Gortahork

Gort an Choirce
Village
Gort an Choirce

Location in Ireland

Coordinates: 55°03′03″N 8°14′08″W / 55.050941°N 8.235626°W / 55.050941; -8.235626Coordinates: 55°03′03″N 8°14′08″W / 55.050941°N 8.235626°W / 55.050941; -8.235626
Country Ireland
Province Ulster
County County Donegal
Government
 • Dáil Éireann Donegal South-West
Population (2002)
 • Rural 500
Area code(s) +00353 07491
Irish Grid Reference C055307
Gort an Choirce is the only official name. The anglicized spelling Gortahork has no official status.

Gort an Choirce or Gort a' Choirce Irish pronunciation: [ˌɡˠɔɾˠt̪ˠ ə ˈxɔɾʲcə] or [ˌɡˠɔɾˠt̪ˠ ə ˈhɔɾʲcə] (anglicized as Gortahork)[1] is a village and townland in the northwest of County Donegal, Ireland. It is a lively Gaeltacht community, where the Irish language is the main language of the area. Along with Falcarragh, it forms part of the district known as Cloughaneely.

Irish language

There are 1,599 people living in the Gortahork ED and 81% are native Irish speakers, making it one of the top two EDs in terms of proportion of Irish speakers.

Name

The official name of the townland is Gort an Choirce (anglicised to Gortahork), meaning 'the Field of Oats', early habitation is evident by the sourterrain and the various ring forts evident in the townland. It's known as the Parish of Críost Rí (Christ the King) in the Catholic division, or Tullaghobegley East in the Protestant division.

The creek at Gort a' Choirce.
Shop and filling station in Gortahork.

History

It is claimed that a Charlie McGee, from Inishbofin, some four miles offshore from Gort a' Choirce, was the first person to have been killed in the 1916 Easter Rising.[2] McGee, who was a member of the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC), was shot on duty while in Castlebellingham, County Louth. He was brought home to be buried in Gortahork, where an RIC tombstone now lies over his grave.

In 2006 Coláiste Uladh (the Ulster College) celebrated its centenary. Among those who attended the College were Pádraig Pearse, Joseph Mary Plunkett and Roger Casement – three members of the 1916 Rising.[2]

Arts

Gort a' Choirce has been home to the Guth Gafa International Documentary Film Festival since 2006.[3] The festival runs in May, and in its first year screened 30 films from 15 different countries.

Gortahork is mentioned in the opening lines of the popular Christy Moore song Lisdoonvarna.[4]

Notable people

Natives include
Residents include

References

  1. ↑ Placenames (Ceantair Ghaeltachta) Order 2004
  2. 1 2 Colaiste Uladh 1906-2006 Coláiste Uladh by Seosamh Ó Ceallaigh.
  3. ↑ Guth Gafa Documentary Film Festival website
  4. ↑ http://www.triskelle.eu/lyrics/lisdoonvarna.php?index=080.010.040.060 Archived December 31, 2010, at the Wayback Machine.
  5. ↑ Sunday Independent Life, 15 June 2008
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