Donard
{{short description|Village in County Wicklow, Ireland}}
{{for|the mountain in County Down|Slieve Donard}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}
{{Use Hiberno-English|date=December 2020}}
{{Infobox settlement
|name = Donard
|native_name = {{lang|ga|Dún Ard}}
|native_name_lang = ga
|settlement_type = Village
|image_skyline = Donard,_County_Wicklow_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1774366.jpg
|image_caption = Donard village
|pushpin_map = Ireland
|pushpin_label_position = right
|pushpin_map_caption = Location in Ireland
|subdivision_type = Country
|subdivision_name = Ireland
|subdivision_type1 = Province
|subdivision_name1 = Leinster
|subdivision_type3 = County
|subdivision_name3 = County Wicklow
|established_title =
|established_date =
|unit_pref = Metric
|area_footnotes =
|area_total_km2 =
|population_as_of = 2016
|population = 196
|population_density_km2 = auto
|timezone1 = WET
|utc_offset1 = +0
|utc_offset1_DST = -1
|coordinates = {{coord|53.016667|-6.616667|dim:100000_region:IE|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
|elevation_footnotes =
|elevation_m = 180
|blank_name = Irish Grid Reference
|blank_info = {{iem4ibx|S929977}}
|website =
|footnotes =
}}
Donard (historically Dunard, from {{Irish place name|Dún Ard|high fort}})[http://www.logainm.ie/54683.aspx Placenames Database of Ireland] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120614032132/http://www.logainm.ie/54683.aspx |date=14 June 2012 }} (see archival records) is a small village in County Wicklow, Ireland, located at the northern end of the Glen of Imaal, in the western part of the Wicklow Mountains. The village is in a civil parish of the same name.
Located near the village of Donard is Lugnaquilla, which is the highest mountain in Wicklow and one of the highest mountains in Ireland. The mountain has a height of 925 metres (3,035 ft). The Wicklow Mountain Rescue team operates in the area.{{cite web |url=http://www.dwmrt.ie/ |title=Dublin & Wicklow Mountain Rescue Team |publisher=Dwmrt.ie |access-date=2008-10-31 |archive-date=24 February 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070224010239/http://dwmrt.ie/ |url-status=live }}
Donard takes its name from {{Lang|ga|Dún Ard}} meaning high fort, the ruins of which are still somewhat visible on a rise above the town. The village is surrounded by Table Mountain (702m), Church Mountain (546m), Lugnaquilla (925m) and Keadeen (655m).
History
An ogham stone is located on the village green. It was moved to this site in 1995 having had three previous locations. It is a rectangular block of stone measuring 1.52m x 0.69m x 0.53m.{{Cite web |url=https://ogham.celt.dias.ie/stone.php?lang=en&site=Donard&stone=48._Donard&stoneinfo=description |title=CIIC 48. Donard, Co. Wicklow |access-date=2023-07-13 |website=Ogham in 3D |archive-date=25 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240525045831/https://ogham.celt.dias.ie/stone.php?lang=en&site=Donard&stone=48._Donard&stoneinfo=description |url-status=live }}
Donard Motte (also known as the Ball Moat) is a Norman motte-and-bailey structure on the southern side of the village. It was most likely built by Jordan de Marisco between 1169 and 1190.{{Cite web |url=https://donardimaalhistory.wicklowheritage.org/places/donard-motte-the-ball-moat |title=Donard Motte (The Ball Moat) |date=2022-06-09 |access-date=2023-07-13 |website=Wicklow Heritage |last=Caley |first=James |archive-date=22 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240222103241/https://donardimaalhistory.wicklowheritage.org/places/donard-motte-the-ball-moat |url-status=live }}
In the nearby village of Derrynamuck (also known as Dernamuck or Doire na Muc) is a cottage dedicated to the memory of Michael Dwyer, an Irish insurgent active during the 1798 Rebellion. There, an engagement between British forces and a detachment of United Irishmen rebels led by Dwyer, known as the Dwyer-English engagement, occurred on 15 February 1799. During the battle, a fellow insurgent, Sam McAllister, intentionally drew the direction of British fire towards himself in order to allow Dwyer to escape.{{cite book|last=Liam|first=Cathal|year=2003|title=Forever Green: Ireland Now & Again|isbn=978-0-970415547|publisher=St. Padraic Press}}
During the Rebellion, the village was burnt by the rebels and the inhabitants were forced to flee to Dunlavin.{{Cite book |title=A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland |last=Lewis |first=Samuel |year=1837 |chapter=Donard |url=https://www.libraryireland.com/topog/D/Donard-Lower-Talbotstown-Wicklow.php |archive-date=13 July 2023 |access-date=27 December 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230713095014/https://www.libraryireland.com/topog/D/Donard-Lower-Talbotstown-Wicklow.php |url-status=live }}
The Great Famine impacted Donard and the surrounding areas significantly. The population of the parish declined by one third between 1841 and 1851.{{Cite thesis |title=The establishment and evolution of an Irish village: the case of Dunlavin, county Wicklow 1600-1910 |last=Lawlor |first=Christopher |date=2020-05-01 |page=318|degree=Phd |publisher=St. Patrick’s College Drumcondra |url=https://doras.dcu.ie/22523/1/Chris%20Lawlor_Vol1of2.pdf}}
Much of the surrounding Glen of Imaal (5,948 acres) has been used as an army artillery range since 1900.
== Amenities ==
A post office was opened in Donard in 1851{{cite book |last=Frank |first=Harald |author2=Stange, Klaus |title=Irish Post Offices and their postmarks 1600-1990 |publisher=Forchumgs- und Arbeitsgemeinschaft Irland e.V. |date=1990-09-29 |location=Munich |pages=296 |url=http://fai-germany.de/engl/literatur_schriften.html |archive-date=19 July 2011 |access-date=27 December 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719002420/http://fai-germany.de/engl/literatur_schriften.html |url-status=live }} and An Post closed it at the end of 2018.{{cite web |title=Donard post office to close on the 31st of December |publisher=WicklowNews.net |date=17 October 2018 |url=https://wicklownews.net/2018/10/donard-post-office-to-close-on-the-31st-of-december/ |access-date=3 April 2020 }}
There is a Roman Catholic chapel of ease, Church of the Holy Trinity, in the village as Donard is part of the parish of Dunlavin. It was built in 1926.{{Cite web |url=https://donardimaalhistory.wicklowheritage.org/places/chapel-of-ease-the-church-of-the-holy-trinity-donard |title=Chapel of Ease: the Church of the Holy Trinity, Donard |date=2022-10-06 |access-date=2023-07-13 |website=Wicklow Heritage |last=Allen |first=Edward |archive-date=13 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240413224616/https://donardimaalhistory.wicklowheritage.org/places/chapel-of-ease-the-church-of-the-holy-trinity-donard |url-status=live }}
There is a small First Fruits Church of Ireland church in the village which dates to 1835.{{Cite web |url=https://www.buildingsofireland.ie/buildings-search/building/16311012/donard-church-donard-demesne-east-donard-co-wicklow |title=Donard Church, DONARD DEMESNE EAST, Donard, WICKLOW |access-date=2023-07-13 |website=National Inventory of Architectural Heritage}}
Donard/Glen GAA club grounds are on the outskirts of the village.{{Cite web |url=https://officialwicklowgaa.ie/clubs/donard-glen-gaa/ |title=Donard Glen GAA |access-date=2023-07-13 |website=Official Wicklow GAA |archive-date=10 August 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240810172025/https://officialwicklowgaa.ie/clubs/donard-glen-gaa/ |url-status=live }}