
''An Bun Beag'' (anglicised as Bunbeg), meaning "the small river mouth", 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 ...
village and
townland
A townland (; Ulster-Scots: ''toonlann'') is a traditional small land division used in Ireland and in the Western Isles of Scotland, typically covering . The townland system is of medieval Gaelic origin, predating the Norman invasion, and mo ...
in
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
Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...
. It is officially the smallest townland in ''
Gaoth Dobhair
Gweedore ( , officially known by its Irish language name, ) is a Gaeltacht (Irish-speaking) district, and parish, located on the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast of County Donegal in the north-west of Ireland. It stretches some from Glasserchoo ...
'' (Gweedore), but today the name Bunbeg is used to describe a large region of the parish. It is situated between
Derrybeg
Doirí Beaga (anglicised as Derrybeg, meaning 'small oak trees'), is a Gaeltacht village and townland in the parish of Gweedore (''Gaoth Dobhair'') in County Donegal, Ireland. It includes RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta regional studios, a Gaelic At ...
and the townland of Dore and is home to many of Gweedore's amenities and businesses. The
Clady River (
Irish: ''An Chláidigh'') flows into the Crolly River (also known as the Gweedore River) beside Bunbeg
Quay
A wharf ( or wharfs), quay ( , also ), staith, or staithe is a structure on the shore of a harbour or on the bank of a river or canal where ships may dock to load and unload cargo or passengers. Such a structure includes one or more Berth (mo ...
, on the south-western outskirts of Bunbeg.
There is a ferry service from Bunbeg to nearby
Tory Island
Tory Island, or simply Tory, is an island 14.5 kilometres (7+3⁄4 nautical miles) off the north-west coast of County Donegal in the north-west of Ulster, the northern Provinces of Ireland, province in Ireland. It is officially known by its Iris ...
.
Storm
On Tuesday, 23 June 2009, a severe
thunderstorm
A thunderstorm, also known as an electrical storm or a lightning storm, is a storm characterized by the presence of lightning and its acoustics, acoustic effect on the Earth's atmosphere, known as thunder. Relatively weak thunderstorm ...
struck the villages of Bunbeg and Derrybeg and other parts of
Gweedore
Gweedore ( , officially known by its Irish language name, ) is a Gaeltacht (Irish-speaking) district, and parish, located on the Atlantic coast of County Donegal in the north-west of Ireland. It stretches some from Glasserchoo and Bloody For ...
. It lasted for several hours and caused two rivers to burst their banks, flooding houses and businesses, and damaging roads and bridges. Lightning strikes damaged
power lines
Electric power transmission is the bulk movement of electrical energy from a generating site, such as a power plant, to an electrical substation. The interconnected lines that facilitate this movement form a ''transmission network''. This is ...
and
mobile phone
A mobile phone or cell phone is a portable telephone that allows users to make and receive calls over a radio frequency link while moving within a designated telephone service area, unlike fixed-location phones ( landline phones). This rad ...
services, causing those trapped by the floods to be unable to communicate.
[Donegal Democrat, Clean up underway after freak flash flood in Gweedore, 24 June 2009](_blank)
Described as the worst storm 'in living memory', it was also the most severe since 1880 when 5 people drowned in Derrybeg. While the highly localised nature of the storm meant the bulk of the rainfall missed the network of
rain gauge
A rain gauge (also known as udometer, ombrometer, pluviometer and hyetometer) is an instrument used by meteorologists and Hydrology, hydrologists to gather and measure the amount of liquid precipitation in a predefined area, over a set period of t ...
s, the
Irish Meteorological Service estimated that up to of rain fell between 2pm and 6pm of 23 June 2009.
Amenities
The former ''Óstán Gaoth Dobhair'' is situated beside Magheraclogher beach. Built in 1970, it became a well-known attraction in the area, attracting notable guests included
George Best
George Best (22 May 1946 – 25 November 2005) was a Northern Irish professional association football, footballer who played as a winger (association football), winger, spending most of his club career at Manchester United F.C., Manchester Un ...
and
Paddy Crerand
Patrick Timothy Crerand (born 19 February 1939) is a Scottish former Association football, footballer who played as a Wing half, right half. After six years at Celtic F.C., Celtic, he moved to Manchester United F.C., Manchester United, where he ...
. It closed in 2015 and has been abandoned since. The hotel used to be very popular for weddings and other events in the area due to its picturesque location and the size of the function rooms. It was bought by private developer in 2020, with plans to redevelop the hotel and provide apartments.

