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User:Yurgenphogen/Tóin an tSeanbhaile

Coordinates: 54°00′44″N 9°58′02″W / 54.01233°N 9.96730°W / 54.01233; -9.96730
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Tóin an tSeanbhaile
Tóin an tSeanbhaile
Town
Tóin an tSeanbhaile is located in Ireland
Tóin an tSeanbhaile
Tóin an tSeanbhaile
Location in Ireland
Coordinates: 54°00′44″N 9°58′02″W / 54.01233°N 9.96730°W / 54.01233; -9.96730
Country Ireland
ProvinceConnacht
CountyCounty Mayo
Elevation
0 m (0 ft)
Time zoneUTC+0 (WET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-1 (IST (WEST))
Irish Grid ReferenceL709089

Tóin an tSeanbhaile (Traditionally: Tóin a'tSean-bhaile,[1] Colloquial English: The Valley/Tonatanvally[2]) is a small village located on the north east point of Achill Island, Ireland. It lies within the Mayo Gaeltacht.

Geography

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Tóin an tSeanbhaile is one of the flattest places on Achill Island,[3] a shallow plain encircled by low hills[4] which is bordered mostly by the sea, with Ridge Point to the north, and Sruhill Lough to the south. To the southeast lies the village of Dún Ibhir (Dooniver), to the west lies Dúmha Goirt (Dugort) and to the south lies Bun an Churraigh (Bunacurry).[5] The bedrock of the area consists mainly of Schist and Gneiss, with lowland blanket bog to the south, [6] and Machair and rocky seashore to the north and west.
CANICE The area has a number of lakes, Lough Gall (Loch Geall, the bright lake), Loch na mBreac (The lake of the trout), Lough Doo (Loch Dubh, The black lake) and Sruhill Lough.[7] These lakes have healthy stocks of Brown trout[8], some sea trout, and Lough Gall is also artificially stocked with Rainbow trout.

A machair exists near Lough Doo, which has been designated a special area of conservation[9] by the National Parks and Wildlife Service, under the European Habitats Directive. The site itself is of international importance in the conservation of mosses and liverworts[10], with some some scarce and rare species, Catoscopium nigritum and Fossombronia incurva, and is in fact the only location in Ireland that the liverwort Leiocolea gillmannii has

CANICE

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been recorded at.[11]

Much of the southern townland was designated a Natural Heritage Area by Minister for the Environment, Dick Roche, in 2007 because of its importance as a hyperoceanic blanket bog habitat.[12][13]

The village itself is broken into a number of smaller subsections - Shruffle, Fóirín, Árdán and the street. These divisions go largely unnoticed through the year until the 23rd of June (St. Johns night), which sees subsection having its own bonfCANICEire, as per local tradition.[14]

History

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Tóin an tSeanbhaile is one of the oldest settlements on Achill island, as evidenced by it's name (Tóin an tSeanbhaile - The end of [[Media:Media:Example.ogg]]the old village)[15], with a number of prehistoric archaeological sites, including a Cairn to the south of the village near Bun an Churraigh, a Midden, Ringfort and Enclosure on Caraun Point (where the first settlement existed), a Crannóg near the centre of the modern village.[16] A cillín, a burial ground for the unbaptised, mainly children is also found on Caraun point,and which gives it its irish name Rinn na Leanbh[17]. Canice sold the 1900 acres of land around Tóin an tSeanbhaile which had been bought by his father[18], to the 8th Earl of Cavan, Canice in the early 1870's[19]. Lambart built a hunting lodge on this land, and in 1888 his wife sold the land to Canice.[20] The then landlady and the estate became national and international news in 1894,[21][22] when Canice was brutally attacked by her bailiff, Canice, and left for dead after he set fire to her house. His arrest, and subsequent escape were reported in the media, and became part of the popular culture of the era, with references to the affair in J.M. Synge's drama The Playboy of the Western World,[23][1] Joyce's Ulysees[24] and ballads of the time.[25] The house was subsequently rebuilt by McDonnell, and completed in 1902. The estate was purchased from McDonnell's son, Leslie Elliot, by the Gallagher family in 1942.[26] It currently operates as a bar and hostel. In recent years, the story of Canice and Lynchehaun has become the subject of fiction, with a book, The Playboy and the Yellow Lady published in 1986[27], and a 1998 film Love and Rage, starring Daniel Craig as Lynchehaun, and Greta Scacchi as Agnes McDonnell.[28]

The 1911 census show a population of 253 [29], which has declined today to an estimated population of 113.

