Moville

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Moville
Bun an Phobail
Location
Location of Moville
centerMap highlighting Moville
Irish grid reference
C648397
Statistics
Province: Ulster
County: County Donegal
Elevation: 30 m
Population (2006) 1,427 

Moville (Magh Bhille or Bun an Phobail in Irish) is a town in County Donegal close to the northern tip of Ireland. The town enjoys a scenic location on the western shore of Lough Foyle, about 30 km from Derry, which lies across the border in Northern Ireland. Its most attractive feature is its handsome Green, a large seaside park featuring bandstands, walking trails, playgrounds and sweeping views east across the waters of the lough to Northern Ireland. As a result of this pleasant location and the proximity of several marvellous beaches, Moville receives many visitors and daytrippers in the summer months.

A View of Moville's Green and Lough Foyle coast.
A View of Moville's Green and Lough Foyle coast.

In the second half of the 19th century, Moville was a significant point of embarkation for many travellers, especially emigrants, to Canada and the United States of America. Steamships of the Anchor Line, of Glasgow, and others en-route from Glasgow to New York City regularly called at Moville to pick up additional passengers. Today, the town receives little maritime traffic; it retains its small fishing harbour, but the important commercial fishing port at Greencastle lies only a few miles away.

Moville, County Donegal.
Moville, County Donegal.

An annual regatta is held at Moville every year in August, and has done so since early in the 19th century. In older times the one-man punt was popular, whereas nowadays the race of the home-made rafts brings competitors from many counties and large spectator crowds.

Moville punts in the annual regatta
Moville punts in the annual regatta
Carrickarory Pier at night - Magilligan prison can be seen as a line of lights on the left.
Carrickarory Pier at night - Magilligan prison can be seen as a line of lights on the left.

The family of the British soldier Bernard Montgomery came from Moville, and maintained their home, New Park, close to the centre of the town.

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