Belclare
{{Short description|Village in County Galway, Ireland}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}}
{{Use Irish English|date=June 2020}}
{{Infobox settlement
|name = Belclare
|native_name = {{lang|ga|Béal Chláir}}
|native_name_lang = ga
|settlement_type = Village
|image_skyline = File:Church_in_Belclare,_Co.Galway.jpeg
|image_caption = Sacred Heart Church
|pushpin_map = Ireland
|pushpin_label_position = right
|pushpin_map_caption = Location in Ireland
|coordinates = {{coord|53.4923|-8.9386|dim:100000_region:IE|display=inline,title}}
|subdivision_type = Country
|subdivision_name = Ireland
|subdivision_type1 = Province
|subdivision_name1 = Connacht
|subdivision_type2 = County
|subdivision_name2 = County Galway
|subdivision_type3 = Dáil Éireann
|subdivision_name3 = Galway East
|unit_pref = Metric
| postal_code_type = Eircode
| postal_code = H54
|blank_name_sec2 = Dialing code
|blank_info_sec2 = +353 93
}}
Belclare ({{Irish place name|Béal Chláir|mouth of the plain}}{{cite web|url=https://www.logainm.ie/en/915|title=Béal Chláir|work=Logainm.ie|access-date=15 October 2018|archive-date=15 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181015192247/https://www.logainm.ie/en/915|url-status=live}}) is a small village in County Galway, Ireland. The village is on the R333 road approximately {{cvt|7|km|0}} from Tuam. It has a little parish church (The Church of the Sacred Heart), a small primary school, a shop, pub and post office, a community centre, a GAA pitch and a playground. The village is in a civil parish of the same name.
Geography
Knockma Hill, also known as Castle Hackett hill, is situated {{cvt|2|km|1}} west of the centre of Belclare. Legend has it that Finvarra, king of the Connacht Fairies, dwelled there. Maeve, the legendary Queen of Connacht, is reputed to be buried in the Cairn on the summit of the hill - from there are panoramic views.{{cite web|url=http://corofin.galway-ireland.ie/knockma.htm|title=Knockma ~ Corofin|access-date=21 September 2014|archive-date=19 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150519005220/http://corofin.galway-ireland.ie/knockma.htm|url-status=live}}
Belclare is part of the parish of Corofin.
Politics
Mark Killilea Jnr, the Fianna Fáil politician noted for describing supporters of his party as "people who eat their dinner in the middle of the day", lived in Belclare and died at his home there.{{cite news|first=Liam|last=Collins|url=https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/obituary-mark-killilea-37683928.html|title=Former TD who helped resurrect Charles Haughey's political career|work=Sunday Independent|date=6 January 2019|page=28|access-date=25 December 2021|archive-date=29 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190429070153/https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/obituary-mark-killilea-37683928.html|url-status=live}}
Current TD for Galway East, Seán Canney is from Belclare.{{cite web | url=https://www.seancanney.com/about-me/ | title=About Sean Canney TD Independent politician Tuam County Galway }}
Sport
As part of the parish of Corofin, its parish Gaelic football team won the All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship in 1998 (defeating Erin's Isle),{{cite news|first=Niall|last=Kelly|url=https://www.the42.ie/gary-sice-corofin-slaughtneil-1997607-Mar2015/|title='It bred the group you see here today' - Memories of '98 drove Corofin to All-Ireland glory: Seventeen years on from their first, Corofin finally got their hands on the All-Ireland football title again yesterday|date=18 March 2015|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150811051527/http://www.the42.ie/gary-sice-corofin-slaughtneil-1997607-Mar2015/|archivedate=11 August 2015}} 2015 (defeating Slaughtneil).