Fanad - Knowledge

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exports are made in such small vessels as sail up the harbour. Ramelton contains some good houses and two small inns at which cars can be hired...... Rathmullan, in its single street, church, battery and some vestiges of ecclesiastical and castellated ruins offers but little to arrest the attention of the traveller...Milford contains one or two public houses, a few shops, some respectable dwellings and in its vicinity a union workhouse.....The village of Rosnakill will not detain the traveller, it chiefly consists of poor cabins but it contains the parish church, some small retail shops and one or two public houses.......A good inn at Ballyvicstocker, one of the most lovely of all our sea bays and which is admirably suited to bathing, and where B. Barton Esq., the proprietor of the Greenfort Estate and one or two others have built comfortable villas, together with good roads from Ramelton and Rathmullan would tend to induce strangers to visit Fanad

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basis of white gravel, brownish or reddish clay, slate of various colours, and sometimes soft freestone rock. The parish contains about 60 quarter lands of good arable and bad pasture, with much waste and barren land: many acres have been covered and destroyed by the shifting sands. The point of Fannet is in lat. 55° 15' 50" (N.) and lon. 7° 39' (W.): it is on the western side of the entrance of Lough Swilly, and a lighthouse has been erected on it, of which the lantern has an elevation of 90 feet above the level of the sea at high water; it consists of nine lamps, displaying a deep red light towards the sea, and a bright fixed light towards the lough or harbour, and may be seen in clear weather from a distance of 14 nautical miles. The seats are Croohan House, the residence of R. H. Patton, Esq.; Greenfort, of H. Babington, Esq.; and Springfield, of M. Dill, Esq.

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system. The farm landscape of Fanad as we know it today, with small individual holdings and regularised boundaries was imposed from the 1830s onwards, often against the wishes of the tenant farmers. The introduction of these "improvements" saw the demise of some major centres of population in Fanad including the well established large villages of Doaghbeg and Glinsk. Emigration continued and grew as a response to the significant growth in population, and in response to the famine and food shortages including the Great Famine of the late 1840s. Fanad's population, which was estimated possibly about 4,000 in 1766, was 10,344 and rising in 1841. However, it had fallen to 8,244 by 1851 and continued to decline to a figure of 5,778 in 1891.

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Glinsk to Doaghbeg. The time of Leitrim's death coincided with the Land War which ended the era of landlord domination of Fanad. In the decades that followed and with the passing of various Irish Land Acts, ownership of much of the land in Fanad passed from landlords to their tenant farmers. Other major landowners whose lands passed into the ownership of their tenants included the Bartons who owned large tracts and land in and around Portsalon, Henry Letham whose holdings were principally on the Mulroy side of the peninsula, north of Kerrykeel and Thomas Norman whose lands were situated around Tamney and Rosnakill, immediately north of Henry Letham's holdings.

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of which 160 are uncultivated. The church is a plain structure, towards the repairs of which the Ecclesiastical Commissioners have recently granted £371.10.3. The R. C. parish is co-extensive with that of the Established Church, and contains two large chapels. There are five schools, one of which, the parochial school, is partly supported by annual donations from the rector and the late Col. Robertson's school fund. In these about 250 boys and 130 girls are instructed; and there are two pay schools, in which are about 70 boys and 11 girls, and five Sunday schools.

443:, one of the tribes of Donegal said to be descended from Niall of the Nine Hostages (Gaelic: Niall Noigiallach) and who originated at Mag nItha in the Lower Finn Valley, started to expand into Fanad, possibly forcing the northward retreat of the Corpraige. All traces of the Corpraige had disappeared from the area by the 12th century. Congal Cennemigher Mac Fergus Fanad was high king of Ireland from 700 AD until his death in 710 AD. It is held that the royal seat of Cenel Connell power in Fanad was at Cashelmor in "between the waters" in the north-west of Fanad. 30: 137: 498:(Crown servants including veterans of the Nine Years War). Settlers noted in the 1654 Civil Survey include Richard Perkins at BelliclanmcCallen (sic), William and David Lyne at Bunintyne (Bunnaton?), John Rowly at Ballymastocker, Craveross (Croaghross?) and Magherawarden, Thomas Stewart at Carlan, Knockbrack and Drumfad, William Patton at Croghan, Colin and Patrick Campbell at Moross and Luke Ashe at Ballyhork. Some lands at Tullynadall were granted to the Provost and Fellows of Trinity College, Dublin. 1115: 2050: 1103: 40: 543:, county of DONEGAL, and province of ULSTER, 15½ miles (N. by E.) from Letterkenny; containing 9595 inhabitants. This parish, which comprises, according to the Ordnance survey, 27,367¼: statute acres, of which 627¾ are water, is situated on the north-western coast; it comprehends the greater part of the peninsular district of Fannet, or Fanad, extending northward into the ocean, and terminating in the points called Maheranguna and Pollacheeny. 534:

