104-692: Dún Lúiche , known in English as Dunlewey or Dunlewy , is a small Gaeltacht village in the Gweedore district in the north-west of County Donegal in Ulster , the northern province in Ireland. The village sits in the Poisoned Glen , at the foot of Errigal and on the shore of Dunlewey Lough . The Cronaniv Burn flows along the southern edge of the village. Dunlewey has a tourist centre, called
208-549: A bean an tí , or Irish-speaking landlady. Popular Irish colleges/Gaeltachts include: Spleodar, Colaiste Sheosaimh and Uisce. Most Irish language summer colleges for teenagers in the Gaeltacht are supported and represented by CONCOS , who are based in Leitir Móir . County Donegal County Donegal ( / ˌ d ʌ n i ˈ ɡ ɔː l , ˌ d ɒ n -/ DUN -ee- GAWL , DON - ; Irish : Contae Dhún na nGall )
312-655: A temperate oceanic climate ( Köppen climate classification : Cfb), with upland areas in the Derryveagh and Blue Stack ranges classified as oceanic subpolar (Köppen climate classification: Cfc). The county's climate is heavily influenced by the North Atlantic Current . Due to the topography of western Donegal, it receives orographic rainfall, where the air is forced to rise on contact with its mountainous coastline and subsequently cools and condenses , forming clouds. The mountains of Donegal are among
416-597: A Committee of Experts of the Council of Europe . A language revival has also taken place in southern County Londonderry, centred on Slaghtneill (Sleacht Néill) and Carntogher (Carn Tóchair), both outside Maghera . In 2022 the British Parliament passed the Identity and Language (Northern Ireland) Act 2022 , which made Irish alongside English as the two official languages of Northern Ireland, it also repealed
520-488: A beach at Ballymanus, County Donegal, when local villagers attempted to bring ashore an unexploded marine mine . Eighteen men and boys between the ages of 13 and 34 were killed in the explosion. The partition of Ireland in the early 1920s severely affected County Donegal. Partition cut the county off, economically and administratively, from Derry, which had acted for centuries as the county's main port, transport hub and financial centre. Derry, together with west Tyrone ,
624-540: A combined population of 50,570 (2016) and represent 50.8% of total Gaeltacht population. The Galway Gaeltacht encompasses a geographical area of 1,225 km (473 sq mi). This represents 26% of total Gaeltacht land area. There is also a third-level constituent college of National University of Ireland Galway (NUIG) called Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge in An Cheathrú Rua and Carna . The national Irish-language radio station Raidió na Gaeltachta
728-404: A community language in the Gaeltacht within ten years. By the time of the 2022 census, the number of speakers using the language daily had declined to 20,261. The recent decline is in part attributed to the housing crisis, as young people who grew up within the Gaeltacht are unable to afford homes in the area and leave. The Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media , under
832-468: A crisis. It forecast that, without support, few of them would be teaching in Irish in 20 years' time. This would threaten the future of the Gaeltacht. Parents felt that the educational system did not support their efforts to pass on Irish as a living language to their children. The study added that a significant number of Gaeltacht schools had switched to teaching in English, and others were wavering. In 2002
936-612: A full-time capacity in Údarás na Gaeltachta client companies in the Donegal Gaeltacht. This region is particularly popular with students of the Ulster dialect ; each year thousands of students visit the area from Northern Ireland . Donegal is unique in the Gaeltacht regions, as its accent and dialect is unmistakably northern in character. The language has many similarities with Scottish Gaelic, which are not evident in other Irish dialects. Gweedore in County Donegal
1040-403: A further decline in the use of Irish should lose their Gaeltacht status. The 2006 Census data shows that of the 95,000 people living within the official Gaeltacht, approximately 17,000 belonged to Category A areas, 10,000 to Category B, and 17,000 to Category C, leaving about 50,000 in Gaeltacht areas that did not meet the minimum criteria. In response to this situation, the government introduced
