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When the fashionistas flocked to Moville... 20.08.08

MOVILLE'S importance as a fashionable tourist destination in Victorian times has been highlighted in a series of brochures marking the heritage towns of Donegal, which were launched at the weekend.
Among some of the heritage sites highlighted in the brochure are the Bath Green and Montgomery Terrace areas of Moville while the Customs Houses and Coastguard Station have also been highlighted.
The brochures were produced by the County Donegal Heritage Office of Donegal County Council to raise awareness of the architectural and archaeological heritage of the county’s ‘Heritage Towns,’ which also include Ardara, Ballyshannon, Ramelton and Raphoe.
Bath Green, Moville “The ‘Heritage Town’ concept is based on the principle that a number of towns with a strong physical character and built heritage would be developed as being representative of the heritage of Ireland,” said Joseph Gallagher, County Donegal Heritage Officer.
“It was intended that the designation of ‘Heritage Towns’
would have the dual effect of helping to conserve the built environment of these towns and of promoting these towns.”
Speaking on behalf of Donegal County Council, Cllr. Sean McEniff highlighted the need to conserve the historic built environment of the ‘Heritage Towns’.
“One of the greatest challenges facing us is the conservation of heritage resources,” he said.
“Development pressures and streetscape changes in our towns and villages in recent years have placed aspects of our architectural and built heritage under threat.”
Cllr. McEniff noted that there were less than 80 Protected Structures in total in all five of the ‘Heritage Towns’ and stressed that Donegal County Council was committed to giving the county’s architectural heritage the recognition and statutory protection it deserves.
The series of bilingual brochures on the ‘Heritage Towns of County Donegal’ include an individual brochure on each of the five ‘Heritage Towns’ and a general brochure. The brochures set out a heritage trail for each of the ‘Heritage Towns’ with a selection of built and cultural heritage sites along it.
The Moville ‘Heritage Town’ brochure highlights the emigration theme as Moville was a regular point of departure for ships en route from Derry to America, Canada and Scotland.
Among some of the heritage sites highlighted in the brochure are the Bath Green and Montgomery Terrace which emphasise the importance of Moville as a fashionable tourist destination in Victorian times and the Customs Houses and Coastguard Station that highlight the built maritime heritage of the town. The brochures also profile some of the architectural and ecclesiastical structures in Moville and notes that Moville in Woodbury County, Iowa, U.S.A. was named after its Donegal ancestor.
The Heritage Officer highlighted the important contribution of local people (especially local historians and heritage groups) and of his colleagues in the County Archives, County Library and County Museum to the preparation of the brochures. If you would like copies of the ‘Heritage Towns of County Donegal’ brochures, they are available free-of-charge from the County Donegal Heritage Office on (074) 917 2576 or by e-mail at heritage@donegalcoco.ie . The brochures will also be available in local libraries, museums and heritage centres within the next two weeks. (Story: Inishowen Independent)
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