Gortahork Explained

Gortahork
Settlement Type:Village
Pushpin Map:Ireland
Pushpin Label Position:right
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in Ireland
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:Ireland
Subdivision Type1:Province
Subdivision Name1:Ulster
Subdivision Type3:County
Subdivision Name3:County Donegal
Leader Title1:Dáil Éireann
Leader Name1:Donegal
Unit Pref:Metric
Population As Of:2016
Population Footnotes:[1]
Population:185
Population Density Km2:auto
Coordinates:55.1195°N -8.1357°W
Area Code:+00353 07491
Blank Name:Irish Grid Reference
Footnotes:Gort an Choirce is the only official name.[2] The anglicised spelling Gortahork has no official status.

Gort an Choirce or Gort a' Choirce (in 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]

Irish language

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

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

History

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.

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. 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.[8]

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.

Amenities

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.[9] The local Catholic church for the parish of Gortahork is Teach Pobail Chríost Rí (Christ is King Church)[10] located beside Óstan Loch Altan and across from Teach Bhillie pub.

Community

The arts community in the area includes visual artists, poets, singers, musicians and others from or attracted to the area. Gort a' Choirce has been home to a documentary film festival which, in its first year, screened 30 films from 15 different countries.[11] [12]

Gortahork is mentioned in the opening lines of the Christy Moore song Lisdoonvarna.[13]

The village is a base for wind surfers who come to Machaire Rabhartaigh Beach.[14]

Education

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.[15] Both are gaelscoils.[16]

There is no secondary school in the area and pupils either attend Pobalscoil Gaoth Dobhair in Derrybeg or Pobalscoil Chloich Cheannfhaola in Falcarragh.[17]

Transport

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,[18] and another to Belfast via Letterkenny and Derry.[19] John McGinley Coach Travel has a route to Dublin,[20] Mangan Tours has a route from Meenlaragh to Letterkenny.[21] Bus Feda operates 3 routes: a Donegal/Galway route,[22] 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.[23]

Notable people

Natives include
Residents include:

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Sapmap Area - Settlements - Gort An Choirce . Central Statistics Office . Census 2016 . April 2016 . 15 December 2020 .
  2. http://www.commissioner.ie/downloads/An_tOrdu_Logainmneacha_(Ceantair_Ghaeltachta)_2004.pdf Placenames (Ceantair Ghaeltachta) Order 2004
  3. Web site: Gort an Choirce/Gortahork . 2023-10-16 . logainm.ie . ga.
  4. Web site: Donegal Emigration . 2024-03-26 . RTÉ Archives . en . Cloughaneely, part of the Donegal Gaeltacht, incorporates the towns of Falcarragh and Gortahork..
  5. Web site: Irish Language and the Gaeltacht - CSO - Central Statistics Office. 2020-11-15. CSO. en.
  6. Web site: Gort an Choirce / Gortahork . Irish Placenames Commission . logainm.ie . 15 December 2020 .
  7. Recorded Monuments Protected under Section 12 of the National Monuments (Amendment) Act, 1994 - County Donegal . National Monuments Service . archaeology.ie . 24 .
  8. Web site: Constable Charles McGee R.I.C. (1892-1916) - Find... . 2024-03-26 . www.findagrave.com . en.
  9. Web site: Our Story . 2024-03-25 . Ostan Loch Altan . en-US . 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..
  10. Web site: Parish of Gortahork . 2024-03-25 . Diocese of Raphoe Letterkenny Co. Donegal . en-US . Teach Pobail Chríost Rí, Gortahork.
  11. Web site: 2011-05-19 . Arlington House film set for Guth Gafa festival . 2024-03-26 . www.donegallive.ie . en . 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..
  12. Web site: Murphy . Niall . 2018-06-22 . #Festival: Strong lineup announced for 12th Guth Gafa International Documentary Film Festival . 2024-03-26 . en-GB . Now in 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..
  13. Web site: Lisdoonvarna lyrics . triskelle.eu . https://web.archive.org/web/20101231153231/http://www.triskelle.eu/lyrics/lisdoonvarna.php?index=080.010.040.060 . 31 December 2010 .
  14. Web site: Peter Hart DONEGAL . 2024-03-26 . en-GB . We base ourselves in the village of Gortahork which lies 10 minutes away from the ever more famous beach of Magheroarty..
  15. Web site: 2021-06-18 . Our Local Schools . 2024-03-26 . Pleanáil Teanga Chloich Cheann Fhaola . en-US . Primary Schools - ...Cnoc na Naomh National School, Derryconor, Gortahork...Gort a’ Choirce National School, Gortahork.
  16. Web site: 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. . 2024-03-26 . gaeloideachas.ie.
  17. Web site: 2021-06-18 . Our Local Schools . 2024-03-26 . Pleanáil Teanga Chloich Cheann Fhaola . en-US . 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.
  18. Web site: Donegal Derry Daily Timetable from Patrick Gallagher Coaches, Brinalack, Gweedore, County Donegal . 2024-03-26 . www.gallagherscoaches.com.
  19. Web site: Donegal Belfast Daily Timetable from Patrick Gallagher Coaches, Brinalack, Gweedore, County Donegal . 2024-03-26 . www.gallagherscoaches.com.
  20. Web site: Routes/Times - Donegal Bus Timetable John McGinley Timetable . 2024-03-26 . McGinley Coach Travel . en-GB.
  21. Web site: 074-9135460 - View our Timetable . 2024-03-26 . www.mangantours.ie . en-US.
  22. Web site: donegal-galway-23a.pdf . 2024-03-26 . Bus Feda.
  23. Web site: Donegal-Sligo-Mayo-to-Limerick-Timetable.pdf . 2024-03-26 . Bus Feda . PDF.
  24. Web site: 2012-05-14 . Gerry's holiday hideaway that was once a nerve centre for republican leadership . 2024-03-26 . Irish Independent . en.
  25. Web site: 2020-03-31 . Donegal Senator Brian O Domhnaill loses Seanad seat . 2024-03-26 . Donegal Daily . en-US . 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..
  26. Web site: Harkin . Greg . 2013-06-26 . Complaints spark probe of councillors' expenses . 2024-03-26 . Irish Independent . en . 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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