1144-498: A geographical area of 1,502 km (580 sq mi). This represents 26% of total Gaeltacht land area. The three parishes of the Rosses , Gweedore and Cloughaneely constitute the main centre of population of the Donegal Gaeltacht. There are over 17,132 Irish speakers, 14,500 in areas where it is spoken by 30–100% of the population and 2,500 in areas where it is spoken by less than 30%. In 2006 there were 2,436 people employed in
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#17327908737251248-436: A new language reinforcement strategy was required, one that had the confidence of the community itself. The Commission recommended, among many other things, that the boundaries of the official Gaeltacht should be redrawn. It also recommended a comprehensive linguistic study to assess the vitality of the Irish language in the remaining Gaeltacht districts. The study was undertaken by Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge (part of
1352-779: A plurality (43%) speaking Irish less than once a fortnight. There is an Irish-language centre Áras Chrónáin in Clondalkin and an Irish language GAA club Na Gaeil Óga CLG based in Lucan and the Phoenix Park. County Dublin has over 50 Gaelscoileanna including 10 Gaelcholáistí . In 2001, the British government ratified the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages . Irish (in Northern Ireland)
1456-426: A population of 1,784 people (1,271 Irish speakers) and represents 2% of total Gaeltacht population. All education in Gaeltacht na nDéise is carried out through the medium of Irish. There are two Pre-schools, two Primary level national schools, one Secondary School, Meánscoil San Nioclás and Coláiste na Rinne, a private boarding school and summer college. The Meath Gaeltacht ( Irish : Gaeltacht [Chontae] na Mí )
1560-413: A quartzo-feldspathic paragneiss found around Lough Derg, which have been dated to 1.713 billion years ago. Donegal is the most seismically active part of Ireland. The Leenan Fault is a large strike-slip fault that bisects the county from Lough Swilly to Donegal Bay, and dozens of tremors have been recorded along the fault since the late 19th century, although none have been larger than a magnitude 3 on
1664-551: A result of the report of the first Gaeltacht Commission Coimisiún na Gaeltachta . The exact boundaries were not defined. At the time, an area was classified as Gaeltacht if 80% or more of the population was Irish-speaking; however, partial- Gaeltacht status was also accorded to many areas that did not meet the threshold, so long as they were at least 25% Irish-speaking. The Irish Free State recognised that there were predominantly Irish-speaking or semi-Irish-speaking districts in 7 of its 26 counties, covering 22 districts. In
1768-623: A similarly placed coastal station in the southwest of Ireland records just 3. Donegal can be divided into six main geological subdivisions. Of these, the most expansive sections are the Lower Carboniferous limestones and sandstones of south Donegal, the Devonian granite of the Donegal batholith , which extends for about 75 km northeast to southwest from Ardara to Fanad Head, and quartzo-feldspathic Dalradian rocks from
1872-511: A small border with only one other county in the Republic of Ireland – County Leitrim . The vast majority of its land border (93%) is shared with three counties of Northern Ireland : County Tyrone , County Londonderry and County Fermanagh . This geographic isolation from the rest of the Republic has led to Donegal people maintaining a distinct cultural identity and has been used to market
1976-402: A variety of different activities games, music, art and sport. There are a number of different Irish colleges for students to choose from throughout the country. Many of the colleges while providing a number of activities and events for young people through the Irish language will be known for or specialise in a specific category. For example, Coláiste Lurgan is commonly known for its promotion of
2080-486: Is Dingle and the largest in Iveragh Peninsula is Ballinskelligs . The Kerry Gaeltacht has a population of 8,729 (6,185 Irish speakers) and represents 9% of total Gaeltacht population. The Kerry Gaeltacht encompasses a geographical area of 642 km (248 sq mi). The Mayo Gaeltacht ( Irish : Gaeltacht [Chontae] Mhaigh Eo ) as of 2011 has a total population of 10,886 and represents 11.5% of
2184-418: Is 6,053 acres (Tawnawully Mountains). The average size of a townland in the county (excluding towns) is 438 acres. The county may be informally divided into a number of traditional districts. There are two Gaeltacht districts in the west: The Rosses ( Irish : Na Rosa ), centred on the town of Dungloe ( Irish : An Clochán Liath ), and Gweedore ( Irish : Gaoth Dobhair ). Another Gaeltacht district
