Inishbofin. Gweedore is the largest Irish-speaking parish, with over 5,000 inhabitants. All schools in the region use Irish as the language of instruction.
Government and politics
Local government
Donegal County Council (which has been in existence since 1899) has responsibility for local administration, and is headquartered at the
County House in
Lifford
Lifford (, historically anglicised as ''Liffer'') is the county town of County Donegal, Ireland, the administrative centre of the county and the seat of Donegal County Council, although the town of Letterkenny is often mistaken as holding th ...
. Elections to the County Council take place every five years. Thirty-seven councillors are elected using the system of
proportional representation
Proportional representation (PR) refers to a type of electoral system under which subgroups of an electorate are reflected proportionately in the elected body. The concept applies mainly to geographical (e.g. states, regions) and political divis ...
by means of the
single transferable vote
Single transferable vote (STV) is a multi-winner electoral system in which voters cast a single vote in the form of a ranked-choice ballot. Voters have the option to rank candidates, and their vote may be transferred according to alternate ...
(STV). For the purpose of elections, the county is divided into 5
Municipal Districts comprising the following local electoral areas: Donegal (6),
Glenties
Glenties () is a town in County Donegal, Ireland. It is situated where two glens meet, north-west of the Bluestack Mountains, near the confluence of two rivers. Glenties is the largest centre of population in the parish of Iniskeel. Glenties has ...
(6),
Inishowen
Inishowen () is a peninsula in the north of County Donegal in Ireland. Inishowen is the largest peninsula on the island of Ireland.
The Inishowen peninsula includes Ireland's most northerly point, Malin Head. The Grianan of Aileach, a ringfort ...
(9), Letterkenny (10) and Lifford–Stranorlar (6).
Donegal County Council sends three representatives to the
Northern and Western Regional Assembly.
Council elections are held every 5 years, with the next election due to be held in May 2024. The
2019 Donegal local election had a voter turnout of 54.4%. The highest turnout was at Donegal (62.7%) and the lowest was at Lifford–Stranorlar (49.0%).
Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil (, ; meaning 'Soldiers of Destiny' or 'Warriors of Fál'), officially Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party ( ga, audio=ga-Fianna Fáil.ogg, Fianna Fáil – An Páirtí Poblachtánach), is a conservative and Christia ...
and
Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin ( , ; en, " eOurselves") is an Irish republican and democratic socialist political party active throughout both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
The original Sinn Féin organisation was founded in 1905 by Arthur G ...
emerged as the two dominant parties in the 2019 local elections, holding 22 of the 37 seats between them.
Fine Gael
Fine Gael (, ; English: "Family (or Tribe) of the Irish") is a liberal-conservative and Christian-democratic political party in Ireland. Fine Gael is currently the third-largest party in the Republic of Ireland in terms of members of Dáil ...
hold 6 seats, the
Labour Party hold 1 seat and there are 8 independents. Donegal has traditionally been a stronghold for
Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin ( , ; en, " eOurselves") is an Irish republican and democratic socialist political party active throughout both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
The original Sinn Féin organisation was founded in 1905 by Arthur G ...
, and despite their poor performance nationally in the
2019 Irish local elections
The 2019 Irish local elections were held in all local authorities in Ireland on Friday, 24 May 2019, on the same day as the 2019 European Parliament election and a referendum easing restrictions on divorce. Each local government area is divid ...
, they retained their share of the vote in Donegal, dropping just 0.2%. Despite a nearly 3% increase in votes,
Fine Gael
Fine Gael (, ; English: "Family (or Tribe) of the Irish") is a liberal-conservative and Christian-democratic political party in Ireland. Fine Gael is currently the third-largest party in the Republic of Ireland in terms of members of Dáil ...
did not win any additional seats in 2019.
Former districts
Until 2014, there were town councils in
Letterkenny
Letterkenny ( ga, Leitir Ceanainn , meaning 'hillside of the O'Cannons'), nicknamed 'the Cathedral Town', is the largest and most populous town in County Donegal, a county in Ulster, the northern province in Ireland. Letterkenny lies on the R ...
,
Bundoran
Bundoran () is a town in County Donegal, Ireland. The town is located near the N15 road near Ballyshannon, and is the most southerly town in Donegal. The town is a tourist seaside resort, and tourism has been at the heart of the local economy s ...
,
Ballyshannon
Ballyshannon () is a town in County Donegal, Ireland. It is located at the southern end of the county where the N3 from Dublin ends and the N15 crosses the River Erne. Incorporated in 1613, it is one of the oldest towns in Ireland.
Location
B ...
and
Buncrana
Buncrana ( ; ) is a town in County Donegal, Ireland. It is beside Lough Swilly on the Inishowen peninsula, northwest of Derry and north of Letterkenny. In the 2016 census, the population was 6,785 making it the second most populous town in C ...
. The town councils were abolished in June 2014 when provisions of the
Local Government Reform Act 2014
The Local Government Reform Act 2014 (No. 1) is an act of the Oireachtas which provided for a major restructuring of local government in Ireland with effect from the 2014 local elections. It merged some first-tier county and city councils, ...
was commenced and their functions were taken over by Donegal County Council.
National elections
The
Dáil constituency of
Donegal constituency (5
TDs) covers almost the entire county, with the exception of a small area in southern Donegal around
Bundoran
Bundoran () is a town in County Donegal, Ireland. The town is located near the N15 road near Ballyshannon, and is the most southerly town in Donegal. The town is a tourist seaside resort, and tourism has been at the heart of the local economy s ...
and
Ballyshannon
Ballyshannon () is a town in County Donegal, Ireland. It is located at the southern end of the county where the N3 from Dublin ends and the N15 crosses the River Erne. Incorporated in 1613, it is one of the oldest towns in Ireland.
Location
B ...
, which is part of the
Sligo–Leitrim constituency.
Historically, the county was represented in the
Parliament of Ireland
The Parliament of Ireland ( ga, Parlaimint na hÉireann) was the legislature of the Lordship of Ireland, and later the Kingdom of Ireland, from 1297 until 1800. It was modelled on the Parliament of England and from 1537 comprised two cham ...
through the
Donegal Borough constituency, which lasted from 1613 to 1800, when the Irish Parliament was abolished. Following the
Act of Union, the county was represented in
Westminster
Westminster is an area of Central London, part of the wider City of Westminster.
The area, which extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street, has many visitor attractions and historic landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, B ...
through the
Donegal constituency until 1885. Following this, the county was broken up into four separate constituencies –
North Donegal,
South Donegal,
East Donegal and
West Donegal – which persisted until independence. The
Government of Ireland Act 1920
The Government of Ireland Act 1920 (10 & 11 Geo. 5 c. 67) was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The Act's long title was "An Act to provide for the better government of Ireland"; it is also known as the Fourth Home Rule Bill ...
reformed the four constituencies into a single entity covering "the administrative county of Donegal". This was broken up into
Donegal East and
Donegal West from 1937 to 1977, and into
Donegal North-East and
Donegal South-West from 1981 to 2016.
2020 General Election)">
File:Pearse Doherty speaks to reporters outside Leinster House (8144298130).jpg, Pearse Doherty,
''Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin ( , ; en, " eOurselves") is an Irish republican and democratic socialist political party active throughout both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
The original Sinn Féin organisation was founded in 1905 by Arthur G ...
''
File:Pádraig Mac Lochlainn 2020.jpg, Pádraig Mac Lochlainn
Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (; born 12 June 1973) is an Irish Sinn Féin politician who has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Donegal constituency since the 2020 general election, and previously from 2011 to 2016 for the Donegal North-East constit ...
,
''Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin ( , ; en, " eOurselves") is an Irish republican and democratic socialist political party active throughout both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
The original Sinn Féin organisation was founded in 1905 by Arthur G ...
