An Bun Beag (anglicised as Bunbeg), meaning "the small river mouth",[ Placenames (Ceantair Ghaeltachta) Order 2004] is a small Gaeltacht village and townland in County Donegal, Ireland. It is officially the smallest townland in Gaoth Dobhair (Gweedore), but today the name Bunbeg is used to describe a large region of the parish. It is situated between Derrybeg and the townland of Dore and is home to many of Gweedore's amenities and businesses. The Clady River (Irish language: An Chláidigh) flows into the Crolly River (also known as the Gweedore River) beside Bunbeg Quay, on the south-western outskirts of Bunbeg.[ Discovery Series Sheet 1 (Fourth Edition). Ordnance Survey of Ireland (O.S.I.), Dublin, 2012.]
There is a ferry service from Bunbeg to nearby Tory Island.
Storm
On 23 June 2009, a severe thunderstorm struck the villages of Bunbeg and Derrybeg and other parts of
Gweedore. It lasted for several hours and caused two rivers to burst their banks, flooding houses and businesses, and damaging roads and bridges. Lightning strikes damaged power lines and
mobile phone services, causing those trapped by the floods to be unable to communicate.
[ "Horror storms flood west Donegal"][ Donegal Democrat, Clean up underway after freak flash flood in Gweedore, 24 June 2009 ] Described as the worst storm 'in living memory', it was also the most severe since 1880 when 5 people drowned in Derrybeg. While the highly localised nature of the storm meant the bulk of the rainfall missed the network of
, the Irish Meteorological Service estimated that up to of rain fell between 2pm and 6pm on that day.
[ Met Service report on the flood]
Amenities
The former
Óstán Gaoth Dobhair is situated beside Magheraclogher beach. Built in 1970,
it became a well-known attraction in the area, attracting notable guests included
George Best and
Paddy Crerand.
It closed in 2015 and has been abandoned since.
The hotel used to be very popular for weddings and other events in the area due to its picturesque location and the size of the function rooms.
It was bought by private developer in 2020, with plans to redevelop the hotel and provide apartments.
Another hotel,
Óstán Radharc na Mara (Seaview Hotel), also closed in 2015.
Like with Óstán Gaoth Dobhair, it too was bought by the same developer in 2020 for redevelopment, with work beginning in 2022.
The hotel has been used to accommodate refugees since the Russian Invasion of Ukraine.
There are a number of public houses in the area, such as Teach Hiúdaí Beag.
There is a pier in the area, built in the 1830s to encourage fishing. It has ferry routes to both Tory Island and Gola Island available. The local coast guard station is also situated at the pier.
Education
There is an
Gaelscoil primary school in the area called
Scoil Chonaill (Connell's School) with around 100 pupils.
The secondary school for the wider Gweedore area is Pobalscoil Gaoth Dobhair, which is also an Irish-medium school.
Bád Eddie
There is an iconic shipwreck on the beach known as
Bád Eddie (Eddie's boat).
The large fishing boat, originally built in
Brittany,
France, was called
"Ami Des Flots" (Friend of the Waves). At some point its name was changed to
Cara Na Mara (Friend of the sea), before finally being called Bád Eddie after its final owner. In 1977 it came ashore for minor repairs and remained there for unknown reasons.
The shipwreck is best known for featuring in Bono and Clannad's 1985 hit song In A Lifetime in which it was struck by lightning.
In recent years efforts have been taken to preserve and salvage the ship, after decades of being exposed to the elements from the sea have led to its degradation.
Appearances in music
Bunbeg is mentioned in the song "Left in Peace" from the album
Finisterres (1997) by Héritage des Celtes.
External links