National Schools emerged, some sponsored by landlord and some by churches and religious organisations. The early 19th century also saw the building of Roman Catholic places of worship starting with the building of the chapel at Massmount near Tamney about 1780 on a site donated by the Pattons of Croghan. Further building continued throughout the period including a chapel of ease in Fanavolty circa 1840.

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farming in Mulroy Bay and in Lough Swilly as the main local source of employment, albeit for a time in the late 20th century and early 21st century, construction was arguably a major source of local income reflecting the increase in the provision of holiday homes and a general upgrading of the local housing stock and infrastructure both in Fanad and in other areas of Donegal.

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the landscape which greeted the earliest settlers who ventured along the coastline in the late Mesolithic Period, possibly about 5,000 BC. There is archaeological evidence of human occupation of coastal areas of Inishowen at Dunaff and west of Horn Head during this period and it is reasonable to assume that Fanad also saw some transient occupation at this time.

419:(2,000 – 500 BC) continues in the form of tombs and related monuments. Three possible stone circles probably belonging to the Bronze Age have been identified near Rathmullan. Several cist burial sites which are thought to date from the Bronze Age were discovered in Fanad including a now destroyed group at a cairn at Killycolman near Rathmullan. 1204: 598:

recorded a combined population of 2,131 for the electoral districts of Carrowkeel, Rosnakill, Fanad North and Fanad West. By this time, farming had declined significantly with limited livestock rearing as the main component of local agriculture. Local rural industry had grown to some extent with fish

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was a major focus of the linen industry and was stated to have had the largest bleaching green in Donegal during the late 18th century and early 19th century – a time of major prosperity in the town. It also thrived as a port at this time. However, linen and domestic shoe production went into decline

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Despite the plantation, Fanad retained its majority native population and Gaelic ways and Irish remained the principal spoken language of the peninsula – a situation that remained generally unchanged until the mid 19th century. The 18th century saw the introduction into Fanad of rural industry with a

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There is no specific evidence of human occupation of Fanad during the Mesolithic period (8,000–4,000 BC) though as noted already, it is reasonable to assume that there was some temporary occupation of coastal locations during this period. The earliest evidence of human settlement in Fanad is probably

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hunters, fishers and gatherers to the introduction of primitive farming during the Neolithic period from 4,000 BC onwards. The tree-covered landscape of the Mesolithic period would have given way gradually to a more open countryside in arable areas, marking the beginning of the contemporary landscape

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Improvements in local infrastructure and facilities during the early part of the 19th century included the construction of a lighthouse at Fanad Head in 1818 in response to the sinking of the frigate Saldanah in Lough Swilly in 1804. A Workhouse was constructed at Milford about 1840 and a network of

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and approximately 12 km east–west measured between the townlands of Doaghbeg and Glinsk. The southern boundary of Fanad has been the subject of some dispute over the centuries. In the 16th century, during the time of the MacSuibhnes as rulers of Fanad, it was stated that the territory of Fanaid

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During the first half of the 20th century, Fanad, in common with other coastal areas of Donegal, settled into a pattern of subsistence farming. Employment outside of agriculture was very limited, leading to continuing high levels of migration both permanent and seasonal, some overseas to the UK and

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The living is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Raphoe, and in the patronage of the Provost and Fellows of Trinity College, Dublin: the tithes amount to £463.5.4½. The glebe-house was built by aid of a loan of £100 from the late Board of First Fruits, in 1795; the glebe comprises 240 acres,

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In common with much of the rest of Ireland, the post-glacial landscape gradually changed with rises in temperature from open tundra to one dominated by forests of pine, oak, alder, hazel and birch, with breaks in the canopy on the edges of the intervening expanses of lake and bog. This was probably

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The landscape evolved to reflect the development of local estates during this time. The existence of picturesque seascapes induced many local landowners to site "big houses" in parkland settings overlooking Lough Swilly and Mulroy Bay. In addition to the great houses listed by Lewis, other notable

