The Rosses (officially known by its

Irish language Irish (an Caighdeán Oifigiúil, Standard Irish: ), also known as Gaelic, is a Goidelic languages, Goidelic language of the Insular Celtic branch of the Celtic language family, which is a part of the Indo-European languages, Indo-European lang ...

name, ''Na Rosa''; in the genitive case ''Na Rosann'') is a geographical and social region in the west of

County Donegal County Donegal ( ; ga, Contae Dhún na nGall) is a county of Ireland in the province of Ulster and in the Northern and Western Region. It is named after the town of Donegal in the south of the county. It has also been known as County Tyrconn ...

, Ireland, with a population of over 7,000 centred on the town of Dungloe, which acts as the educational, shopping and civic centre for the area. Defined by physical boundaries in the form of rivers, as well as history and language use, the area has a distinctive identity, separate from the rest of Donegal. The extensive region lies between the parish of

Gweedore Gweedore ( ; officially known by its Irish language name, ) is an Irish-speaking district and parish located on the Atlantic coast of County Donegal in the north-west of Ireland. Gweedore stretches some from Glasserchoo in the north to Crolly ...

to the north and the town of

Glenties Glenties () is a town in County Donegal, Ireland. It is situated where two glens meet, north-west of the Bluestack Mountains, near the confluence of two rivers. Glenties is the largest centre of population in the parish of Iniskeel. Glenties ha ...

to the south. A large part of the Rosses is in the

Gaeltacht ( , , ) are the districts of Ireland, individually or collectively, where the Irish government recognises that the Irish language is the predominant vernacular, or language of the home. The ''Gaeltacht'' districts were first officially recog ...

, which means that Irish is the spoken language. The Rosses,

Cloughaneely Cloughaneely (official name: ) is a district in the west of County Donegal, Ireland. This is a mainly coastal area with a population of over 4,000 centred on the towns of Falcarragh () and Gortahork (). It is a Gaeltacht area, meaning the Iri ...

and

, known locally as "''the three parishes''" with 16,000 Irish speakers, together form a social and cultural region different from the rest of the county, with Gweedore serving as the main centre for socialising and industry. Gaeltacht an Láir is another Irish-speaking area.

Irish language

The following is a list of electoral divisions in the area with the percentage that speak Irish: # An Clochán Liath (1,785) (15%) # Anagaire (2,138) (55%) # Arainn Mhor (529) (62%) # Inis Mhic an Doirn (1,410) (9%) # An Duchoraidh (78) (34%) # Leitir Mhic an Bhaird (650) (19%) # An Machaire (615) (15%) # Cro Bheithe (170) (60%)

Culture

Once a predominantly Irish-speaking area, over recent generations English has become increasingly common. Irish is still used extensively in some areas including parts of the island of

Arranmore ''Árainn Mhór'' ( English name: Arranmore) is an island off the west coast of County Donegal, Ireland. Arranmore is the largest inhabited island of County Donegal, with a population of 469 in 2016, but has had a gradually falling native popul ...

, the townland of Ranafast and the village of Annagry. In some areas, like the hills around Dungloe, around Loughanure and in pockets of Doochary and Lettermacaward, the Irish language is predominant. The local people are said to have a preference for

Gaelic football Gaelic football ( ga, Peil Ghaelach; short name '), commonly known as simply Gaelic, GAA or Football is an Irish team sport. It is played between two teams of 15 players on a rectangular grass pitch. The objective of the sport is to score by ki ...

over football, which is often the case in rural areas of the country. The area fields a number of football teams, both in football and Gaelic football. Keadue Rovers from the lower Rosses have traditionally been the area's strongest football team, and there are also teams in

(Arranmore United F.C.) and in Maghery (Strand Rovers F.C.). An Clochán Liath have traditionally been the strongest in Gaelic football, winning seven County Championships between 1930 and 1958. There are also teams in Mullaghderg ( Naomh Muire), and in Lettermacaward ( Na Rossa). There is a strong tradition of songwriting in the area, Seán McBride (1906–1996) from Cruit Island wrote the popular song " The Homes of Donegal". There are connections between the people of the Rosses and

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to th ...

