Location of Inishowen

Inishowen (Irish: Inis Eoghain) is a historical peninsular region in County Donegal, and also the largest peninsula in Ireland. It pre-dates the formation of the county in which it is located by centuries. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (908x1159, 118 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Inishowen ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (908x1159, 118 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Inishowen ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Statistics Province: Ulster Dáil Éireann: Donegal North East, Donegal South West County Town: Lifford Code: DL Area: 4,841 km² Population (2006) 146,956 Website: www. ...

The main towns and villages in Inishowen are:

• Ballyliffin
• Buncrana
• Bridgend
• Burnfoot
• Burt
• Carndonagh
• Carrowmenagh
• Clonmany
• Culdaff
• Dunaff
• Fahan
• Glengad
• Gleneely
• Greencastle
• Killea
• Malin
• Malin Head
• Moville
• Muff
• Newtowncunningham
• Redcastle
• Quigley's Point

Ballyliffin (Baile Liffin) is a small village located in the North Western tip of Inishowen. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: , , Irish Grid Reference C346320 Statistics Province: Ulster County: Elevation: 62 m (206 ft) Population (2002)  - Town:  - Rural:   3,420  1,851 Buncrana (Irish: ) is a town in County Donegal, Ireland. ... Besides being a common first name, Burt may refer to: Burt, Michigan Burt, Iowa a type of heraldic fish This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... South West View of Carndonagh Carndonagh (Carn Domhnach in Irish) is a town in County Donegal, Republic of Ireland. ... Clonmany (Irish: Cluain Maine) is a village in north-west Inishowen, in Co. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Greencastle may refer to: Greencastle, Pennsylvania, USA Greencastle, Missouri, USA Greencastle, Indiana, USA Greencastle in County Donegal, Republic of Ireland Greencastle in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland Greencastle in County Down, Northern Ireland This article consisting of geographical locations is a disambiguation page, a list of pages that otherwise might share... Malin Head (Irish: Cionn Mhálanna) Visitors should not miss Banbas Crown Malin Head. ... Moville, County Donegal. ... Muff is a small town in County Donegal in the northwest of Ireland. ... Newtowncunningham (Irish: An Baile Nua - literal translation: The New Town) known as Newton to locals is a village in eastern County Donegal, Ireland, located midway between the towns of Derry and Letterkenny. ... Quigleys Point (Rinn Uí Choigligh in Irish) is located on the eastern shores of Inishowen and overlooks the wide expanse of Lough Foyle. ...

Geography

The Grianán of Aileach is a stone fort on the Inishowen peninsula.

Inishowen is a peninsula of 884.33 square kilometres (218,523 acres), situated in the northernmost part of Ireland. It is bordered to the north by the Atlantic Ocean, to the east by Lough Foyle, and to the west by Lough Swilly. It is joined at the south to the rest of County Donegal, the part known as Tír Conaill, and by Derry. Historically, the area of Derry west of the Foyle also forms part of Inishowen, the Foyle forming a natural border. Most of Inishowen's population inhabit the peripheral coastal areas, while the interior consists of low mountains, mostly covered in bogland, the highest of which is "Sliabh Sneacht" (from the Irish, meaning Snow Mountain) which is 619 metres (2,030 feet) above sea level. Other major hills are located in the Malin Head peninsula, as well as the Urris hills in west Inishowen. Due to its geography, Inishowen usually has soft weather conditions, with temperatures slightly lower than other parts of Ireland in summer, and slightly warmer in winter, especially during cold spells. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x768, 156 KB)From [1], as at it:Immagine:Graihan. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x768, 156 KB)From [1], as at it:Immagine:Graihan. ... Lough Swilly (Loch Súilí in Irish) in Ireland is a fjord-like body of water lying between the eastern side of the Inishowen Peninsula in County Donegal and the rest of northern Donegal. ... Statistics Province: Ulster Dáil Éireann: Donegal North East, Donegal South West County Town: Lifford Code: DL Area: 4,841 km² Population (2006) 146,956 Website: www. ... Tír Chonaill (anglicized as Tyrconnel) was the name of a kingdom which covered much of what is now County Donegal; indeed Tír Chonaill is still the name by which it is referred to amongst its many native Irish speakers, in addition to many other Irish people. ...

Inishowen has several harbours, some of which are used for commercial fishing purposes, including Greencastle, Bunagee and Leenan. A seasonal ferry service crosses the Foyle, connecting Greencastle with Magilligan in Derry, while another crosses the Swilly, connecting Buncrana with Rathmullan. The village of Fahan has a privately built Marina. Greencastle may refer to: Greencastle, Pennsylvania, USA Greencastle, Missouri, USA Greencastle, Indiana, USA Greencastle in County Donegal, Republic of Ireland Greencastle in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland Greencastle in County Down, Northern Ireland This article consisting of geographical locations is a disambiguation page, a list of pages that otherwise might share...

