Ranafast
| Rann na Feirste Ranafast / Rinnafarset | |
|---|---|
| Village | |
|
A view of Ranafast. | |
  Rann na Feirste Location in Ireland | |
| Coordinates: 55°03′03″N 8°14′08″W / 55.050941°N 8.235626°WCoordinates: 55°03′03″N 8°14′08″W / 55.050941°N 8.235626°W | |
| Country | Ireland |
| Province | Ulster |
| County | County Donegal |
| Government | |
| • Dáil Éireann | Donegal South–West |
| Population | |
| • Rural | 167 |
| Irish Grid Reference | B847228 |
| Rann na Feirste is the only official name. The anglicized spellings Rannafast and Rinnafarset have no official status. | |
Ranafast or Rinnafarset (officially only known by its Irish name Rann na Feirste Irish pronunciation: [ɾˠan̪ˠ nˠə ˈfˠaɾˠʃ.tʲə ])[1][2] is a Gaeltacht village and townland in the Rosses region of northwest County Donegal, Ireland.
Name
Ranafast, or sometimes Rannafast or Rinnafarset, is the anglicised version of the area’s original and official name Rann na Feirste.
Language
Ranafast is a Gaeltacht area, therefore the Irish language is the predominantly spoken language, although English can be understood by most. Rann na Feirste is a Gaeltacht area and every summer it is filled with hundreds of students from other parts of Ireland who come to the area, stay with local families and improve their Irish language skills. The Irish college in the area is called Coláiste Bhríde (St. Brigid's College in English). The Gaeltacht courses take place within the college every summer.
Arts and culture
Music
The area has a rich history of song-writing and singing, Ranafast has produced an extensive catalogue of old Gaelic songs which have been performed by many world-famous singers. Local band Skara Brae are seen as one of the pioneers of contemporary traditional Irish music. Ranafast is also known for its marching band tradition. Founded in 1976, the band went on to win many titles at local provincial and national level. The band won at Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann on 3 occasions. Also first Donegal band to become world Champions and first Donegal band to lead a St Patrick's Day parade in the USA.
Literature
Local writers, brothers Séamus Ó Grianna and Seosamh Mac Grianna are two important writers in the Irish language. Séamus’s Caisleáin Óir and Seosamh's Mo Bhealach Féin are regarded as literary staples in the Irish language today.
References
- ↑ Placenames Database of Ireland
- ↑ Placenames (Ceantair Ghaeltachta) Order 2004. The townland's name is also sometimes spelt in Irish as Rinn na Feirste.
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