Clifden (in Irish, An Clochán meaning "bee-hive cell"^*) is a town on the coast of County Galway, Ireland. It is located on the Owenglin River where it flows into Clifden Bay. The town is linked to Galway city by the N59. Clifden is a popular tourist destination for those touring Connemara and is regarded as its capital.

The town was founded at the start of the 19th century by John D'Arcy who lived in Clifden Castle (which is now a ruin that can be seen from the Sky Road west of Clifden). Clifden gained prominence in the early 1900s when Guglielmo Marconi built his major transatlantic wireless telegraphy station there to minimize the distance to Newfoundland.

Clifden is near the landing place (53°26′N 10°01′W) of the first transatlantic flight by Alcock and Brown 15 June 1919. The plane crash-landed in Derrygimlagh bog, close to the location of the Marconi station. The first point-to-point fixed wireless service connecting Clifden with Nova Scotia opened 17 October 1907 and closed 25 July 1922 after suffering serious damage in the Irish Civil War. At peak times over 400 people were employed on the wireless station.

"The burning of Clifden" in 1921, 14 suspected republican homes were burnt by the Black and Tans.

From 1895 to 1935 Clifden was the western terminus of the Midland Great Western Railway railway. Its station is now a pub.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clifden