Kincasslagh
Encyclopedia
Cionn Caslach or Ceann Caslach (anglicized as Kincasslagh) is a small Gaeltacht
Gaeltacht
is the Irish language word meaning an Irish-speaking region. In Ireland, the Gaeltacht, or an Ghaeltacht, refers individually to any, or collectively to all, of the districts where the government recognises that the Irish language is the predominant language, that is, the vernacular spoken at home...

 seaside village in the Rosses
The Rosses
The Rosses is a geographical and social region in the west of County Donegal, Ireland, centred around the town of Dungloe, which acts as the educational, shopping and civil centre for the area...

 area of County Donegal
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,...

. Despite only having a population of just over 40 people, the village has attracted much international attention due to the success of local singer Daniel O'Donnell
Daniel O'Donnell
Daniel or Danny O'Donnell may refer to:* Daniel O'Donnell, Irish singer* Daniel O'Donnell , American legislator from the state of New York* Danny O'Donnell * Danny O'Donnell...

.

Name

The Irish and official name for Kincasslagh is Cionn Caslach or Ceann Caslach, which means head of the small inlet. Due to its status as a Gaeltacht village, all roadsigns to and in the village itself are in the Irish language.

Language

Kincasslagh is in the Gaeltacht
Gaeltacht
is the Irish language word meaning an Irish-speaking region. In Ireland, the Gaeltacht, or an Ghaeltacht, refers individually to any, or collectively to all, of the districts where the government recognises that the Irish language is the predominant language, that is, the vernacular spoken at home...

 region which means the official language of the area is Irish
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...

. However, the use of the language has been in decline since the 1950s
1950s
The 1950s or The Fifties was the decade that began on January 1, 1950 and ended on December 31, 1959. The decade was the sixth decade of the 20th century...

. There are very little Irish-speakers in Kincasslagh today, much like neighbouring villages Mullaghduff and Burtonport
Burtonport
Ailt an Chorráin or Ailt a' Chorráin is a Gaeltacht fishing village about 7 km northwest of Dungloe in County Donegal, Ireland....

.

History

Kincasslagh has a long history of immigration, much like the rest of West Donegal
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...

. In the 1950s and 1960s, a large number of locals left the area to work in countries such as England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

, USA, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

, and especially Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

.

Education

The local primary school is Scoil Náisiúnta Béal na Cruite with 49 pupils, and the nearest secondary school is Rosses Community School in Dungloe
Dungloe
Dungloe is a Gaeltacht town in County Donegal, Ireland. It is the main town in the Rosses and the largest in the Donegal Gaeltacht...

.

Local amenities

There is only one public house in the village Iggy's, and the one grocery shop, The Cope
The Cope
The Cope, or the Templecrone Agricultural Co-operative Society , is a co-operative retail chain indigenous to The Rosses area of County Donegal in Ireland...

, is part of a co-operative retail chain indigenous to the area. The Viking House is the nearest hotel to the village, which was once owned by singer Daniel O'Donnell. Kincasslagh is also the nearest village to Cruit Island
Cruit Island
Cruit Island is a small inhabited island in the Rosses region of County Donegal, Ireland...

, which boasts a very popular golf course.

Sport

The local Gaelic Athletic Association
Gaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...

 (GAA) team is Naomh Mhuire CLG which covers the greater Lower Rosses
The Rosses
The Rosses is a geographical and social region in the west of County Donegal, Ireland, centred around the town of Dungloe, which acts as the educational, shopping and civil centre for the area...

 area. The local soccer team is Keadue Rovers
Keadue Rovers F.C.
Keadue Rovers Football Club is a football club based in County Donegal currently playing in the Ulster Senior League. Founded in 1896, Keadue play their soccer at Central Park. Nicknamed "The Gulls", Keadue are a well-respected junior football club in Ireland. The club's most famous past player is...

.

Arts

Kincasslagh is probably best known for being the birthplace of singers Margo and Daniel O'Donnell
Daniel O'Donnell
Daniel or Danny O'Donnell may refer to:* Daniel O'Donnell, Irish singer* Daniel O'Donnell , American legislator from the state of New York* Danny O'Donnell * Danny O'Donnell...

. The village played host to Daniel's annual tea party which he held at his mother's home as part of the Donegal Shore Festival, which drew thousands of fans each year. The village was used as a location for the film American Women / The Closer You Get in 2000

Transport

Kincasslagh is situated three miles from Donegal International Airport
Donegal Airport
Donegal Airport is located south-west of An Bun Beag , being located at Carrickfinn, a townland in The Rosses, a district in north-west County Donegal, Ireland. The small airport is located right on the county's north-west coast. It is about a 15 minute drive from Dungloe and Gweedore and 45...

 which is serviced daily by Aer Arann
Aer Arann
Aer Arann is a regional airline based in Dublin, Ireland. Aer Arann operates scheduled services from Ireland and the Isle of Man to destinations in Ireland, the United Kingdom, and France, with a fleet of 18 aircraft. Aer Arann has expanded from a single aircraft to Ireland's third largest airline...

 from Dublin Airport
Dublin Airport
Dublin Airport, , is operated by the Dublin Airport Authority. Located in Collinstown, in the Fingal part of County Dublin, 18.4 million passengers passed through the airport in 2010, making it the busiest airport in the Republic of Ireland, followed by Cork and Shannon...

 and also does a flight to Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...

. Kincasslagh Road railway station was open from 1913 until 1940 when the Derry and Lough Swilly Railway closed the line due to financial difficulties.

See also

  • List of towns and villages in Ireland
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