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{{short description |Village in County Clare, Ireland}}
{{For|other places called Carron|Carron (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2020}}
{{Use Hiberno-English|date=August 2020}}
{{Infobox settlement
|name                   = Carran
|native_name            = {{lang|ga|An Carn}}
|native_name_lang       = ga
|settlement_type        = Village
|image_skyline          = St. Columba's Church, Carran.jpg
|image_caption          = St. Columba's Church
|pushpin_map            = Ireland
|pushpin_label_position = right
|pushpin_map_caption    = Location in Ireland
|subdivision_type       = Country
|subdivision_name       = Ireland
|subdivision_type1      = [[Provinces of Ireland|Province]]
|subdivision_name1      = [[Munster]]
|subdivision_type3      = [[Counties of Ireland|County]]
|subdivision_name3      = [[County Clare]]
|established_title      = 
|established_date       = 
|unit_pref              = Metric
|area_footnotes         = 
|area_total_km2         = 
|population_as_of       = 2011
|population_footnotes   = <ref name = "cso2011">{{cite web | title = Census 2011 | publisher = [[Central Statistics Office (Ireland)|Central Statistics Office Ireland]] | url = http://www.cso.ie/census/table8.htm | access-date = 15 December 2013}}</ref>
|population_total       = 106
|population_density_km2 = auto
|timezone1              = [[West European Time|WET]] 
|utc_offset1            = +0
|timezone1_DST          = [[Irish Standard Time|IST]] ([[Western European Summer Time|WEST]]) 
|utc_offset1_DST        = -1
|coordinates            = {{coord|53.0350|-9.0763004|dim:25000_region:IE|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
|elevation_footnotes    = 
|elevation_m            = 
|blank_name             = [[Irish grid reference system|Irish Grid Reference]]
|blank_info             = {{iem4ibx|R277992}}
|website                = 
|footnotes              = 
}}
[[File:DV405 no. Carran Tual.png|thumb|250px|Carran painted in the first half of the 19th century by a travelling French artist]]
[[File:Exterior Temple Cronan.JPG|thumb|250px|Temple Cronan]]
[[File:Carran-church-ruins.jpg|thumb|250px|Carran church]]
[[File:Cassidy's pub and restaurant, Carran, Co. Clare - geograph.org.uk - 250624.jpg|thumb|250px|Cassidy's]]
'''Carran''' ({{Irish place name|An Carn|the [[cairn]]}}),<ref name=logainm>{{cite web | url = https://www.logainm.ie/en/1165632 | title = An Carn/Carran | website = [[Placenames Database of Ireland]] (logainm.ie) | access-date = 21 October 2021}}</ref> also '''Carron''', is a small village in [[County Clare]], Ireland. It is in [[the Burren]] region, within a [[Civil parishes in Ireland|civil parish]] of the same name. It is notable mainly for being the birthplace of [[Michael Cusack (Gaelic Athletic Association)|Michael Cusack]], the inspirer and co-founder of the [[Gaelic Athletic Association]]. At the time of the 2011 Census, Carran had 106 inhabitants.

==Geography==

Carran parish is located on the uplands of the Burren and is bounded on the northwest by [[County Galway]] and on the south by [[Kilnaboy]]. ''Slieve Carran'', one of the highest points in the Burren, lies north of the village.

The land is mainly rocky pasture with much limestone. In the past there were copper mines. It is said that [[Saint Columb]] founded an abbey at Glanculmkil, later to become the parish church. An 1837 account said this church was in ruins, and there were the remains of two other old churches at Crunane and Glanculmkil. A stone bed is called Saint Columb's bed, and nearby is a spring of fine water.<ref>{{cite book|url=http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/places/carrune1837.htm
 |access-date=2014-03-08|title=County Clare: A History and Topography|year=1837 |author=Samuel Lewis|chapter=Carrune, Carron or Carne}}</ref>

The parish contains the townlands of Ballyconry, Ballydoora, Ballyline, Cahermackirilla, Cahergrillaun, Cappagh, Cappaghkennedy, Carran, Castletown, Clab, Clooncoose, Commons, Coolnatullagh, Coskeam, Creevagh, Crughwill, Fahee North, Fahee South, Fanygalvan, Glencolumbkille North, Glencolumbkille South, Iskancullin, Keelhilla, Knockans Lower, Knockans Upper, Meggagh East, Meggagh West, Mogouhy, Moheramoylan, Moheraroon, Moygowna, Poulacarran, Poulaphuca, Poulawack, Poulcaragharush, Pullagh, Rannagh East, Rannagh West, Sheshodonnell East, Sheshodonnell West, Sladoo and Termon.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/places/carran_townlands.htm|access-date=2014-03-08|title=Map of Carran Parish showing Townlands|publisher=Clare County Library}}</ref>

==Economy==
In the village itself, a pub/restaurant (Cassidy's), a hostel, and a number of [[bed and breakfast]]s can be found. It also sports a church, a schoolhouse (built in 1858)<ref name="Guide"/>{{rp|24}} and a town hall. The schoolhouse now is used by the "Burrenlife Project".<ref name="Life">{{cite web|url=http://www.burrenlife.com/|title=Burren Life Project website|access-date=15 December 2013}}</ref>

