Dungloe
Encyclopedia
Dungloe is a Gaeltacht
town
in County Donegal
, Ireland
. It is the main town in the Rosses
and the largest in the Donegal Gaeltacht. Dungloe developed as a town in the middle of the 18th Century, and now serves as the administrative and retail centre for the west of Donegal, and in particular the Rosses, with the only mainland secondary school
for the area.
name of the town, an Clochán Liath, which means the grey stepping-stone. The bridge was built in 1762.
The name an Clochán Liath was formerly anglicised as Cloghanlea. The name Dungloe or Dunglow is believed to come from the Irish Dún gCloiche. This name came into common English usage in the later years of the 18th century when the monthly fair, formerly held at Dún gCloiche (five miles north of the nascent town) was transferred to an Clochán Liath. In time the name of the fair and that of the town were subsumed. Today, an Clochán Liath is the only officially recognised name of the town.
region, there are few native Irish speakers in Dungloe, and English is the everyday language of the locals. Nevertheless, there are small Irish-speaking pockets outside the town.
. There are a number of banks, a Garda
station, and a credit union
located on the main street. Also, there are pubs, convenience stores, supermarkets, cafes,and restaurants. The town is the current headquarters of the Rosses
' indigenous supermarket chain, The Cope
.
The town attracts many tourists every August when the Mary From Dungloe International Festival takes place. It was founded in the 1960s and it has been frequented by many special guests over the years including Daniel O’Donnell
, Cliff Richard
, Gay Byrne
and Sharon Shannon
. The picturesque Dungloe Bay and surrounding hills have proved very popular with visitors and have enabled Dungloe to sustain a healthy tourism industry. There is also a festival dedicated to the socialist writer Peadar O'Donnell
in Dungloe each autumn. A little to the north of the town is the site of the ancient church of Templecrone.
routes through Donegal Town, and to the north of the county and Derry
. In 1903, the town was linked, through Dungloe railway station
, to the Londonderry and Lough Swilly Railway
. However, the station was closed on 3 June 1940 as part of a process that saw the closure of all railways in the county.
series Sons of Anarchy
as the source of the motorcycle club's weapons from the True IRA, a fictional representation of the Real IRA
.
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...
town
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
in 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,...
. It is the main town 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...
and the largest in the Donegal Gaeltacht. Dungloe developed as a town in the middle of the 18th Century, and now serves as the administrative and retail centre for the west of Donegal, and in particular the Rosses, with the only mainland secondary school
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
for the area.
Name
There is a river at the bottom of the town and years ago the only crossing was over a grey granite slab lying in the riverbed, hence the IrishIrish 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...
name of the town, an Clochán Liath, which means the grey stepping-stone. The bridge was built in 1762.
The name an Clochán Liath was formerly anglicised as Cloghanlea. The name Dungloe or Dunglow is believed to come from the Irish Dún gCloiche. This name came into common English usage in the later years of the 18th century when the monthly fair, formerly held at Dún gCloiche (five miles north of the nascent town) was transferred to an Clochán Liath. In time the name of the fair and that of the town were subsumed. Today, an Clochán Liath is the only officially recognised name of the town.
Language
Despite being within the GaeltachtGaeltacht
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, there are few native Irish speakers in Dungloe, and English is the everyday language of the locals. Nevertheless, there are small Irish-speaking pockets outside the town.
Administration
Dungloe is home to the Dungloe District Court, which covers the south-west area of County DonegalCounty 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...
. There are a number of banks, a Garda
Garda Síochána
, more commonly referred to as the Gardaí , is the police force of Ireland. The service is headed by the Commissioner who is appointed by the Irish Government. Its headquarters are located in the Phoenix Park in Dublin.- Terminology :...
station, and a credit union
Credit union
A credit union is a cooperative financial institution that is owned and controlled by its members and operated for the purpose of promoting thrift, providing credit at competitive rates, and providing other financial services to its members...
located on the main street. Also, there are pubs, convenience stores, supermarkets, cafes,and restaurants. The town is the current headquarters of 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...
' indigenous supermarket chain, 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...
.
Tourism
Daniel O'Donnell (Irish singer)
Daniel Francis Noel O'Donnell is an Irish singer, television presenter and philanthropist. O'Donnell came to public attention in 1983 and has since become a household name in Ireland and the UK. He has also had considerable success in the US. He is known for his close relationship with his...
