Gartan () is a

civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government. Civil parishes can trace their origin to the ancient system of parishes, w ...

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 ...

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 ...

. The area is best known for being the birthplace of

Columba Columba () or Colmcille (7 December 521 – 9 June 597 AD) was an Irish abbot and missionary evangelist credited with spreading Christianity in what is today Scotland at the start of the Hiberno-Scottish mission. He founded the important abbey ...

, one of the three patron saints of

and one of the most revered saints in the Christian world. Here he founded a

monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of Monasticism, monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in Cenobitic monasticism, communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a ...

in 521. The popular song " Gartan Mother's Lullaby" comes from the area, and has been performed by many artists, including American actress

Meryl Streep Mary Louise "Meryl" Streep (born June 22, 1949) is an American actress. Known for her versatility and adept accent work, she has been described as "the best actress of her generation". She has received numerous accolades throughout her career ...

. From the book ''Kenny'', by Leona Dalrymple (The Reilly & Britton Co., Chicago, 1917):

Gallery

File:St Columba's church, Gartan, Donegal.jpg, The remains of St. Columba's church. File:Gartan Ráth Cnó Colm Cille 1400 Memorial Plaque 2012 09 19.jpg, Memorial plaque unveiled by Mary Robinson on the occasion of the 1400th anniversary of the death of Colm Cille

References

External links

Parish of Gartan and Termon

Gartan Outdoor Education Centre

{{County Donegal Civil parishes of County Donegal Townlands of County Donegal