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#17327908737252288-489: Is a county of Ireland in the province of Ulster and in the Northern and Western Region . It is named after the town of Donegal in the south of the county. It has also been known as County Tyrconnell or Tirconaill ( Tír Chonaill ), after the historic territory . Donegal County Council is the local council and Lifford is the county town . The population was 167,084 at the 2022 census . County Donegal
2392-603: Is a district of Ireland, either 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 recognised during the 1920s in the early years of the Irish Free State , following the Gaelic revival , as part of a government policy aimed at restoring the Irish language. The Gaeltacht
2496-556: Is an area in Tamworth, Ontario in Canada. It has no permanent residents but serves as a resource centre for Irish speakers throughout North America. It was officially opened in 2007. Irish colleges are residential Irish language summer courses that give students the opportunity to be totally immersed in the language, usually for periods of three weeks over the summer months. During these courses, students attend classes and participate in
2600-538: Is being made to re-establish Irish-speaking communities, with varying levels of success. Such areas are both urban and rural. Most daily speakers of Irish now live outside the existing Gaeltacht areas, and are particularly numerous in Dublin . In 2018 Foras na Gaeilge announced that Carn Tóchair in County Londonderry was going to be one of the first five Líonraí Gaeilge (areas with Irish-speaking networks) on
2704-577: Is focused on promoting the Irish language and is based in the County Galway Gaeltacht. In March 2005, Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs Éamon Ó Cuív announced that the government of Ireland would begin listing only the Irish language versions of place names in the Gaeltachtaí as the official names, stripping the official Ordnance Survey of their English equivalents, to bring them up to date with road signs in
2808-674: Is headquartered at the County House in Lifford. Elections to the County Council take place every five years. Thirty-seven councillors are elected using the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote (STV). The county is divided into the following local electoral areas : Buncrana (5 seats), Carndonagh (4), Donegal (6), Glenties (6), Letterkenny (7), Lifford–Stranorlar (6) and Milford (3). Donegal County Council has three representatives on
2912-761: Is located in Casla , the Tuairisc online newspaper is in Barna , and the national television station TG4 is in Baile na hAbhann . Galway city is home to the Irish language theatre Taibhdhearc na Gaillimhe . The Kerry Gaeltacht ( Irish : Gaeltacht [Chontae] Chiarraí ) consists of two areas – the western half of Gaeltacht Corca Dhuibhne ( Dingle Peninsula ) and central and western parts of Iveragh Peninsula ( Uíbh Ráthach ). The largest settlement in Corca Dhuibhne
3016-539: Is located in the north-west: Cloughaneely ( Irish : Cloich Chionnaola ), centred on the town of Falcarragh ( Irish : An Fál Carrach ). The most northerly part of the island of Ireland is the location for three peninsulas : Inishowen , Fanad and Rosguill . The main population centre of Inishowen, Ireland's largest peninsula, is Buncrana . In the east of the county lies the Finn Valley (centred on Ballybofey ) and The Laggan district (not to be confused with
3120-417: Is named after the town of Donegal (from Irish Dún na nGall 'fort of the foreigners') in the south of the county. It has also been known by the alternative name County Tyrconnell or Tirconaill ( Tír Chonaill , meaning 'Land of Conall '). The latter was its official name between 1922 and 1927. This is in reference to the túath or Gaelic kingdom of Tír Chonaill (on which
3224-592: Is part of the Border strategic planning area. There are eight historic baronies in the county. While baronies continue to be officially defined units, they ceased to have any administrative function following the Local Government Act 1898 , and any changes to county boundaries after the mid-19th century are not reflected in their extent. The last boundary change of a barony in Donegal was in 1851 when
