liturgy of the Mass. The church underwent further renovation in the late 1990s.

Sport

Handball

Established in the 1930s, Cloonfad Handball Club is one of the oldest sporting organisations in the parish. The present facilities were opened in 1980. The club is registered with County Roscommon Handball board and is affiliated to Croke Park. The club also plays host to racquetball.

Since then the handball alley closed down but reopened this summer thanks to local workers.

Soccer

Cloonfad United

In recent years Cloonfad United has experienced great success. There are 8 Cloonfad teams in the following sports' categories: Under-8s, U-10s, U-12s, U-14s, U-16s, Snr. B-team and A-team.

Annalistic references

• 741 - Aenghus, son of Tibraide, Abbot of Cluain Foda Baedain Abha ... died.

See also

• List of towns and villages in Ireland