Letterkenny
Letterkenny ( , meaning "hillside of the O'Cannons"), nicknamed the Cathedral Town, is a large town in County Donegal, Ireland, on the River Swilly in the north-west of Ulster. Along with the nearby city of Derry, Letterkenny is a regional eco ...
,
County Donegal
County Donegal ( ; ) is a Counties of Ireland, county of the Republic of Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Ulster and is the northernmost county of Ireland. The county mostly borders Northern Ireland, sharing only a small b ...
, Ireland. Sometimes claimed to be the longest street in
Ireland
Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...
, it is divided into two sections, with Lower Main Street (the south end) running from the junction at Oldtown Road to the
Market Square
A market square (also known as a market place) is an urban square meant for trading, in which a market is held. It is an important feature of many towns and cities around the world. A market square is an open area where market stalls are tradit ...
and Upper Main Street (the north end) running from the Market Square to the junction at Crossview House. Traffic flows in a
one-way system
One-way traffic (or uni-directional traffic) is traffic that moves in a single direction. A one-way street is a street either facilitating only one-way traffic, or designed to direct vehicles to move in one direction. One-way streets typicall ...
from Crossview House southwards.
History
Theobald Wolfe Tone
Theobald Wolfe Tone, posthumously known as Wolfe Tone (; 20 June 176319 November 1798), was a revolutionary exponent of Irish independence and is an iconic figure in Irish republicanism. Convinced that, so long as his fellow Protestants fear ...
was captured and held on the street during the
Irish Rebellion of 1798
The Irish Rebellion of 1798 (; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ''The Turn out'', ''The Hurries'', 1798 Rebellion) was a popular insurrection against the British Crown in what was then the separate, but subordinate, Kingdom of Ireland. The m ...
. He was held for a short time at Laird's Hotel opposite the Market Square before being transferred to the nearby
Derry Gaol
Derry Gaol, also known as Londonderry Gaol, refers to one of several gaols (prisons) constructed consecutively in Derry, Northern Ireland. Derry Gaol is notable as a place of incarceration for Irish Republican Army (IRA) members during the Ir ...
. The Wolfe Tone Bar was established in his honour and is located on Lower Main Street on the site of the old Garda barracks. The Barracks building had been there since the 1850s and was an RIC Barracks up to 1922.
Hiring fair
Hiring fairs, also called statute or mop fairs, were regular events in pre-modern Great Britain and Ireland where labourers were hired for fixed terms. They date from the time of Edward III of England, Edward III, and his attempt to regulate the ...
s (often known as 'the Rabble Day') were held in Letterkenny in years gone by when children between the ages of 11 and 16 were hired for periods of six months to wealthy farmers of the Laggan district of East County Donegal. These 'Rabble Days' were held annually in May and November at Speer's Lane, at the corner of Upper Main Street. The monument ''Rabble Children'' by Maurice Harron was erected at the Market Square in December 1994.
Regeneration works were carried out on Lower Main street in late 1996. Footpaths were widened and cobblestones were placed on the street at the junction with Larkin's Lane. These cobblestones were removed in 2008. The street was the main location of events when the town hosted the
Fleadh Cheoil
The Fleadh Cheoil (), or "music festival" in English, is an annual Ireland, Irish arts festival and competition run by Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann (Irish pronunciation: Help:IPA/Irish, the local council for re-paving to be carried out.
On 3 May 2019, the 114th Infantry Battalion of the
Letterkenny Town Council">the local council for re-paving to be carried out.
On 3 May 2019, the 114th Infantry Battalion of the Irish Army marched through the town in advance of its United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon">UNIFIL
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (; ), or UNIFIL (; ) is a United Nations peacekeeping mission established on 19 March 1978 by United Nations Security Council Resolutions 425 and 426, and several further resolutions in 2006 to con ...
deployment to Southern Lebanon. Ireland's largest overseas mission to date, the town was selected in recognition of County Donegal providing the largest contingent of troops to the mission (many of the others being from Dublin and other
Leinster
Leinster ( ; or ) is one of the four provinces of Ireland, in the southeast of Ireland.
