Derrygonnelly

Derrygonnelly (Irish: Doire Ó gConaile) is a small village in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. Situated beside Lower Lough Erne the village is home to 594 people (at the 2001 Census) and dates back to the Plantation era. Located in the west of the county, with a harmonious main street lined with two storey houses, shops and bars, it forms the hub for the surrounding rural area and derives its history from agriculture.

The village has a long history of Irish traditional music and each year in early October there is an annual celebration of local talent in memory of the late musicians Eddie Duffy and Mick Hoy. Musicians come from all over Ireland and from further afield to enjoy this festival which bases itself in any of Derrygonnelly's four pubs.

1 History
2 Places of interest
3 Gaelic Sports
4 2001 Census
5 References
6 External links
7 See also

[edit] History

Derrygonnelly was founded by General Archdale as a Plantation town. The area hosted fairs from the late 18th century but the village itself only really developed as late as 1812 when the long, flat main street was built along the Sillees River. The main road to Enniskillen was known as the Famine Road as it was made during the 1846 famine as a relief scheme.

[edit] Places of interest

Approximately one mile to the northwest of the village are the ruins of Carrick Church; built by Gilbert O'Flanagan in 1483 "In Honour of God and Mary". The church's graveyard was used by the locals until around 1930. Also just north of the village is a small ruined church that combines medieval and Renaissance features, built in 1627 by Sir John Dunbar. His coat of arms are over the doorway. Other 17th century ruins in the nearby area include Monea Castle and Tully Castle, the former having been sacked and burned by Rory Maguire on Christmas day during the 1641 rebellion. As well as Lower Lough Erne to the north, Derrygonnelly is surrounded by small lakes and is split by the Sillees River, which is popular with canoeists.

[edit] Gaelic Sports

The local Gaelic football team is Derrygonnelly Harps who play on their home ground of Canon Maguire Park. The team has enjoyed much underage success in recent years, and at senior level have gained two New York Gold Cups (the County Championship), one in 1995 and the most recent in 2004.

[edit] 2001 Census

Derrygonnelly is classified as a small village or hamlet by the NI Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) (ie with a population of between 500 and 1,000 people). On Census day (29 April 2001) there were 594 people living in Derrygonnelly. Of these:

23.6% were aged under 16 and 19.7% were aged 60 and over
50.3% of the population were male and 49.7% were female
77.4% were from a Catholic background and 20.1% were from a Protestant background
4.0% of people aged 16-74 were unemployed.

For more details see: NI Neighbourhood Information Service