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The surface is for the most part occupied by mountains of considerable altitude, among which Knockalla is 1196 feet above the level of the sea: these are separated by deep and narrow vales, of which the soil is tolerably good, consisting of a brown gravelly mould, sometimes inclining to clay, on a

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The landscape of Fanad has been shaped by geological processes which include the effects of periodic covering with ice sheets and glaciers as recently as 14,000 years ago. The retreat of the ice sheet had a major impact on Fanad and surrounding areas. It is speculated that much of Lough Swilly was

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Some consolidation of local facilities has occurred over the last half century, reflecting the decline in population. There has been a consolidation of the National School network into a small number of larger facilities. Many local shops have closed, partly due to the population decline but also

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The power of the O'Breslins in Fanad lasted until sometime after 1263 when the Chieftains of Tir Conaill, the O'Donnells, granted the sub-chieftaincy of Fanad to the MacSweeneys (Gaelic: MacSuibhne) in return for their support of certain O'Donnell families in their struggle for chieftaincy of the

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A notable addition to the local infrastructure was the construction of a major road bridge at the northern end of Mulroy Bay in 2009, allowing for improved access from Fanad westwards to Carrigart, Downings and other towns and villages along the northern coast. Tourism also provided some limited

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in 1878, who was assassinated by three men named Neil Shiels, Michael McElwee and Michael Heraghty. One of the major local landowners in Fanad and a man much reviled for his strictness in his dealing with his tenants, Leitrim held much of the northern part of Fanad, with holdings stretching from

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The second half of the 19th century witnessed a developing infrastructure of schools and other public buildings in the area. By c. 1858, schools had been established in a number of locations including Ballymichael, Doaghbeg, Ballyhiernan, Cashel Glebe, Tullyconnell, Croaghross, Leatbeg, Ballina,

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There are a few more romantic spots than Ramelton and its vicinity. The town contains three Presbyterian meeting-houses, a Methodist chapel and a church: the Roman Catholic chapel is at some distance. There are corn mills and stores, a brewery and a bleach green. Although there is no pier, some

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The 19th century was furthermore a time of great change and upheaval in farming practice. In the first half of the century, many landowners began to introduce "improvements" to their holdings which effectively saw the end of the clachans and the old ways of farming based around the old Rundale

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The MacSweeneys who were galloglasses, (mercenary warriors) from Scotland, were responsible for the building of the castle and the Carmelite Monastery at Rathmullan at the end of the 16th century. The MacSweeneys were also responsible for the building of the tower house at Moross on the upper

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Family names commonly recorded in Fanad since the mid-19th century include Blake, Callaghan, Cannon/Canning, Carr/Kerr, Coll, Coyle, Deeney, Doherty, Friel, Fealty, Gallagher, Martin, McAteer/McIntyre, McConigley/McGonigle, McGinley/McKinley, Shiels/Shields and Sweeney/McSwyne.

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was incorporated as a town and in 1618, Knox modified the Carmelite Friary to serve as a manor house. It remained as the residence of the Knox family until the late eighteenth century. Also notable at this stage was the building of the Church of Ireland in Rosnakill in 1693.

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Bealoideas and the earliest records suggest that Fanad was originally occupied by the Corpraige from whom St. Colmcille's mother Eithne is said to have come. The Corpraige may have occupied a territory as far south as the River Swilly and Binswilly Mountain including Gartan.

1040:...the remains of Neil T Blaney began the first leg of the journey back to his native Fanad from the Mater Private Hospital in Dublin yesterday (Thursday). Crowds gathered outside the City Hospital Chapel from 11 am to pay their respects to the country's longest serving TD. 558:

houses built during this era included Drumhalla House (1789) by Dr. Knox, Fort Royal in Rathmullan (1807) by Charles Wray, Rathmullan House (1820) by Lt. Col. Knox of Prehen and Glenalla House (1810) north of Rathmullan which was built by the Hart family.

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contain the remainder of trees which were submerged by the advance of the sea in this area. Many of the beaches on the Fanad shoreline were formed at this time by glacial deposits which were subsequently reworked by the actions of waves and currents.