The modern province comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Meath, Leinster and Osraige, which existed during Gaelic Ireland. Following the 12th-century ...
counties). The ceremony began on the playing fields of
St Eunan's College
St Eunan's College ( ; ), known locally as The College to distinguish it from the cathedral and GAA club, is a voluntary Roman Catholic all-male, English-medium secondary day school (and former boarding school) in County Donegal, Ireland. It ...
(upon which the Minister with Responsibility for Defence
Paul Kehoe
Paul Kehoe (born 11 January 1973) is an Irish former Fine Gael politician who served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Wexford constituency from 2002 to 2024. He was appointed Chair of the Committee on Education, Further and Higher Education, Re ...
gave a speech) before troops descended towards the
Cathedral of St Eunan and St Columba
St Eunan's Cathedral ( ), or the Cathedral of St Eunan and St Columba as it is also known, is a cathedral in the parish of Conwal and Leck, part of the Diocese of Raphoe. Built between the years of 1890 and 1900, the cathedral is found in Lette ...
and along towards the building housing local publication, the ''
Donegal News
The ''Donegal News'' (also known as ''Derry People/Donegal News'' and formerly ''Derry People'') is a twice-weekly local newspaper in the northwest of the island of Ireland, first published in 1902. Originally covering Derry, Northern Ireland, i ...
''. This brought 114th Infantry Battalion the top of this street, down which they proceeded as far as Letterkenny Library and Arts Centre, at which point the troops passed down the adjacent street named in honour of the saint,
Oliver Plunkett
Oliver Plunkett (or Oliver Plunket; ; 1 November 1625 – 1 July 1681) was the Catholic Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland and the last victim of the Popish Plot. He was beatified in 1920 and canonised in 1975, thus becoming t ...
.
Description
Main Street once served as the main shopping area in the town but trade has now shifted further afield. It is also acts as the
financial services
Financial services are service (economics), economic services tied to finance provided by financial institutions. Financial services encompass a broad range of tertiary sector of the economy, service sector activities, especially as concerns finan ...
centre of the town with the majority of banks being located there.
Today the street is a centre for popular
night clubs
A nightclub or dance club is a club that is open at night, usually for drinking, dancing and other entertainment. Nightclubs often have a bar and discotheque (usually simply known as disco) with a dance floor, laser lighting displays, and a ...
such as Club Voodoo. It is a popular nightspot at weekends, being the location of many
stag
A deer (: deer) or true deer is a hoofed ruminant ungulate of the family Cervidae (informally the deer family). Cervidae is divided into subfamilies Cervinae (which includes, among others, muntjac, elk (wapiti), red deer, and fallow deer) a ...
and hen parties. The street can become quite vicious in the early hours of the morning and this has led many local to steer clear. The area has seen numerous assaults, stabbings, sexual assaults, drug raids, and attacks on Gardaí in the past.
In February 2020, the ''
Donegal News
The ''Donegal News'' (also known as ''Derry People/Donegal News'' and formerly ''Derry People'') is a twice-weekly local newspaper in the northwest of the island of Ireland, first published in 1902. Originally covering Derry, Northern Ireland, i ...
'' reported that "from the Quiet Moment down to the Lower Main Street roundabout there are around 40 vacant commercial properties, not including any commercial vacancies in shopping centres or on side streets"; this total included five consecutive vacant commercial units on the corner of Main Street and Market Square, including a barber shop and the former discount shop "Pounds & Pence", located beside the "Funland" amusement arcade.
Shopping centres
The Courtyard Shopping Centre has an entrance close to the midpoint of Letterkenny's Main Street. Located in central Letterkenny, close to the Library and Arts Centre on the Lower Main Street side and the
Bank of Ireland
Bank of Ireland Group plc () is a commercial bank operation in Ireland and one of the traditional Big Four Irish banks. Historically the premier banking organisation in Ireland, the bank occupies a unique position in Irish banking history. At ...
on the Upper Main Street side, it also overlooks Pearse Street and Oliver Plunkett Street. The structure is built spirally on a slope so, if approached from the Main Street entrance, the visitor, when making their way through the complex, descends into the ground via a series of escalators. Letterkenny's oldest Eason's bookstore and Heatons department store are among the outlets to be found inside.
The Market Centre is a small shopping centre located opposite the Market Square. It has a gathering of shops spread around a flat shopping mall.
