Oughterard is a small town on the banks of the Owenriff River close to the western shore of Lough Corrib in County Galway, Ireland. The population of the town in 2016 was 1,318. It is located about 26 km northwest of Galway on the N59 road. Oughterard is on the border of the Connemara region, and is the chief angling centre on Lough Corrib.
Places of interest
Three kilometres outside the town stand the ruins of Aughnanure Castle, a well-preserved example of a medieval tower house. Much of the surrounding area was occupied by the O'Flaherty clan, but was taken over by Walter de Burgh, 1st Earl of Ulster, in 1256. Ross Castle is also located a number of kilometres outside Oughterard. The mansion, which is visible today, was built by the Martin family in the 17th century but there is some evidence still present of the original castle structure, built in the 15th century by the O'Flaherty family, in its foundation. The 'Quiet Man Bridge' is located 8 kilometres past Oughterard, down the Leam Road, which was the setting for the 1950s film The Quiet Man starring John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara. Also close to Oughterard, the Glengowla Mines is a "show mine" with exhibits on the lead and silver mining history of the area.
Transport
Oughterard railway station opened on 1 January 1895 and closed on 29 April 1935. There are daily buses going from and to Galway and Clifden along the N59. City Link and Bus Éireann are the two bus services that travel to and from Galway.
Amenities
Oughterard has a primary school, 'Scoil Chuimín agus Caitríona', and a co-educational voluntary secondary school, St Paul's. As of early 2019, Oughterard's public library, based in the town's old courthouse, was closed for renovations. A former hotel on the outskirts of the town, the Connemara Gateway Hotel, attracted some controversy in 2019, when locals protested plans to convert the disused site into a direct provision centre. Some locals protested against "inhumane direct provision centres", with some members of the "Oughterard Says No to Direct Provision" group suggesting that "negative outside influences" had attempted to influence the protests, amid some accusations of racism. After prolonged protests, the tender for the centre was withdrawn.
