placenames1901 census
209People recorded
44Households recorded
Most frequent surnames in this year’s matched records
Explore the 1901 records ↗Muff
Magh
John Gwyn’s burial links Muff with Derry’s educational history, while festival records show another form of community effort.
Recorded locationMuff55.07082° N · 7.27749° WInteractive map supplied by OpenStreetMap.
Recorded place location · Logainm.ie
The name
These Irish name elements are associated with this record in the Logainm glossary.
An element’s translation is a clue, rather than a complete explanation of the name. Its form and meaning depend on local history and the full Irish name.
Recorded forms
- Magh · Irish · main form · non-validated name
- Muff · English · main form
Place & story
John Gwyn’s educational bequest
Linen merchant John Gwyn was buried beside his parents in Muff's Church of Ireland graveyard. Born at nearby Drumskellan, he made his fortune in Derry and left £40,000 for a school serving boys from its poorest families when he died in 1829. The institution opened in 1832 and moved in 1840 to the site later known as Brooke Park. Muff's history group revisited his legacy in 2024. [2]
The festival’s customary programme
Organiser Oisin McLaughlin described Muff Festival's established programme in a 2022 interview. The August bank-holiday gathering included an opening parade, a festival queen, craft stalls, tea and games in the festival field. Sunday brought races for children and adults, including egg-and-spoon and wife-carrying contests. His account records the particular activities through which the village's annual celebration brought people together. [3]
A pause and a return
The festival depended on volunteers as well as spectators. In March 2022, organisers announced cancellation because too few committee members and helpers were available, following the pandemic interruptions of 2020 and 2021. McLaughlin hoped that it could return. An August 2024 report recorded a new opening parade, describing the event as the first festival in the village for five years. [3] [4] [5]
Geographic information
- Place type
- Townland
- County
- Donegal
- Barony
- Inishowen West
- Civil parish
- Muff
- Within
- Kilderry
- Coordinates
- 55.07082, -7.27749
- Mapped area
- 2.02 km²
- Logainm ID
- 15264 ↗
People & family history
Census figures refer to the matched historical census area for each year. Boundaries and spellings can change over time.
1911 census
79People recorded
17Households recorded
Most frequent surnames in this year’s matched records
- Joseph 9
- Wiley 9
- Fleck 8
- Keys 8
- Harkin 7
1926 census
143People recorded
28Households recorded
Most frequent surnames in this year’s matched records
- Joseph 13
- Coyle 12
- Lynch 12
- Devlin 11
- McElhinney 9
Sources & further reading
- Logainm.ie — Muff. Place names and geographic record, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
- Muff history group examines John Gwyn’s legacy, 8 March 2024 · Donegal Live; Muff Village Magh District History Heritage Group
- Volunteers wanted for Muff Festival, 25 February 2022 · Catherine McGinty, Derry Now; Oisin McLaughlin interview
- Muff Festival cancelled, 5 March 2022 · Donegal Live; Oisin McLaughlin interview
- Muff Féile opening parade, 9 August 2024 · Kerrie Quinn, Donegal Live
- Boundary geometry retains its source attribution and licence in the downloadable geographic record. Map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Name record retrieved 2026-10-25 · Source record modified 2024-07-18. How this page was prepared.