''
File:Thomas Pringle politician.jpg, Thomas Pringle
Thomas Pringle (5 January 1789 – 5 December 1834) was a Scottish writer, poet and abolitionist. Known as the father of South African poetry, he was the first successful English language poet and author to describe South Africa's scenery, nati ...
,
''Independent''
File:Joe_McHugh_TD.jpg, Joe McHugh
Joe McHugh (born 16 July 1971) is an Irish Fine Gael politician who has served as Chair of the Committee on European Union Affairs since September 2020. He has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Donegal constituency since 2016, and previously ...
,
''Fine Gael
Fine Gael (, ; English: "Family (or Tribe) of the Irish") is a liberal-conservative and Christian-democratic political party in Ireland. Fine Gael is currently the third-largest party in the Republic of Ireland in terms of members of Dáil ...
''
File:Charlie McConalogue 2011 cropped.jpg, Charlie McConalogue
Charlie McConalogue (born 29 October 1977) is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who has served as Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine since September 2020. He has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Donegal constituency since the 2016 g ...
,
''Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil (, ; meaning 'Soldiers of Destiny' or 'Warriors of Fál'), officially Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party ( ga, audio=ga-Fianna Fáil.ogg, Fianna Fáil – An Páirtí Poblachtánach), is a conservative and Christia ...
''
Referendums
Donegal voters have a reputation nationally for being "conservative and contrarian", and have often voted against amendments to the
Irish constitution
The Constitution of Ireland ( ga, Bunreacht na hÉireann, ) is the fundamental law of Ireland. It asserts the national sovereignty of the Irish people. The constitution, based on a system of representative democracy, is broadly within the traditio ...
which received broad support in the rest of Ireland. Conversely, voters in the county have also supported several referendums which were not enacted. The trend first emerged in 1958, when voters in Donegal overwhelmingly voted to alter the
electoral system
An electoral system or voting system is a set of rules that determine how elections and referendums are conducted and how their results are determined. Electoral systems are used in politics to elect governments, while non-political elections ma ...
from
proportional representation
Proportional representation (PR) refers to a type of electoral system under which subgroups of an electorate are reflected proportionately in the elected body. The concept applies mainly to geographical (e.g. states, regions) and political divis ...
to
first-past-the-post
In a first-past-the-post electoral system (FPTP or FPP), formally called single-member plurality voting (SMP) when used in single-member districts or informally choose-one voting in contrast to ranked voting, or score voting, voters cast thei ...
in a referendum which was defeated nationally.
In 1968, voters in the county backed two separate bills which were also widely rejected nationwide. The first vote was to allow rural constituencies to elect a disproportionate number of
TDs. Thirty-four constituencies voted against the amendment and four voted in favour, two of which were
Donegal North-East and
Donegal South-West. In the second vote, both Donegal constituencies again voted for the introduction of a
first-past-the-post
In a first-past-the-post electoral system (FPTP or FPP), formally called single-member plurality voting (SMP) when used in single-member districts or informally choose-one voting in contrast to ranked voting, or score voting, voters cast thei ...
system, which was rejected.
The
23rd Amendment permitting the State to join the
International Criminal Court
The International Criminal Court (ICC or ICCt) is an intergovernmental organization and international tribunal seated in The Hague, Netherlands. It is the first and only permanent international court with jurisdiction to prosecute individuals f ...
in 2001 received the lowest support in Donegal, with just 55.8% of voters backing the proposal, compared with 64.2% nationally. Donegal is the only county to have voted against the
Treaty of Lisbon
The Treaty of Lisbon (initially known as the Reform Treaty) is an international agreement that amends the two treaties which form the constitutional basis of the European Union (EU). The Treaty of Lisbon, which was signed by the EU member s ...
twice, in 2008 and 2009. Voters in the county also rejected both the Fiscal Treaty and the referendum on
children's rights and state care in 2012.
On the issue of
abortion
Abortion is the termination of a pregnancy by removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus. An abortion that occurs without intervention is known as a miscarriage or "spontaneous abortion"; these occur in approximately 30% to 40% of pre ...
and
right to life vs
pro-choice
Abortion-rights movements, also referred to as pro-choice movements, advocate for the right to have legal access to induced abortion services including elective abortion. They seek to represent and support women who wish to terminate their pr ...
, Donegal has consistently been the most conservative county in Ireland. In 1992, two referendums on the issue were held. The first was an amendment which specified that the State could not limit the freedom of travel of women seeking abortions abroad. The second specified that the distribution of information about abortion services available in other countries was not unlawful. In contrast to the rest of Ireland, Donegal voted decisively against these amendments.
The
twenty-fifth amendment in 2002 to tighten the ban on abortion in Ireland received the most support in Donegal. Nationally, 50.42% of voters voted against the amendment, whereas 68.8% of voters in Donegal voted in favour of it. In May 2018, Donegal was the
only county in Ireland to vote against the repeal of the
Eighth Amendment of the Constitution which had acknowledged the right to life of the unborn. In October 2018, 48.5% of voters in Donegal voted against
repealing the offence of publishing or uttering
blasphemous
Blasphemy is a speech crime and religious crime usually defined as an utterance that shows contempt, disrespects or insults a deity, an object considered sacred or something considered inviolable. Some religions regard blasphemy as a religio ...
matter, the highest of any county and significantly above the national total of 35.15%.
European elections
The county is in the
Midlands–North-West constituency (4 seats) for elections to the
European Parliament
The European Parliament (EP) is one of the legislative bodies of the European Union and one of its seven institutions. Together with the Council of the European Union (known as the Council and informally as the Council of Ministers), it adopts ...
.
Freedom of Donegal
The Freedom of Donegal is an award that is given to people who have been recognised for outstanding achievements on behalf of the people and County Donegal. Such people include
Daniel O'Donnell
Daniel Francis Noel O'Donnell, MBE (born 12 December 1961) is an Irish singer, television presenter and philanthropist. After rising to public attention in 1983, he has since become a household name in Ireland and Britain; he has also had co ...
,
Phil Coulter
Philip Coulter (born 19 February 1942) is an Irish musician, songwriter and record producer from Derry, Northern Ireland. He was awarded the Gold Badge from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors in October 2009.
Coulter ha ...
,
Shay Given
Séamus John James Given (born 20 April 1976) is an Irish former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. With 134 caps, he is the second-highest capped Republic of Ireland player.
Given started his career at Celtic, however he neve ...
,
Packie Bonner
Patrick Joseph Bonner (born 24 May 1960) is an Irish retired footballer who played as a goalkeeper and spent his entire career at Celtic. He earned a total of 80 caps for the Republic of Ireland national football team after making his debut on h ...
,
Pat Crerand,
Seamus Coleman
Seamus may refer to:
* Séamus, a male first name of Gaelic origin
Film and television
* Seamus (''Family Guy''), a character on the television series ''Family Guy''
* Seamus, a pigeon in '' Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore''
* Seamus Mc ...
and the
Brennan family.
In 2009 the members of the 28th
Infantry
Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and mar ...
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions a ...
of the
Irish Defence Forces were also awarded the
Freedom of the County from
Donegal County Council
Donegal County Council ( ga, Comhairle Contae Dhún na nGall) is the authority responsible for local government in County Donegal, Ireland. As a county council, it is governed by the Local Government Act 2001. The council is responsible for hou ...
"in recognition of their longstanding service to the County of Donegal".
Access
An extensive rail network used to exist throughout the county and was mainly operated by the
County Donegal Railways Joint Committee and the
Londonderry and Lough Swilly Railway
The Londonderry and Lough Swilly Railway Company (The L&LSR, the Swilly) was an Irish public transport and freight company that operated in parts of County Londonderry and County Donegal between 1853 and 2014. Incorporated in June 1853, it on ...