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3328-527: Is particularly far from the ocean, giving it a generally cooler climate that is more similar to western Scotland than the rest of Ireland. The average maximum temperature in July at Malin Head is just 16.8 °C (62 °F). However, due to its exposed coastal location, the climate at Malin Head is not representative of most of the county. Winds are much lighter in the county's interior and temperatures are cooler in
3432-399: Is spoken by less than 30%. The Cork Gaeltacht ( Irish : Gaeltacht [Chontae] Chorcaí ) consists of two areas – Muskerry and Cape Clear Island . The Muskerry Gaeltacht has a population of 3,895 people (2,951 Irish speakers) and represents 4% of the total Gaeltacht population. The Cork Gaeltacht encompasses a geographical area of 262 km (101 sq mi). This represents 6% of
3536-439: Is the family and community language in the majority of the 156 Electoral Divisions of the Gaeltacht . The Gaeltacht districts have historically suffered from mass emigration. Being at the edge of the island they always had fewer railways and roads, and poorer land to farm. Other influences have been the arrival of non-Irish speaking families, the marginal role of the Irish language in the education system and general pressure from
3640-513: Is the home of the Dunlewey Connemara ponies . 55°01′10″N 8°06′42″W / 55.0194°N 8.1118°W / 55.0194; -8.1118 This article related to the geography of County Donegal , Ireland is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Gaeltacht A Gaeltacht ( / ˈ ɡ eɪ l t ə x t / GAYL -təkht , Irish: [ˈɡeːl̪ˠt̪ˠəxt̪ˠ] , pl. Gaeltachtaí )
3744-424: Is the largest Gaeltacht parish in Ireland, which is home to regional studios of RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta . It has produced well-known traditional musicians, including the bands Altan and Clannad , as well as the artist Enya . All three have recorded music in Irish. The Galway County ( Irish : Gaeltacht Chontae na Gaillimhe ) and Galway City ( Irish : Gaeltacht Chathair na Gaillimhe ) Gaeltachtaí have
3848-512: Is the largest town in the Border Region and the 21st largest urban area in the Republic of Ireland. Under CSO classification, an "Urban Area" is a town with a population greater than 1,500. As of the 2016 Census, Donegal is the most rural / least urbanised county in Ireland, with less than one-third of the population (27.3 per cent) living in urban areas and over 70 per cent in rural areas. The Donegal Gaeltacht (Irish-speaking area)
3952-421: Is the second-largest in Ireland. The version of the Irish language spoken in County Donegal is Ulster Irish . Of the Gaeltacht population of 24,744 (16% of the county's total population), 17,132 say they can speak Irish. There are three Irish-speaking parishes: Gweedore , The Rosses and Cloughaneely . Other Irish-speaking areas include Gaeltacht an Láir : Glencolmcille , Fintown , Fanad and Rosguill ,
4056-439: Is the smallest Gaeltacht area and consists of the two villages of Ráth Cairn and Baile Ghib . Navan , 8 km (5 mi) from Baile Ghib, is the main urban centre within the region, with a population of more than 20,000. The Meath Gaeltacht has a population of 1,771 and represents 2% of the total Gaeltacht population. The Meath Gaeltacht encompasses a geographical area of 44 km (17 sq mi). This represents 1% of
4160-464: Is threatened by serious language decline. Research published in 2015 showed that Irish is spoken on a daily basis by two-thirds or more of the population in only 21 of the 155 electoral divisions in the Gaeltacht . Daily language use by two-thirds or more of the population is regarded by some academics as a tipping point for language survival. In 1926, the official Gaeltacht was designated as
4264-476: The 1737 ban of Irish in Northern Irish courts. In January of 2024 Irish was spoken for the first time in a Belfast court since the repeal of the act. This is the first time in nearly 300 years. Parts of County Clare were recognised as Gaeltacht areas following recommendations made by Coimisiún na Gaeltachta 1925. In 1956, however, it was decided that there were too few traditional speakers to justify
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4368-514: The Gulf of Mexico , a low-pressure Polar front regularly passes to the northwest of the island, bringing cold and unsettled weather to the region. The upland areas of Donegal will reliably receive some covering of snow every year. In lowland areas, snow - while still relatively infrequent - is more common than in the rest of Ireland. Despite its coastal location, Malin Head records an average of 20 days of snowfall per year. In contrast Valentia Island ,
