Mountbellew or Mountbellew Bridge is a town in County Galway, Ireland. It lies mostly within the townland of Treanrevagh on the N63national primary road. The town has a population of approximately 800, and has a number of shops and small businesses. There are four schools located in the town, St. Mary's National School, Holy Rosary College, Coláiste an Chreagáin and the Franciscan Brothers Agricultural College. Points of interest around the town include the Bellew Estate and woodlands, a small lake, the old forge and the Catholic church. The Bellew Estate was once the home of the Grattan-Bellew family, who were Galway parliamentarians during the 18th and 19th centuries. The estate demesne is now a wooded area of forest walks and picnic areas. The village bridge has a milestone inserted in the middle of its parapet.
Franciscan Brothers
The Franciscan Brothers came to Mountbellew from Milltown, Dublin, in 1818. The Bellew family invited them and gave them resources of land and a house to get established. The Brothers ran a free primary school until 1884. In 1875 they opened a secondary school and in 1898 a special department in the school was set up to prepare students for Teacher Training Colleges. The Brothers changed from secondary education to agricultural education in 1904 and the Franciscan Brothers’ Agricultural College was founded. This was the first agricultural college in Ireland. The Department of Agriculture supported the college from the start. In 1986, the college partnered with a predecessor of Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology. This cooperation between the two colleges resulted in the setting up of what is now known as the Higher Certificate in Business Studies.
Sport and clubs
Mountbellew's sporting societies include Mountbellew Moylough GAA club which plays both hurling and Gaelic football. The club colours are black and amber and play in Mountbellew/Moylough GAA grounds. The senior football team have won four Galway Senior Football Championships, in 1964, 1965, 1974, and 1986. The Mountbellew/Moylough Game Preservative Association was founded in approximately 1963 with the objective of preserving game in the parish. They hold clay pigeon shoots and vermin shoots. A monument to the famous racehorseBobbyjo can be seen in the town centre. He won the Irish and English grand nationals. The River Shiven is nearby, which supports fly fishing for brown trout. The town also has a 18-hole golf course. Mountbellew is also home to the Malthouse Players, a small drama group. The Malthouse Players typically stage two productions each year and partake annually in national competitions. The group on two occasions won the All-Ireland one-act drama finals.