Company (known as the L. & L.S.R. or the Lough Swilly Company for short). All these lines were laid to a 3-foot gauge, while the connecting lines were all laid to the Irish standard gauge of . This meant that all goods had to be transhipped at
Derry and
Strabane. Like all narrow gauge railways, this became a handicap after
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, when road transport began to erode the railways' goods traffic.
By 1953, the Lough Swilly had closed its entire railway system and become a bus and road haulage concern. The County Donegal lasted until 1960 as it had largely dieselised its passenger trains by 1951. By the late 1950s, major work was required to upgrade the track, and the Irish Government was unwilling to supply the necessary funds, so 'the Wee Donegal', as it was affectionally known, was closed in 1960. The
Great Northern Railway (the G.N.R.) also ran a line from
Strabane through The Laggan, a district in the east of the county, along the
River Foyle into Derry. However, the railway network within County Donegal was completely closed by 1960. Today, the closest railway station to the county is
Waterside Station in the City of Derry, which is operated by
Northern Ireland Railways
NI Railways, also known as Northern Ireland Railways (NIR) ( ga, Iarnród Thuaisceart Éireann); and for a brief period Ulster Transport Railways (UTR), is the railway operator in Northern Ireland. NIR is a subsidiary of Translink, whose paren ...
(N.I.R.). Train services along the
Belfast–Derry railway line run, via
Coleraine railway station
Coleraine railway station serves the town of Coleraine in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It shares facilities with the town's Ulsterbus bus depot.
History
The station was opened by the Ballymena, Ballymoney, Coleraine and Portrush ...
, to
Belfast Lanyon Place and
Belfast Great Victoria Street railway stations.
County Donegal is served by both
Donegal Airport
Donegal Airport ( ga, Aerfort Dhún na nGall) is located south-west of Bunbeg in Carrickfinn, a townland in The Rosses, a district in north-west County Donegal, Ireland. The airport is on the county's north-west coast. about a 15-minute driv ...
, located at Carrickfinn in
The Rosses
The Rosses (officially known by its Irish language name, ''Na Rosa''; in the genitive case ''Na Rosann'') is a geographical and social region in the west of County Donegal, Ireland, with a population of over 7,000 centred on the town of Dungloe, ...
in the west of the county, and by
City of Derry Airport
City of Derry Airport , previously known as RAF Eglinton and Londonderry Eglinton Airport, is a regional airport located northeast of Derry, Northern Ireland. It is located on the south bank of Lough Foyle, a short distance from the village ...
, located at
Eglinton to the east. The nearest main international airport to the county is
Belfast International Airport (popularly known as Aldergrove Airport), which is located to the east at
Aldergrove, near
Antrim Town, in
County Antrim
County Antrim (named after the town of Antrim, ) is one of six counties of Northern Ireland and one of the thirty-two counties of Ireland. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of and has a population o ...
, from Derry City and from Letterkenny.
Culture and religion
The variant of the
Irish language
Irish ( Standard Irish: ), also known as Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Insular Celtic branch of the Celtic language family, which is a part of the Indo-European language family. Irish is indigenous to the island of Ireland and was ...
spoken in County Donegal shares many traits with
Scottish Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic ( gd, Gàidhlig ), also known as Scots Gaelic and Gaelic, is a Goidelic language (in the Celtic branch of the Indo-European language family) native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a Goidelic language, Scottish Gaelic, as well ...
. The Irish spoken in the Donegal ''
Gaeltacht
( , , ) are the districts of Ireland, individually or collectively, where the Irish government recognises that the Irish language is the predominant vernacular, or language of the home.
The ''Gaeltacht'' districts were first officially reco ...
'' (Irish-speaking area) is of the
Ulster dialect, while
Inishowen
Inishowen () is a peninsula in the north of County Donegal in Ireland. Inishowen is the largest peninsula on the island of Ireland.
The Inishowen peninsula includes Ireland's most northerly point, Malin Head. The Grianan of Aileach, a ringfort ...
(parts of which only became English-speaking in the early 20th century) used the East Ulster dialect.
Ulster Scots is often spoken in both the
Finn Valley and The Laggan district of East Donegal. Donegal Irish has a strong influence on learnt Irish across Ulster.
Like other areas on the western seaboard of Ireland, Donegal has a distinctive
fiddle tradition which is of world renown. Donegal is also well known for its songs which have, like the instrumental music, a distinctive sound. Donegal musical artists such as the bands
Clannad
Clannad () is an Irish band formed in 1970 in Gweedore, County Donegal by siblings Ciarán, Pól, and Moya Brennan and their twin uncles Noel and Pádraig Duggan. They have adopted various musical styles throughout their history, including ...
,
The Pattersons, and
Altan and solo artist
Enya
Enya Patricia Brennan (; ga, Eithne Pádraigín Ní Bhraonáin; born 17 May 1961), known professionally by the mononym Enya, is an Irish singer, songwriter, and musician known for modern Celtic music. She is the best-selling Irish solo arti ...
, have had international success with traditional or traditional flavoured music. Donegal music has also influenced people not originally from the county including folk and pop singers
Paul Brady
Paul Joseph Brady (born 19 May 1947) is an Irish singer-songwriter and musician from Strabane, Northern Ireland. His work straddles folk and pop. He was interested in a wide variety of music from an early age.
Initially popular for playing ...
and
Phil Coulter
Philip Coulter (born 19 February 1942) is an Irish musician, songwriter and record producer from Derry, Northern Ireland. He was awarded the Gold Badge from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors in October 2009.
Coulter ha ...
. Singer
Daniel O'Donnell
Daniel Francis Noel O'Donnell, MBE (born 12 December 1961) is an Irish singer, television presenter and philanthropist. After rising to public attention in 1983, he has since become a household name in Ireland and Britain; he has also had co ...
has become a popular ambassador for the county.
Popular music
Popular music is music with wide appeal that is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. These forms and styles can be enjoyed and performed by people with little or no musical training.Popular Music. (2015). ''Fu ...
is also common, the county's most acclaimed rock artist being the
Ballyshannon
Ballyshannon () is a town in County Donegal, Ireland. It is located at the southern end of the county where the N3 from Dublin ends and the N15 crosses the River Erne. Incorporated in 1613, it is one of the oldest towns in Ireland.
Location
B ...
-born
Rory Gallagher
William Rory Gallagher ( ; 2 March 1948 – 14 June 1995) was an Irish guitarist, singer, songwriter, and producer. Due to his virtuosic playing, but relative lack of fame compared to some others, he has been referred to as "the greatest ...
. Other acts to come out of Donegal include folk-rock band
Goats Don't Shave, Eurovision contestant
Mickey Joe Harte
Michael Joseph "Mickey Joe" Harte (born 21 August 1973), is an Irish singer-songwriter. He represented Ireland in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2003 with the song "We've Got the World".
Early life
Harte hails from Lifford, County Donegal. As a ...
and indie rock group
The Revs
The Revs are an indie rock band from Kilcar, County Donegal in Ireland. The group consisted of three childhood friends: Rory Gallagher (named after the famous blues guitarist Rory Gallagher and who had previously released the album ''20th Centur ...
. In more recent years, bands such as in Their Thousands and Mojo Gogo have featured on the front page of ''
Hot Press
''Hot Press'' is a fortnightly music and politics magazine based in Dublin, Ireland, founded in June 1977. The magazine has been edited since its inception by Niall Stokes.
History
''Hot Press'' was founded in June 1977 by Niall Stokes, who co ...
'' magazine.
