Talk:Newtowncunningham
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Can someone change this to be an Irish geograhical stub- Newtoncunningham is located in Donegal in the Irish Republic, not Northern Ireland
Which house are the Anglo-Irish "big houses"? This sounds rather dubious to me.--Johnfullerton 17:47, 12 December 2005 (UTC)
"big house" is a term that is used to refer to the houses of English landlords. Not to be confused with "the big house" which has an altogether different meaning. I believe the context here insures that the correct meaning will be understood.
Some recent edits on this page seem a bit incorrect: Mickey Kurnel's as listed - shouldn't this be Mickey Burke's, which as far as I know is now called something like Geraldine's as Mr. Burke passed away some years ago. Billy and Anton Kurnan shouldn't this be "Barry and Anthony Kernan". They also own a Centra and not a Spar. The urban-rural divide is gradually being broken down gives a false impression. There's still a divide - its just that the population on the rural side are facing extinction.
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"Big House" is an established term used by Irish historians and literary critics in reference to the stately homes built by the Anglo-Irish Ascendancy. Newtown is literally a "new town" in that the village began as a cluster of servants' and farm labourers' cottages around the house that locals now call "The Castle" (of course it was never really a "castle" as such, and should not be confused with Burt Castle). A "manse" can be either a generic term for an imposing house, or a term for a clergyman's residence (especially a Presbyterian clergyman).
The previous commentator is right about errors having been introduced in recent edits. The shop in question was originally Mickey Burke's, but since his retirement it has been owned and run by his niece, Geraldine McFadden; it is presently called "Geraldine' Shop." The pub is known locally as "Peter's" but is actually called McLaughlin's. Multiple references on Google confirm that it is Barry and Anthony Kernan's Centra store. There is no Spar shop in Newtowncunningham. The page has been edited to fix those errors.
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In what sense is the rural side of the popualation facing extinction; literally or culturally-wise is it? Surely not literally; I haven't heard of any tension-related gang warfare murders. "Extinction" is a gross exaggeration. If you mean culturally, is there even a proud rural culture in Newtown anyway - any examples? By the way, why is the Manse in Newtown a "Big House"? It may be imposing, but, as far as I know, it is not inhabited by a Presbyterian clergyman. Who built it?--134.226.1.136 21:49, 11 February 2006 (UTC)
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I think the fate of long-term village servant Eugene Coyle, of Coyle's Store success, could be considered an unfortunate example of victimisation/extinction due to the urban-rural conflict now taking hold of Newtowncunningham. Coyle ran a family-based hardware facility, but he has since been pushed out of business after he was bought over by the urban consumerist Gala chain, popular with the 'border bandits', as the rural folk call them. Church rates are also falling as urban secularism influences the village youth (some traditional village old-timers would say 'infects' - but then the youth would counter that with accusations of the elderly being simply cases of 'old fogies'). In saying all this, progress has been made to smash the divide with collective organisation and celebration of St. Patrick's Day in Newtowncnningham with a parade down the main street. This is a highly commendable way to warm the cold relations.
As for the Manse; it's a private household, not a 'Big House'.--Johnfullerton 20:32, 12 February 2006 (UTC)
[edit] Alive and well
Hi all. Great to find this lengthy article on our ever expanding village. I have been keeping an eye on the [1] website for the goings on too. I think with a portal like this the village really has an area where, for the first time, just about anybody can have a say on anything they wish without having to go out of their way.
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"The Manse" may be a private household now, but was once an actual manse. The article mentions it in the context of the different architectural styles in the village, not in terms of its ownership or use.
[edit] Ghosts?
What's all this about ghosts? Won't somebody think of the children?
