Rosguill (

Irish language Irish (Standard Irish: ), also known as Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Insular Celtic branch of the Celtic language family, which is a part of the Indo-European language family. Irish is indigenous to the island of Ireland and was ...

and official name: Ros Goill)Placenames (Ceantair Ghaeltachta) Order 2004
is a

peninsula A peninsula (; ) is a landform that extends from a mainland and is surrounded by water on most, but not all of its borders. A peninsula is also sometimes defined as a piece of land bordered by water on three of its sides. Peninsulas exist on a ...

situated in north-north-west

County Donegal County Donegal ( ; ga, Contae Dhún na nGall) is a county of Ireland in the province of Ulster and in the Northern and Western Region. It is named after the town of Donegal in the south of the county. It has also been known as County Tyrcon ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St George's Channel. Ireland is the s ...

. Lying between the peninsulae of

Fanad Fanad (official name: Fánaid) is a peninsula that lies between Lough Swilly and Mulroy Bay on the north coast of County Donegal, Ireland. The origins of the name Fanad are lost in time thought there is some speculation that the name derives fr ...

to the east and Horn Head to the west, Rosguill is a dichotomy of heathland and ocean. With the great

Sheephaven Bay Sheephaven Bay ( ga, Cuan na gCaorach) is a broad, shallow inlet on the north coast of County Donegal in Ulster, Ireland. Bounded by the peninsulae of Rosguill, to the east and Horn Head ( ga, Corrán Binne) to the west, the bay is relatively ...

with its mellow waters and pure-white strands on the one hand, and the treacherous sand banks of Mulroy Bay on the other. Between, a mixture of bog, hill and pastureland, the ancient walls, remnants of cattle enclosures, and the various evidences of fortification are proof of the area's use since antiquity. The Parish of Rosguill is an alternative name for the

Parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or ...

of Mevagh, which covers the peninsula and an equally sized hinterland. There are nearly 800 people living in Rosguill ED and 33% of residents are native Irish speakers.

History and folklore

The area is heavy with legend, the name itself is supposed to have originated, when

Fionn mac Cumhaill Fionn mac Cumhaill ( ; Old and mga, Find or ''mac Cumail'' or ''mac Umaill''), often anglicized Finn McCool or MacCool, is a hero in Irish mythology, as well as in later Scottish and Manx folklore. He is leader of the ''Fianna'' bands of y ...

finally obtained justice by killing Goll mac Morna, the slayer of his father. This act is traditionally said to have taken place at a rock called ''Carraic Ghoill'' ( en, Carrickguill) lying off the

townland A townland ( ga, baile fearainn; Ulster-Scots: ''toonlann'') is a small geographical division of land, historically and currently used in Ireland and in the Western Isles in Scotland, typically covering . The townland system is of Gaelic orig ...

of Dumhaigh ( en, Dooey). The entire area became known as the "Headland of Goll" or ''Ros Goill''. Deirdre and Naoise, are thought to have camped on the strand of Trá Mhór (Tramore), when fleeing from

Conchobar mac Nessa Conchobar mac Nessa (son of Ness) is the king of Ulster in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. He rules from Emain Macha (Navan Fort, near Armagh). He is usually said to be the son of the High King Fachtna Fáthach, although in some stories hi ...

King of

Ulster Ulster (; ga, Ulaidh or ''Cúige Uladh'' ; sco, label= Ulster Scots, Ulstèr or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional Irish provinces. It is made up of nine counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United Kin ...

and his Knights of the Red Branch. The highest point on the peninsula is ''Gainne Mhór'' and its sister peak ''Gainne Bheag''. The name derives from Gráinne, betrothed of

and lover of Diarmuid Ua Duibhne. While fleeing Fionn's

Fianna ''Fianna'' ( , ; singular ''Fian''; gd, Fèinne ) were small warrior-hunter bands in Gaelic Ireland during the Iron Age and early Middle Ages. A ''fian'' was made up of freeborn young males, often aristocrats, "who had left fosterage but had ...

warriors en route to

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to ...