County Donegal has a long literary tradition in both Irish and English. The Irish
navvy
Navvy, a clipping of navigator ( UK) or navigational engineer ( US), is particularly applied to describe the manual labourers working on major civil engineering projects and occasionally (in North America) to refer to mechanical shovels and eart ...
-turned-novelist
Patrick MacGill, author of many books about the experiences of Irish migrant
itinerant
An itinerant is a person who travels habitually. Itinerant may refer to:
*"Travellers" or itinerant groups in Europe
* Itinerant preacher, also known as itinerant minister
*Travelling salespeople, see door-to-door, hawker, and peddler
*Travelli ...
labourers in
Britain
Britain most often refers to:
* The United Kingdom, a sovereign state in Europe comprising the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands
* Great Britain, the largest island in the United King ...
at around the start of the 20th century, such as ''The Rat Pit'' and the autobiographical ''Children of the Dead End'', is from the
Glenties
Glenties () is a town in County Donegal, Ireland. It is situated where two glens meet, north-west of the Bluestack Mountains, near the confluence of two rivers. Glenties is the largest centre of population in the parish of Iniskeel. Glenties has ...
area. The MacGill Summer School in
Glenties
Glenties () is a town in County Donegal, Ireland. It is situated where two glens meet, north-west of the Bluestack Mountains, near the confluence of two rivers. Glenties is the largest centre of population in the parish of Iniskeel. Glenties has ...
is named in his honour and attracts national interest as a forum for the analysis of current affairs. The novelist and socialist politician
Peadar O'Donnell
Peadar O'Donnell ( ga, Peadar Ó Domhnaill; 22 February 1893 – 13 May 1986) was one of the foremost radicals of 20th-century Ireland. O'Donnell became prominent as an Irish republican, socialist activist, politician and writer.
Early life
Pea ...
hailed from
The Rosses
The Rosses (officially known by its Irish language name, ''Na Rosa''; in the genitive case ''Na Rosann'') is a geographical and social region in the west of County Donegal, Ireland, with a population of over 7,000 centred on the town of Dungloe, ...
in west Donegal. The poet
William Allingham
William Allingham (19 March 1824 – 18 November 1889) was an Irish poet, diarist and editor. He wrote several volumes of lyric verse, and his poem "The Faeries" was much anthologised. But he is better known for his posthumously published ''Di ...
was also from Ballyshannon. Modern exponents include the
Inishowen
Inishowen () is a peninsula in the north of County Donegal in Ireland. Inishowen is the largest peninsula on the island of Ireland.
The Inishowen peninsula includes Ireland's most northerly point, Malin Head. The Grianan of Aileach, a ringfort ...
playwright and poet
Frank McGuinness
Professor Frank McGuinness (born 1953) is an Irish writer. As well as his own plays, which include '' The Factory Girls'', ''Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme'', '' Someone Who'll Watch Over Me'' and ''Dolly West's Kitchen'' ...
and the playwright
Brian Friel
Brian Patrick Friel (c. 9 January 1929 – 2 October 2015) was an Irish dramatist, short story writer and founder of the Field Day Theatre Company. He had been considered one of the greatest living English-language dramatists. (subscription req ...
. Many of Friel's plays are set in the fictional Donegal town of
Ballybeg.
Authors in County Donegal have been creating works, like the ''
Annals of the Four Masters
The ''Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland'' ( ga, Annála Ríoghachta Éireann) or the ''Annals of the Four Masters'' (''Annála na gCeithre Máistrí'') are chronicles of Middle Ages, medieval Irish history. The entries span from the Flood myt ...
'', in Irish and
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
since the
Early Middle Ages
The Early Middle Ages (or early medieval period), sometimes controversially referred to as the Dark Ages, is typically regarded by historians as lasting from the late 5th or early 6th century to the 10th century. They marked the start of the Mi ...
. The Irish philosopher
John Toland
John Toland (30 November 167011 March 1722) was an Irish rationalist philosopher and freethinker, and occasional satirist, who wrote numerous books and pamphlets on political philosophy and philosophy of religion, which are early expressions o ...
was born in
Inishowen
Inishowen () is a peninsula in the north of County Donegal in Ireland. Inishowen is the largest peninsula on the island of Ireland.
The Inishowen peninsula includes Ireland's most northerly point, Malin Head. The Grianan of Aileach, a ringfort ...
in 1670. He was thought of as the original
freethinker
Freethought (sometimes spelled free thought) is an epistemological viewpoint which holds that beliefs should not be formed on the basis of authority, tradition, revelation, or dogma, and that beliefs should instead be reached by other metho ...
by
George Berkeley. Toland was also instrumental in the spread of freemasonry throughout
Continental Europe. In modern Irish, Donegal has produced a number of (sometimes controversial), authors such as the brothers
Séamus Ó Grianna
Séamus Ó Grianna (; 17 November 1889 – 27 November 1969; locally known also as Jimí Fheilimí) was an Irish writer, who used the pen name Máire.
Biography
Born to Feidhlimidh Mac Grianna and Máire Eibhlín Néillín Ní Dhomhnaill i ...
and
Seosamh Mac Grianna
Seosamh Mac Grianna (20 August 1900 – 11 June 1990) was a writer from County Donegal. He was born into a family of poets and storytellers, which included his brothers Séamus Ó Grianna and Seán Bán Mac Grianna, in Rann na Feirste, County ...
from
The Rosses
The Rosses (officially known by its Irish language name, ''Na Rosa''; in the genitive case ''Na Rosann'') is a geographical and social region in the west of County Donegal, Ireland, with a population of over 7,000 centred on the town of Dungloe, ...
and the contemporary (and controversial) Irish-language poet
Cathal Ó Searcaigh from
Gortahork
Gort an Choirce or Gort a' Choirce (; meaning "oat field"), anglicised as Gortahork, is a village and townland in the northwest of County Donegal, Ireland. It is a Gaeltacht community, where the Irish language is the main language spoken in the a ...
in Cloughaneely, and where he is known to locals as (Guru of the Hills).
County Donegal is known for its textiles, whose unique woollen blends are made of short threads with tiny bits of colour blended in for a heathered effect. Sometimes they are woven in a rustic herringbone format and other times in more of a box weave of varied colours. These weaves are known as
donegal tweed
Donegal tweed is a woven tweed manufactured in County Donegal, Ireland. Originally all handwoven, it is now mostly machine woven and has been since the introduction of mechanised looms in the 1950s-1960s. Donegal has for centuries been producing ...
s (with a small 'd') and are world-renowned.
There is a sizeable minority of
Ulster Protestants
Ulster Protestants ( ga, Protastúnaigh Ultach) are an ethnoreligious group in the Irish province of Ulster, where they make up about 43.5% of the population. Most Ulster Protestants are descendants of settlers who arrived from Britain in the ...
in County Donegal, and most Donegal Protestants trace their ancestors to settlers who arrived during the
Plantation of Ulster throughout the 17th century. The
Church of Ireland
The Church of Ireland ( ga, Eaglais na hÉireann, ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Kirk o Airlann, ) is a Christian church in Ireland and an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. It is organised on an all-Ireland basis and is the secon ...
is the largest Protestant denomination, with
Presbyterianism
Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...
second. The areas of County Donegal with the highest percentage of Protestants are The Laggan district of East Donegal, centred on
Raphoe; the
Finn Valley; and areas around Ramelton, Milford and Dunfanaghy – where their proportion reaches up to 30–45 per cent. There is also a large Protestant population between Donegal Town and
Ballyshannon
Ballyshannon () is a town in County Donegal, Ireland. It is located at the southern end of the county where the N3 from Dublin ends and the N15 crosses the River Erne. Incorporated in 1613, it is one of the oldest towns in Ireland.
