Poisoned Glen
The Poisoned Glen is a glen or valley located near Dunlewey in Gweedore, a district in the north-west of County Donegal. It is lies beside Errigal and extends beyond Glenveagh National Park, facing Lough Altan.[1]
The Poisoned Glen is about 25 miles from Letterkenny. The Cronaniv Burn flows through the glen.[2]
Name
According to legend, the huge ice-carved hollow of the Poisoned Glen got its name when the ancient one-eyed giant king of Tory, Balor, was killed here by his exiled grandson, Lughaidh, whereupon the poison from his eye split the rock and poisoned the glen. The less interesting truth, however, lies in a cartographic gaffe. Locals were inspired to name it An Gleann Neamhe ('The Heavenly Glen'), but when a cartographer mapped the area, he carelessly marked it An Gleann Neimhe – The Poisoned Glen.[3]
The Irish language name is Cró Nimhe.[4]
Arts and culture
A number of musicians associated with the area have been inspired by the location. For example, Clannad's album Anam (1990) included a track titled 'Poison Glen', and Altan released an album titled Gleann Nimhe – The Poison Glen (2015).
References
- ↑ "The Poisoned Glen". Donegal Diaspora. http://www.donegaldiaspora.ie/place/poisoned-glen. Retrieved 3 December 2019.
- ↑ Patrick McKay, A Dictionary of Ulster Place-Names, p. 120 (The Institute of Irish Studies, The Queen's University of Belfast, 1999)
- ↑ "Poisoned Glen". https://www.lonelyplanet.com/ireland/attractions/poisoned-glen/a/poi-sig/1220982/359581. Retrieved 17 October 2019.
- ↑ Cró Nimhe / Poisoned Glen: Placenames Database of Ireland
