HEADFORD

At a minor route centre in gently undulating farmland. Known in medieval sources as the manor of 'Admekin' or 'Athmakyn', which Knox (1901a, 168) suggests is a corruption of 'Ath Mac Cing', and which was later rendered as 'Ath Cind' or Headford. Walter de Ridelsford established a castle (GA042-021001-) there in the late 1230s and a 'water-mill … a fishery, with a pool' and a 'Court' are mentioned in 1281 (ibid., 170). However, Knox (ibid., 172) could find no references to it after 1302. The settlement was probably close by the castle, though there is no evidence for a medieval church nearby and there is little in the layout of the modern town to suggest a medieval origin. As Holland (1988, 79-81) points out, it is unclear whether it was a borough or simply a manorial village. (Knox 1901b, 367-8) The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Galway Vol. II - North Galway'. Compiled by Olive Alcock, Kathy de hÓra and Paul Gosling (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1999). Date of upload: 05 August 2010