Location
B ...
in the south of the county. In absolute terms,
Letterkenny
Letterkenny ( ga, Leitir Ceanainn , meaning 'hillside of the O'Cannons'), nicknamed 'the Cathedral Town', is the largest and most populous town in County Donegal, a county in Ulster, the northern province in Ireland. Letterkenny lies on the R ...
has the largest number of Protestants (over 1000).
The
Earagail Arts Festival is held within the county each July.
People from Donegal have also contributed to culture elsewhere.
Francis Alison Francis Alison (1705–1779) was a leading minister in the Synod of Philadelphia during The Old Side-New Side Controversy
Biography Early life and education
Alison was born in Donegal, Ireland and studied at the University of Glasgow. It appears h ...
was one of the founders of the College of Philadelphia, which would later become the
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest-regarded universitie ...
.
Francis Makemie
Francis Makemie (1658–1708) was an Ulster Scots clergyman, considered to be the founder of Presbyterianism in the United States of America.
Early and family life
Makemie was born in Ramelton, County Donegal, Ireland (part of the Province o ...
(originally from
Ramelton
Ramelton (; ), also Rathmelton, is a town and townland in County Donegal, Ireland. , its population was 1,266.
History
Ramelton is situated at the mouth of the River Lennon, 11 km north of Letterkenny and 4 km south of Milford, on th ...
) founded the Presbyterian Church in America.
David Steele, from Upper Creevaugh, was a prominent
Reformed Presbyterian, or
Covenanter, a minister who emigrated to the United States in 1824.
Charles Inglis, who was the first
Church of England
The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britai ...
bishop of the
Diocese of Nova Scotia, was the third son of Archibald Inglis, the
Rector
Rector (Latin for the member of a vessel's crew who steers) may refer to:
Style or title
*Rector (ecclesiastical), a cleric who functions as an administrative leader in some Christian denominations
*Rector (academia), a senior official in an edu ...
in
Glencolmcille
''Gleann Cholm Cille'', anglicised as Glencolumbkille or Glencolmcille, is a small district on the Atlantic coast of southwest County Donegal in Ulster, the northern province in Ireland. Named after Saint Colm Cille (Columba), it is also a ...
.
Places of interest
The area's attractions include
Glenveagh
Glenveagh ( ; ) is the second-largest national park in Ireland. Located in County Donegal, it includes Glenveagh Castle grounds, Lough Veagh, and much of the Derryveagh Mountains. National parks in Ireland conform to IUCN standards.
Geograp ...
National Park (formerly part of the Glenveagh Estate). The park is a 170 km
2 (about 42,000 acre) nature reserve with scenery of mountains, raised boglands, lakes and woodlands. At its heart is
Glenveagh Castle
Glenveagh Castle ( ga, Caisleán Ghleann Bheatha ) is a large castellated mansion located in Glenveagh National Park, County Donegal,
Ireland and was built in about 1870.
History
Captain John George Adair built Glenveagh Castle between ...
, a late
Victorian 'folly' that was originally built as a summer residence. County Donegal was voted number one on ''The National Geographic Traveller'' (UK) 'cool list' for 2017,
The Donegal
Gaeltacht
( , , ) are the districts of Ireland, individually or collectively, where the Irish government recognises that the Irish language is the predominant vernacular, or language of the home.
The ''Gaeltacht'' districts were first officially reco ...
(Irish-speaking district) also attracts young people to County Donegal each year during the school summer holidays. The three-week-long summer Gaeltacht courses give young Irish people from other parts of the country a chance to learn the Irish language and traditional Irish cultural traditions that are still prevalent in parts of Donegal. The Donegal Gaeltacht has traditionally been a very popular destination each summer for young people from
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...
. Scuba diving is also very popular with a club being located in Donegal Town.
Education
Higher education within the county is provided by the
Letterkenny
Letterkenny ( ga, Leitir Ceanainn , meaning 'hillside of the O'Cannons'), nicknamed 'the Cathedral Town', is the largest and most populous town in County Donegal, a county in Ulster, the northern province in Ireland. Letterkenny lies on the R ...
campus of the
Atlantic Technological University
Atlantic Technological University (also known as Atlantic TU or ATU; ga, Ollscoil Teicneolaíochta an Atlantaigh; OTA) is a technological university in the west and north-west of Ireland. It was formally established on 1 April 2022 as a merg ...
(formerly the
Letterkenny Institute of Technology
The Letterkenny Institute of Technology (LYIT; ga, Institiúid Teicneolaíochta Leitir Ceanainn) was a institute of technology, located in Letterkenny, Ireland.
Based at Letterkenny in County Donegal, it was one of the smaller places of thi ...
, LYIT, popularly known locally as 'the Regional', established in the 1970s). In addition, many young people from the county attend third-level institutions elsewhere in Ireland, especially in
Derry and also at the
Ulster University at Coleraine
, image =
, caption = ''The Coleraine Campus in 2007''
, motto = No motto
, motto_lang =
, mottoeng =
, established = 1968 – Coleraine Campus ...
(U.U.C.),
Ulster University
sco, Ulstèr Universitie
, image = Ulster University coat of arms.png
, caption =
, motto_lang =
, mottoeng =
, latin_name = Universitas Ulidiae
, established = 1865 – Magee College 1953 - Magee Un ...
at Jordanstown (U.U.J.),
Queen's University Belfast (Queen's), and
NUI Galway
The University of Galway ( ga, Ollscoil na Gaillimhe) is a public research university located in the city of Galway, Ireland. A tertiary education and research institution, the university was awarded the full five QS stars for excellence in 201 ...
. Many Donegal students also attend the
Limavady Campus of the
North West Regional College
North West Regional College is a further education and higher education college in the north-west region of Northern Ireland. The college has five main campuses in counties Londonderry and Tyrone: Strand Road ( Derry), Springtown (Derry), ...
(popularly known as Limavady Tech) and the
Omagh College of Further Education
Omagh College of Further Education (often referred to as just Omagh College or "The Tech" by locals) is a college in Omagh, County Tyrone in Northern Ireland. The college is based in one central campus in the Town Centre (however up until rece ...
of
South West College
The South West College operates in Northern Ireland on four campuses in Cookstown, Dungannon, Enniskillen and Omagh and, of the six new area based colleges, it is the smallest in size, but it covers the largest geographical area of counties ...
(popularly known as Omagh Tech or Omagh College).
Sport
Gaelic football and hurling
The
Gaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA; ga, Cumann Lúthchleas Gael ; CLG) is an Irish international amateur sports, amateur sporting and cultural organisation, focused primarily on promoting indigenous Gaelic games and pastimes, which include t ...
(G.A.A.) sport of
Gaelic football is very popular in County Donegal. Donegal's inter-county football team have won the
All-Ireland Senior Football Championship
The All-Ireland Senior Football Championship (SFC) ( ga, Craobh Shinsir Peile na hÉireann) is the premier competition in Gaelic football. An annual tournament organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA), it is contested by the county ...
title twice (in 1992 and 2012) and the
Ulster Senior Football Championship
The Ulster Senior Football Championship is an inter-county competition for Gaelic football teams in the province of Ulster. It is organised by the Ulster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) and begins in early May. The final is ...
ten times.