Lower
Lower Main Street begins southwest of the Market Square. Speers Department Store, one of the oldest businesses extant in Letterkenny, is situated here. The same side of the street features the
Ulster Bank
Ulster Bank is one of the traditional Big Four Irish clearing banks. The Ulster Bank Group was subdivided into two separate legal entities: National Westminster Bank Plc, trading as Ulster Bank (registered in England and Wales and operating i ...
, on the junction with Market Square, and, below this,
Veritas
In Roman mythology, Veritas (), meaning Truth, is the Goddess of Truth, a daughter of Saturn (mythology), Saturn (called Cronus by the Greeks, the Titan (mythology), Titan of Time, perhaps first by Plutarch) and the mother of Virtus (deity), Vi ...
and Clarkes Newsagent.
The Letterkenny Library and Arts Centre is located on the other side of the street, on the junction with Oliver Plunkett Road, onto which its main entrance opens. Below the Library and on the same side of the street is the Yellow Pepper Restaurant (at number 36) and the Donegal Stationery Company (at number 50), which has been in business as part of the Donegal Printing Company since 1912 and parted from its parent company and relocated to its current premises in 2001. Above the library is the Courtyard Shopping Centre and the 4 Lanterns
fast food restaurant
A fast-food restaurant, also known as a quick-service restaurant (QSR) within the industry, is a specific type of restaurant that serves fast food, fast-food cuisine and has minimal Foodservice#Table service, table service. The food served ...
.
At the street's conclusion, past Larkin's Lane, can be seen Letterkenny's earliest
Dunnes Stores
Dunnes Stores is an Irish multinational retail chain that primarily sells food, clothes and household wares.
It was founded by Ben Dunne (businessman, born 1908), Ben Dunne in 1944.
In addition to its main customer base in Ireland, the chain al ...
outlet, while the Tin Tai, a prominent and often busy Chinese restaurant, is also nearby, on the right turn towards Convent Road.
Upper
Upper Main Street ranges from north-east of the Market Square until it bisects onto the Ramelton and High Roads close to Speer's Lane and Justice Walsh Road. The Central Bar, Letterkenny's oldest such establishment, has been in existence since 1808. R. McCullagh Jewellers, which dates from 1869, is situated nearby on the same side of the street, between Market Square and Church Lane.
Magees Pharmacy, which dates from 1928, is found on the opposite side of the street. It has family ties with Brian McCormick Sports & Leisure (BMC Sports), which is located on the other side of the street, near the Pat's Pizza restaurant (at its current location since 1990, having started at Market Square in 1984) and McGarrigles Shoes, which was established in 1981 and opened its doors in 1982 and went on to become an institution on the street.
Letterkenny's main
post office
A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letter (message), letters and parcel (package), parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post o ...
is situated above Magees Pharmacy. Long queues of dole recipients and pensioners congregate here to collect their money. Further up, close to the adjoining Justice Walsh Road, are AIB and
Permanent TSB
Permanent TSB Group Holdings plc, formerly Irish Life and Permanent plc is a provider of personal financial services in Ireland. Irish Life Assurance plc and the Irish Permanent Building Society merged to form the Irish Life and Permanent Group ...
. Further down, close to the adjoining Rosemount Lane, are O'Hehirs Bakery Cafe and the site of the now shuttered Dolphin Cafe. There are clothing outlets such as the County Seat, which opened on in December 1977 beside the old Dillons Supermarket, moved to Lower Main Street in 1999 and then back to Upper Main Street (number 5) in 2013; it provides school uniforms for the younger population of Letterkenny and others throughout the county.
Other activities
The Main Street has seen numerous assaults, stabbings, sexual assaults, drug raids and attacks on Gardaí in the past.
In August 2009, the Lower Main Street was nearly blown-up when a severed gas pipe was discovered in an alleyway. The street was sealed off as the gas spread around the area. Occupants in nearby buildings were evacuated while attendants at the Wolfe Tone Bar were kept inside for fear of igniting the gas. A gas engineer later shut off the supply of gas from the meter.
In 2011, a Garda and three nightclub bouncers were repeatedly stabbed outside the Voodoo Nightclub. One of the bouncers had his leg penetrated by the blade while the Garda had his hand slashed.Stabbing incident Letterkenny Co Donegal An Garda Síochána, 14 August 2011