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ANOTHER DONEGAL GHOST VILLAGE

2/19/2014

15 Comments

 
Picture'Ghost Village' Dunlewey
I have previously written about the 'Ghost Village of Port' for our We Love Donegal site and I had thought that that was the only Donegal 'Ghost Village.'  However out and about in Donegal on Sunday we discovered another 'ghost village.'  

We drove off the main road at Dunlewey and took the road across the lough and stumbled upon the village which is situated literally at the end of the road.  Well the road for cars that is, hikers can continue along signposted trails.

Dunlewey, the Poisoned Glen, is probably best know for it's stunning views from the foot of Errrigal (Donegal's highest mountain) across the valley and the lakes below.  The old roofless Church of Ireland there, commonly called 'the old church'  is probably one of the most photographed churches in Donegal, if not Ireland.  

Picture
The 'old church' Dunlewey
But further along the valley is where the 'ghost village' lies at the end of the road that crosses over the lakes.    

This one differs from the one at Port in that the houses seem to be of a later date and show evidence of having been plastered and some have slate roofs.  The cottages at Port are simply stone constructions and would have been thatched.  

There are about a dozen cottages all in a little cluster giving it a village or hamlet feel and along with the old cottages there are some beautifully made old stone walls.  From the village you look straight across Lough Dunlewey to Errigal so it has a fabulous setting making the mystery of why it was abandoned even stronger.

Back on the main road and heading to Gweedore, I noticed that you can actually see the village from the road (see photograph below).  I have driven this road many, many times and have never even noticed it which makes me even more positive that taking a wrong turn or even deliberately taking an old road off the main road can lead to treasures we miss if we stay on the main thoroughfares.

Regarding the mystery of the village, I will get to the bottom of it and will then update this blog post accordingly. 

UPDATE (21st February 2014)
After seeking information I was given the following:
"Glentornan is the village. ... Betweem 30-40 people lived in the townland between the census of 1841-1881. The 1901 & 1911 recorded 55 (31 M & 24F)."
Many thanks to Josephine and folks from the facebook pages for Dunlewey: DUNLEWEY and DUNLUICHE 

So the village now has a name: GLENTORNAN and we now know that about 30 and 55 people lived there between 1841 and 1911.  My information helper also told me that most of the inhabitants moved over to the other side of the lake, possibly following their young who built homes over there and also a number would have gone the way of many Irish people and emigrated.

Click on any of the photographs below to enlarge.
The google map below just shows you where Dunlewey is.  
15 Comments
Siobhan
9/6/2016 07:23:55 am

My Uncle John Doogan lived her until his death only a few years ago. As you may have seen there is still one home on the edge of the empty village thats still maintained

Reply
Sean Hall
6/13/2019 07:46:00 am

I am friends with a 88 year old man and his wife and he lived in the lead photo house there and still owns the land and is still living. He lives in the area a few miles away. He is a Gallagher.

Reply
Peter Shee
3/9/2020 11:12:36 pm

Hi Sean
Just read that you know a Gallagher who used to live in Glentornan.
My mother was a Gallagher form Glentornan. I would guess that your friend probably knew my uncle Charlie who lived there until he died ca 1970s ( I think) . I hope to make a trip to the area later in the year ( I live in Limerick) and would like if possible to meet your friend, I be obliged if you could ask him if it was ok for me to meet him?
Many Thanks
Peter Shee

Reply
Liam
6/19/2020 07:00:40 am

There are many Gallaghers in the local area, my whole family are Gallaghers from Bunbeg. I love this area and met a white witch down at dun luiche 2 years ago. I'll never forget what she said to me. She lived on the lake and was hiding a secret for 25 years that she confessed she was going to share with the world at an event in glenveagh.

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Cathryn
6/21/2020 02:39:59 pm

I heard about that lady (white witch) but believe she died last year! Did you ever hear what her secret was? I'm from Meencorwick, near Thor, just being the Dunlewey hills. 😁

Reply
Cathryn
6/21/2020 02:42:40 pm

Correction to the last message "being the Dunlewey hills" should be "behind the Dunlewey hills"

Liam
10/14/2021 04:33:11 pm

Hi Cathryn, Yes she revealed that she saw Leprechauns and fairies down at the lake for 25 years. We were outside her house which was very strange. It was like a house from Hansel and Gretel. Big toadstools small houses pixies and there were clumps of what looked like human hair tied to her fences, it was a strange experience and what was even stranger was she had a broad English accent Bristol way by the sound of her but she changed to a deep Belfast accent in seconds and said she was closer to me than I thought. (My mum was from Belfast and she had passed) this totally freaked me out so I made my excuses and left. I'll never forget it. She died in a car accident about 18 months later allegedly she suffered a heart attack at the wheel. :(

Martina
5/1/2022 12:00:02 pm

She lived over on the other side in the Poison Glen. RIP Jane

JANA COSTA
9/16/2022 05:09:59 pm

I recently was in the area and told about her. I was wondering her name. Does anyone know what it was? I saw her home and wonderful yard.

John o Donnell
4/18/2024 03:49:21 pm

That lady that you referred to called the white witch was killed in a car accident in Gweedore few years ago.

Reply
Eliza Eats link
12/10/2020 06:04:59 am

This was great to read, thank you

Reply
Mr Maurice Sheridan
6/5/2022 07:07:52 pm

Think some bogland around around Fintown have some paranormal manifestations there.

Reply
Bernadette Smyth
8/12/2023 07:03:36 pm

The village of Glentornan Dunlewey was abandoned because the lake was rising and the land round the homes was waterlogged, so they all moved up above the road. My grand aunt Margaret Curran Sharkey was one of those who had to go.

Reply
Kevin Jackson
4/18/2024 05:27:47 pm

My mum grew up in cottages now derelict in dunlewey ann burke her mum was Gallagher she lived there in the twenties and thirties

Reply
Margaret Robertson Crawford link
2/28/2025 01:55:08 am

Margaret Crawford nee Robertson Very Very Interesting My Granfather My be from Dunelerrie if not Gortahork.

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