Killygordon
| Killygordon Cúil na gCuirridín | |
|---|---|
| Village | |
  Killygordon Location in Ireland | |
| Coordinates: 54°48′11″N 7°35′48″W / 54.8030°N 7.5966°WCoordinates: 54°48′11″N 7°35′48″W / 54.8030°N 7.5966°W | |
| Country | Ireland |
| Province | Ulster |
| County | County Donegal |
| Population (2011) | |
| • Total | 608 |
| Time zone | WET (UTC+0) |
| • Summer (DST) | IST (WEST) (UTC-1) |
Killygordon[1] or Killygordan[2] (Irish: Cúil na gCuirridín), is a small village in the Finn Valley of east County Donegal, Ireland. It has a population of 608 (2011) and is located on the N15 between Ballybofey and Castlefin. The separate townland of the Crossroads lies half a mile from Killygordon. The River Finn passes by the village on its way towards its confluence with the River Mourne and the River Foyle.[3]
Amenities
Killygordon has one pub, St. Patrick's Catholic church at the Crossroads, a Presbyterian church at Liscooley and St. Anne's Church of Ireland at Monellan.
Economy
The main employer in the area is Donegal Creameries Plc which is based in the nearby village of the Crossroads, a dairy company which supplies fresh milk to all of Donegal. As one of the largest employers in the county, it employs over 100 people and has been in operation since 1989. They sponsor most sports in Donegal including the GAA County team and the Finn Harps FC.[4]
Places of Interest
Monellan Castle, situated two miles outside the village, was built during the 18th century, and part of the 35 room dwelling was underground, to be used as a place of safety - if such was required. The castle and its gardens were in proper condition for some time after the Catholic Emancipation Act in 1775, until its demolition in the 1930s - on orders given to the Irish Land Commission from the Government of the day.[5]
Demographics
The population of Greater Killygordon is just over six hundred people. The village and surrounding areas have a large Church of Ireland and Presbyterian minority, however, Roman Catholicism is the main religion practiced.
Sport
The local Gaelic football team is Aodh Rua (Red Hugh's) and Setanta is the local hurling team. They have separate Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) grounds and both are located at the Crossroads.
Education
Killygordon has two primary schools:
- Dromore National School.
- Killygordon National School.
The Crossroads has one primary school:
- Gleneely National School.
The people of Killygordon get their secondary education either at the Finn Valley College (formally known as Stranorlar Vocational School), St. Columba's College Stranorlar or at the Royal and Prior, Raphoe.[6]
Transport
Killygordon railway station opened in September 1863, but finally closed on 1 January 1960.[7]
There is also a service which connects Killygordon with Stranorlar and Strabane. A number of buses pass through nearby Stranorlar on a daily basis going to Letterkenny, Derry, Strabane, Dublin, Sligo and Galway. Whilst nearby Strabane have connecting Ulsterbus services to Derry, Omagh, and Belfast.
Notable people
- John Gallagher, father of Seán Gallagher
- Hugh McLaughlin, publisher and inventor
- James Hewitt, 4th Viscount Lifford
See also
References
- ↑ Placenames Database of Ireland
- ↑ "Table 5: Population of Towns ordered by County and size, 2002 and 2006" (PDF). 2006 Census Volume 1 (in Ireland). Central Statiistics Office. 2007. p. 56. Retrieved 7 April 2012.
- ↑ http://www.salmon-ireland.com/salmon-rivers/foyle/river-finn.jsp
- ↑ http://www.finnharps.com/site/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=464:donegal-cremaries-to-continue-as-official-sponsor-of-harps&catid=67:todays-highlights&Itemid=90
- ↑ http://www.finnvalley.ie/history/monellancastle/index.html
- ↑ http://www.ceist.ie/ceist_schools/view_school.cfm?loadref=76
- ↑ "Castlefinn station" (PDF). Railscot - Irish Railways. Retrieved 2007-09-16.
External links
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