Milford or Millford, historically called ''Ballynagalloglagh'' (), is a small town and

townland A townland (; Ulster-Scots: ''toonlann'') is a traditional small land division used in Ireland and in the Western Isles of Scotland, typically covering . The townland system is of medieval Gaelic origin, predating the Norman invasion, and mo ...

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 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 ...

. The population at the 2022 census was 1,076. The '' Tirconaill Tribune'' is headquartered here.

History and name

Located north of

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 ...

, the town was founded in the 18th century by the Clement family. It was named after a mill that was located on Maggie's

Burn A burn is an injury to skin, or other tissues, caused by heat, electricity, chemicals, friction, or ionizing radiation (such as sunburn, caused by ultraviolet radiation). Most burns are due to heat from hot fluids (called scalding), soli ...

on the edge of the town. The Irish ''Baile na nGallóglach'' literally means "town of the gallóglach". The gallóglaigh (anglicised ''gallowglass'') were an elite class of

mercenary A mercenary is a private individual who joins an armed conflict for personal profit, is otherwise an outsider to the conflict, and is not a member of any other official military. Mercenaries fight for money or other forms of payment rather t ...

warrior A warrior is a guardian specializing in combat or warfare, especially within the context of a tribal society, tribal or clan-based warrior culture society that recognizes a separate warrior aristocracy, social class, class, or caste. History ...

who came from Gaelic-Norse clans in

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

between the mid-13th century and late 16th century. A battle between the Irish (helped by gallóglaigh) and the English took place on a hill in the townland and this is where the name comes from. The town is the ancestral home of U.S. president

James Buchanan James Buchanan Jr. ( ; April 23, 1791June 1, 1868) was the 15th president of the United States, serving from 1857 to 1861. He also served as the United States Secretary of State, secretary of state from 1845 to 1849 and represented Pennsylvan ...

, from which Buchanan's father, also named James Buchanan, immigrated to America in 1783.

Amenities

The town once had two major employers: the Milford Bakery and Flour Mills and McMahons garage, but both are now long gone. There are now a post office, four supermarkets, a veterinary practice, three pubs, a health centre, a library with council offices, a fire station and fishing lakes. The Gallowglass Community Centre was donated to the community and has been functioning since September 2023 as a venue for community events and classes. There are four nearby beaches: Portsalon, Rathmullan, Downings, and Tramore. It is a feeder town to Letterkenny.

Education

There are a National School, Scoil Mhuire Milford; two secondary schools, Loreto Community School and Mulroy College; and an Adult Education

Education and Training Board An Education and Training Board (ETB) () is one of sixteen statutory local education bodies that deliver a wide range of education services in Ireland. ETBs manage a large number of secondary schools, further education colleges and training centres ...

centre.

Administration

The Milford electoral area has 3 seats. In 2024 the following were elected to

Donegal County Council Donegal County Council () is the authority responsible for Local government in the Republic of Ireland, local government in County Donegal, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. As a county council, it is governed by the Local Government Act 2001. The ...

. * Declan Meehan (Independent) * Pauric McGarvey (Independent) * Liam Blaney (Fianna Fáil)

People

* Amber Barrett (born 1996) - Footballer, born in Milford * Sean Ferriter (born 1938) -

Gaelic football Gaelic football (; short name '')'', commonly known as simply Gaelic, GAA, or football, is an Irish team sport. A form of football, it is played between two teams of 15 players on a rectangular grass pitch. The objective of the sport is to score ...

er, born in Milford * Patsy Gallacher (1891-1953) -

association football Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...

er, born in Milford * The Baron Hay of Ballyore (born 1950) - DUP politician based in

Derry Derry, officially Londonderry, is the second-largest City status in the United Kingdom, city in Northern Ireland, and the fifth-largest on the island of Ireland. Located in County Londonderry, the city now covers both banks of the River Fo ...

who previously served as the Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly; born in Milford

Gallery

References

External links

Milford official website
{{Authority control Towns and villages in County Donegal Millford