Greencastle, County Donegal

Infobox Irish Place
name = Greencastle
gaeilge = An Caisleán Nua
crest

motto =
map

pin coords = left: 140px; top: 25px
north coord = 55.2 | west coord = 6.9833 | irish grid = C648397
area = | elevation = 30 m
province = Ulster
county = County Donegal
town pop = 570 | rural pop = 747
census yr = 2002
web =
|

Greencastle, Donegal ("An Caisleán Nua" in Irish) is a commercial fishing port in County Donegal in the northwest of Ireland though nowadays given the decline in the fishing industry, it resembles more closely a "typical" Donegal holiday village. It is located a few miles from Moville and is about 20 miles from Derry. Greencastle's name comes from the castle in the area, which in turn, may have its name from the green freestone with which it was built.

The first proper pier was built in 1813 [cite book | author=Sean Beattie | title=Donegal (Ireland in Old Photographs series) | location=Sutton | publisher=Printing Press | year=2004 | id=ISBN 0-7509-3825-0 ] and has been added to several times since. Today, as well as being a tie up for trawlers and salmon boats and the home of the Greencastle Fishermen's Co-Op, the Foyle Fishermen's Co-Op and Fresco Seafoods, the pier also has a very different "catch". Visitors disembark from the Magilligan-Greencastle ferry which was inaugurated in 2002. [ [http://www.donegallibrary.ie/memory/places.htm Donegal Library Information] ] The official website advertises the fact that this saves 78km (or 49 miles) of driving, which would be through Derry. The Lough Foyle Ferry Company has also recently (2004) begun a Lough Swilly ferry service that runs between Buncrana and Rathmullan seasonally. The pier also contains a newly built pilot office to replace the decommissioned pilot office at Carrickarory Pier.

The castle at Greencastle has been linked with the castle in the background of the Derry crest. [ [http://www.ngw.nl/int/gbr/d/derry.htm British Civic Heraldry - Derry] Retrieved 2007-09-29.]

The castle was built in 1305 to provide a base for Anglo-Norman power in the North West. This building was named "Northburg". [ [http://www.merseyshipping.co.uk/photofeatures/shipco/foyleferries/foyleferries.htm Foyle Ferries Info] ] There is a more modern Martello Fort beside the Norman ruin. This was built by the British to stop Napoleon invading circa 1800.

The National Fisheries College (NFC) is located in Greencastle. The NFC recently completed a €1.1 million extension funded under the INTERREG 11 Initiative, thus providing better facilities including a realistic simulator bridge deck.

ee also

*List of towns and villages in Ireland

References

External links

* [http://www.visitinishowen.com/scenic%20tour%20files/greencastlepg.html Greencastle Fort Information]
* [http://www.benpalmer.co.uk/movillehistory8.htm History of Greencastle church]
* [http://www.irishgolfcourses.co.uk/north/greencastle.php Greencastle golf club]
* [http://www.loughfoyleferry.com/ Greencastle - Magilligan Ferry]
* [http://www.benpalmer.co.uk/movillerecords.htm/ Moville Records - genealogy information for the Greencastle area]