, legend has it that they rested on the hill. Considerable damage to the south western face of Gainne has been the result of unrestrained excavation in recent years. In the late 4th century the son of

Niall Noigíallach Niall ''Noígíallach'' (; Old Irish "having nine hostages"), or Niall of the Nine Hostages, was a legendary, semi-historical Irish king who was the ancestor of the Uí Néill dynasties that dominated Ireland from the 6th to the 10th centurie ...

and the eponym of County Donegal (''Tír Conaill''), Conall Gulban, defeated the warriors of

Ulaid Ulaid (Old Irish, ) or Ulaidh ( Modern Irish, ) was a Gaelic over-kingdom in north-eastern Ireland during the Middle Ages made up of a confederation of dynastic groups. Alternative names include Ulidia, which is the Latin form of Ulaid, and in ...

, at

Ballyshannon Ballyshannon () is a town in County Donegal, Ireland. It is located at the southern end of the county where the N3 from Dublin ends and the N15 crosses the River Erne. Incorporated in 1613, it is one of the oldest towns in Ireland. Locati ...

and Barnesmore. Conall's army chased the fleeing Ulstermen through Goll (Rosguill), Crích Chloinne Rosa, Crích Ua nDuach, Caim-Fhersaid Mhór, to the shores of

Lough Foyle Lough Foyle, sometimes Loch Foyle ( or "loch of the lip"), is the estuary of the River Foyle, on the north coast of Ireland. It lies between County Londonderry in Northern Ireland and County Donegal in the Republic of Ireland. Sovereignty over ...

. Conalll Gulban and his brother

Eógan or is an early Irish male name, which also has the hypocoristic and diminutive forms , , and . In more modern forms of Irish it is written as or (/'oːəun/). In Scottish Gaelic the name is Eòghann or Eòghan. All of the above are often an ...

, became the ancestors of the Kings of

Tír Conaill Tyrconnell (), also spelled Tirconnell, was a kingdom of Gaelic Ireland, associated geographically with present-day County Donegal, which has sometimes been called ''County Tyrconnell''. At times it also included parts of County Fermanagh, Cou ...

(''Tyrconnell'') and Tír Eógain (''Tyrone'') respectively.

Colm Cille

In common with many other areas of Donegal and Ulster, Rosguill has its share of legends relating to St. Colm Cille. Colm Cille was a nobleman born at

Gartan Gartan ( ga, Gartán) is a parish in County Donegal, Ireland. It is best known for being the birthplace of Columba, one of the three patron saints of Ireland and one of the most revered saints in the Christian world. Here he founded a monaste ...

, a great-grandson of Conall Gulban, he took holy orders and began proselytising throughout Ireland. Prior to his exile in

Dál Riata Dál Riata or Dál Riada (also Dalriada) () was a Gaelic kingdom that encompassed the western seaboard of Scotland and north-eastern Ireland, on each side of the North Channel. At its height in the 6th and 7th centuries, it covered what is n ...

and the

Kingdom of the Picts The Picts were a group of peoples who lived in what is now northern and eastern Scotland (north of the Firth of Forth) during Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages. Where they lived and what their culture was like can be inferred from ...

, Colm Cille founded monasteries at

Derry Derry, officially Londonderry (), is the second-largest city in Northern Ireland and the fifth-largest city on the island of Ireland. The name ''Derry'' is an anglicisation of the Old Irish name (modern Irish: ) meaning 'oak grove'. The ...

and Kells, and is accredited with the founding of many more smaller establishments. Of these the Old church at Mevagh, in Clontallagh townland is said to one. Colm Cille also is said to have erected the

High cross A high cross or standing cross ( ga, cros ard / ardchros, gd, crois àrd / àrd-chrois, cy, croes uchel / croes eglwysig) is a free-standing Christian cross made of stone and often richly decorated. There was a unique Early Medieval tradit ...

in the churchyard, on which allegedly he left the track of his fingers in the stone. Furthermore, he spread curses and blessings on various townlands in the parish in equal measure to the hospitality he received: Dundoan Upper was cursed to always have a fool amongst its community, after they mocked him, whereas he prophesied that no-one from Dooey or Island Roy would ever drown. His supposed footprints are to be found on a rock in Downings.