The number of inhabitants was 106 at the time of the 2011 Census, down from 115 in 2006.<ref name = "cso2011">{{cite web | title = Census 2011 | publisher = [[Central Statistics Office (Ireland)|Central Statistics Office Ireland]] | url = http://www.cso.ie/census/table8.htm | access-date = 15 December 2013}}</ref>

Carran is located centrally to a number of tourist sights: Within eight kilometres of the village are several stone forts, [[Poulnabrone dolmen]], a [[Turlough (lake)|turlough]] (disappearing lake) and limestone scenery ("pavement"). There is also ''Gleann Ciosog'' (a [[Gaelic Athletic Association]] pitch for the local football team ''Michael Cusacks''). Carran was the birthplace of [[Michael Cusack (Gaelic Athletic Association)|Michael Cusack]], the inspirer and co-founder of the [[Gaelic Athletic Association]]. A visitor centre commemorating him has been constructed south of the village on road L1014.<ref name="MC">{{cite web|url= http://www.michaelcusack.ie|title=Michael Cusack Visitor Centre|publisher=Michael Cusack Visitor Centre|access-date=15 December 2013}}</ref>

East of the village is a Field Research Station, opened in 1975 by University College Galway (now [[NUI Galway]]).<ref name="Guide"/>{{rp|95}} A bit beyond is the "Burren Perfumery", according to [[Lonely Planet]] the "only handycraft perfumery in Ireland".<ref name="LP">{{cite web|url= http://www.lonelyplanet.com/ireland/carron-around/sights/farms-workshops-factories/burren-perfumery-floral-centre|title=Burren Perfumery|publisher=Lonely Planet|access-date=15 December 2013}}</ref>

In addition, the area offers walking trails like the "Carran loop" or around the Carran turlough and scenic views over the Burren.<ref name="Guide">{{cite book|last=Kirby|first=Tony|title=The Burren & The Aran Islands - A walking guide|publisher=The Collins Press|year=2011|isbn=9781905172979}}</ref>{{rp|22–31, 92–97}}<ref name="Loop">{{cite web|url= http://www.discoverireland.ie/Activities-Adventure/carran-looped-walk/74110|title=Carran Looped Walk|publisher=Discover Island/Failte Ireland|access-date=15 December 2013}}</ref>

==Places of interest==
* Carran church (''Teampull a'Chairn''), located on the road between [[Leamaneh Castle]] and [[Ballyvaughan]], is a ruin that measures 19 metres in length and 7 metres in breadth. The west end contains a (broken) belfry at the top and the south end has a pointed doorway and two windows, one of which is pointed and the other which is broken. These features indicate a construction date in the 15th century. The east end contains another pointed window broad on the inside and narrow on the outside. There seem to have been living quarters for the priest above the ground floor worship area. A broken stone altar remains under this window and at the left corner is a holy water font. In the north wall were three [[corbels]] decorated with carved heads, two males and one female. Only one of these heads now remains, two were removed in the 1970s. The remaining head wears a kind of hood or helmet or basinet indicating a carving from the late 14th or early 15th century.<ref name="journey">{{cite book|last=Cunningham|first= George|year=1978|title=Burren Journey|publisher=Shannonside Mid Western Regional Tourism Organisation}}</ref>{{rp|35–36}}<ref name="Arch">{{cite book|last=Carthy|first=Hugh|title=Burren Archaeology|publisher=The Collins Press|year=2011|isbn=9781848891050}}</ref>{{rp|122–7}}
* The cliff-bound valley of Kilcorney, 7 kilometres away, is characteristic of the area.
* Not far from the village is ''[[Temple Cronan]]'', a 12th-century church. The west end of the church has some grotesque [[Romanesque sculpture|Romanesque]] heads on its exterior wall. In the [[churchyard]] there are two ''[[Cumdach]]s'' for bones, according to tradition built by [[Mo Chua of Balla|St. Cronan]]. They are constructed from large flagstones, so placed as to meet at the top similar to a roof. West of the church is the holy well, ''[[Tobar Chronain]]'', at which stations are performed.
* In Keelhilla townland lies the hermitage of [[Colman mac Duagh]], a pilgrimage destination since medieval times and the site of a small oratory and several other antiquities.
* Also situated in the parish is [[Poulawack Cairn]] (''Poll an Bhaic'', The Hole of the Angle), a Neolithic/Bronze Age burial site excavated first by the [[Harvard|Harvard Archaeological Expedition]] of 1934.
* ''[[Cahercommaun]]'' triple stone fort in the neighbouring Parish of Kilnaboy, is also close to Carran. 
* Another ring fort in the area is ''[[Caherconnell Stone Fort|Caherconnell]]''.
* [[Creevagh (wedge tomb)|Creevagh wedge tomb]] is located in the parish.
*[[Cashlaungar]], a stone ringfort located 2.7&nbsp;km to the south of Carran.

==See also==
* [[List of towns and villages in the Republic of Ireland|List of towns and villages in Ireland]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
* [http://www.michaelcusack.ie Michael Cusack Visitor Centre]
* [http://www.claretourist.com/towns/carron/ Accommodation in Carron]
* [http://www.burrenforts.ie/ Caherconnell Stone Fort homepage]
{{County Clare}}
{{Civil parishes of County Clare}}

[[Category:Towns and villages in County Clare]]
[[Category:Civil parishes of County Clare]]