Donegal emerged victorious from the
2012 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final
The 2012 All-Ireland Football Final, the 125th event of its kind and the culmination of the 2012 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, was played at Croke Park, Dublin, on 23 September 2012. Donegal and Mayo, widely considered "one of the mo ...
on 23 September 2012 to take the
Sam Maguire Cup
The Sam Maguire Cup ( ga, Chorn Sam Mhic Uidhir), often referred to as Sam or The Sam , is a trophy awarded annually by the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) to the team that wins the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, the main competiti ...
for only the second time, with early goals from
Michael Murphy Michael, Mick, or Mike Murphy may refer to:
Artists and entertainers
* Michael Murphy (actor) (born 1938), American actor
* Mike Murphy (musician) (1946–2006), American drummer for the Bee Gees and Chicago
* Michael Bryan Murphy, lead singer ...
and
Colm McFadden
Colm Anthony McFadden ( ga, Colm Antóin Mac Pháidín; born 1982/3) is an Irish Gaelic footballer who plays at full forward for St Michael's and, from 2002 to 2016, for the Donegal county team.
McFadden is Donegal's most-capped Championship ...
setting up a victory of 2–11 to 0–13 over
Mayo Mayo often refers to:
* Mayonnaise, often shortened to "mayo"
* Mayo Clinic, a medical center in Rochester, Minnesota, United States
Mayo may also refer to:
Places
Antarctica
* Mayo Peak, Marie Byrd Land
Australia
* Division of Mayo, an Aust ...
. In 2007, Donegal won only their second national title by winning the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
. On 24 April 2011, Donegal added their third national title when they defeated
Laois
County Laois ( ; gle, Contae Laoise) is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Eastern and Midland Region and in the province of Leinster. It was known as Queen's County from 1556 to 1922. The modern county takes its name from Loígis, a medi ...
to capture the National Football League Division Two, they added another Division Two title in 2019. There are 16 clubs in the
Donegal Senior Football Championship
The Donegal Senior Football Championship (abbreviated as Donegal SFC) is an annual football competition organised by Donegal GAA and contested by the highest-level clubs, to determine the best team in County Donegal. Since 2016, it has been known ...
, with many others playing at a lower level.
Hurling (often called 'hurley' within County Donegal), handball and rounders are also played but are less widespread, as is the case in other parts of western
Ulster
Ulster (; ga, Ulaidh or ''Cúige Uladh'' ; sco, label= Ulster Scots, Ulstèr or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional Irish provinces. It is made up of nine counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United Kin ...
. The Donegal county senior hurling team won the
Lory Meagher Cup
The Lory Meagher Cup (; often referred to as the Meagher Cup) is the fifth-highest inter-county senior championship in hurling. Each year, the champion team in the Lory Meagher Cup is promoted to the Nicky Rackard Cup.
The Lory Meagher Cup, w ...
in 2011 and the
Nicky Rackard Cup
The Nicky Rackard Cup (; often referred to as the Rackard Cup) is the fourth tier of the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship. Each year, the champion team in the Nicky Rackard Cup is promoted to the Christy Ring Cup, and the lowest finishing ...
in 2013.
Rugby Union
There are several
rugby
Rugby may refer to:
Sport
* Rugby football in many forms:
** Rugby league: 13 players per side
*** Masters Rugby League
*** Mod league
*** Rugby league nines
*** Rugby league sevens
*** Touch (sport)
*** Wheelchair rugby league
** Rugby union: 1 ...
teams in the county. These include Ulster Qualifying League Two side
Letterkenny RFC, whose ground is named after
Dave Gallaher
David Gallaher (30October 1873 – 4October 1917) was an Irish-born New Zealand rugby union footballer best remembered as the captain of the " Original All Blacks"—the 1905–06 New Zealand national team, the first representative New Zealan ...
, the captain of the 1905 New Zealand
All Blacks
The New Zealand national rugby union team, commonly known as the All Blacks ( mi, Ōpango), represents New Zealand in men's international rugby union, which is considered the country's national sport. The team won the Rugby World Cup in 1987, ...
touring team, who have since become known as
The Originals. He was born in nearby
Ramelton
Ramelton (; ), also Rathmelton, is a town and townland in County Donegal, Ireland. , its population was 1,266.
History
Ramelton is situated at the mouth of the River Lennon, 11 km north of Letterkenny and 4 km south of Milford, on th ...
.
Ulster Qualifying League Three sides include Ballyshannon RFC, Donegal Town RFC and Inishowen RFC. Finn Valley RFC and Tir Chonaill RFC both compete in the Ulster Minor League North.
Association football
Finn Harps
Finn Harps Football Club ( ga, Cumann Peile Chláirsigh na Finne) are an Irish football club that play in the First Division of the League of Ireland, as of 2023. The club was founded in 1954 and elected to the league in 1969. However, it was te ...
play in the
League of Ireland
The League of Ireland ( ga, Sraith na hÉireann), together with the Football Association of Ireland, is one of the two main governing bodies responsible for organising association football in the Republic of Ireland. The term was originally use ...
and won promotion to the
Premier Division in 2015 following a 2–1 aggregate win over
Limerick F.C.
Limerick Football Club ( ga, Club Peile Luimnigh) was an association football club based in Limerick, Ireland who played in the League of Ireland and currently have teams competing in the underage National League of Ireland.
The first Limerick ...
in the playoff final. They retained their status in the Premier Division in the 2016 season. Harps' main rivals are
Derry City F.C.
Derry City Football Club is a professional association football club based in Derry, Northern Ireland. It plays in the League of Ireland Premier Division, the top tier of league football in the Republic of Ireland, and is the League of Ireland ...
, with whom they contest Ireland's ''North-West Derby''. Finn Harps are Donegal's only League of Ireland club, with the county's other clubs playing in either the
Ulster Senior League or the local junior leagues.
Golf
There are a number of golf courses such as
Ballyliffin Golf Club, located in the Inishowen peninsula. Other courses of note are Murvagh (located outside Donegal Town) and Rosapenna (Sandy Hills) located in Downings (near
Carrigart
Carraig Airt (anglicised as Carrigart or Carrickart) is a small Gaeltacht village in the barony of Kilmacrennan to the north of County Donegal, Ireland.
The village is on the R245 route between Letterkenny and Creeslough. Situated as it is at t ...
). The Glashedy Links has been ranked 6th in a recent ranking taken by Golf Digest on the best courses in Ireland. The old links were ranked 28th, Murvagh 36th and Sandy Hills 38th.
Cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by str ...
is chiefly confined to The Laggan district and the Finn Valley in the east of the county. The town of
Raphoe and the nearby village of
St Johnston, both in The Laggan, are the traditional strongholds of cricket within the county. The game is mainly played and followed by members of the
Ulster Protestants
Ulster Protestants ( ga, Protastúnaigh Ultach) are an ethnoreligious group in the Irish province of Ulster, where they make up about 43.5% of the population. Most Ulster Protestants are descendants of settlers who arrived from Britain in the ...
of Co. Donegal.
St Johnston Cricket Club play in the
North West Senior League
The North West Senior League is the provincial cricket league within the North West Cricket Union jurisdiction in Ireland, which covers counties Londonderry, Fermanagh, and part of Tyrone in Northern Ireland and County Donegal in the Republic of ...
, while Letterkenny Cricket Club play in the Derry Midweek League.
Athletics
Athletics has been one of the most successful sports in Donegal over the years with numerous athletes from County Donegal going on to represent Ireland at the international level, with at least five winning medals at major events. Such athletes include
Danny McDaid
Daniel "Danny" McDaid ( ga, Dónall Mac Daibhéad; born 4 August 1941) is a 2-time Irish Olympic athlete and four times national marathon champion from Letterkenny, County Donegal, Ireland. He is a former member of the Dublin-based athletic cl ...
in the World Cross-Country Championships in 1979, Bridie Lynch who won medals in the World Paralympic Games in 1992 and 1996,
Gary Murray who came 8th in the
European Junior Cross-Country Championship of 1999, and
Mark English who won medals in the European 800m Championships in 2014, 2015, 2018 and 2019. Sommer Lecky also achieved silver in the
World Junior High Jump 2018. Other notable athletes from Donegal include
Paul Dolan,
Caitriona Jennings
Caitriona Jennings (born 17 June 1980; from Letterkenny, County Donegal) is an Irish long distance runner who competed in the marathon at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, United Kingdom.