4472-677: The International Criminal Court 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 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 and right to life vs pro-choice , Donegal has consistently been
4576-756: The Lagan Valley in the south of County Antrim ), which is centred on the town of Raphoe . Donegal is the most mountainous county in Ulster. It consists of two ranges of low mountains, the Derryveagh Mountains in the north and the Blue Stack Mountains in the south, with Errigal at 751 m (2,464 ft) the highest peak, making it the 11th-highest county top in Ireland. It has a deeply indented coastline forming natural sea loughs , of which Lough Swilly and Lough Foyle are
4680-534: The Local Government Reform Act 2014 was commenced and their functions were taken over by Donegal County Council. 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 and Ballyshannon, which is part of the Sligo–Leitrim constituency . Historically, the county was represented in
4784-700: The National University of Ireland, Galway ). On 1 November 2007 Staidéar Cuimsitheach Teangeolaíoch ar Úsáid na Gaeilge sa Ghaeltacht ("A Comprehensive Linguistic Study of the Usage of Irish in the Gaeltacht") was published. Concerning Gaeltacht boundaries, it suggested creating three linguistic zones within the Gaeltacht region: The report suggested that Category A districts should be the State's priority in providing services through Irish and development schemes. It also said that Category C areas that showed
4888-563: The Northern and Western Regional Assembly . Council elections are held every 5 years, with the next election due to be held in June 2029. The 2024 Donegal local election had a voter turnout of 54.7%. The highest turnout was at Milford (63.1%) and the lowest was at Letterkenny (51.4%). Until 2014, there were town councils in Letterkenny, Bundoran , Ballyshannon and Buncrana. The town councils were abolished in June 2014 when provisions of
4992-790: The Parliament of Ireland 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 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 reformed
5096-460: The Poisoned Glen . Valleys such as these were the last areas to retain glaciers as temperatures rose. As the ice sheet thinned, topography became the dominant force driving the direction of ice and meltwater flow. Erosion by glacial meltwater carved out large channels in southern Donegal which directed water and sediment to outwash fans in Donegal Bay. The area south of Donegal town, where
5200-589: The Precambrian era, which cover much of the rest of the county. The geology of Donegal is very similar to that of County Mayo , and both counties are located within the Grampian Terrane . The oldest rocks in Ireland are a granitic gneiss found on the island of Inishtrahull , located ca. 10 km (6.2 mi) north-east of Malin Head. They are 1.78 billion years old, making them Paleoproterozoic in age. The oldest rocks on mainland Donegal are
5304-483: The Republic of Ireland by an internal border of only a few kilometres. The existence of a border cutting County Donegal off from its natural hinterlands in Derry City and West Tyrone greatly exacerbated the economic difficulties of the county after partition. The county's economy is particularly susceptible, like that of Derry City, to the currency fluctuations of the euro against sterling . Added to all this, in
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#17327908737255408-642: The Richter scale . The county's landscape was carved out by glaciation at the end of the Pleistocene and the subsequent retreat during the early Holocene . Donegal contains one of Ireland's three glacial fjords (or fjards ) at Lough Swilly , the others being Carlingford Lough and Killary Harbour . Lough Swilly is the county's largest inlet and forms the western boundary of the Inishowen Peninsula . The thick ice sheet that once covered
5512-474: The River Eske flows into the bay, is an example of one of these outwash areas. Sea levels in the area began to stabilise around 5,000 years ago, and the balance of erosion and deposition along Donegal's coastline resulted in the development of many sandy beaches and spits interspersed with jagged sea cliffs. Letterkenny is by far the largest settlement in Donegal, with a population of just over 22,000. It
