placenamesEmlaghmore
An tImleach Mór
Emlaghmore’s western townland preserves documentary links to an estate house and archaeological evidence revealed along Inny Strand.
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
- An tImleach Mór · Irish · main form · validated name
- Emlaghmore · English · main form
Place & story
Emlaghmore House
At the time of Griffith's Valuation, Thomas Smith leased Emlaghmore House from the Lansdowne estate. The buildings were assessed at £12 10s. The University of Galway's Landed Estates record places the property in Emlaghmore West, within Prior parish. The house subsequently fell into ruin and disappeared, leaving documentary records as evidence of a residence once separately identified within the townland. [2]
Cultivation beneath the sand
Stormy weather in spring 1989 exposed twenty-seven cultivation ridges on Inny Strand at Emlaghmore West. Archaeological recording described narrow ridges of dark peat containing small stones, with pine stumps nearby. Later storms damaged the remains and sand covered them again. A 2024 archaeological assessment reported that these previously recorded ridges were not visible during its inspection, illustrating how changing beach conditions can reveal and conceal traces of earlier land use. [3]
A neighbouring holiday venture
At nearby Reenroe, Billy Huggard developed the Waterville Beach Hotel in the early 1960s. Its facilities included swimming pools, horse riding and sand yachting, while a surfing competition drew overseas participants in 1967. Huggard also installed imitation standing stones and a beehive structure around the grounds. The 2024 heritage report identifies these as twentieth-century visitor features, distinguishing them from the area's archaeological monuments. [3]
Geographic information
Sources & further reading
- Logainm.ie — Emlaghmore. Place names and geographic record, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
- EmlaghmoreHouse,property1828 · University of Galway,Landed Estates
- AnRínnRuaHotelandLeisurePark,Chapter9CulturalHeritage,April2024 · LDARCH,archaeological assessment submitted to planning authority
Name record retrieved 2026-10-25 · Source record modified 2025-01-10. How this page was prepared.