Downings
Gaeltacht village in County Donegal, Ireland
title: "Downings" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["gaeltacht-places-in-county-donegal", "gaeltacht-towns-and-villages", "townlands-of-county-donegal", "towns-and-villages-in-county-donegal"] description: "Gaeltacht village in County Donegal, Ireland" topic_path: "general/gaeltacht-places-in-county-donegal" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Downings" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Gaeltacht village in County Donegal, Ireland ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| official_name | Downings |
| native_name | ga |
| settlement_type | Village |
| image_skyline | Nadunaibh.JPG |
| image_caption | Downings Bay |
| pushpin_map | Ireland |
| pushpin_label_position | left |
| pushpin_map_caption | Location in Ireland |
| subdivision_type1 | Country |
| subdivision_name1 | Ireland |
| subdivision_type2 | Province |
| subdivision_name2 | Ulster |
| subdivision_type3 | County |
| subdivision_name3 | County Donegal |
| subdivision_type4 | Barony |
| subdivision_name4 | Kilmacrenan |
| unit_pref | Metric |
| population_as_of | 2011 |
| population_density_km2 | auto |
| timezone1 | WET |
| utc_offset1 | +0 |
| timezone1_DST | IST (WEST) |
| utc_offset1_DST | -1 |
| coordinates | |
| blank_name | Irish Grid Reference |
| blank_info | |
| :: |
|official_name = Downings |native_name = ga |settlement_type = Village |image_skyline = Nadunaibh.JPG |image_caption = Downings Bay |pushpin_map = Ireland |pushpin_label_position = left |pushpin_map_caption = Location in Ireland |subdivision_type1 = Country |subdivision_name1 = Ireland |subdivision_type2 = Province |subdivision_name2 = Ulster |subdivision_type3 = County |subdivision_name3 = County Donegal |subdivision_type4 = Barony |subdivision_name4 = Kilmacrenan |established_title = |established_date = |unit_pref = Metric |area_footnotes = |area_total_km2 = |population_as_of = 2011 |population_footnotes = |population_total = |population_density_km2 = auto |timezone1 = WET |utc_offset1 = +0 |timezone1_DST = IST (WEST) |utc_offset1_DST = -1 |coordinates = |elevation_footnotes = |elevation_m = |blank_name = Irish Grid Reference |blank_info = |website = |footnotes = Downings or Downies () is a Gaeltacht village and townland on the Rosguill peninsula in County Donegal, Ireland. The village is on the shores of Sheephaven Bay on the north coast of Ireland.
Name
As the village is in a Gaeltacht district, its official name is Na Dúnaibh, its name in the Irish language. The name probably means 'the forts', reflecting the existence of several hill forts in the area. The full original Irish name seems to have been (hi ccrannóicc) na nDuini. The name may also be a hibernicisation of the English name, to describe the sandy dunes connecting the peninsula to the County Donegal mainland.
History
Evidence of ancient settlement in the area includes a number of ringfort and standing stone sites in the townlands of Larganreagh (Leargain Riach), Downies (Na Dúnaibh) and Rosepenna (Machaire Loiscthe).
In 2007, local divers recovered a gun from the wreck of HMS at the mouth of Lough Swilly. The gun is now mounted beside Downings Pier.
Economy
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/72/Fishermen_on_the_pier_at_Downings,_Co._Donegal.jpg" caption="Fishermen on Downings pier, around 1910"] ::
The fishing port at Downings was previously home to a substantial herring fleet. Today, the economy survives partly on tourism. Na Dúnaibh is home to the 'McNutt of Donegal' tweed factory and shop. It is also home to McBride Fishing who operate three crab fishing boats and the online fishing industry news platform The Fishing Daily. The Meevagh Boatyard, located on Mulroy Bay, was established in the early 1900s by the Congested District Board. It built fishing boats, for local fishermen, during the herring boom.
Situated on Sheephaven Bay, Downings is one of the safest anchorages on the north coast of Ireland, and is a must for an overnight stay for anyone sailing along the Donegal coast.
Recreation
The Rosapenna Hotel & Golf Resort, just outside Downings village, is located on the dunes that link the Rosguill peninsula to the mainland. The golf club's links course was initially designed by Old Tom Morris in the 1890s.
Downings lies on the Donegal Atlantic Drive tourist driving route.
People
- The Most Rev. Dr Philip Boyce, Lord Bishop Emeritus of Raphoe. He served as the Lord Bishop of Raphoe from October 1995 to June 2017.
- Maxi Curran, Gaelic football manager
References
References
- "Downings (village)". Placenames Database of Ireland.
- "Downings (townland)". Placenames Database of Ireland.
- "Placenames (Ceantair Ghaeltachta) Order 2004".
- ''Discovery Series'' Sheet 2 (3rd Edition). [[Ordnance Survey of Ireland]] (O.S.I.), [[Dublin]], 2005.
- "Downies Townland, Co. Donegal".
- McKay, Patrick. (1999). "A Dictionary of Ulster Place-Names". [[The Queen's University of Belfast]].
- (1983). "Archaeological Survey of County Donegal". Donegal County Council.
- McGlinchey, Don. "The Laurentic's golden allure". Irish Underwater Council.
- (2 October 2007). "Laurentic gun recovered off Malin Head". Inishowen News.
- "Rosapenna, Old Tom Morris Golf Links".
- "Downings". North West Ireland Tourism Guide.
- (21 January 2012). "Maxi Curran takes up reins as U-21 manager". Donegal Democrat.
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