298:"The inhabitants of Inishowen state that Fanaid extends from Rathmeltan to Mulroy Lough, but the natives of the Parishes of Killygarvan, Tully and Aughnish, who considered themselves civilised, deny that they themselves are of the men of Fanaid" 446:

The Cenel Conail were subsequently reduced in power by the expansion of the Cenel Eoghain from Inishowen during the 8th century, particularly following the battle of Clóitech in 789 when the Cenél Conaill withdrew to territories south of

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to the US, and some to cities in Ireland including Derry and to a lesser extent, Belfast and Dublin. The drop in population continued, with the population recorded as 2,846 in 1961 approximately a quarter of that recorded in the 1840s.

488:, though they continued to hold some lands in Fanad as proprietors until the 1641 rising, following which all remaining MacSweeney lands were confiscated. The "hereditary commandery" of Fanad remains in the MacSweeney's families. 451:. With the reduction of power of the Cenel Conaill, the territory of Fanad came under the control of the O'Breslins who were descended from Congel Cennemigher's son. During this era, there are records of attacks by 426:

Donegal (500 BC – 400 AD) including such major monuments as Grianan Aileach. Evidence of ring forts has been found in 35–40 locations in Fanad, principally in coastal locations on both the Swilly and Mulroy coasts.

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may have been dry land which was flooded due to a rise in sea level within the last 10,000 years. Mulroy Bay may have been similarly formed at this time. The peat outcrops on the foreshore at White Strand north of

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igneous rocks across the northern end of the peninsula from Ballywhoriskey to Fanad Head, but the greater part of Fanad consist of Middle-Dalradian Quartzite and some Pellite rocks with local occurrences of

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The original OS maps for Fanad as surveyed in the late 1820s and early 1830s show clachans. The maps produced at the time of Griffiths Primary Valuations in the early 1850s show the origins of the current

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corresponding improvement in infrastructure. Rearing cattle commercially, herring fishing, flax growing and linen production came to feature in the local economy from the mid-18th century.

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court tombs in a variety of locations including Tyrladden, Drumhallagh Upper and Crevary Upper dating possibly from circa 4,000–3,500 BC. There are also portal tombs or dolmens from the

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As per Chapter Six –Late Medieval Donegal by Katherine Simms and Gaelic Families of County Donegal from Donegal History and Society – Ed. Nolan. Roynane and Dunlevy (1995)

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word Fána for "sloping ground". It is also referred to as Fannet or Fannett in older records. There are an estimated 700 people living in Fanad and 30% Irish speakers.

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As per maps and text of Chapter One – Geology and Geomorphology by Moore, Cooper, Dunlop and Jackson, from Lough Swilly – A Living Landscape, Ed. Andrew Cooper (2011)

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As per maps and text of Chapter One – Geology and Geomorphology by Moore, Cooper, Dunlop and Jackson, from Lough Swilly – A Living Landscape, Ed. Andrew Cooper (2011)

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Ref. Chapter 1 – Prehistoric and Early Historic Settlement in Donegal by Brian Lacy from Donegal History and Society – Ed. Nolan, Ronayne & Dunlevy (1995)

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of Fanad, with its mixture of arable land at lower levels, with scrub and gorse covered uplands, and bogs interspersed with occasional lakes and streams.

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Counties Londonderry & Donegal – A Topographical Dictionary of the Parishes, Villages and Towns of these Counties in the 1830s by Samuel Lewis (1837)

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The subsequent evolution of the landscape in Fanad probably owes more to human intervention than to natural forces, reflecting the shift from visits by

840:

As per Chapter Twelve – The Triumph of Cenél hEogain and the invention of "The North" from Cenél Conaill and the Donegal Kingdoms by Brian Lacey (2006)

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As per Chapter Thirteen – The Evolution of the Urban Network by W H Crawford from Donegal History and Society – Ed. Nolan. Roynane and Dunlevy (1995)

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by the 1820s and the herring fisheries had also declined. As a result, emigration became a greater feature of life as the local population increased.

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As per Chapter Four – Archaeology and History of Lough Swilly by Thomas McErlean, from Lough Swilly – A Living Landscape, Ed. Andrew Cooper (2011)

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As per Chapter Four – Archaeology and History of Lough Swilly by Thomas McErlean, from Lough Swilly – A Living Landscape, Ed. Andrew Cooper (2011)

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As per Chapter Four – Sandhills, Silver and Shrines by Raghnall O'Floinn from Donegal History and Society – Ed. Nolan. Roynane and Dunlevy (1995)

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In 1837, Samuel Lewis published a topographical dictionary which included the following contemporary description of the Parish of Clondavaddog:

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arguably due to the greater mobility of the population who now have the option to shop at the larger centres of population e.g. Letterkenny.

