Gaoth Dobhair
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Gaoth Dobhair Gweedore |
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An aerial view of Gweedore, with Mount Errigal and Magheraclogher beach.
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 Gaoth Dobhair
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| Coordinates: 55°03′06″N 8°13′58″W / 55.0516522°N 8.2327056°WCoordinates: 55°03′06″N 8°13′58″W / 55.0516522°N 8.2327056°W | |
| Country | Ireland |
| Province | Ulster |
| County | County Donegal |
| Government | |
| • Dáil Éireann | Donegal South-West |
| • EU Parliament | North–West |
| Population (2002) | |
| • Total | 4,065 |
| Time zone | WET (UTC+0) |
| • Summer (DST) | IST (WEST) (UTC-1) |
| Area code(s) | 074 95, +000 353 74 95 |
| Irish Grid Reference | B847228 |
| Website | www |
Gweedore (officially known by its Irish language name, Gaoth Dobhair, Irish pronunciation: [ˌɡˠi ˈd̪ˠoːɾʲ]) is an Irish-speaking parish located on the Atlantic coast of County Donegal in the Republic of Ireland. Gweedore stretches some 26 kilometres (16 mi) from Meenaclady in the north to Crolly in the south and around 14 kilometres (9 mi) from Dunlewey in the east to Magheraclogher in the west, and is one of Europe's most densely populated rural areas. It is the largest Irish-speaking parish in Ireland with a population of around 4,065, and is also the home of the northwest regional studios of the Irish-language radio service RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta, as well as an external campus of NUI Galway. Gweedore includes the villages Bunbeg, Derrybeg, Dunlewey, Crolly and Brinalack, and sits in the shade of Donegal's highest peak, Errigal.
Gweedore is known for being a cradle of the culture of Ireland, with old Irish customs, traditional music, theatre, Gaelic games and the Irish language playing a central and pivotal role in the lives of the local people. This, along with its scenery and many beaches, has made the area a popular tourist destination, especially with visitors from Northern Ireland. Gweedore and the neighbouring districts of Cloughaneely and the Rosses are collectively known locally as "the three parishes", they form a social and cultural region distinct from the rest of the county, with Gweedore serving as the main centre for socialising and industry.
Gweedore is the anglicisation of the original and official Irish name Gaoth Dobhair. Gaoth refers to an inlet of the sea at the mouth of the Crolly River, known as An Ghaoth. It is the boundary between Gweedore to the north and The Rosses to the south. Dobhar is an old Irish word for water. Therefore, Gaoth Dobhair translates as "the aqueous estuary".
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