Ruan, County Clare

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Ruan, or An Ruán in Irish, is a village and civil parish in County Clare, Ireland. The name means reddish land and comes from an old term for the alder tree. It lies near the Burren, between Corofin, Crusheen and Ennis, with Ennis about 10 km to the south. Ruan is part of the Catholic parish of Dysart and Ruan, which has its parish office in the village.

The parish includes Dromore Lake and Dromore Wood, a wildlife sanctuary with badgers, pine martens, squirrels and foxes, plus two self-guided nature trails. The five lakes of Dromore are rich in fish. The parish church is St Mary’s; its spire collapsed after a lightning strike in December 2024.

In 1977 a new school opened on the edge of the village, and the old school became a Community Hall for indoor sports and social events. In 1837 fairs were held twice a year, with the sheep fair on 26 September being especially important. At that time Ruan and nearby Dysert each had a police station and a public school serving about 660 children in total.

Ruan had a railway station on the West Clare line (opened 1888, closed 1921). On 18 October 1920 the Ruan barracks were attacked by 32 IRA men; one member of the RIC was killed, two wounded, and the IRA captured rifles and revolvers.

The parish covers many townlands, including Addroon, Ballaghboy, Ballyharraghan, Ballymacrogan East and West, Ballyteige East and West, Ballyogan Beg and More, Caherlough, Cahermacrea, Dromeen, Dromore, Ranaghan, Ruan Commons, Toormore, Tullymackan and Tullyodea, among others.