Another hotel, ''Óstán Radharc na Mara'' (Seaview Hotel), also closed in 2015. Like with Óstán Gaoth Dobhair, it too was bought by the same developer in 2020 for redevelopment, with work beginning in 2022.
The hotel has been used to accommodate
refugees
A refugee, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), is a person "forced to flee their own country and seek safety in another country. They are unable to return to their own country because of feared persecution as ...
since the
Russian Invasion of Ukraine
On 24 February 2022, , starting the largest and deadliest war in Europe since World War II, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, conflict between the two countries which began in 2014. The fighting has caused hundreds of thou ...
.
There are a number of public houses in the area, such as ''Teach Hiúdaí Beag''. The Irish-American gangster,
Vincent 'Mad dog' Coll, was born above Teach Hiúdaí Beag.
There is a pier in the area, built in the 1830s to encourage fishing. It has ferry routes to both
Tory Island
Tory Island, or simply Tory, is an island 14.5 kilometres (7+3⁄4 nautical miles) off the north-west coast of County Donegal in the north-west of Ulster, the northern Provinces of Ireland, province in Ireland. It is officially known by its Iris ...
and
Gola Island
Gola ( or ''Oileán Ghabhla'') is a small island off the coast of Gweedore, County Donegal, Ireland.
It was unpopulated as late as 1996 but more recently people have started to return. A ferry service operates during the summer holiday season an ...
available. The local coast guard station is also situated at the pier.
Education
There is an
Irish-medium primary school in the area called ''Scoil Chonaill'' (Connell's School) with around 100 pupils.
The secondary school for the wider
Gweedore
Gweedore ( , officially known by its Irish language name, ) is a Gaeltacht (Irish-speaking) district, and parish, located on the Atlantic coast of County Donegal in the north-west of Ireland. It stretches some from Glasserchoo and Bloody For ...
area is
Pobalscoil Gaoth Dobhair, which is also an Irish-medium school.
Bád Eddie
There is an iconic shipwreck on the beach known as ''Bád Eddie'' (Eddie's boat). The large fishing boat, originally built in
Brittany
Brittany ( ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the north-west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica in Roman Gaul. It became an Kingdom of Brittany, independent kingdom and then a Duch ...
,
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
, was called ''"Ami Des Flots"'' (Friend of the Waves). At some point its name was changed to ''Cara Na Mara'' (Friend of the sea), before finally being called Bád Eddie after its final owner. In 1977 it came ashore for minor repairs and remained there for unknown reasons.
The shipwreck is best known for featuring in
Bono
Paul David Hewson (born 10 May 1960), known by the nickname Bono ( ), is an Irish singer-songwriter and activist. He is a founding member, the lead vocalist, and primary lyricist of the rock band U2. Bono is known for his impassioned voca ...
and
Clannad
Clannad () were an Irish band formed in 1970 in Gweedore, County Donegal, by siblings , and (Moya) (in English, Brennan) and their twin uncles Noel and (Duggan). They have adopted various musical styles throughout their history. Beginn ...
's 1985 hit song ''
In A Lifetime
"In a Lifetime" is a pop song performed by Irish artists Clannad and Bono. It was written by brothers Pól Brennan and Ciarán Brennan and produced by Steve Nye. The single was released in January 1986, and was the third single to be releas ...
'' in which it was struck by lightning. It has also featured in
Vogue
Vogue may refer to:
Business
* ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine
** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine
** '' Vogue Adria'', a fashion magazine for former Yugoslav countries
** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine
** ' ...
magazine.
Michael Moore
Michael Francis Moore is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and author. Moore's work frequently addresses various Social issue, social, political, and economic topics. He first became publicly known for his award-winning debut ...
also stated it was his view of the ship that inspired him to finish his book ''
‘Dude Where’s my Country’''.
In recent years efforts have been taken to preserve and salvage the ship, after decades of being exposed to the elements from the sea have led to its degradation.
Appearances in music
Bunbeg is mentioned in the song "Left in Peace" from the album ''Finisterres'' (1997) by
Héritage des Celtes.
References
External links
{{coord, 55, 03, 39, N, 8, 18, 01, W, region:IE_type:city, display=title
Gaeltacht places in County Donegal
Gaeltacht towns and villages
Geography of Gweedore
Towns and villages in County Donegal