279:, Killygarvan and parts of Tullyfern and Aughinish. It measures approximately 25 km north–south measured from Fanad Head to the town of 305: 940:

As per landholding maps in the introduction to The Outer Edge of Ulster by Hugh Dorrian – Ed. Brendan MacSuibhne and David Dickson (2000)

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and Ramelton. In 1835, the surveyor John O'Donovan referred to Rathmullan as the capital of Fanad, and he also refers to Clondavaddog as

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show rock alignments running south-west to north east across the Fanad peninsula. The underlying rock in the peninsula is mostly of

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Muineagh, Drumfad and Glenvar. There was also a coastguard stations, police barracks and a dispensary and session house at Tamney.

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Lighthouses are shown in anti-clockwise sequence beginning from the north and proceeding west, south, east, and back to north.

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Doyle, Louise (12 November 2020). "The Way We Were - 25 Years Ago: November 11, 1995 - Farewell to Father of the Dáil".

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and above Saltpans on the Lough Swilly side of the peninsula. These are suggested as dating from circa 3,800–3,200 BC.

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Chapter 3 – Early Medieval Geography of West Donegal from Cenél Conaill and the Donegal Kingdoms by Brian Lacey (2006)

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Chapter 3 – Early Medieval Geography of West Donegal from Cenél Conaill and the Donegal Kingdoms by Brian Lacey (2006)

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Rural tourism emerged about this time – Fanad features in an 1849 traveller's guide which notes, inter alia, that

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The cliffs around Fanad Head are of exposed Grandiorite, whereas the higher ground running south from Fanad Head to

950: 627:. They are the league's most successful club, having won fourteen titles. At national level they have won both the 1082: 1432: 999: 332:

meta-sedimentary rocks, which have been exposed by weathering and erosion over the millennia There are areas of

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Chapter 7 – The emergence of Cenél Conaill from Cenél Conaill and the Donegal Kingdoms by Brian Lacey (2006)

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Reflecting the frequency of the occurrence of the names noted in Griffith's Primary Valuation of the 1850s.

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By the early 19th century, manufacture of bent hats, shoes and kelp production were also evident.

2467: 2302: 2282: 2085: 2066: 2031: 1999: 1623: 1474: 489: 456: 2570: 2537: 2412: 2312: 2242: 1955: 1783: 1760: 1401: 1343: 661: 2590: 2487: 2447: 2397: 1971: 1966: 1893: 1888: 1610: 1328: 296:, suggesting that Fanad included parishes other than Clondavaddog. O'Donovan also noted that 972: 2635: 2580: 2482: 2382: 1989: 1913: 1842: 1806: 1773: 1163: 628: 540: 485: 218: 8: 2220: 1878: 1765: 1628: 1396: 1323: 481: 265: 2751: 2512: 2492: 1883: 1507: 1119: 1618: 1376: 1313: 1308: 1058:

Leabhar Chlainne Suibne: An Account of MacSweeney' Families in Ireland with Pedigrees

620: 1903: 1798: 1755: 1371: 1333: 1318: 1225: 1183: 2625: 2457: 1994: 1732: 1702: 1697: 1692: 1684: 1406: 1361: 1086: 2442: 2686: 2437: 2170: 2109: 2054: 1852: 1824: 1461: 1220: 1188: 1107: 448: 325: 269: 261: 62: 682: 2845: 2756: 2387: 1981: 1870: 1663: 1602: 1298: 1293: 1275: 1260: 1250: 632: 505: 440: 92: 79: 721: 2782: 2741: 2681: 2472: 2422: 2145: 2077: 1923: 1860: 1814: 1750: 1673: 1638: 1584: 1555: 1550: 1545: 1534: 1203: 1034: 341:

and Tillites – the latter mostly concentrated around the northern inlet of

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O'Donovans's Ordnance Survey Letters Donegal 1835 by Michael Herity (2000)

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Ring forts (Cashels) and ornately carved stonework are features of

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The second half of the 19th century was marked by the killing of

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Lighthouses on the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage

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The Anglicized words of Irish Placenames by Tom Burnell (2006)

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The power of the MacSweeneys as Lords of Fanad ended with the

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A Handbook for Travellers in Ireland by James Fraser (1849)

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