5616-742: The Royal Irish Army were stationed there, the Dublin authorities were unable to establish control over Tír Chonaill and Inishowen until after the Battle of Kinsale in 1602. Full control over the new County Donegall was only achieved after the Flight of the Earls in September 1607. It was the centre of O'Doherty's Rebellion of 1608 with the key Battle of Kilmacrennan taking place there. The county
5720-423: The 1890s. Due to interbreeding, most of the deer in the county are now a Sika-Red deer hybrid. The Wild Ireland wildlife park near Burnfoot showcases some of Donegal's historic animal species that were hunted to extinction, including brown bears , lynxes and gray wolves . In 2001, the golden eagle was re-introduced into Glenveagh National Park and is currently Ireland's only breeding population. A survey of
5824-513: The 1950s, another Gaeltacht Commission concluded that the Gaeltacht boundaries were ill-defined. It recommended that Gaeltacht status be based solely on the strength of language use in an area. In 1956, under the Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Act 1956 , the position of Minister for the Gaeltacht (now the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media )
5928-466: The English-speaking community. There is no evidence that periods of relative prosperity have materially improved the situation of the language. The Donegal (or Tyrconnell) Gaeltacht ( Irish : Gaeltacht [Chontae] Dhún na nGall or Gaeltacht Thír Chonaill ) has a population of 23,346 (Census 2016) and represents 23.4% of the total Gaeltacht population. The Donegal Gaeltacht encompasses
6032-583: The Erne to the River Shannon was constructed between 1846 and 1860, creating Ireland's longest navigable waterway. The project was plagued with setbacks and closed in 1870, ten years after its completion. A joint effort between the Irish and Northern Irish governments restored the canal in the late 20th century, and the Shannon–Erne Waterway reopened in 1994. Historically, the eastern boundary of
6136-520: The Gaeltacht Bill 2012. Its stated aim was to provide for a new definition of boundaries based on language criteria, but it was criticised for doing the opposite of this. Critics drew attention to Section 7 of the Bill, which stated that all areas "currently within the Gaeltacht" would maintain their current Gaeltacht status, regardless of whether Irish was used. This status could only be revoked if
6240-488: The Gaeltacht, which have been in Irish only since 1970. This was done under a Placenames Order made under the Official Languages Act . The 2022 census of the Republic of Ireland showed that the population of the Gaeltacht was 102,973, 2% of the total population; this figure represented an increase of 2% from 2016. 65,156 (66%) of the Gaeltacht population were Irish speakers. As of the 2022 census, English
6344-498: The Irish language through music, Coláiste Aodáin for water sports and team games, and others for GAA sports. As with the conventional schools, the Department of Education sets out requirements for class sizes and qualifications required by teachers. Some courses are college-based and others provide for residence with host families in Gaeltacht areas, such as Ros Muc in Galway, Ráth Cairn in County Meath, and Teileann and Rann na Feirste in County Donegal, with instruction given by
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#17327908737256448-423: The Lakeside Centre or Ionad Cois Locha , which offers boat trips of the lake. To the west of the lake is a ruined church. The Irish language name Dún Lúiche means "fort of Lugh ", an ancient Irish god. Near the Lakeside Centre is a modern wooden sculpture of the god. Folklore says that the Poisoned Glen is where Lugh slew Balor , and that it is so named because poison seeped from Balor's 'evil eye'. Dunlewey
6552-400: The O'Donnell Kings of Tír Chonaill were traditionally inaugurated, from the 1460s onwards, at Doon Rock near Kilmacrennan . The O'Donnell's royal or chiefly power was finally ended in what was then the newly created County Donegal in September 1607, following the Flight of the Earls from Portnamurray, near Rathmullan . The modern County Arms of County Donegal (dating from the early 1970s)
6656-517: The State to provide Irish-language services to Irish speakers in the Gaeltacht and elsewhere. The report said that Irish in the Gaeltacht was now at its most fragile and that the State could not expect that Irish would survive as a community language if the State kept forcing the use of English on Gaeltacht communities. A report published in 2015, Nuashonrú ar an Staidéar Cuimsitheach Teangeolaíoch ar Úsáid na Gaeilge sa Ghaeltacht: 2006–2011 , said that on present indicators, Irish will cease to be used as