, Glasgow in particular, due to the economic need for emigration in the past and the strong ties forged over the generations as a result. Many people from the Rosses, in common with people from other parts of County Donegal, have also settled in the City of Derry, especially since the late 1840s. Preparing to land at Donegal Carrickfin Airport - geograph

Preparing to land at Donegal Carrickfin Airport - geograph

Geography

The area is bounded by the River Gweebarra to the south, the Gweedore River to the north, the Derryveagh Mountains and the Gweebarra River (Doochary Bridge) to the east and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. The name comes from "Ros", the Irish word for headland. The area presents a rocky barren landscape, studded with a myriad of lakes and inlets of the sea. Lakes include Lough Anure, Lough Craghy, Dunglow Lough and

Lough Meela Lough Meela () is a freshwater lake in the northwest of Ireland. It is located in The Rosses area of County Donegal. Geography Lough Meela is located about northwest of Dungloe and southeast of Burtonport, on the R259 road. It measures abo ...

Donegal Carrickfin Airport - Terminal entrance - geograph

Transport

The Rosses boasts Donegal's only airport at Carrickfinn. Various coach companies serve the area.

History

The Rosses has been inhabited since time immemorial, and the ancient church of St Crona in Termon near Dungloe has been dated to the 6th century AD. It was the site of a monastery founded by St. Crona, a cousin of the Royal Saint called

Columcille Columba or Colmcille; gd, Calum Cille; gv, Colum Keeilley; non, Kolban or at least partly reinterpreted as (7 December 521 – 9 June 597 AD) was an Irish abbot and missionary evangelist credited with spreading Christianity in what is tod ...

, founder of the monastic settlement at

Iona Iona (; gd, Ì Chaluim Chille (IPA: �iːˈxaɫ̪ɯimˈçiʎə, sometimes simply ''Ì''; sco, Iona) is a small island in the Inner Hebrides, off the Ross of Mull on the western coast of Scotland. It is mainly known for Iona Abbey, though the ...

, and was the centre of the parish of Templecrone. Mouth of the Gweebarra Estuary - geograph

In the 16th century, a number of ships from the

Spanish Armada The Spanish Armada (a.k.a. the Enterprise of England, es, Grande y Felicísima Armada, links=no, lit=Great and Most Fortunate Navy) was a Spanish fleet that sailed from Lisbon in late May 1588, commanded by the Duke of Medina Sidonia, an a ...

sank off or landed off its coast.

Economy

Historically the Rosses has relied heavily on hospitality, tourism and the fishing industry as the mainstays of its economy. The area has its own indigenous supermarket chain called The Cope which has been quite successful. There is very little manufacturing industry in the Rosses apart from a few companies located in Dungloe. Thecopedungloe

Tourism

The area claims a large proportion of Donegal's tourist income, due to its renowned scenery and its many festivals, including the Mary From Dungloe International Festival. There is a very strong tradition of

marching band A marching band is a group of instrumental musicians who perform while marching, often for entertainment or competition. Instrumentation typically includes brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. Most marching bands wear a uniform, ...

s emanating from the region; the area boasts many All-Ireland championship bands in all grades and disciplines.

Notable people

Declan Bonner Declan Bonner (born 11 August 1965) is an Irish Gaelic footballer and manager. He played at senior level for the Donegal county team, winning an All-Ireland Senior Football Championship in 1992. He later managed the Donegal county team for t ...

, member of 1992 All-Ireland winning Donegal team * Packie Bonner, former Ireland and Celtic goalkeeper * Tony Boyle, 1992 All Star and member of 1992 All-Ireland winning Donegal team * Joseph Duffy,

UFC The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorpo ...

Pat "the Cope" Gallagher Pat "the Cope" Gallagher ( ir, Pádraig Ó Gallchóir; born 10 March 1948) is a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician who served as Leas-Cheann Comhairle of Dáil Éireann from 2016 to 2020 and as a Minister of State from 1987 to 1994 and from 20 ...

, former TD and former MEP * Goats Don't Shave, folk band * Adrian Hanlon, member of 2012 All-Ireland winning Donegal panel * Niall Ó Dónaill, lexicographer *

Daniel O'Donnell Daniel Francis Noel O'Donnell, MBE (born 12 December 1961) is an Irish singer, television presenter and philanthropist. After rising to public attention in 1983, he has since become a household name in Ireland and Britain; he has also had c ...

