Rosguill (

Irish language Irish (Standard Irish: ), also known as Irish Gaelic or simply Gaelic ( ), is a Celtic language of the Indo-European language family. It is a member of the Goidelic languages of the Insular Celtic sub branch of the family and is indigenous ...

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 only connected to land on one side. Peninsulas exist on each continent. The largest peninsula in the world is the Arabian Peninsula. Etymology The word ''peninsula'' derives , . T ...

situated in the north-north-west 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 ...

on the north coast of

Ulster Ulster (; or ; or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional or historic provinces of Ireland, Irish provinces. It is made up of nine Counties of Ireland, counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United Kingdom); t ...

, the northern

province A province is an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire, Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...

in Ireland. Lying between the peninsulae of Fanad to the east and Horn Head to the west, Rosguill is a dichotomy of heathland and ocean.

Sheephaven Bay Sheephaven Bay or Sheep Haven () is a broad, shallow inlet on the north coast of County Donegal, Ireland. Bounded by the peninsulas of Rosguill to the east and Horn Head () to the west, the bay is relatively protected from the full force of the ...

lies on the western side of the peninsula, while Mulroy Bay lies on the eastern side. 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 Christianity, Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest#Christianity, priest, often termed a parish pries ...

of Mevagh, which covers the peninsula and an equally sized hinterland. There are nearly 800 people living in Rosguill

electoral division An electoral (congressional, legislative, etc.) district, sometimes called a constituency, riding, or ward, is a geographical portion of a political unit, such as a country, state or province, city, or administrative region, created to provid ...

, while 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, often anglicised Finn McCool or MacCool, is a hero in Irish mythology, as well as in later Scottish and Manx folklore. He is the leader of the ''Fianna'' bands of young roving hunter-warriors, as well as being a seer a ...

finally obtained justice by killing

Goll mac Morna Goll mac Morna (or Goal mac Morn) was a member of the fianna and an uneasy ally of Fionn mac Cumhail in the Fenian Cycle of Irish mythology. He had killed Fionn's father, Cumhal, and taken over the leadership of the fianna, but when Fionn grew up ...

, the slayer of his father. This act is traditionally said to have taken place at a rock called ''Carraic Ghoill'' () lying off the

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 ...

of ''Dumhaigh'' (). The entire area became known as the "Headland of Goll" or ''Ros Goill''.

Deirdre Deirdre ( , ; ) is a tragic heroine in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. She is also known by the epithet "Deirdre of the Sorrows" (). Deirdre is a prominent figure in Irish legend. American scholar James MacKillop (author), James MacKil ...

and

Naoise In Irish mythology, Naisi,"Deirdre and Naisi". In: Thomas, Edward. ''Celtic stories''. Oxford: The Clarendon Press. 1911. pp. 48-60. Noíse or Noisiu (modern spelling: Naoise ) was the nephew of King Conchobar mac Nessa of Ulster, and a son of ...

are thought to have camped on the strand of ''Trá Mhór'' (Tramore, also known as Rosapenna Strand) 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 ...

, the King of

, and his Knights of the Red Branch. The highest points on the peninsula are ''Gainne Mhór'' ( English: Ganiamore) and its sister peak, ''Gainne Bheag''. The name derives from Gráinne, betrothed of

and lover of

Diarmuid Ua Duibhne Diarmuid Ua Duibhne (, ), also known as Diarmuid of the Love Spot, is a hero and demigod in the Fenian Cycle of Irish mythology, traditionally thought to be set in the 2nd to 4th century. He is the son of Donn, son of Duibhne of the Fiann ...

. While fleeing Fionn's

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

warriors en route to

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 ...

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

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

, at

Ballyshannon Ballyshannon () is a town in County Donegal, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is located at the southern end of the county where the N3 road (Ireland), N3 from Dublin ends and the N15 road (Ireland), N15 crosses the River Erne. The town was inc ...

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 t ...

. Conalll Gulban and his brother,

Eógan is an Old Irish, early Irish male given name, which also has the hypocoristic and diminutive forms , , and . The Irish language, Modern Irish form of the name is (). In Scottish Gaelic, the name is or . All of the above are often anglicisation ...

, became the ancestors of the Kings of Tír Conaill (''Tyrconnell'') and Tír Eógain (''Tyrone'') respectively.

Colm Cille

In common with many other areas of

, Rosguill has its share of legends relating to St. Colm Cille. Colm Cille was a nobleman born at Gartan, 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 Gaels, Gaelic Monarchy, kingdom that encompassed the Inner Hebrides, western seaboard of Scotland and north-eastern Ireland, on each side of the North Channel (Great Britain and Ireland), North ...

and the

Kingdom of the Picts The Picts were a group of peoples in what is now Scotland north of the Firth of Forth, in the Scotland in the early Middle Ages, Early Middle Ages. Where they lived and details of their culture can be gleaned from early medieval texts and Pic ...

, Colm Cille founded monasteries at

Derry Derry, officially Londonderry, is the second-largest City status in the United Kingdom, city in Northern Ireland, and the fifth-largest on the island of Ireland. Located in County Londonderry, the city now covers both banks of the River Fo ...

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 (, , ) is a free-standing Christian cross made of stone and often richly decorated. There was a unique Early Medieval tradition in Ireland and Britain of raising large sculpted stone crosses, usually outdoors. Th ...

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' during the

Plantation of Ulster The Plantation of Ulster (; Ulster Scots dialects, Ulster Scots: ) was the organised Settler colonialism, colonisation (''Plantation (settlement or colony), plantation'') of Ulstera Provinces of Ireland, province of Irelandby people from Great ...

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 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 ...

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 Harbour, on

, is fast becoming a world class big game fishing destination. Each autumn, sport fishing charter boats use Downings 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 (; 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 ...

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

* The Most Rev. Dr Philip Boyce, Lord Bishop of Raphoe from 1995 until 2017. * The Most Rev. Dr Daniel McGettigan, Lord Archbishop of Armagh from 1870 until his death in 1887.

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