6760-399: The area failed to prepare a language plan (with no necessary relationship to the documented number of speakers). The Bill was also criticised for placing all responsibility for the maintenance of Irish on voluntary organisations, with no increase in government resources. The annual report in 2012 by the Language Commissioner for Irish reinforced these criticisms by emphasising the failure of
6864-437: 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
6968-420: The barony of Inishowen was divided into Inishowen East and Inishowen West. The barony of Kilmacrennan covers a large portion of northwest Donegal and is the largest in the county. With an area of 312,410 acres (1,264 km ), Kilmacrennan is also the largest barony in Ireland, being roughly equal in size to County Monaghan . The smallest barony is Inishowen West, at 77,149 acres (312.21 km ). Townlands are
7072-469: The cloudiest places in Ireland, and northern Donegal is the windiest. Irish monthly record wind speeds for March, June, July, September, November and December have all been set at Malin Head . The highest wind speed ever recorded in Donegal was 181 km/h (112 mph) on 16 September 1961, during Hurricane Debbie . The Atlantic Ocean has a significant cooling effect and, due to the county's long, thin shape and punctuated coastline, nowhere in Donegal
7176-548: The county was based) and the earldom that succeeded it. County Donegal was the home of the once-mighty Clann Dálaigh, whose best-known branch was the Clann Ó Domhnaill, better known in English as the O'Donnell dynasty . Until around 1600, the O'Donnells were one of Ireland's richest and most powerful native Irish ruling families. Within Ulster, only the Uí Néill (known in English as the O'Neills) of Tír Eoghain (Tirowen or modern Tyrone) were more powerful. The O'Donnells were Ulster's second most powerful clan or ruling family from
7280-485: The county with the slogan "Up here it's different". While Lifford is the county town , Letterkenny is by far the largest town in the county with a population of just under 20,000. Letterkenny and the nearby city of Derry form the main economic axis in the northwest of Ireland. Indeed, what became the City of Derry was officially part of County Donegal up until 1610. It is part of the Northern and Western Region (a NUTS 2 European statistical Region ), within which it
7384-400: The county's forests are commercial timber plantations which were initially established in the 1930s as a way to create rural employment in areas with poor agricultural land and high rates of emigration. The county contains extensive tracts of blanket bog which are concentrated in western and upland regions. Blanket bog covers an area of 148,656 ha (367,337 acres), or roughly 30 percent of
7488-410: The county. Donegal has been labelled the "forgotten county" by its own politicians, owing to the perception that it is ignored by the government, even in times of crisis. Located in the northwest corner of Ireland , Donegal is the island's northernmost county. In terms of size and area, it is the largest county in Ulster and the fourth-largest county in all of Ireland. Uniquely, County Donegal shares
7592-574: The early 13th century through to the start of the 17th century. For several centuries, the O'Donnells ruled Tír Chonaill (Tyrconnell), a túath or Gaelic kingdom in west Ulster that covered almost all of modern County Donegal. The head of the O'Donnell family had the titles An Ó Domhnaill (meaning The O'Donnell in English) and Rí Thír Chonaill (meaning King of Tír Chonaill in English). Based at Donegal Castle in Dún na nGall (modern Donegal Town),
7696-813: The entire county. Donegal has a wide variety of habitats, and over half of Ireland's plant and animal species can be found within the county. Approximately 11.4 per cent of the county is covered in forest, which is about average nationally. Forest cover is not evenly spread across the county and some areas, such as Pettigo and around Lough Derg , are very heavily forested, while more exposed coastal and upland areas are virtually barren. Around 65 per cent of Donegal's forests are publicly owned. Despite its northerly latitude and geographic isolation, Donegal also hosts two species of amphibian ( common frog & smooth newt ) and two reptile species ( Leatherback turtle and viviparous lizard ). The native Irish red deer in Donegal went extinct around 1860 and were re-introduced in
