County Donegal

County Donegal is a county in the Republic of Ireland, located in the province of Ulster. It is the northernmost county of Ireland and mostly borders Northern Ireland, sharing only a small border with the rest of the Republic. The county is named after the town of Donegal, found in the southern part of the county. It has also been known as County Tyrconnell or Tirconaill.

The local council for County Donegal is called the Donegal County Council, and the main town, known as the county town, is Lifford.

Name

County Donegal is named after the town of Donegal. Its name comes from Irish words Dún na nGall, meaning "fort of the foreigners."

The county has also been called County Tyrconnell or Tirconaill. This name, Tír Chonaill, means "Land of Conall." It was used officially from 1922 to 1927. It refers to an old Irish kingdom.

History

County Donegal was home to the powerful O'Donnell family, one of Ireland's most important ruling families until around 1600. The O'Donnells led the kingdom of Tír Chonaill, which covered most of what is now County Donegal. Their rule ended in 1607 after the Flight of the Earls.

Neolithic portal tomb at Kilclooney More

The modern County Donegal was created in 1585 by combining two older areas. It faced many challenges, including a terrible famine in the 1840s that caused many people to leave the county.

During the Irish Civil War from 1922 to 1923, Donegal's wild landscape helped some fighters hide. The county also felt the effects of political changes in nearby Northern Ireland, which added to its economic struggles.

Geography and subdivisions

County Donegal is in the northwest corner of Ireland. It is the largest county in the Ulster province and the fourth-largest in all of Ireland. Donegal shares a small border with County Leitrim in the Republic of Ireland, but most of its border is with three counties in Northern Ireland: County Tyrone, County Londonderry, and County Fermanagh. Lifford is the county town, but Letterkenny is the largest town, with almost 20,000 people.

The Inishowen Peninsula as seen from the International Space Station

Donegal has many different landscapes, from green hills in summer to brown fields in winter. It has Ireland’s longest mainland coastline and some of the highest sea cliffs in Europe. The county includes islands like Arranmore and Tory Island, and many rivers and lakes, such as the River Erne and Lough Swilly. The land is mostly mountainous, with the Derryveagh Mountains in the north and the Blue Stack Mountains in the south. The highest peak is Errigal at 751 meters.

Donegal is home to many plants and animals. Forests cover about 11% of the county, with trees like Scots pine, birch, and oak. The county has many birds, mammals, and sea creatures, including seals, dolphins, and whales. Some animals, like the golden eagle, have returned to the area after disappearing for a time.

Historic baronies of County Donegal
Barony	Irish name	Area (acres)
Banagh	Báinigh	179,090
Boylagh	Baollaigh	157,429
Inishowen East	Inis Eoghain Thoir	124,325
Inishowen West	Inis Eoghain Thiar	077,149
Kilmacrennan	Cill Mhic Réanáin	312,410
Raphoe North	Ráth Bhoth Thuaidh	080,388
Raphoe South	Ráth Bhoth Theas	141,308
Tirhugh	Tír Aodha	128,602

Demographics

Letterkenny is the largest town in County Donegal, with over 22,000 people. It is the biggest town in the Border Region and the 21st largest town in the Republic of Ireland.

Donegal is the most rural county in Ireland. Less than one-third of people live in towns, and most people live in the countryside.

County Donegal has a strong Irish language presence. It has the second-largest Irish-speaking area in Ireland, called the Donegal Gaeltacht. Many schools teach in Irish. Over 59,000 people in Donegal can speak Irish.

Government and politics

Local government

The Donegal County Council has taken care of local areas since 1899. It is based in County House, Lifford. Every five years, people choose 37 councillors using a fair voting system called proportional representation with the single transferable vote. The county has several voting areas, such as Buncrana, Carndonagh, and Letterkenny.

Former districts

Before 2014, there were smaller councils in towns like Letterkenny and Bundoran. These councils were closed, and the Donegal County Council took over their work.

National elections

Most of Donegal is part of one group for choosing national leaders, called the Donegal constituency. In the past, Donegal had many different groups for elections, but now it is mostly one group.

Referendums

People in Donegal often vote differently from the rest of Ireland on important questions. For example, they have voted against changes that most of Ireland supported. This pattern started in 1958 and has continued in many votes since then.

European elections

Donegal is part of the Midlands–North-West area for choosing representatives for the European Parliament. In the 2024 election, two people from Donegal tried to be chosen.

