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Gortahork

Coordinates: 55°07′10″N 8°08′09″W / 55.1195°N 8.1357°W / 55.1195; -8.1357
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Gortahork
Irish: Gort an Choirce
Village
Housing in Gortahork
Housing in Gortahork
Gortahork is located in Ireland
Gortahork
Gortahork
Location in Ireland
Coordinates: 55°07′10″N 8°08′09″W / 55.1195°N 8.1357°W / 55.1195; -8.1357
CountryIreland
ProvinceUlster
CountyCounty Donegal
Government
 • Dáil ÉireannDonegal
Population
 (2016)[1]
185
Area code+00353 07491
Irish Grid ReferenceC055307
Gort an Choirce is the only official name.[2] The anglicised spelling Gortahork has no official status.

Gort an Choirce or Gort a' Choirce (Irish: [ˌɡɔɾˠt̪ˠ ə ˈxɔɾʲcə];[3] meaning "oat field"), anglicised as Gortahork, is a village and townland in the northwest of County Donegal, Ireland. It is a Gaeltacht community, where the Irish language is the main language spoken in the area. Along with Falcarragh, it forms part of the district known as Cloughaneely.[4] The nearest town is Falcarragh, 3 km to the north-east.

Irish language

[edit]

According to the 2016 census the population of Gort an Choirce was 185,[1] with 41.6% of people speaking Irish on a daily basis outside the education system. This puts the town in 8th place for highest percentage of daily Irish speakers in Ireland.[5]

Name

[edit]

The official name of the townland is Gort an Choirce (anglicised to Gortahork), meaning "oat field".[6]

History

[edit]
Creek at Gort a' Choirce
Local shop and filling station

Evidence of ancient habitation in the townland includes a number of ring forts and souterrains in the area.[7]

The village has a history of local enterprise, shops, forges, hotels, post office halls, and other meeting places for the communities in the surrounding areas.[citation needed]

It is claimed that a Charlie McGee, from Inishbofin, four miles offshore from Gort a' Choirce, was the first person to have been killed in the 1916 Easter Rising.[8] McGee, who was a member of the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC), was shot on duty while in Castlebellingham, County Louth. He was brought home to be buried in Gortahork, where an RIC tombstone now lies over his grave.[9]

In 2006, Coláiste Uladh (the Ulster College) celebrated its centenary. Among those who attended the college were Pádraig Pearse, Joseph Mary Plunkett and Roger Casement – three participants in the 1916 Rising.[8]

Amenities

[edit]

There is a hotel on the main street called Óstan Loch Altan (Lake Altan Hotel), named after the lake at the foot of the northern slopes of Errigal.[10]

Óstan Loch Altan in 2011

The local Catholic church for the parish of Gortahork is Teach Pobail Chríost Rí (Christ is King Church)[11] located beside Óstan Loch Altan and across from Teach Bhillie pub.

Community

[edit]

The arts community in the area includes visual artists, poets, singers, musicians and others from or attracted to the area.[citation needed] Gort a' Choirce has been home to a documentary film festival which, in its first year, screened 30 films from 15 different countries.[12][13]

Gortahork is mentioned in the opening lines of the Christy Moore song Lisdoonvarna.[14]

The village is a base for wind surfers who come to Machaire Rabhartaigh Beach.[15]

Education

[edit]

There is are two primary schools in the area, Scoil Naisiunta Gort An Choirce (Gortahork National School) in the village and Cnoc na Naomh (Hill of the Saints National School) in Derryconnor.[16] Both are gaelscoils.[17]

There is no secondary school in the area and pupils either attend Pobalscoil Gaoth Dobhair in Derrybeg or Pobalscoil Chloich Cheannfhaola in Falcarragh.[18]

Transport

[edit]

The village is on the coastal N56 road which runs between Donegal town and Letterkenny.

The Falcarragh/Dungloe (route 966) TFI Local Link public bus route services the town, linking it to Falcarragh, Dungloe, Crolly, Magheroarty and the Gweedore area.

Several private bus services also service the town. These Patrick Gallagher Coaches, which provides routes from Crolly to Derry via Letterkenny,[19] and another to Belfast via Letterkenny and Derry.[20] John McGinley Coach Travel has a route to Dublin,[21] Mangan Tours has a route from Meenlaragh to Letterkenny.[22] Bus Feda operates 3 routes: a Donegal/Galway route,[23] a college term service on a Friday to Limerick City, and a college term Sunday route with stops at University of Limerick, TUS Limerick Moylish Campus and Mary Immaculate College.[24]