{{cite news|first=Donnchadh|last=Boyle|url=https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/corofins-pace-and-power-too-much-for-slaughtneil-as-they-claim-second-allireland-title-31074398.html|title=Corofin's pace and power too much for Slaughtneil as they claim second All-Ireland title|newspaper=Irish Independent|date=17 March 2015|accessdate=17 March 2015|archive-date=1 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150701190859/http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/corofins-pace-and-power-too-much-for-slaughtneil-as-they-claim-second-allireland-title-31074398.html|url-status=live}} They also won the 2018 Championship (defeating Nemo Rangers),{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/classy-corofin-are-allireland-club-football-champions-as-it-happened-36714956.html|title=Classy Corofin are All-Ireland club football champions: As it happened|newspaper=Irish Independent|date=17 March 2018|accessdate=17 March 2018|archive-date=18 November 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181118081736/https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/classy-corofin-are-allireland-club-football-champions-as-it-happened-36714956.html|url-status=live}} the 2019 Championship (defeating Dr Crokes) {{cite web |url=https://www.gaa.ie/football/gaa-football-all-ireland-senior-club/corofin-dr.%20crokes/1495003/ |title=AIB GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Club Championship |date=March 17, 2019 |website=Gaelic Athletic Association |access-date=25 December 2021 |archive-date=26 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200126214246/https://www.gaa.ie/football/gaa-football-all-ireland-senior-club/corofin-dr.%2520crokes/1495003/ |url-status=live }} and the 2020 Championship (defeating Kilcoo) {{Cite web|url=https://www.gaa.ie/football/gaa-football-all-ireland-senior-club/corofin-kilcoo/1738493/|title=Corofin 1-12 0-7 Kilcoo|access-date=25 December 2021|archive-date=26 January 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200126214243/https://www.gaa.ie/football/gaa-football-all-ireland-senior-club/corofin-kilcoo/1738493/|url-status=live}} to become the first club team to win three finals in a row.{{Cite web|url = https://galwaybayfm.ie/sports/corofin-wins-all-ireland-club-title-for-third-year-in-a-row-commentary-and-reaction/|title = Corofin Win All-Ireland Club Title for Third Year in a Row - Commentary and Reaction|date = 19 January 2020|access-date = 25 December 2021|archive-date = 16 July 2020|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200716213947/https://galwaybayfm.ie/sports/corofin-wins-all-ireland-club-title-for-third-year-in-a-row-commentary-and-reaction/|url-status = live}}
Popular culture
The 1969 film, Alfred the Great, was filmed in the Castlehackett area. The 1998 film, A Very Unlucky Leprechaun, starring Warwick Davis and Tim Matheson, was filmed at Castlehackett House and Knockma. The 2004 TV series Foreign Exchange, starring Zachary Garred and Lynn Styles, was filmed at Castlehackett House which was called "O'Keeffe's College" in the series.{{Cite web|url=https://visitgalway.ie/castlehacket-house/|title=Castlehacket House | Castlehacket House Belclare | Knockma House|access-date=25 December 2021|archive-date=14 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210414150210/https://visitgalway.ie/castlehacket-house/|url-status=live}}
The Countdown champion Kevin Steede (who appeared in Series 72 which aired on Britain's Channel 4 in 2015), is originally from Belclare.{{cite news|url=http://www.advertiser.ie/galway/article/75709/belclares-kevin-steede-a-countdown-champ|title=Belclare's Kevin Steede a Countdown champ|work=Galway Advertiser|date=19 February 2015}} Steede studied occupational therapy at the University of Plymouth, having earlier attended St Jarlath's College and NUI Galway locally.{{cite news|url=https://uk.linkedin.com/in/kevin-steede-902b5761|title=Kevin Steede|accessdate=18 November 2018}}
Gallery
File:Belclare,_Co._Galway.jpeg|Welcome to Belclare
File:Belclare Church 2023-1.jpg|Sacred Heart Church August 2023
File:Belclare Church 2023-2.jpg|Sacred Heart Church August 2023
File:Turlough,_Belclare,_Co._Galway.jpeg|View of the turlough from Belclare
File:Castle_on_Knockma,_Belclare,_Co._Galway.jpeg|Ruined castle on Knockma
File:View_from_Knockma,_Belclare,_Co._Galway.jpeg|View from the top of Knockma Hill