Wildlife

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Tóin an tSeanbhaile has a broad diversity of wildlife. Marine mammals (Whales, Porpoises) and Basking shark are commonly sighted off Ridge point[30][31], and the area is well known for its diversity of mosses and liverworths. Common Birds-foot Trefoil, Ladys Bedstraw, various small Sedges and Sand Sedge are found on the Machair near Loch Dubh, and Loch na mBreac has a good growth of Common Reed, Branched Bur-Reed and Bulrush.

Birds commonly sighted on the shore include Cormorants, Shags, Snipe, Lapwing, Oysercatcher, Common Tern, Arctic Tern, Sandwich Tern, Common Gull, Kittiwake, Blackheaded Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull.[32] Further inshore, species commonly sighted include Whooper Swan, Wigeon, Teal, Mallard, Coot, Lapwing, Curlew, Little Grebe, Grey Heron, Red-breasted Merganser and Light-bellied Brent Goose.[33] From time to time the rare Corncrake has nested inland also.[34]

The blanket bog to the south has a large biodiversity of flora, including Black Bog-Rush, Purple Moor-grass, Cross-Leaved Heath, Ling Heather, White Beak-sedge, Common Cottongrass, Deergrass, Round-leaved Sundew, Lousewort, Bog mosses (Sphagnum spp.), lichens (Cladonia spp.), Racomitrium lanuginosum, liverwort Pleurozia purpurea is also present. There are hollows colonised by Bog Asphodel (Narthecium ossifragum) and moss Campylopus atrovirens and the bog moss Sphagnum contortum also occurs.[35] A report on the area by the National Parks and Wildlife service further details

The lake in the south-east corner of the site supports Pipewort (Eriocaulon aquaticum), Bogbean (Menyanthes trifoliata) and Bulbous Rush (Juncus bulbosus) and a marginal flush that is extensive in parts. The flush contains bog mosses Sphagnum recurvum and S. cuspidatum, Carnation Sedge (Carex panicea), Marsh Pennywor CCCCCCCAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNIIIIIICCCCCCCCCCEEEEEEEEEEs multicaulis). The slopes of the low-rising hills to the west of the site support a mosaic of blanket bog and dry heath. Species noted include Ling Heather, Devil’s-bit Scabious (Succisa pratensis), Hard Fern (Blechnum spicant) and the lichens Cladonia uncialis and C. portentosa.

— National Parks and Wildlife service, Site Synopsis of the Natural Heritage Area Doogort East bog[36]

Amenities

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Although a small village, Tóin an tSeanbhaile has a number of amenities, including a Primary School (S.N Thóin a'tSeanbhaile, built 1914)[37], Soccer Pitch (Fr. O'Brien Park, home ground of Achill Rovers)[38], a Roman Catholic Church, a Pier and blue flag beaches[39], a Pitch and Putt course[40], as well as a Bar and Hostel. The village has one postbox, one bus stop and is served by the Bus Éireann 440 once a day in each direction.[41]