Results of the 2024 Donegal County Council election
Seats	FPv%	% Change since 2019	Seat Change since 2019
Fianna Fáil	10	22.8%	6.6%	2
Sinn Féin	10	21.9%	2.5%
100% Redress	4	9.7%	New	New
Fine Gael	3	10.5%	8.0%	3
Labour	1	2.0%	0.7%
Independent	9	28.5%	2.3%	1

Outlier Votes in Referendums
Proposal	Donegal Result	National Result
3 (1958)	61.2% Yes	51.8% No
3 (1968)	51.4% Yes	60.8% No
4 (1968)	51.2% Yes	60.8% No
13 (1992)	60.1% No	62.4% Yes
14 (1992)	58.4% No	59.9% Yes
15 (1995)	59.3% No	50.3% Yes
25 (2002)	68.8% Yes	50.4% No
28 (2009)	50.8% No	67.1% Yes
30 (2012)	55.3% No	60.4% Yes
31 (2012)	58.0% No	58.0% Yes
36 (2018)	51.9% No	66.4% Yes

Freedom of Donegal

The Freedom of Donegal is a special award for people who have helped the people of County Donegal. Some of these people are Daniel O'Donnell, Phil Coulter, Shay Given, Packie Bonner, Paddy Crerand, Seamus Coleman, the Brennan family, and Jim McGuinness. In 2009, members of the 28th Infantry Battalion of the Irish Defence Forces also got this award from the Donegal County Council for their long service to the county.

Transport

County Donegal used to have many train lines. These trains used different track sizes, which made it hard to move goods between them. Over time, roads became more popular, and the train services stopped running by 1960.

Today, people in County Donegal can use airports like Donegal Airport in the west and City of Derry Airport in the east. The closest big international airport is Belfast International Airport, which is a bit farther away.

Culture and religion

County Donegal has a rich cultural history. The Irish language spoken here is similar to the language in Scotland. The area has its own special style of fiddle music and famous songs. Musicians from Donegal, like the bands Clannad and Altan, are known around the world for their traditional music.

The county also has a strong literary tradition. Writers such as Patrick MacGill and Brian Friel have written important works set in Donegal. The people of Donegal have helped start universities and churches in America. Each July, the Earagail Arts Festival celebrates the arts in the county.

Places of interest

County Donegal has many special places to visit. One of these is Glenveagh National Park, a big nature area with beautiful mountains, lakes, and forests. In the park, you can find Glenveagh Castle, a grand old building that looks like a castle. Another interesting spot is the Shuffling Stone, a big rock near a village. In 2017, County Donegal was chosen as a top place to visit by a travel magazine.

Each summer, the Donegal Gaeltacht offers special classes for young people who want to learn the Irish language and about Irish traditions. Many young people from other parts of Ireland and from Northern Ireland come to these classes. Donegal Town is also a great place for scuba diving, with a club that enjoys exploring underwater.

Education

County Donegal has a place called Letterkenny where people can go to college at the Atlantic Technological University. This school used to have another name, the Letterkenny Institute of Technology. Many students from Donegal also go to other colleges in nearby places like Derry, Coleraine, Jordanstown, Belfast, and Galway. Some also go to schools in Limavady and Omagh.

Sport

The Gaelic Athletic Association sport of Gaelic football is very popular in County Donegal. Donegal's team has won the big All-Ireland Football Championship two times. They also won the Ulster Football Championship many times. In 2012, they won the All-Ireland Final and took home the Sam Maguire Cup.

Hurling, handball, and rounders are also played but less often. Donegal's hurling team has won two big cups.

There are several rugby teams in the county, such as Letterkenny RFC.

Finn Harps is the county's only team in the League of Ireland. They play at Finn Park.

County Donegal has many golf courses, like Ballyliffin Golf Club and Rosapenna (Sandy Hills).

Cricket is mainly played in the Laggan district and Finn Valley, especially in Raphoe and St Johnston.

Athletes from Donegal have done well in big international competitions.

The county's landscape is great for active sports such as climbing, mountain biking, hillwalking, surfing, and kite-flying.

People

Main article: List of people from County Donegal

County Donegal has been home to many famous people. These people have done important things in many different areas. You can learn more about some of these well-known people by looking at the list of people from County Donegal.