, Cliff Richard
Cliff Richard
Sir Cliff Richard, OBE is a British pop singer, musician, performer, actor, and philanthropist who has sold over an estimated 250 million records worldwide....
, Gay Byrne
Gay Byrne
Gabriel Mary "Gay" Byrne is a veteran Irish presenter of radio and television. His most notable role was first host of The Late Late Show over a 37-year period spanning 1962 until 1999...
and Sharon Shannon
Sharon Shannon
Sharon Shannon is an Irish musician. She is best known for her work with the accordion and for her fiddle technique. She also plays the tin whistle and melodeon. Her 1991 album Sharon Shannon is the best selling album of traditional Irish music ever released there...
. The picturesque Dungloe Bay and surrounding hills have proved very popular with visitors and have enabled Dungloe to sustain a healthy tourism industry. There is also a festival dedicated to the socialist writer Peadar O'Donnell
Peadar O'Donnell
Peadar O'Donnell was an Irish republican and socialist activist and writer.-Early life:Peadar O'Donnell was born into an Irish speaking family in Dungloe, County Donegal in northwest Ireland, in 1893. He attended St. Patrick's College, Dublin, where he trained as a teacher...
in Dungloe each autumn. A little to the north of the town is the site of the ancient church of Templecrone.
Transport
The town is serviced by a number of private bus companies, which provide a link to national Bus ÉireannBus Éireann
Bus Éireann provides bus services in Ireland with the exception of those operated entirely within the Dublin Region, which are provided by Dublin Bus. Bus Éireann, established as a separate company in 1987, is a subsidiary of Córas Iompair Éireann. The logo of Bus Éireann incorporates a red Irish...
routes through Donegal Town, and to the north of the county and Derry
Derry
Derry or Londonderry is the second-biggest city in Northern Ireland and the fourth-biggest city on the island of Ireland. The name Derry is an anglicisation of the Irish name Doire or Doire Cholmcille meaning "oak-wood of Colmcille"...
. In 1903, the town was linked, through Dungloe railway station
Dungloe railway station
Dungloe railway station served the town of Dungloe in County Donegal, Republic of Ireland.The station opened on 9 March 1903 when the Londonderry and Lough Swilly Railway opened their Letterkenny and Burtonport Extension Railway, from Letterkenny to Burtonport...
, to the Londonderry and Lough Swilly Railway
Londonderry 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...
. However, the station was closed on 3 June 1940 as part of a process that saw the closure of all railways in the county.
Popular culture
Dungloe is mentioned in Fox Broadcasting CompanyFox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
series Sons of Anarchy
Sons of Anarchy
Sons of Anarchy is an American television drama series created by Kurt Sutter about the lives of a close-knit outlaw motorcycle club operating in Charming, a fictional town in Northern California...
as the source of the motorcycle club's weapons from the True IRA, a fictional representation of the Real IRA
Real Irish Republican Army
The Real Irish Republican Army, otherwise known as the Real IRA , and styling itself as Óglaigh na hÉireann , is an Irish republican paramilitary organisation which aims to bring about a united Ireland...
.
People
- Alexander CampbellAlexander Campbell (businessman)Alexander Campbell was a businessman who, along with three other alleged Molly Maguires members, was hanged for the murders of two mine operatives....
, American businessman - Goats Don't ShaveGoats Don't ShaveGoats Don't Shave were an Irish folk rock band formed in 1990. Formed in Dungloe, County Donegal, the group was fronted by singer-songwriter Pat Gallagher and backed by musicians Jason Philbin , Charlie Logue , Declan Quinn , Gerry Coyle , Sean Doherty and Michael Gallagher .The group released two...
, Irish folk group - Paddy "the Cope" GallagherPaddy "the Cope" GallagherPaddy The Cope Gallagher was the founder of The Cope, . He was born in Templecrone, Donegal, Ireland. At an early age he began work as a hired boy working as a farm labourer first in Donegal and then as a potato picker in Scotland...
, businessman - Pat the Cope Gallagher, MEP
- Peadar O'DonnellPeadar O'DonnellPeadar O'Donnell was an Irish republican and socialist activist and writer.-Early life:Peadar O'Donnell was born into an Irish speaking family in Dungloe, County Donegal in northwest Ireland, in 1893. He attended St. Patrick's College, Dublin, where he trained as a teacher...
, republican Marxist*
See also
- List of towns and villages in Ireland