Woodford, County Galway

In the early 1970's Woordford was the birthplace of modern wind power spawning a movement of Inventers that spanned the world and a thriving hamlet-high tech campus of creative engineers and designers from across the Globe. Here also was invented the first Grid-modulated inverter now the most common type method of interconnecting renewable energy electricity devices to electricity grid systems along with the first advanced windpressure release converning systems, the now prevailing governor standard in the 21st Century wind power industry. Eventually after nine successful years of pioneering innovation, inflaming the life of the town, filling the pubs and cultural activities,for a brief historic moment Alternative Energy Ltd.envigorated local life with dreams in 1976 of a Clean and Fair Energy Future ... doused only by the oil wealth and subsequently absorbed into to the highest level of the Shell Oil Empire ... oil prevails but lately its hold is weakening under the direct assault of the vast and growing numbers of Giant onshore and offshore wind turbines and Power-to-Gas H2 ... where did all this originality and breakthrough innovation come From and? and how did it spring up, for that brief and tipping point moment in Woodford, Co. GALWAY,IRELAND? History will answer this question one day .....

The Woodford River is a tributary of the Shannon River. The river is dammed and broadens out into a small artificial lake called Woodford Bay. This reservoir was in the 17th century to power the blast furnace. Later, it was used as a source power for the corn mill and electric light energy for the town. The Bay is no longer used for these reasons, but within recent years extensive repairs have been done to restore its aesthetic rather than commercial value.

Woodford is a rural community with a number of amenities, including a playground and tourist accommodation. There is a restaurant, several pubs and grocery and hardware shops. There are three nature reserves within 5 km of the village at Pollnaknockaun, Derrycrag and Rosturra. Two of these are in Special Areas of Conservation. Derrygill Millennium Oaks Forest is also within walking distance of the village and is one of only fourteen Millennium Oak Forests established in the Republic of Ireland in the year 2000 when the government gifted an oak tree to every family in Ireland at the turn of the millennium. Cycle routes in the surrounding hinterland have views of Lough Derg and the River Shannon. Within 10 miles of Woodford there is a golf course in Portumna. There is also fishing and boating on the Shannon. In the vicinity of the town are the ruins of a ring-fort over a thousand years old.

Every year, in late August, a "Furnace Festival" is held in Woodford to celebrate its ironworking history.[3]

Across the Slieve Aughty, about 30 miles from Woodford in Gort is where the poet William Butler Yeats once lived.

• List of towns and villages in Ireland
• Galway
• History of Galway

• https://www.woodfordgalway.com
• https://www.furnacefestival.org
• http://www.irelandmidwest.com/galway/towns/Woodford.htm
• http://homepage.eircom.net/~amoran/Woodford.html
• http://ballinasloe.galway-ireland.ie/woodford.htm