Dunfanaghy
Encyclopedia
Dunfanaghy is a small village, formerly a fishing port and commercial centre, in County Donegal
, Ireland
.
Dunfanaghy is located on Donegal's North West coast, specifically the west side of Sheephaven Bay
. It is on the N56
road
.
, which describes the effects of the Irish Potato Famine on Dunfanaghy. Dunfanaghy is also home to St. Michael's (Naomh Mícheál in Irish) Gaelic football
club.
landed on the beach after running out of fuel. The crew were entertained in the local hotel and the aircraft refuelled and took off again (to be destroyed 6 weeks later over Germany).
South of Dunfanaghy are New Lake and Tramore Strand, a two-mile-long beach. New Lake was formerly a salt water marsh
, but during the First World War, over-cutting of the grass on the surrounding sand dunes
led to their destabilisation and the movement of the sand to block up the river. As a result, the marsh filled with fresh water and became a lake. The sand also silted up Dunfanaghy harbour. The New Lake became a haven for seabirds and is now a Special Protection Area
. Also nearby is Sessiagh Lough, a small lough
with a crannog
in the middle.
Across the bay from Dunfanaghy is Horn Head
, which shelters Dunfanaghy from the Atlantic Ocean
and is an Irish Natural Heritage Area
.
Dunfanaghy is close to Portnablagh
and Marble Hill
, both of which also have popular beaches. Other sights in the vicinity include: Ards Forest Park
, Ards (Capuchin
) Friary, Glenveagh National Park
, Doe Castle
and the Derryveagh Mountains
, the most prominent being Muckish Mountain and Mount Errigal
.
Near the workhouse, on the Falcarragh
road, is the former Union fever hospital. Closed in 1922, it was reopened as a national school in the 1930s and fulfilled this role until the 1960s. Since 1968 it has been used as an artists studio and gallery.
although the station was in fact six miles from Dunfanaghy itself. Dunfanaghy Road railway station opened on 9 March 1903, closed for passenger traffic on 3 June 1940 and finally closed altogether on 6 January 1947. Lough Swilly Buses still serve the area with four buses per day going from Dunfanaghy to Letterkenny
and vice versa. Lough Swilly Busses also provide school buses to primary schools and the main secondary schools St Eunan's College and Loreto Convent
in Letterkenny during the school terms.
County Donegal
County Donegal is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Donegal. Donegal County Council is the local authority for the county...
, Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
.
Dunfanaghy is located on Donegal's North West coast, specifically the west side of Sheephaven Bay
Sheephaven Bay
Sheephaven Bay is a broad, shallow inlet on the north coast of County Donegal, Ireland. Bounded by the peninsulae of Rosguill, to the east and Horn Head to the west, the bay is relatively protected from the full force of the Atlantic Ocean, and has supported a vibrant herring fleet.-Etymology:The...
. It is on the N56
N56 road (Ireland)
The N56 road is a national secondary road in Ireland that runs from Donegal town to Letterkenny. As originally designated, it included the section of the N13 between Stranorlar and Letterkenny, forming a circular route including parts of the N15....
road
Roads in Ireland
The island of Ireland, comprising Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, has an extensive network of tens of thousands of kilometres of public roads, usually surfaced. These roads have been developed and modernised over centuries, from trackways suitable only for walkers and horses, to...
.
Description
The centre of Dunfanaghy is a small square with a market house built in 1847 and a quay built in 1831 and formerly used to export corn. There are four churches: Clondehorky Old Church (now ruined), Dunfanaghy Presbyterian Church, Holy Cross (Roman Catholic) and Holy Trinity (Church of Ireland). The village is also home to a golf club, several art galleries and craft shops, and a museum, situated in part of a former workhouseWorkhouse
In England and Wales a workhouse, colloquially known as a spike, was a place where those unable to support themselves were offered accommodation and employment...
, which describes the effects of the Irish Potato Famine on Dunfanaghy. Dunfanaghy is also home to St. Michael's (Naomh Mícheál in Irish) Gaelic football
Gaelic football
Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
club.
Local Area
Just north of the village is a three-mile-long sandy beach known as Killahoey Strand. On May 2, 1943, a Flying Fortress of the USAAF on a ferry flight to Northern IrelandNorthern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
landed on the beach after running out of fuel. The crew were entertained in the local hotel and the aircraft refuelled and took off again (to be destroyed 6 weeks later over Germany).
South of Dunfanaghy are New Lake and Tramore Strand, a two-mile-long beach. New Lake was formerly a salt water marsh
Salt marsh
A salt marsh is an environment in the upper coastal intertidal zone between land and salt water or brackish water, it is dominated by dense stands of halophytic plants such as herbs, grasses, or low shrubs. These plants are terrestrial in origin and are essential to the stability of the salt marsh...
, but during the First World War, over-cutting of the grass on the surrounding sand dunes
Dune
In physical geography, a dune is a hill of sand built by wind. Dunes occur in different forms and sizes, formed by interaction with the wind. Most kinds of dunes are longer on the windward side where the sand is pushed up the dune and have a shorter "slip face" in the lee of the wind...
led to their destabilisation and the movement of the sand to block up the river. As a result, the marsh filled with fresh water and became a lake. The sand also silted up Dunfanaghy harbour. The New Lake became a haven for seabirds and is now a Special Protection Area
Special Protection Area
A Special Protection Area or SPA is a designation under the European Union Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds.Under the Directive, Member States of the European Union have a duty to safeguard the habitats of migratory birds and certain particularly threatened birds.Together with Special...
