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Rossnowlagh
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Rossnowlagh ( meaning: Heavenly Cove) is a seaside resort and area located in south County Donegal, in the north-west of Ireland. It is situated about 8 km (5 miles) north-west of Ballyshannon and 16 km (10 miles) south-east of Donegal Town. The extensive beach is very popular with families and is frequented by walkers, surfers, wind-surfers, kite-surfers and swimmers, and there are lifeguards on duty during the summer months.
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Encyclopedia
Rossnowlagh ( meaning: Heavenly Cove) is a seaside resort and area located in south County Donegal, in the north-west of Ireland. It is situated about 8 km (5 miles) north-west of Ballyshannon and 16 km (10 miles) south-east of Donegal Town. The extensive beach is very popular with families and is frequented by walkers, surfers, wind-surfers, kite-surfers and swimmers, and there are lifeguards on duty during the summer months. There is about 4 km (2.5 miles) of a good quality wide sandy beach.
History
There had been 500 years of Franciscan history in Donegal when the link was broken in the mid-19th century. The Franciscan order re-established themselves in County Donegal when new friary buildings were built in Rossnowlagh in the early 1950s. The Friary, as it is known by locally, has a visitors centre and contains the Donegal Historical Society Museum which houses a small collection including stone age flints and old Irish musical instruments. The Friary also has beautiful gardens which are open to visitors.
Beach
Rossnowlagh is one of Ireland's and Europe's best Blue Flag surfing beaches. As the slowly rising beach faces westward into the Atlantic Ocean, and the fact that Donegal Bay has a funnel shape, it can increase the size of the rollers, especially in winter when some huge waves are generated and it has been known to have waves up to 7 metres (20 ft) high. Rossnowlagh has good safe facilities and has excellent water quality.
Rossnowlagh has many visitors during the summer months and is very popular as most of the beach is accessible by car which is suitable for young and old alike. Drivers are cautioned however to be aware of soft sand areas where cars can get stuck and to be aware of incoming tides which can move in rapidly and cover most/all of the beach. There may be a Beach Warden on duty and information about full and low tides may be displayed. Drivers on the beach are required to drive very slowly at 15 km/h and to be on the lookout for children and other users of the beach.
A soil erosion study of the beach at Rossnowlagh, known officially as Belalt strand, has been made. The area consists mainly of sandy beach, but also rocky shore platform, sand dunes, grassland, boulder clay cliffs and rock cliffs. Over the last 60 years it has been determined that the central section of the dune front has been eroding at rates up to 0.6 metres (2 ft) per year, with the highest erosion rate between 1951 and 1977. Starting in 1972, short lengths of rock armour were constructed at first in front of the Sandhouse Hotel and with further additions along the shore-line; this stopped the erosion in protected parts but the dune front has a ragged appearance with up to of erosion where half of the sandy shoreline has no protection.
Amenities
The Sandhouse Hotel is located adjacent to the beach, with a Surfers Bar attached. Overlooking the beach and on the cliff is the Smuggler's Creek Inn restaurant and bar, and there are several shops in the area, along with a Post-Office and Shop near the Franciscan Friary as well as The Thatch Tea House nearby. The modern 20th century-built Franciscan Friary is located up from the southern end of the beach. To the south-west further along the cliffs in the distance stands the ruined Kilbarron Castle.
Events
- Rossnowlagh Surf Club hosts several surfing events, some with dozens of young surfers competing. For example competitions are held for U12, U14 and U16 age groups.
- A peaceful Orange Order parade is held each year in Rossnowlagh, usually on the Saturday before 12th of July. The number of participants and marching bands varies each year with most marchers coming from order lodges based in Northern Ireland but some come from other areas in Donegal, Monaghan and Cavan. There is no lodge in Rossnowlagh. The participants begin near St John's Church and march for approximately 2 km (1.2 miles) into the centre of Rossnowlagh, where they congregate for some time. The marchers march back to St Johns church area in the late afternoon.
- The Irish National Junior Surfing Championships have been hosted in Rossnowlagh, such as in 2007 where 113 young surfers competed for titles in U12, U14, U16 and U18 levels, including events for bodyboard and longboard. Rossnowlagh Surf Club members have been succesful in these and other surfing competitions.
- An annual Feis (Irish Gaelic: pronounced fesh) is held each summer in July or August at the Franciscan Friary in Rossnowlagh. The feis is officially called the Feis of the Four Masters or Feis na gCeithre Maistir in Irish.
- The Inter-Counties Surfing contest is Ireland's longest-running surfing contest and has been held every year since 1969. As it is normally the last surfing event of the year in Ireland, held in September or October, it is widely viewed as a social event of the surfing calendar, and the actual surfing often takes second place to the craic and social enjoyment. In the last decade the contest has turned into a battle between the two dominant counties in Irish Surfing, hailing from opposite ends of the country - Donegal and Waterford.
- The World Rally Championship came to the Rossnowlagh area in 2007 and again in 2009. Rally Ireland organised both events. The rally which draws a large number of spectators is held in the townland of Cashel on the northern edge of Rossnowlagh and is labelled the Donegal Bay stage. The special stage is 14 km (9 miles) long on narrow single-lane tarmac back roads. In 2007 it was won by Jari-Matti Latvala and in 2009 by Mikko Hirvonen. Sebastian Loeb was the overall winner of both rallys.
Historical transport note
- Rossnowlagh railway station opened in 1905 but closed on 1 January 1960. It was part of the Great Northern Railway network with the train running towards Bundoran to the south and to Derry to the north. During the 55 years of its operation, Rossnowlagh, with its two miles of golden beach, became a popular venue for excursionists, and it was particularly favoured by families, daytrippers and for groups on their annual outings.
See also
External links
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