Rathmullan () is a seaside 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 ...

on the

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 origin of the name Fanad derives from the Irish language word Fána for "sloping ground". It is als ...

Peninsula 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 situated on the western shore of

Lough Swilly Lough Swilly () in Ireland is a glacial fjord or sea inlet lying between the western side of the Inishowen Peninsula and the Fanad Peninsula, in County Donegal. Along with Carlingford Lough and Killary Harbour it is one of three glacial fjords ...

, north-east of

Ramelton Ramelton (; ), also Rathmelton, is a town and townland in County Donegal, Ireland. As of 2022, its population was 1,288. History Ramelton is situated at the mouth of the River Lennon, 11 km north of Letterkenny and 4 km south of Mi ...

and east of Milford. Rathmullan was the point of departure during the

Flight of the Earls On 14 September ld Style and New Style dates, O.S. 4 September1607, Irish earls Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone, and Rory O'Donnell, 1st Earl of Tyrconnell, permanently departed Rathmullan in Ireland for mainland Europe, accompanied by their fa ...

in 1607, a major turning point in Irish history.

History

Evidence of ancient settlement in the area includes

court tomb The court cairn or court tomb is a megalithic type of chambered cairn or gallery grave. During the period, 3900–3500 BC, more than 390 court cairns were built in Ireland and over 100 in southwest Scotland. The Neolithic (New Stone Age) monu ...

and

ringfort Ringforts or ring forts are small circular fortification, fortified settlements built during the Bronze Age, Iron Age and early Middle Ages up to about the year 1000 AD. They are found in Northern Europe, especially in Ireland. There are ...

sites in the neighbouring townlands of Crevary Upper and Rathmullan and Ballyboe. Within Rathmullan village is a ruined

Carmelite The Order of the Brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel (; abbreviated OCarm), known as the Carmelites or sometimes by synecdoche known simply as Carmel, is a mendicant order in the Catholic Church for both men and women. Histo ...

friary A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer which may ...

, dating to 1516, which was built by Eoghan Rua MacSweeney. The friary was sacked by the English garrison from

Sligo Sligo ( ; , meaning 'abounding in shells') is a coastal seaport and the county town of County Sligo, Ireland, within the western province of Connacht. With a population of 20,608 in 2022, it is the county's largest urban centre (constituting 2 ...

in 1595. In 1617, the friary was occupied by the Protestant

Bishop of Raphoe The Bishop of Raphoe ( ) is an episcopal title which takes its name after the town of Raphoe in County Donegal, Ireland. In the Roman Catholic Church it remains a separate title, but in the Church of Ireland it has been united with another bi ...

, Andrew Knox. A subsequent Bishop of Raphoe turned it into a fortified house in anticipation of a possible French invasion during the

Napoleonic Wars {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Napoleonic Wars , partof = the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars , image = Napoleonic Wars (revision).jpg , caption = Left to right, top to bottom:Battl ...

. On 14 September 1607, 99 aristocrats of the Gaelic Order, including of Clan Ó Néill and Clan Ó Domhnaill, left Rathmullan for the European continent, an episode known as the

. On 14 September 2007, president

Mary McAleese Mary Patricia McAleese ( ; ; ; born 27 June 1951) is an Irish activist lawyer, academic, author, and former politician who served as the president of Ireland from November 1997 to November 2011. McAleese was first elected as president in 1997, ...

visited the village to mark the 400th anniversary of the event. She unveiled a sculpture by John Behan that represents the plight of the men who were led by the Gaelic aristocrats. There are the remains of a

Martello tower Martello towers are small defensive forts that were built across the British Empire during the 19th century, from the time of the French Revolutionary Wars onwards. Most were coastal forts. They stand up to high (with two floors) and typica ...

or battery in the village which serves as a heritage centre. The fortification was one of six originally built by the British as part of a defence along

against feared Napoleonic invasion. These batteries were manned up until the end of the

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

to protect British warships that were moored in Lough Swilly.

Amenities

There are three churches in Rathmullan: St. Joseph's Catholic Church, St. Columb's

Church of Ireland The Church of Ireland (, ; , ) is a Christian church in Ireland, and an autonomy, autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. It is organised on an all-Ireland basis and is the Christianity in Ireland, second-largest Christian church on the ...

(Parish of Killygarvan), and the Rathmullan Presbyterian Church. Other facilities in Rathmullan include shops, a resource centre, a spa, a wedding venue (Drumhalla House), and a hotel.

Events

The annual ''Lough Swilly Deep Sea Fishing Festival'' is held locally in June. The 2007 festival took place on Saturday 2 June and Sunday 3 June. Rathmullan - Houses along main street - geograph

Rathmullan - Houses along main street - geograph

Literature

Rathmullan is the setting for Australian/British author Brand King's novel ''An Irish Winter'', published in 2020. A number of features of the village are described in the novel, including the local beach. The traditional New Year's Day cold water swim also features, while a number of scenes are set in the Beachcomber Bar and An Bonnan Bui Cafe.

Notable people

Ian Anderson Ian Scott Anderson (born 10 August 1947) is a British musician best known for being the chief vocalist, Flute, flautist, and acoustic guitarist of the British rock band Jethro Tull (band), Jethro Tull. He is a multi-instrumentalist who also p ...

(1925–2005), former

President of the Legislative Council of the Isle of Man President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...

. * Hugh Law (1818–1883),

Lord Chancellor of Ireland The Lord High Chancellor of Ireland, commonly known as the Lord Chancellor of Ireland, was the highest ranking judicial office in Ireland until the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922. From 1721 until the end of 1800, it was also the hi ...

, died here in 1883. * Mary McAlister (1896–1976), Irish-born Scottish nurse who became an MP for the UK Labour Party.

References