References

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  1. ^ Irish Placenames Database, archival data - http://www.logainm.ie/Image.aspx?PlaceID=36859&Url=Ref+58\36859.jpg&NoBlock=yes
  2. ^ The Placenames Act (Gaeltacht areas), 2007, #248 - http://www.coimisineir.ie/downloads/An_tOrdu_Logainmneacha_(Ceantair_Ghaeltachta)_2004.pdf
  3. ^ Ordnance Survey Ireland - http://ims0.osiemaps.ie/website/publicviewer/main.aspx#V1,469037,802455,3
  4. ^ National Parks and Wildlife service, Site Synopsis of the Natural Heritage Area Doogort East bog - http://www.npws.ie/en/media/Media,4381,en.pdf
  5. ^ Ordnance Survey Map, detailing townlands - http://ims0.osiemaps.ie/website/publicviewer/main.aspx#V1,470430,808855,5
  6. ^ National Parks and Wildlife service, Site Synopsis of the Natural Heritage Area Doogort East bog - http://www.npws.ie/en/media/Media,4381,en.pdf
  7. ^ Irish Placenames Commission - http://www.logainm.ie/?parentID=36859&typeID=L
  8. ^ http://www.achilltourism.com/fishing.html
  9. ^ http://www.npws.ie/en/SAC/001497/
  10. ^ Mayo County Council - http://www.mayococo.ie/en/Services/Environment/LeisureAmenities/Beaches/GoldenStrand/
  11. ^ National Park and Wildlife Service report -http://www.npws.ie/en/media/Media,4088,en.pdf
  12. ^ http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/2007/en/si/0516.html
  13. ^ http://www.npws.ie/en/media/Media,4381,en.pdf
  14. ^ Institute of Maritime History, Field report - http://www.maritimehistory.org/content/achill-island-field-report-7-st-john’s-eve-bonfire-night-23-june-2006
  15. ^ Archive data from the Irish placenames initiative - http://www.logainm.ie/Image.aspx?PlaceID=36859&Url=Box62\36859-60_1.JPG&NoBlock=yes
  16. ^ Dept of Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Archaeological Survey of Ireland - www.archaeology.ie
  17. ^ Caraun point, logainm.ie - http://www.logainm.ie/?parentID=36859&typeID=RINN&placeID=1399228
  18. ^ http://www.landedestates.ie/LandedEstates/jsp/estate-show.jsp?id=645
  19. ^ http://www.landedestates.ie/LandedEstates/jsp/estate-show.jsp?id=413
  20. ^ NUI Galway, CONNACHT LANDED ESTATES PROJCANICEECT - http://www.landedestates.ie/LandedEstates/jsp/estate-show.jsp?id=413
  21. ^ New York Times article on the attack - http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?_r=1&res=9F04E4D61339E333A2575BC0A96F9C946297D6CF
  22. ^ Irish Times Headline - The Achill Assault - http://www.irishtimes.com/search/archive.html?rm=listresults&filter=dateasc&keywords=agnes+mcdonnell&daterange=custom&day1=19&mon1=6&year1=1895&day2=25&mon2=3&year2=1900
  23. ^ The Irish Review (1986-), No. 4 (Spring, 1988), pp. 136-139 - http://www.jstor.org/stable/29735369
  24. ^ Reference tCANICEo Lynchehaun, Ulysees Chapter 10 - http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Ulysses_(novel)/Chapter_10
  25. ^ Tim Robinson's introduction to JM Synge's Th Aran Islands - http://books.google.ie/books?id=VncPMT7g5FYC&lpg=PR35&ots=y_Rs5VU6QP&dq=ballads%20james%20lynchehaun&pg=PR35#v=onepage&q=ballads%20james%20lynchehaun&f=false
  26. ^ http://www.valley-house.com/history.htm
  27. ^ Open Library details of The Playboy and the Yellow Lady - http://openlibrary.org/b/OL2431852M/playboy_the_yellow_lady
  28. ^ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0185442/
  29. ^ Census Data for the townland, Census 1911 - http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/search/results.jsp?surname=&exact=&firstname=&county=&townland=Tonatanvally&ded=&age=&sex=&relationToHead=&religion=&education=&occupation=&marriageStatus=&marriageYears=&childrenBorn=&childrenLiving=&birthplace=&language=&deafdumb=&search=Search&sort=&pageSize=100
  30. ^ http://www.iwdg.ie/iscope/strandings/default.asp?dataset=strandings&county=1190&location=&species=&resultsFormat=map&search1=Search
  31. ^ Irish Whale and Dolphin group sightings record - http://www.iwdg.ie/iscope/sightings/default.asp?dataset=sightings&county=1190&location=124&species=&resultsFormat=map&search1=Search
  32. ^ http://www.mayococo.ie/en/Services/Environment/LeisureAmenities/Beaches/GoldenStrand/
  33. ^ http://www.birdwatchmayo.org/birding_sites/sites/achill.html
  34. ^ http://archives.tcm.ie/westernpeople/2001/09/20/story7172.asp
  35. ^ National Parks and Wildlife service, Site Synopsis of the Natural Heritage Area Doogort East bog - http://www.npws.ie/en/media/Media,4381,en.pdf
  36. ^ National Parks and Wildlife service, Site Synopsis of the Natural Heritage Area Doogort East bog - http://www.npws.ie/en/media/Media,4381,en.pdf
  37. ^ http://www.thevalleyns.com/
  38. ^ http://www.achillrovers.com/fr_vincent_obrien.htm
  39. ^ http://www.mayococo.ie/en/Services/Environment/LeisureAmenities/Beaches/GoldenStrand/
  40. ^ http://www.visitachill.com/en/golf.html
  41. ^ http://www.buseireann.ie/pdf/1203333497-440.pdf
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