Geevagh
Encyclopedia
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, on the R284
R284 road
The R284 road is a regional road in Ireland linking Sligo to Leitrim village in County Leitrim.En route it passes through Ballygawley, Ballyfarnan, Geevagh and Keadue. The road is long.-References:* – Department of Transport...
regional road
Regional road
A regional road in Ireland is a class of road not forming a major route , but nevertheless forming a link in the national route network. There are over 11,600 kilometres of regional roads. Regional roads are numbered with three digit route numbers, prefixed by "R" A regional road in Ireland is a...
. The name, meaning "the windy (place)", accurately describes the characteristic climatic feature of the village and its surrounding countryside. The name Geevagh also refers to the local Catholic parish, the boundaries of which are wider than those of the village itself.
Geography
Geevagh and most of its surrounding parish lie wedged between Carran Hill (458 m) to the north east and a series of drumlins to the south west, roughly 170 m in height. Two notable lakes lie encircled by these hills to the south west: Lough Bo (93 m) and Lough Nasool (109 m). Lough Nasool (Lake of the Eye) is unusual in that it has on several occasions drained away, and in the summer of 2006 it almost completely drained, diverted into underground channels.Lying just beyond the southern borders of Geevagh lies a much larger lake: Lough Arrow. To the east lies the border with County Roscommon
County Roscommon
County Roscommon is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the town of Roscommon. Roscommon County Council is the local authority for the county...
and to the north beyond Carran Hill lies County Leitrim
County Leitrim
County Leitrim is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the village of Leitrim. Leitrim County Council is the local authority for the county...
. To the west lies the village of Riverstown
Riverstown
Riverstown, historically called Ballyederdaowen , is a village in County Sligo, Ireland. It is located at a bridging point of the River Unshin , about 19 km south of Sligo town and 4 km east of the N4....
and most of County Sligo. The underlying rock structure is a combination of limestone, shale and sandstone, many examples of which can be seen in the local stone walls. A blanket bog
Blanket bog
Blanket bog or blanket mire is an area of peatland, forming where there is a climate of high rainfall and a low level of evapotranspiration, allowing peat to develop not only in wet hollows but over large expanses of undulating ground. The blanketing of the ground with a variable depth of peat...
covers the top of Carran Hill and boggy land with poor quality soil is a feature of the local farms, the shallow soil being fertile enough to support only low density mixed farming of cattle and sheep. As a consequence of this, many local farmers supplement their meager income from farming with wages from jobs in the local big town of Sligo
Sligo
Sligo is the county town of County Sligo in Ireland. The town is a borough and has a charter and a town mayor. It is sometimes referred to as a city, and sometimes as a town, and is the second largest urban area in Connacht...
. One of the few local industries that supplied work to generations of men from the locality was the Arigna
Arigna
Arigna is a village in County Roscommon, Ireland. It is near Lough Allen , on a designated "scenic route" between Keadue and Sliabh an Iarainn .-Arigna coal mine:...
coal mines, located near the community of Glenkillamey to the north of Geevagh. This mine was in operation in one form or another since the 18th century and provided a low grade coal to a small power station operated by the ESB (Electricity Supply Board
Electricity Supply Board
The Electricity Supply Board , is a semi-state electricity company in Ireland. While historically a monopoly, the ESB now operates as a commercial semi-state concern in a liberalised and competitive market...
) since 1958. However the mine closed for the last time in 1990 hitting the local communities hard, particularly in the Arigna/Glenkillamey area. In keeping with its past involvement in power generation, 2005 saw the installation of six wind turbines at Carrownadargny. These electricity generating turbines - owned by Orliven Ltd - are each capable of producing 0.85MW of power, and are manufactured by the Spanish company Gamesa
Gamesa Corporación Tecnológica
Gamesa Corporación Tecnológica , is a manufacturing company principally involved in the fabrication of wind turbines and the construction of wind farms....
. The towers on which the turbines stand are 44 metres high, with a combined blade diameter of 52 metres. The turbines can produce enough energy to save 13770 tonnes of CO2, the equivalent of importing 33000 barrels of oil.
History
Balor
In Irish mythology, Balor of the Evil Eye was a king of the Fomorians, a race of giants. His father was Buarainech and his wife was Cethlenn...
of the Evil Eye" being associated with the disappearance of Lough Nasool.
There are however real and present evidence of many church ruins including in particular the notable Ballindoon Abbey on the shores of Lough Arrow, a Dominican Priory from the early 16th century. It contains the grave of Terence McDonough, a member of the local clan that governed much of the area prior to the post - Cromwellian seizure of the land in the parish and its dispersal amongst English settler families such as King and Nicholson, and later its transfer to landlords such as Duke, Keogh and Whitney. Despite undoubted hardship, including sustained emigration, the community survived through resilience, finding sustenance in the family, the Roman Catholic church, the Gaelic Athletic Association
Gaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...
, music and the local pubs, though not necessarily in that order.
The year 2008 marked an interesting centenary in the history of Geevagh. It is difficult from today's position to realise the distressed state of the parish in 1908. Widespread evictions from the local Keogh estate meant many poor families eked out an existence of sorts on the rough barren slopes of Carran mountain. A campaign of non payment of rent exposed many families to such a fate, and in an effort to prevent further evictions, the Land League organised demonstrations to prevent delivery of eviction notices by local postmen.This led to several confrontations in January 1908 between a large number of citizens and the police. Court cases ensued against around two dozen locals, some of who ended up serving hard labour in prison for up to six months. While the court cases and prison terms were ongoing, the local community rallied around the families of the prisoners, making sure their farms were worked and tilled. It was not until summer 1909 that a resolution came with the release of the last prisoners, to much local rejoicing by the parish as a whole. John C. Mc Ternan in his book "Olde Sligo" (1997) records the 1908 events in interesting detail.
In recent years, the outlook of course has become much brighter. Coinciding with a pick up in the Irish economy in general, plus excellent work from the local headmaster John Hughes, and the then parish priest Fr O'Connor and others, a new school was built in 2001. This was followed in recent years by several new building projects around Geevagh crossroads, invigorating the local area and making it a home to new families adding their lot to people whose families have lived there for 10+ generations. As of 2009, this good work continues today. The village is also home to the famous Gaffney family, whose PAG-producing business has brought great wealth to the town and its inhabitants.
Notable people from Geevagh
- Carmel GunningCarmel GunningCarmel Gunning is an Irish composer and musician, from Sligo, Ireland. Gunning is one of Ireland's most accomplished tin whistle players who is also known for her singing and flute playing. Gunning's rich stylised form of whistle playing and tradition stems from her homeland of Geevagh in South...
Traditional Irish Musician - Joe CostelloJoe Costello (Irish politician)Joe Costello is an Irish Labour Party politician. He is currently a Teachta Dála for the Dublin Central constituency and is the Labour Party Spokesperson on Transport....
Labour T.D. for the Dublin Central Constituency - Eileen MacDonaghEileen MacDonagh-Background:-News:-Awards & Public Art Commissions:* 2010 Arts Council Award to attend International Sculpture Conference, London.* 2010 Kildare County Council Artist Award....
Contemporary artist and Sculptor - John J. McCarthy Former Mayor of Providence, Rhode Island, USA in the mid-19th century
External links
- Geevagh National School
- Arigna Mining Experience
- Ballindoon Abbey
- Geevagh: a good selection of photos
- GAA Football News
- Megalithomania
- Townlands
- Geology
See also
- List of towns and villages in Ireland