Notable people

[edit]
Natives include
Residents include

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "Sapmap Area - Settlements - Gort An Choirce". Census 2016. Central Statistics Office. April 2016. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
  2. ^ Placenames (Ceantair Ghaeltachta) Order 2004
  3. ^ "Gort an Choirce/Gortahork". logainm.ie (in Irish). Retrieved 16 October 2023.
  4. ^ "Donegal Emigration". RTÉ Archives. Retrieved 26 March 2024. Cloughaneely, part of the Donegal Gaeltacht, incorporates the towns of Falcarragh and Gortahork.
  5. ^ "Irish Language and the Gaeltacht - CSO - Central Statistics Office". CSO. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
  6. ^ "Gort an Choirce / Gortahork". logainm.ie. Irish Placenames Commission. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
  7. ^ Recorded Monuments Protected under Section 12 of the National Monuments (Amendment) Act, 1994 - County Donegal (PDF). archaeology.ie (Report). National Monuments Service. p. 24.
  8. ^ a b Seosamh Ó Ceallaigh (2006), Colaiste Uladh 1906-2006, Coláiste Uladh, OCLC 891541892
  9. ^ "Constable Charles McGee R.I.C. (1892-1916) - Find..." www.findagrave.com. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  10. ^ "Our Story". Ostan Loch Altan. Retrieved 25 March 2024. Óstán Loch Altan, situated in Gortahork, North West Donegal, is a 39 en-suite bedroom hotel. It is named after Loch Altan, a lake situated at the foot of the northern slopes of nearby Mount Errigal.
  11. ^ "Parish of Gortahork". Diocese of Raphoe | Letterkenny | Co. Donegal. Retrieved 25 March 2024. Teach Pobail Chríost Rí, Gortahork
  12. ^ "Arlington House film set for Guth Gafa festival". www.donegallive.ie. 19 May 2011. Retrieved 26 March 2024. Among the range of diverse films set to be screened at this year's Guth Gafa International Documentary Film festival in Gortahork is a remarkable tale of the many of Irish men who lived and continue to live in Arlington House in London.
  13. ^ Murphy, Niall (22 June 2018). "#Festival: Strong lineup announced for 12th Guth Gafa International Documentary Film Festival". Retrieved 26 March 2024. Now in it's 12th year Guth Gafa has become a well-established event on the arts calendar in the North East, and this year promises to be their best programme yet, with over 30 films from 15 countries screening, and filmmmakers flying in from all over the world to present their work, and take part in Q&As.
  14. ^ "Lisdoonvarna lyrics". triskelle.eu. Archived from the original on 31 December 2010.
  15. ^ "Peter Hart | DONEGAL". Retrieved 26 March 2024. We base ourselves in the village of Gortahork which lies 10 minutes away from the ever more famous beach of Magheroarty.
  16. ^ "Our Local Schools". Pleanáil Teanga Chloich Cheann Fhaola. 18 June 2021. Retrieved 26 March 2024. Primary Schools - ...Cnoc na Naomh National School, Derryconor, Gortahork...Gort a' Choirce National School, Gortahork
  17. ^ "Gaeloideachas | To establish and sustain a high standard of Irish-medium education throughout the country as well as to develop and strengthen the Irish speaking community and culture". gaeloideachas.ie. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  18. ^ "Our Local Schools". Pleanáil Teanga Chloich Cheann Fhaola. 18 June 2021. Retrieved 26 March 2024. Students in the Cloughaneely area general go to one of 2 secondary schools: PCC Falcarragh, Falcarragh...Pobalscoil Ghaoth Dobhair (outside of the Cloughaneely district), Derrybeg, Gweedore
  19. ^ "Donegal Derry Daily Timetable from Patrick Gallagher Coaches, Brinalack, Gweedore, County Donegal". www.gallagherscoaches.com. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  20. ^ "Donegal Belfast Daily Timetable from Patrick Gallagher Coaches, Brinalack, Gweedore, County Donegal". www.gallagherscoaches.com. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  21. ^ "Routes/Times - Donegal Bus Timetable | John McGinley Timetable". McGinley Coach Travel. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  22. ^ "074-9135460 - View our Timetable". www.mangantours.ie. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  23. ^ "donegal-galway-23a.pdf" (PDF). Bus Feda. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  24. ^ "Donegal-Sligo-Mayo-to-Limerick-Timetable.pdf" (PDF). Bus Feda. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  25. ^ "Gerry's holiday hideaway that was once a nerve centre for republican leadership". Irish Independent. 14 May 2012. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  26. ^ "Donegal Senator Brian O Domhnaill loses Seanad seat". Donegal Daily. 31 March 2020. Retrieved 26 March 2024. The Gortahork politician had been a Senator on the Agricultural Panel since 2007. However, O Domhnaill, aged 42, failed to secure enough votes in this evening's election.
  27. ^ Harkin, Greg (26 June 2013). "Complaints spark probe of councillors' expenses". Irish Independent. Retrieved 26 March 2024. SIPO has already initiated a full inquiry into expenses allegations made against former county councillor and sitting Fianna Fail senator Brian O Domhnaill. The senator, from Gortahork in north Donegal, denies all the allegations and has been granted permission in the High Court to seek a Judicial Review of SIPO's decision to investigate the claims against him.
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