Downings
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| Downings Na Dúnaibh |
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WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates:
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| Irish grid reference B847228 |
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| Province: | Ulster | |
| County: | County Donegal | |
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Downings (official name: Na Dúnaibh)[1] is a townland and village, the main focus of the Rosguill peninsula in County Donegal, Ireland. ( )
The name is ambiguous and could refer to either the wealth of Hill forts in the area , or as a hibernicisation of the English to describe the sandy dunes connecting the peninsula to the mainland. Downings is in one of the most eastern of the Gaeltachtaí.
Downings used to be a significant fishing port with a substantial Herring fleet. Today however, the local economy survives on tourism, and only three Crab boats make a traditional living from the sea. Situated as it is, in one of the safest anchorages on the North west coast, Sheephaven Bay (whose name is derived from Ship-Haven), Downings has started to cater for International game fishermen, the North west of Ireland being on the migration route of the Bluefin Tuna and other game species.[citation needed]
The dunes that connect the Rosguill peninsula to the mainland are also home to the Rosapenna Links course designed by Old Tom Morris, and although the original hotel and clubhouse that was patronised by the likes of John Wayne and Errol Flynn burnt down in the sixties, the new buildings seek to emulate the charm.[citation needed]
Downings is the start and finish of the world famous Atlantic Drive, one of the most dramatic and glorious scenic routes in Ireland.[citation needed]
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[edit] Trivia
Downings is often erroneously referred to as Downies on maps due to the Ordnance Survey of Ireland providing incorrect mapping data[1]. This is because Ordnance Survey Ireland and indeed An Bord Pleanála relies heavily on the 1912 Ordnance Survey maps of Ireland charted before independence. The most common name in Downings is McBride. There are so many McBrides in Downings that people of that surname usually are referred by a nickname - usually by the mothers first name.[citation needed]