1800s

The crop rotationStatistical Survey of the County of Donegal with Observations on the Means of Improvement, Drawn up in the year 1801, For the consideration and under the direction of The Dublin Society, by James McParlan M.D. in use in Rosguill at the start of the 19th century was potatoes, barley, oats and flax. Pynnar's survey was carried out in 1618 by Captain Nicolas Pynnar to verify that the conditions agreed to by the planters of the

James I of England James VI and I (James Charles Stuart; 19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625) was King of Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the Scottish and English crowns on 24 March 1603 until ...

Plantation of Ulster The Plantation of Ulster ( gle, Plandáil Uladh; Ulster-Scots: ''Plantin o Ulstèr'') was the organised colonisation ('' plantation'') of Ulstera province of Irelandby people from Great Britain during the reign of King James I. Most of th ...

were being carried out.

Today

There is a wealth of activities available locally: Angling, Hiking, Golf and Watersports. One of the most eastern of all ''

Gaeltacht ( , , ) are the districts of Ireland, individually or collectively, where the Irish government recognises that the Irish language is the predominant vernacular, or language of the home. The ''Gaeltacht'' districts were first officially reco ...

aí'', the area has a vibrant cultural tradition, with many artists and musicians residing in the area Rosguill has been victim to some extent to, the short sighted planning of the 1990s, and to the almost absence of applied legislation previously and, like a great deal of the west coast of the country, has suffered from unchecked ribbon development. However, one can easily escape this, except in the main settlements, to find an Ireland of centuries past.

Downings Downings or Downies () is a ''Gaeltacht'' village and townland on the Rosguill peninsula in County Donegal, Ireland. The village is on the shores of Sheephaven Bay on the north coast of Ireland. Name As the village is in a ''Gaeltacht'' distri ...

Harbour in Sheephaven Bay is fast becoming a world class big game fishing destination. Each autumn, sport fishing charter boats use

as the launching point for giant bluefin tuna fishing charters. Se

for additional information.

Townlands

The western side of the Rosguill peninsula and its townlands are known colloquially as "The Bottom" and the eastern side is known as "The Far side". The townlands on the mainland are known as "The Upper Part". The peninsula of Rosguill consists of nineteen

Townland A townland ( ga, baile fearainn; Ulster-Scots: ''toonlann'') is a small geographical division of land, historically and currently used in Ireland and in the Western Isles in Scotland, typically covering . The townland system is of Gaelic orig ...

s: *Melmore *Gortnalughoge *Dundoan lower *Dundoan upper *Glenoory *Dooey *Glebe *Clontallagh *Ardbane *Derryhassen *

*Crocknamurleog *Larganreagh *Magerabeg *Kinnelargy *Rosapenna *Island Roy *Ballyoghagan There are a further thirty one townlands in the parish of Rosguill (Mevagh): *Finner *Magheramagowrgan *Umlagh *

Carrigart Carraig Airt (anglicised as Carrigart or Carrickart) is a small Gaeltacht village in the barony of Kilmacrennan to the north of County Donegal, Ireland. The village is on the R245 route between Letterkenny and Creeslough. Situated as it is at ...

*Tirlaughan *Gortnabrade *Rawros *Aughalatty *Carrick *Devlinreagh *Devlinmore *Tullagh *Meenacross *Drumfin *Glenkeo *Downings Barr *Dunmore *Kill *Carnagore *Glenree *Aughadahor *Creevy *Drumlackagh *Drumdutton *Glenmenagh *Glengillagrana High *High Glen *Meenformla *Meenlaragh *Glenereragh *Toragh *Glenineeny

Notable natives

*Most Reverend Philip Boyce - former Roman Catholic Bishop of Raphoe * The Most Reverend Dr. Daniel McGettigan - former Lord Archbishop of Armagh

Notes

References

*Lucas, Leslie W. ''More about Mevagh''; 2nd ed. (Appletree Press, 1982) {{Authority control Peninsulas of County Donegal Gaeltacht places in County Donegal Gaeltacht towns and villages