. Also nearby is Sessiagh Lough, a small lough
Lough
A lough is a body of water and is either:* A lake* A sea lough, which may be a fjord, estuary, bay, or sea inlet.It can also be used as a surname, with various pronunciations: law, loch, low, lowe, loth, loff....
with a crannog
Crannog
A crannog is typically a partially or entirely artificial island, usually built in lakes, rivers and estuarine waters of Scotland and Ireland. Crannogs were used as dwellings over five millennia from the European Neolithic Period, to as late as the 17th/early 18th century although in Scotland,...
in the middle.
Across the bay from Dunfanaghy is Horn Head
Horn Head
Horn Head is a peninsula in Donegal, North West Ireland, close to Dunfanaghy. It forms part of Sheephaven Bay.-Archeological Significance:...
, which shelters Dunfanaghy from the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
and is an Irish Natural Heritage Area
Natural Heritage Area
Natural Heritage Area is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the Republic of Ireland. The Wildlife Act 2000 makes legal provision for the designation and protection of a national network of Natural Heritage Areas...
.
Dunfanaghy is close to Portnablagh
Portnablagh
Portnablagh is a small village in County Donegal, Ireland. Portnablagh is located on Donegal's North West coast, specifically the west side of Sheephaven Bay. It is on the N56 road....
and Marble Hill
Marble Hill, County Donegal
Marble Hill is a village in County Donegal, Republic of Ireland. It is located northwest of Donegal on Sheephaven Bay, and is known for the popular Marble Hill Beach....
, both of which also have popular beaches. Other sights in the vicinity include: Ards Forest Park
Ards Forest Park
- History and Location :The forest park is situated on the small Ards Peninsula. It sits on the shores of Sheephaven Bay on the northern coastline of County Donegal, part of the Province of Ulster in Ireland. It's to be found on the N56 road, between Creeslough and Dunfanaghy. Ards Forest Park was...
, Ards (Capuchin
Order of Friars Minor Capuchin
The Order of Friars Minor Capuchin is an Order of friars in the Catholic Church, among the chief offshoots of the Franciscans. The worldwide head of the Order, called the Minister General, is currently Father Mauro Jöhri.-Origins :...
) Friary, Glenveagh National Park
Glenveagh
Glenveagh — covering 170 square kilometres of hillside above Glenveagh Castle on the shore of Lough Veagh , some 20 km from Gweedore in County Donegal, Ireland — forms the heart of the Glenveagh National Park , the second largest national park in Ireland...
, Doe Castle
Doe Castle
Doe Castle, or Caisleán na dTuath, near Creeslough, County Donegal, was historically a stronghold of Clan Suibhne, with architectural parallels to the Scottish Tower house. Built in the 16th c. it is one of the better preserved fortalices in the North-West of Ireland...
and the Derryveagh Mountains
Derryveagh Mountains
The Derryveagh Mountains is the major mountain range in County Donegal, Ireland. It makes up much of the landmass of the county, and is the area of Ireland with the lowest population density. The mountains separate the coastal parts of the county, such as Gweedore and Glenties, from the major...
, the most prominent being Muckish Mountain and Mount Errigal
Mount Errigal
Mount Errigal, or simply Errigal is a mountain near Gweedore in County Donegal, Republic of Ireland. It is the tallest peak of the Derryveagh Mountains, the tallest peak in County Donegal, and the 76th tallest peak in Ireland. Errigal is also the most southern, steepest and highest of the...
.
Workhouse
As in many parts of Ireland in the mid nineteenth century, a Workhouse was constructed nearby for the detention and maintenance of destitute local people. The first occupants were admitted in June 1845, at the beginning of the Great Famine. Parts of the original building have recently been restored and now function as an interpretive centre of the Famine and its impact on the local inhabitants.Near the workhouse, on the Falcarragh
Falcarragh
An Fál Carrach , sometimes called Na Crois Bhealaí is a small Gaeltacht town and townland in northwest County Donegal, Ireland. The settlement is in the old parish of Cloughaneely.-Etymology:...
road, is the former Union fever hospital. Closed in 1922, it was reopened as a national school in the 1930s and fulfilled this role until the 1960s. Since 1968 it has been used as an artists studio and gallery.
Transport
Dunfanaghy Road was previously a stop on the Londonderry and Lough Swilly RailwayLondonderry and Lough Swilly Railway
The Londonderry and Lough Swilly Railway Company is an Irish public transport and freight company incorporated in June 1853. Despite its name it operates no railway services. It formerly operated 99 miles of railways but closed its last line in July 1953...
although the station was in fact six miles from Dunfanaghy itself. Dunfanaghy Road railway station opened on 9 March 1903, closed for passenger traffic on 3 June 1940 and finally closed altogether on 6 January 1947. Lough Swilly Buses still serve the area with four buses per day going from Dunfanaghy to Letterkenny
Letterkenny
Letterkenny , with a population of 17,568, is the largest town in County Donegal, part of the Province of Ulster in Ireland. The town is located on the River Swilly...
and vice versa. Lough Swilly Busses also provide school buses to primary schools and the main secondary schools St Eunan's College and Loreto Convent
Loreto Convent
Loreto Convent is an all-girls secondary school located in Letterkenny, County Donegal, Ireland. It is located beside the Cathedral of St. Eunan and St Columba. It is one of nineteen Loreto Secondary Schools in Ireland.- History :...
in Letterkenny during the school terms.
See also
- List of towns and villages in Ireland