Cionn Caslach (anglicised as Kincasslagh) is a small

Gaeltacht A ( , , ) is a district of Ireland, either individually or collectively, where the Irish government recognises that the Irish language is the predominant vernacular, or language of the home. The districts were first officially recognised ...

seaside village in

the Rosses The Rosses (officially known by its Irish language name, ''Na Rosa''; in the genitive case ''Na Rosann'') is a traditional 'district' in the west of County Donegal in Ulster, the northern Provinces of Ireland, province in Ireland. The Rosses has ...

area of

County Donegal County Donegal ( ; ) is a Counties of Ireland, county of the Republic of Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Ulster and is the northernmost county of Ireland. The county mostly borders Northern Ireland, sharing only a small b ...

, Ireland. Despite only having a population of just over 40 people, the village has attracted much international attention due to the success of local singer Daniel O'Donnell.

Name

Kincasslagh Peninsula - Pier and tower at NW end - geograph

The Irish and official name for Kincasslagh is ''Cionn Caslach'' or ''Ceann Caslach'', which means head of the small inlet. Due to its status as a Gaeltacht village, all roadsigns to and in the village itself are in the Irish language.

Language

Kincasslagh is in the

region which means the official language of the area is Irish. However, the use of the language has been in decline since the 1950s. There are very few Irish-speakers in Kincasslagh today, much like neighbouring villages Mullaghduff and Burtonport.

History

Kincasslagh has a long history of emigration, much like the rest of West Donegal. In the 1950s and 1960s, a large number of locals left the area to work in countries such as the UK (England and especially

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

), the USA and Australia.

Education

The local primary school is the Irish language with 39 pupils, and the nearest secondary school is Rosses Community School in

Dungloe ''An Clochán Liath'', known in English as Dungloe (sometimes misspelled as Dunglow; ), is a town on the west coast of County Donegal in Ulster, the northern province in Ireland. It is the main town in The Rosses and the largest in the Donegal ...

Local amenities

There is only one public house in the village Iggy's, and the one grocery shop,

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. Founded in 1906, it has a number of normal supermarkets as well as a full department sto ...

, is part of a cooperative retail chain indigenous to the area. The Viking House is the nearest hotel to the village, which was once owned by singer Daniel O'Donnell. Kincasslagh is also the nearest village to Cruit Island, which boasts a very popular golf course.

Sport

The local

Gaelic Athletic Association The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA; ; CLG) is an Irish international amateur sports, amateur sporting and cultural organisation, focused primarily on promoting indigenous Gaelic games and pastimes, which include the traditional Irish sports o ...

(GAA) team is ''Naomh Mhuire CLG'' which covers the greater Lower Rosses area. The local soccer team is Keadue Rovers.

Arts

Kincasslagh is probably best known for being the birthplace of singers Margo and Daniel O'Donnell. The village played host to Daniel's annual tea party which he held at his mother's home as part of the ''Donegal Shore Festival'', which drew thousands of fans each year. The village was used as a location for the film American Women / The Closer You Get in 2000

Transport

Kincasslagh is situated five kilometres from Donegal International Airport. Kincasslagh Road railway station, five kilometres south, was open from 1913 until 1940 when the Derry and Lough Swilly Railway closed the line due to financial difficulties.

References

{{Authority control Gaeltacht places in County Donegal Gaeltacht towns and villages The Rosses Towns and villages in County Donegal