Early life
Jennings attended Loreto Convent Secon ...
and
Brendan Boyce
Brendan Boyce (born 15 October 1986) is an Irish race walker. He competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in the 50k walk, coming 29th, and the 2013 World Championships in Athletics where he came 25th. He competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in t ...
each of whom has represented Ireland at the international level.
Other sports
Donegal's rugged landscape and coastline lends itself to active sports like
climbing
Climbing is the activity of using one's hands, feet, or any other part of the body to ascend a steep topographical object that can range from the world's tallest mountains (e.g. the eight thousanders), to small boulders. Climbing is done ...
,
mountain biking,
hillwalking
Walking is one of the most popular outdoor recreational activities in the United Kingdom, and within England and Wales there is a comprehensive network of rights of way that permits access to the countryside. Furthermore, access to much unculti ...
,
surfing and
kite
A kite is a tethered heavier-than-air or lighter-than-air craft with wing surfaces that react against the air to create lift and drag forces. A kite consists of wings, tethers and anchors. Kites often have a bridle and tail to guide the fac ...
-flying.
People
See also
*
List of Donegal people
This is a list of people from County Donegal.
Sport
*Packie Bonner, former Glasgow Celtic and Republic of Ireland goalkeeper
*Séamus Coleman plays right back for Everton and Republic of Ireland
*Philip Deignan, former professional cyclist
*R ...
*
List of monastic houses in County Donegal
Notes
References
See also
*List of monastic houses in Ireland
{{Monastic houses of Ireland
Donegal Donegal may refer to:
County Donegal, Ireland
* County Donegal, a county in the Republic of Ireland, part of the province of Uls ...
*
List of National Monuments in County Donegal
*
List of public art in County Donegal
This is a list of public art on permanent public display in County Donegal, Ireland. The list applies only to works of public art accessible in a public space; it does not include artwork on display inside museums. Public art may include sculpt ...
*
*
List of towns and villages in the Republic of Ireland
This is a link page for cities, towns and villages in the Republic of Ireland, including townships or urban centres in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway, Waterford and other major urban areas. Cities are shown in bold; see City status in Ireland for ...
*
List of abbeys and priories in the Republic of Ireland (County Donegal)
*
People from County Donegal
A person ( : people) is a being that has certain capacities or attributes such as reason, morality, consciousness or self-consciousness, and being a part of a culturally established form of social relations such as kinship, ownership of propert ...
*
Donegal County (Parliament of Ireland constituency)
Donegal County was a constituency represented in the Irish House of Commons to 1800. The county received two seats at Westminster
Westminster is an area of Central London, part of the wider City of Westminster.
The area, which extends f ...
*
Earagail Arts Festival
*
High Sheriff of Donegal
The High Sheriff of Donegal was the British Crown's judicial representative in County Donegal in Ulster, Ireland, from the late 16th century until 1922, when the office was abolished in the new Irish Free State and replaced by the office of Doneg ...
*
Lord Lieutenant of Donegal
This is a list of people who served as Lord Lieutenant of County Donegal.
There were lieutenants of counties in Ireland until the reign of James II, when they were renamed governors. The office of Lord Lieutenant was recreated on 23 August 1831 ...
*
The Troubles
The Troubles ( ga, Na Trioblóidí) were an ethno-nationalist conflict in Northern Ireland that lasted about 30 years from the late 1960s to 1998. Also known internationally as the Northern Ireland conflict, it is sometimes described as an " ...
*
Wild Atlantic Way
The Wild Atlantic Way ( ga, Slí an Atlantaigh Fhiáin) is a tourism trail on the west coast, and on parts of the north and south coasts, of Ireland. The 2,500 km (1,553 mile) driving route passes through nine counties and three provinces, s ...
*
Báidín Fheilimí
Báidín Fheilimí is a traditional Irish song, which originates in the Gaeltacht region in the north-west of County Donegal. It is usually taught to young children. The lyrics are in Irish and is based on the immortalization of a small boat owned ...
References
Further reading
* O'Carroll, Niall. ''Forestry in Ireland - A Concise History'', National Council for Forest Research and Development, 2004
*
* Donegal CoCo. ''Biodiversity Species List for County Donegal (with priorities)'', An Action of the County Donegal Heritage Plan (2007-2011),
Donegal County Council
Donegal County Council ( ga, Comhairle Contae Dhún na nGall) is the authority responsible for local government in County Donegal, Ireland. As a county council, it is governed by the Local Government Act 2001. The council is responsible for hou ...
, 2009
* Douglas, C, O'Sullivan, A, Grogan, H, Kelly, L, Garvey, L, Van Doorslaer, L, Scally, L, Dunnells, D, & Wyse Jackson, M, Goodwillie, R, Mooney, E. ''Distribution, Ecology and Conservation of Blanket Bog in Ireland'', National Parks and Wildlife Service, 2000
*
* Geological Survey of Ireland (GSI). ''The Geological Heritage of Donegal: An audit of County Geological Sites in Donegal 2019'', The
Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications
The Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications ( ga, An Roinn Comhshaoil, Aeráide agus Cumarsáide) is a department of the Government of Ireland that is responsible for the telecommunications and broadcasting sectors and regulat ...
, 2019
* (Ireland in Old Photographs series)
* Morton, O. 2003. The marine macroalgae of County Donegal, Ireland. ''Bull. Ir. biogeog.soc.'' 27: 3–164.
* ''Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland (Annála Ríoghachta Éireann) by the Four Masters'', from the earliest period to the year 1616, compiled during the period 1632–36 by Brother Michael O'Clery, translated and edited by John O'Donovan in 1856, and re-published in 1998 by De Burca, Dublin.
* Parks, H.M. 1958. A general survey of the marine algae of Mulroy Bay, Co. Donegal. ''Ir. Nat. J.'' 12: 277–83.
* Parks, H.M. 1958. A general survey of the marine algae of Mulroy Bay, Co. Donegal: II ''Ir. Nat. J.'' 12: 324–30.
* Patrick Buckland, ''A History of Northern Ireland''.
Gill & Macmillan
Gill is an independent publisher and distributor based in Dublin, Ireland.
History
In 1856, Michael Henry Gill, printer for Dublin University, purchased the publishing and bookselling business of James McGlashan, and the company was renamed McG ...
, Dublin, 1981.
*
John Bowman, ''
De Valera and the Ulster Question, 1917–1973'' (Paperback Edition).
Clarendon Press
Oxford University Press (OUP) is the university press of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world, and its printing history dates back to the 1480s. Having been officially granted the legal right to print books ...
,
Oxford
Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
, 1982.
* Brian Lacy (Editor), ''Archaeological Survey of County Donegal''.
Donegal County Council
Donegal County Council ( ga, Comhairle Contae Dhún na nGall) is the authority responsible for local government in County Donegal, Ireland. As a county council, it is governed by the Local Government Act 2001. The council is responsible for hou ...
, Lifford, 1983.
* Willie Nolan, Máiread Dunleavy and Liam Ronayne (Editors), ''Donegal: History & Society''. Geography Publications, Dublin, 1995.
* Gerald O'Brien (Editor), ''Derry & Londonderry: History & Society''. Geography Publications, Dublin, 1999.
* Patrick McKay, ''A Dictionary of Ulster Place-Names''. The Institute of Irish Studies,
The Queen's University of Belfast
, mottoeng = For so much, what shall we give back?
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, top_free_label1 =
, top_free1 =
, top_free_label2 =
, top_free2 =
, established =
, closed =
, type = Public research university
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, Belfast, 1999.
