Inver (Irish: Inbhear, meaning 'estuary')[1] is a small village in County Donegal, Ireland.

Inver
Inbhear
Village
Inver and Inver Beach
Inver and Inver Beach
Inver is located in Ireland
Inver
Inver
Location in Ireland
Coordinates: 54°39′36″N 8°17′56″W / 54.66°N 8.299°W / 54.66; -8.299
CountryIreland
ProvinceUlster
CountyCounty Donegal
Time zoneUTC+0 (WET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-1 (IST (WEST))

The village lies on the N56 National secondary road midway between Donegal town to the east and Killybegs to the west. It is also a civil parish in the historic barony of Banagh.[2]

History

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St Natalis (or Naail), who died in 563, was the abbot of a monastery in Invernayle (Inver).[3]

In the 1460, a Franciscan monastery was founded on the same site.

The graveyard dates back to 1731.[4]

A Church of Ireland Anglican church was built in 1622, with a new building completed in 1807.[5]

There was a recognised settlement in Inver in 1837.[6] At that time it was noted that 11,785 people lived there, with five schools teaching 360 children.[7]

Inver was an important whaling post in the past, with a whaling station in the Port of Inver, 3km (2 miles) from the town. Its ruins can still be seen in the port to this day. Today there are 24 main species of whale and dolphin in the waters off Ireland's West Coast, and whale and dolphin spotting is very popular with locals and tourists.[8]

Facilities

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Inver has three churches, Catholic, Anglican and Methodist.[9]

The village has a football pitch which hosts Eany Celtic in the Donegal League.

There is one shop and sub-post office in the village.

Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota may be named after Inver.[10]

Transport

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Inver railway station opened on 18 August 1893 and closed on 1 January 1960.[11]

Civil parish of Inver

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The civil parish contains the villages of Inver, Frosses and Mountcharles.[2]

Townlands

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The civil parish contains the following townlands:[2]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Inbhear/Inver". Placenames Database of Ireland (logainm.ie). Retrieved 20 April 2022.
  2. ^ a b c "Inver". IreAtlas Townlands Database. Retrieved 6 May 2015.
  3. ^ Library Ireland website
  4. ^ Donegal Genealogy website
  5. ^ Buildings of Ireland website
  6. ^ Ireland XO website
  7. ^ Donegal Genealogy website
  8. ^ Ireland North West website
  9. ^ "Cassidy Genealogy - the Port".
  10. ^ "About us". City of Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota. Retrieved 15 September 2008. From 1858 until 1880, hundreds of settlers were attracted to the township that was named after an Irish fishing village, "Inver" and commemorating the homeland of the German settlers, "Grove."
  11. ^ "Inver station" (PDF). Railscot - Irish Railways. Retrieved 16 October 2007.