There are several small outlying islands off the Inishowen coast, most notably Inishtrahull and Glashedy islands, both uninhabited, although the former was inhabited until the early twentieth century. Inch, located in Lough Swilly is technically no longer an island, as it has a causeway connecting it to the mainland at Tooban, south of Fahan.

Lough Swilly is a fjord-like lough, and was of strategic importance for many years to the British Empire as a deep-water harbour. It is also famous as the departure point of the Flight of the Earls. Lough Foyle is important as the entrance to the river Foyle, and the city of Derry, but is much more shallow than Lough Swilly, and requires the use of a guide boat to guide ships to and from the port of Derry. In September 1607, Hugh ONeill, 2nd Earl of Tyrone and Rory ODonnell, 1st Earl of Tyrconnell set sail from Rathmullan, a village on the shore of Lough Swilly in County Donegal, with ninety of their followers. ...

A large area of land, most of which now forms part of Grianán Farm, one of the largest farms in Ireland, was reclaimed from a shallow area of Lough Swilly, stretching from the village of Burnfoot to Bridgend and Burt. The outline of this land is plainly visible due to its flatness proving a marked contrast to the more mountainous area surrounding it.

History

Predating the formation of Donegal by centuries, the area was named Inis Eoghain (the Island of Eoghan) after Eoghan, son of Niall of the Nine Hostages (Niall Naoigeallach, a High King of Ireland), whose name was also used for Tyrone (Irish: Tír Eoghain). Inis Eoghain is also the ancient homeland of the Mac Lochlainn clan (descended from the tribe of Eoghan), a clan that grew so formidable that they eventually came under siege by a Limerick King, who came north to Aileach, and ordered the destruction of Aileach fort, and that each soldier was to carry away a stone from the fort in order to prevent its rebuilding. Later, after the decline of the Mac Lochlainn clan, the chieftainship of Inis Eoghain was usurped by the Ó Dochartaigh clan, as they lost their own homeland in the Laggan valley area of Tír Conaill. Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Niall of the Nine Hostages (Irish: Niall Noigíallach) was a High King of Ireland who was active in the early-to-mid 5th century, dying - according to the latest estimates - around 450-455. ... This does not cite its references or sources. ... The name Tyrone can refer to: A county in Northern Ireland; see County Tyrone An Earl of Tyrone A small steam train which runs between Bushmills and the Giants Causeway in Northern Ireland. ... McLoughlin is the English name of three different, inter-related Irish families, all of whom claim royal descent. ... The Doherty Clan (Irish: ) is an Irish clan based in County Donegal in the north of the island of Ireland. ...

Inishowen has many historical monuments, dating back to early settlements, and including the ruins of several castles, and the fort at Grianán Aileach.

Among the main castle ruins of Inishowen are Carrickabraghey on the Isle of Doagh, the Norman Castle at Greencastle, Inch Castle, Buncrana Castle and Elagh castle.

The ancient Grianán Ailigh fort at Burt was the one time seat of the High Kings of Ireland, including both High Kings of the Mac Lochlainn Clan, who held power in Inis Eoghain for many centuries. It was restored in the nineteenth century, although some damage in recent years has resulted in the partial collapse of the south side wall.

Demographics

At the last Census of Ireland in 2006, Inishowen counted a population of 31,802, a growth of 8.4% on 1996.^[1] Buncrana is the largest town in Inishowen, with a 2006 of population of 3,394 in its urban area.^[1]

Politics

On a national level, Inishowen forms part of the constituency of Donegal North East, which elects three TDs to Dáil Éireann, the Irish parliament. At the county level, Inishowen is itself an electoral area, electing six councillors to Donegal County Council^[2]. Buncrana town residents also elect representatives to the Buncrana Urban District Council, one of only three Urban District Councils in Donegal (the others belonging to Letterkenny and Bundoran). This article is about the current Irish body. ...

Footnotes

1. ^ ^{a b} Census 2006 Preliminary Report. Central Statistics Office Ireland (2006). Retrieved on 2007-03-22.
2. ^ Donegal County Council Members. Donegal County Council (2004). Retrieved on 2007-03-30.

Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... March 22 is the 81st day of the year (82nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 89th day of the year (90th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External Links

• Inish Times - Buncrana-based local newspaper, covering Inishowen news
• Raidio Pobail Inis Eoghain - Inishowen Community Radio (ICR)
• Traditional housing of Inishowen
• Landscapes of Inishowen - Photography

Coordinates: 55°12′26″N 7°17′55″W / 55.20722, -7.29861 Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...