*
Paul Bew
Paul Anthony Elliott Bew, Baron Bew (born 22 January 1950), is a British historian from Northern Ireland and a life peer. He has worked at Queen's University Belfast since 1979, and is currently Professor of Irish Politics, a position he has ...
and Gordon Gillespie, ''Northern Ireland: A Chronology of the Troubles, 1968–1999''.
Gill & Macmillan
Gill is an independent publisher and distributor based in Dublin, Ireland.
History
In 1856, Michael Henry Gill, printer for Dublin University, purchased the publishing and bookselling business of James McGlashan, and the company was renamed McG ...
, Dublin, 1999.
* Enda Staunton, ''The Nationalists of Northern Ireland, 1918–1973'' (Paperback Edition). The Columba Press,
Blackrock
BlackRock, Inc. is an American multi-national investment company based in New York City. Founded in 1988, initially as a risk management and fixed income institutional asset manager, BlackRock is the world's largest asset manager, with trill ...
, County Dublin, 2001.
*
Prof. Michael Lynch (Editor), ''The
Oxford Companion
''Oxford Companions'' is a book series published by Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press (OUP) is the university press of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world, and its printing history dates ...
to Scottish History''.
Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press (OUP) is the university press of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world, and its printing history dates back to the 1480s. Having been officially granted the legal right to print books ...
, Oxford, 2001.
*
John Hume
John Hume (18 January 19373 August 2020) was an Irish nationalist politician from Northern Ireland, widely regarded as one of the most important figures in the recent political history of Ireland, as one of the architects of the Northern Ire ...
, ''Derry Beyond The Walls''. Ulster Historical Foundation, Belfast, 2002.
*
Alistair Rowan, ''
The Buildings of Ireland: North West Ulster (Pevsner Guides)''.
Penguin, London, 1979 (Republished by
Yale University Press
Yale University Press is the university press of Yale University. It was founded in 1908 by George Parmly Day, and became an official department of Yale University in 1961, but it remains financially and operationally autonomous.
, Yale Universi ...
, London, 2003).
* Brian Lalor (General Editor), ''The Encyclopaedia of Ireland''. Gill & Macmillan, Dublin, 2003.
* Tom Ferris, ''The Great Northern Railway: An Irish Railway Pictorial''. Midland Publishing, 2003.
*
Samuel Lewis, ''Counties Londonderry & Donegal: A Topographical Dictionary''. Friar's Bush Press, Belfast, 2004 (originally published as part of ''A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland'' by S. Lewis & Co., London, 1837).
* Jonathan Bardon, ''A History of Ulster''.
Blackstaff Press, Belfast, 2005.
* John McCavitt, ''The Flight of the Earls''. Gill & Macmillan, Dublin 2005.
* Avril Thomas, ''Irish Historic Towns Atlas No. 15: Derry-Londonderry''.
Royal Irish Academy, Dublin, 2005.
* Jim MacLaughlin (Editor), ''Donegal: The Making of a Northern County''.
Four Courts Press
Four Courts Press is an independent Irish academic publishing house, with its office at Malpas Street, Dublin 8, Ireland.
Founded in 1970 by Michael Adams, who died in February 2009, its early publications were primarily theological, notably t ...
, Dublin, 2007.
* Seán Beattie, ''Ancient Monuments of Inishowen, North Donegal''. Lighthouse Publications,
Carndonagh
Carndonagh (; ) is a town on the Inishowen peninsula in County Donegal, Ireland, close to Trawbreaga Bay. It is the site of the Donagh Cross (or St. Patrick's Cross), believed to date to the 7th century. The Irish name, ''Carn Domhnach'', means ...
,
Inishowen
Inishowen () is a peninsula in the north of County Donegal in Ireland. Inishowen is the largest peninsula on the island of Ireland.
The Inishowen peninsula includes Ireland's most northerly point, Malin Head. The Grianan of Aileach, a ringfort ...
, County Donegal, 1994 & 2009.
* Paul Larmour and Shane O'Toole, ''North by Northwest: The life and work of Liam McCormick''. Gandon Editions,
Kinsale
Kinsale ( ; ) is a historic port and fishing town in County Cork, Ireland. Located approximately south of Cork City on the southeast coast near the Old Head of Kinsale, it sits at the mouth of the River Bandon, and has a population of 5,281 (a ...
, County Cork, 2008.
* Carole Pollard, ''Liam McCormick: Seven Donegal Churches''. Gandon Editions,
Kinsale
Kinsale ( ; ) is a historic port and fishing town in County Cork, Ireland. Located approximately south of Cork City on the southeast coast near the Old Head of Kinsale, it sits at the mouth of the River Bandon, and has a population of 5,281 (a ...
, County Cork, 2011.
* ''Lios-seachas o iar Thir Chonaill'', A.J. Hughes, ''Donegal Annual'' 37, 1985, pp. 27–31.
* ''Orthographical evidence of developments in Donegal Irish'', A.J. Hughes, ''Eigse'' 22, 1987, pp. 126–34.
* ''Rang scoile a teagascadh i dTir Chonaill?'', A.J. Hughes, ''Donegal Annual'' 39, 1987, pp. 99–102
* Ian Donnachie and George Hewitt, ''The Birlinn Companion to Scottish History''. Birlinn Ltd.,
Edinburgh
Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the southern shore of t ...
, 2007.
* John Crowley, William J. Smyth and Mike Murphy (Editors), ''Atlas of the Great Irish Famine''.
Cork University Press, Cork, 2012.
* Jim MacLaughlin and Seán Beattie (Editors), ''An Historical, Environmental and Cultural Atlas of County Donegal''.
Cork University Press,
Cork, 2013.
* Willie Cumming, Duncan McLaren and T.J. O'Meara, ''An Introduction to the Architectural Heritage of County Donegal''.
National Inventory of Architectural Heritage
The National Inventory of Architectural Heritage (NIAH) maintains a central database of the architectural heritage of the Republic of Ireland covering the period since 1700 in complement to the Archaeological Survey of Ireland, which focuses on ar ...
(N.I.A.H.),
Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht
The Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media ( ga, An Roinn Turasóireachta, Cultúir, Ealaíon, Gaeltachta, Spóirt agus Meán) is a department of the Government of Ireland. The mission of the department is to promote a ...
, Dublin, 2014.
* Catriona J. McKenzie, Eileen M. Murphy and Colm J. Donnelly (Editors), ''The Science of A Lost Medieval Gaelic Graveyard: The Ballyhanna Research Project'',
Transport Infrastructure Ireland
Transport Infrastructure Ireland ( ga, Bonneagar Iompair Éireann) is a state agency in Ireland dealing with road and public transport
Public transport (also known as public transportation, public transit, mass transit, or simply transi ...
(in association with
The Queen's University of Belfast
, mottoeng = For so much, what shall we give back?
, top_free_label =
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, top_free1 =
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, established =
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, type = Public research university
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and
Donegal County Council
Donegal County Council ( ga, Comhairle Contae Dhún na nGall) is the authority responsible for local government in County Donegal, Ireland. As a county council, it is governed by the Local Government Act 2001. The council is responsible for hou ...
), Dublin, 2015.
External links
Official County Donegal PortalCounty Donegal Gaelscoil stats 2010–11Census 2011 – Donegal Gaeltacht statsCensus 2006 – Irish language stats for the countyDonegal County CouncilDonegal County.com & Dún-na-nGall.com Bi-lingual County SiteDylanFest in MovilleBeatlesfest on the LoughOn an Irish Jaunting Car through Donegal and Connemara (1902)
{{Authority control
Donegal
Donegal
O'Donnell dynasty
Donegal