, singer * Peadar O'Donnell, socialist and author *

Margo *** People * Margo (actress) (1917–1985), Mexican-American actress and dancer * Margo (magician), American magic performer and actress * Margo (singer), Irish singer * Margo (given name), including a list of people and characters with the name P ...

, singer * Seosamh Mac Grianna, author * Carl McHugh, footballer for

Motherwell Motherwell ( sco, Mitherwall, gd, Tobar na Màthar) is a town and former burgh in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, United Kingdom, south east of Glasgow. It has a population of around 32,120. Historically in the parish of Dalziel and part of Lana ...

Séamus Ó Grianna Séamus Ó Grianna (; 17 November 1889 – 27 November 1969; locally known also as Jimí Fheilimí) was an Irish writer, who used the pen name Máire. Biography Born to Feidhlimidh Mac Grianna and Máire Eibhlín Néillín Ní Dhomhnaill ...

, author *

Skara Brae Skara Brae is a stone-built Neolithic settlement, located on the Bay of Skaill on the west coast of Mainland, the largest island in the Orkney archipelago of Scotland. Consisting of ten clustered houses, made of flagstones, in earthen dams t ...

, folk band *

Adrian Sweeney Adrian Sweeney is an Irish former Gaelic footballer who played for An Clochán Liath and the Donegal county team. Considered one of the finest forwards of his generation, he often played alongside Brendan Devenney for Donegal. Sweeney played ...

, 2003 All Star footballer

Townlands

* Acres * Annagry (''Anagaire'') * Arlands * Belcruit * Braade (''An Bhráid'') * Burtonport (''Ailt an Chorráin'') * Carrickfinn (''Carraig Fhinne'' or ''Carraig Fhinn'') * Cloughlass * Crickamore * Crolly (''Croithlí'')(half of which is situated in Gweedore) * Derrynamansher (''Doire na Mainséar'') * Doochary (''An Dúchoraidh'') * Drumnacart Mountain Pasture * Dungloe (''An Clochán Liath'') *

Keadue Keadue, officially Keadew (), is a village in County Roscommon, Ireland. It is on the R284 and R285 regional roads close to the borders of County Leitrim and County Sligo. Keadue is the burial place of the great Irish harper, Turlough O'Caro ...

(''Céideadh'') * Kerrytown *

Kincasslagh Cionn Caslach (anglicized as Kincasslagh) is a small Gaeltacht seaside village in the Rosses area of County Donegal, Ireland. Despite only having a population of just over 40 people, the village has attracted much international attention due t ...

(''Cionn Caslach'') * Lackenagh * Lettermacaward/Leitir (''Leitir Mhic an Bhaird'') * Loughanure (''Loch an Iúir'') * Maghery (''An Mhachaire'') * Meenagowan (''Min A Ghabhann'') * Meenaleck * Meenbanad * Mullaghduff (''Mullach Dubh'') * Ranafast (''Rann na Feirste'') * Roshine * Tullyillion

Islands

(''Árainn Mhór'') *

Cruit The Celtic harp is a triangular frame harp traditional to the Celtic nations of northwest Europe. It is known as in Irish, in Scottish Gaelic, in Breton and in Welsh. In Ireland and Scotland, it was a wire-strung instrument requiring great ...

(''An Chruit'') * Eighter (''An tÍochtar'') * Inishal (''Inis Saille'') * Inishcoo (''Inis Cú'') * Inishfree (''Inis Fraoigh'') * Inishkeeragh (''Inis Caorach'') * Owey (''Oileán Uaighe'') *

Rutland Rutland () is a ceremonial county and unitary authority in the East Midlands, England. The county is bounded to the west and north by Leicestershire, to the northeast by Lincolnshire and the southeast by Northamptonshire. Its greatest l ...

(''Inis Mhic an Doirn'')

References

External links

Gaeltacht Irish language use 2007
{{Coord, 54, 59, 04, N, 8, 24, 33, W, region:IE_type:city_source:kolossus-nlwiki, display=title Gaeltacht places in County Donegal Geography of County Donegal