Loughanure

Infobox Irish Place
name = Loughanure
gaeilge = Loch an Iúir
map

pin coords = left: 52px; top: 54px
north coord = 55.001 | west coord = 8.27 | irish grid = B810169
area = | elevation =
province = Ulster
county = County Donegal
town pop = 1,388
rural pop = 1,253
census yr = 2002
web =
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Loughanure (official name: Loch an Iúir) [ [http://www.commissioner.ie/downloads/An_tOrdu_Logainmneacha_(Ceantair_Ghaeltachta)_2004.pdf Barla ] ] is a village in the north-west of County Donegal, Ireland. Situated halfway between Gweedore and Dungloe, on the N56 road, in the Gaeltacht area of the Rosses.

Name

The village owes its name to the native Yew Tree which grows wild on Oileán Iúir, a small island on the lake. "Loch an Iúir" literally means “the lake of the yew tree”. The English equivalent of the village name is Loughanure, which is a phonetic version of the Irish name. This particular variety of yew tree grows wild only in Loughanure.

History

Despite it being visible from Mín na Mara road, the island where the yew tree grows must be viewed more closely by boat. The island itself was used as a safe haven for distilling poteen, which is an old Irish drink of high alcohol content, now illegal.

Loughanure was once the powerhouse of lime production in the west of Donegal. Limestone was abundant in Loughanure in the mid-20th Century, and the locals mined it for a living. Furnaces were required to reduce the limestone to powder. These furnaces, known locally as “kilns” (pronounced kill’s) are still in existence in the village today. The kilns were ignited with turf from the surrounding bogland. One kiln is partially restored and visible at the hairpin bend on the N56. Lime was once sold as far as Arranmore, and nearly every building in the Rosses was built with it. Loughanure Lake is the largest lake in the Rosses; it is over four kilometeres long and flows down the Crolly River into the Atlantic Ocean. Salmon, brown trout, and rainbow trout inhabit the waters. The lake is nestled among the surrounding hills. "Cumann Iascaireachta Loch an Iúir" hold fishing competitions on the lake annually. Nearby attractions include Blue Flag beaches, local summer festivals, surfing, and sight-seeing. Loughanure attracts many tourists during the holdiay season, partially due to Donegal Airport, which is a mere 4 km from the village.

Language

The Irish language is still spoken in the village, especially in the surrounding hinterland. However, it has declined majorly in recent yearsFact|date=August 2008 and the main tongue of the young population is English.Fact|date=August 2008 Loughanure is home to renowned author and historian Niall Ó Dónaill, who, among other achievements, was responsible for editing an Irish-English dictionary, "Foclóir Gaeilge-Béarla".

Education

The National School is called "Scoil Eoin Pól", and the Irish language college in Loughanure is "Coláiste Mhuire". The college was the centre of education in the Lower Rosses area for decades before Rosses Community School in Dungloe was built. Today, the college operates for 8 weeks each Summer for the sole purpose of teaching Irish to children. Over 1,000 students attend the college annually from all over Ulster. [ [http://www.colaistemhuire.net/Portal.aspx?tabindex=7&tabid=3628 Coláiste Mhuire Loch an Iúir - Stair ] ]

References

External links

* [http://www.loughanure.com/ Village website]