placenamesKnocknacarragh
Cnoc na Cathrach
The history of Knocknacarragh, usually written Knocknacarra today, includes a former thatched village and new parish and community buildings serving Galway's westward growth.
The name
These Irish name elements are associated with this record in the Logainm glossary.
An element’s translation is a clue, rather than a complete explanation of the name. Its form and meaning depend on local history and the full Irish name.
Recorded forms
- Cnoc na Cathrach · Irish · main form
- Knocknacarragh · English · main form
Place & story
The earlier village
Writing about Shangort in 2017, local historian Tom Kenny described the original Knocknacarra village as a line of seven thatched houses extending from the golf-club boundary towards what became Knocknacarra Road. His account identifies Claremount House as the local Big House. It accompanies a 1950s photograph taken from Carragh Hill by Aodh MacDúbháin, a teacher associated with St Enda's and the Irish-language theatre An Taibhdhearc. [2]
A church and a new parish
St John the Apostle's church on Ballymoneen Road was built in 1991–92, initially within Salthill parish. Conor Kelly of Simon J. Kelly & Partners designed it, and Michael Fitzgerald & Sons carried out the building work. Bishop Eamonn Casey dedicated the church on 5 April 1992. Knocknacarra became a separate parish in 1995, giving the expanding western district a new administrative as well as religious centre. [3]
Artists within St John’s
The diocesan account identifies Vicki Crowley as the artist responsible for the church's sandstone altar, ambo and baptismal font. She also designed continuous panels for the Stations of the Cross and a triptych behind the tabernacle. Wooden sculptures of the Blessed Virgin and Sacred Heart by Oisín Kelly flank the sanctuary. These named contributions connect the modern parish building with distinct strands of Irish ecclesiastical art. [3]
A community centre after a long campaign
In August 2013, the Galway Advertiser reported the completion of Knocknacarra's €3 million community centre and an open day for local groups. Councillor Donal Lyons traced the campaign for the facility to 1995. The new centre provided indoor sporting space and meeting rooms that could support classes, rehearsals and other activities. Its development records the effort to provide shared facilities alongside the district's residential growth. [4]
Geographic information
Sources & further reading
- Logainm.ie — Knocknacarragh. Place names and geographic record, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
- Shangort, Knocknacarra · Tom Kenny, Galway Advertiser, 11 May 2017
- Parish of Knocknacarra: Church of St John the Apostle · Dioceses of Clonfert and Galway, Kilmacduagh and Kilfenora
- After two decades, Knocknacarra Community Centre finally opens its doors · Martina Nee, Galway Advertiser, 22 August 2013
Name record retrieved 2026-10-25 · Source record modified 2026-05-22. How this page was prepared.