Everything about Donegal totally explained
» This article is about the Irish town of Donegal. For the county, see County Donegal. For other uses, see Donegal (disambiguation).
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Donegal (;
Irish:
Dún na nGall) is a town in
County Donegal, in the
Province of Ulster, in
Ireland. Donegal isn't the county town (capital) of County Donegal, despite being its namesake. Rather, the county town is
Lifford, and
Letterkenny is the county's largest town. Donegal town is situated at the mouth of
Donegal Bay, on the
River Eske and is overshadowed by the
Bluestack Mountains. The town has been bypassed by the
N15 and
N56 roads. The Irish name translates into English as
Fort of the Foreigners (Vikings).
History
There is evidence for settlements around the town dating back to prehistoric times including the remains of round forts and other earth works. There is a record of an early
Danish fortress being destroyed by
Muirchertach MacLochlainn,
High King of Ireland in
1159. This
Viking settlement is possibly the origin of the town's name.
Donegal Town itself is famous for being the former home to the
O'Donnell Clan, who played a pivotal role in Irish history. From the
15th to the
17th century, they provided the main opposition to the colonisation of Ireland by England. The town itself contains
Donegal castle, on the banks of the
River Eske and the remains of a
Franciscan abbey which dates back to the 15th century on the Southern shore of the Bay. The
Annals of the Four Masters are traditionally thought to have been started in the abbey in the early 17th century. The story of
Red Hugh O'Donnell, Lord of
Tyrconnell, was the inspiration behind many books and films, not least,
Disney's The Fighting Prince of Donegal
(1966).
After the
Flight of the Earls in
1607 the castle and its lands were given to an English captain, Basil Brooke, as part of the
Plantation of Ulster. Brooke carried out major reconstruction work and added a wing to the castle in the
Jacobean style. The current plan of the town was also laid out including an attractive town square or
Diamond. From the late 17th until the early 20th centuries, Donegal Town formed part of the vast estates of the Gore family (from
1762 Earls of Arran) and it while in their ownership that the town took on its present appearance. Donegal returned two members to the Irish Parliament until the Act of Union (1800). Evidence of the
Irish Famine still exists including a
workhouse, whose buildings are now part of the local hospital, and a famine grave.
Industry and tourism
There are many sandy beaches in the area of Donegal boasting good
surfing conditions. Donegal is also used as a base for hill-walking in the nearby
Bluestack Mountains. Despite the town's many hotels catering for visitors, it suffers from a lack of social amenities for its local population. Many have to travel to nearby towns such as
Letterkenny for facilities like public swimming pools, cinemas and large shopping centres.
Traditionally the largest employer in the town has been
Magee of Donegal, who are manufacturers of
tweed garments, some of which could, in the past, be seen being woven by hand on small
looms in the company's department store. Like most clothing manufacturers in Ireland, the size of the workforce has been in decline for many years.
Transport
The town is a stop on the three bus companies that operate in the county: the
Bus Éireann service number 64
Derry/
Galway route which makes several other stops including
Letterkenny and
Sligo (which allows for rail connections) and the number 30 Donegal/
Dublin route which makes stops at other key towns such as
Enniskillen (which provides connections to Belfast via
Ulster Bus). Two private companies operate the other routes: 'McGeehan Bus' operate a regular service from West Donegal to Dublin Airport and the
Busaras which passes through the town; while Feda O'Donnell Coaches (also known as Bus Feda) operates a regular
Glenties/Galway service that stops in Donegal.
Donegal railway station opened on
16 September 1889 and finally closed on
1 January 1960. The site of the old station is now used by
CIE as a bus depot while the actual building is the home of the
Donegal Railway Heritage Centre.
Sport
Donegal town is home to many amateur sports clubs. The most popular sport in the area is
Gaelic football and the local
Gaelic Athletic Association club is
The Four Masters. The club also has been developing
hurling. Other popular sports clubs include
football (
Finn Harps),
rugby union,
basketball and
athletics.
Media
The town is home to the regional newspapers
Donegal Democrat and
Donegal Post and the local
Donegal Times newspaper.
Ocean FM, an independent regional radio station, has one of its three studios in the town, which broadcasts to most of south County Donegal.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Donegal'.
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