Mountcharles

Mountcharles
Tamhnach an tSalainn
Village
Mountcharles

Location in Ireland

Coordinates: 54°39′N 8°12′W / 54.650°N 8.200°W / 54.650; -8.200Coordinates: 54°39′N 8°12′W / 54.650°N 8.200°W / 54.650; -8.200
Country Ireland
Province Ulster
County County Donegal
Government
 • Dáil Éireann Donegal South-West
Population
 • Total 468

Mountcharles (Irish: Tamhnach an tSalainn, meaning "The salt mountain field")[1][2][3] is a townland (of 650 acres) and a village in County Donegal, Ireland. It lies 6 km from Donegal town on the Killybegs road. It is situated in the civil parish of Inver and the historic barony of Banagh.[4]

Name and history

The area was originally known as Tamhnach an tSalainn (meaning "The salt mountain field"). This refers to a salt mine in the area which local people worked in, and at a growing rate, as the salt extraction rate was increased by the incoming family of Charles Conyngham.[5] The name was later anglicized as Tawnaghtallan and Tawnytallan.[1]

The English name for the village owes its origin to the Scottish plantation runner, Charles Conyngham, who arrived in Donegal during the Plantation of Ulster and asserted a landlord control over the area, renaming the region Mount Charles after himself.[2] He is the ancestor of the current "Lord" Henry Conyngham (frequently, if inaccurately, known as 'Lord Henry Mountcharles') of Slane Castle, County Meath. Charles Conyngham financed the building of the village in the 17th century. The Conyngham estate and its large estate house (Hall Demesne), close to the village, are now unoccupied. The courtesy title of the heir apparent of The Marquess Conyngham is Earl of Mount Charles, being named after the village.

Transport

Mountcharles railway station opened on 18 August 1893 and shut on 1 January 1960.[6]

Notable people

Shops and pubs

Mountcharles has one general shop on the Main Street. There is also an excellent fishmongers, a local butchers, a post office, pharmacy and local tea rooms. There is a pilates and yoga centre there as well as a massage therapist. There is also a local beauticians, several hairdressers and a barber shop.There are currently two bars on the main street: The Village Tavern on the Main Street has won many awards over recent years and is well worth a visit.

Sport

Montcharles has a Gaelic games pitch that belongs to the local club St Naul's (or Naomh Naile in the Irish language); nearby is Eany Celtic F.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Placenames Database of Ireland: Mountcharles/Tamhnach an tSalainn
  2. 1 2 "TV Mountcharles". We Love Donegal. Retrieved 2015-12-23.
  3. ↑ ""Tamhnach" translation in Irish English Dictionary Foclóir.".
  4. ↑ "Mountcharles". IreAtlas Townlands Database. Retrieved 6 May 2015.
  5. 1 2 ©Searc.ie. "Donegal County.com & Dún-na-nGall.com - Mountcharles / Tamhnach an tSalainn". Dun-na-ngall.com. Retrieved 2015-12-23.
  6. ↑ "Mountcharles station" (PDF). Railscot - Irish Railways. Retrieved 18 November 2007.
  7. ↑ "Seumas MacManus". Archives.nd.edu. Retrieved 2015-12-23.
  8. ↑ Archived September 7, 2011, at the Wayback Machine.
  9. ↑ "Seumas MacManus". LibraryThing. 1960-10-24. Retrieved 2015-12-23.
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