7800-431: 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. Donegal voters have a reputation nationally for being "conservative and contrarian", and have often voted against amendments to the Irish constitution which received broad support in
7904-554: The highest sea cliffs in Europe, while Malin Head is the most northerly point on the island of Ireland. Two permanently inhabited islands, Arranmore and Tory Island , lie off the coast, along with a large number of islands with only transient inhabitants. The 129 km long River Erne , Ireland's ninth-longest river, enters Donegal Bay near the town of Ballyshannon . The River Erne, along with other Donegal waterways, has been dammed to produce hydroelectric power. A canal linking
8008-791: The inclusion of An Clochán ( Cloghane ) and Cé Bhréanainn ( Brandon ) in County Kerry in 1974; the inclusion of a part of West Muskerry in County Cork (although the Irish-speaking population had decreased markedly from what it had been before the 1950s); and the inclusion of Baile Ghib ( Gibstown) and Ráth Chairn ( Rathcarran ) in Meath in 1967. A study in 2005 by the Educational Council for Gaeltacht and Irish-Medium Schools, said that Gaeltacht schools were facing
8112-621: The inclusion of Clare in the Official Gaeltacht. Since then there have been attempts to re-establish the language in the community, and it was claimed in 2012 that there were up to 170 people in County Clare who were daily speakers of Irish. The main activist group is Coiste Forbartha Gaeltachta Chontae an Chláir (The Gaeltacht Development Committee for County Clare), whose aim is to achieve Gaeltacht status for County Clare or for part of it. The Permanent North American Gaeltacht
8216-727: The island of Ireland, along with Belfast, Loughrea in County Galway, Ennis in County Clare , and Clondalkin in Dublin. Dublin and its suburbs are reported to be the site of the largest number of daily Irish speakers, with 14,229 persons speaking Irish daily, representing 18 per cent of all daily speakers. In a survey of a small sample of adults who had grown up in Dublin and had completed full-time education, 54% of respondents reported some fluency in Irish, ranging from being able to make small talk to complete fluency. Only 19% of speakers spoke Irish three or more times per week, with
8320-599: The islands of Arranmore , Tory Island and 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. According to the 2022 Census, the number of people (aged three and over) who stated that they could speak Irish in Donegal was 59,130 (35.4% of the county's total population) compared with 56,738 in 2016. Of these 7,750 said they spoke Irish daily while 4,533 spoke Irish weekly. Donegal County Council has been in existence since 1899 and has responsibility for local administration. It
8424-596: The kingdom of Tír Chonaill was demarcated by the River Foyle . In the 17th century, an area of land west of the Foyle was transferred to the newly established city of Derry. The Foyle still demarcated a large section of Donegal's eastern border. To the south, the Drowes River forms a 9 km (6 miles) long natural boundary with County Leitrim. Donegal has a population density of 34.2 people per square kilometre,
8528-636: The late 20th century, County Donegal was adversely affected by The Troubles in Northern Ireland. The county suffered several bombings and assassinations. In June 1987, Constable Samuel McClean, a Donegal man who was a serving member of the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC), was shot dead by the Provisional Irish Republican Army (Provisional IRA) at his family home near Drumkeen . In May 1991,
8632-488: The leadership of the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media , is responsible for the overall Irish Government policy with respect to the Gaeltacht, and supervises the work of the Údarás na Gaeltachta and other bodies. RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta is the Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ) radio station serving the Gaeltacht and Irish speakers generally. TG4 is the television station which
8736-576: The lowest in Ulster and the fifth lowest in Ireland. The county has an expansive network of wildlife and conservation zones, including 46 European Union designated Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) and 26 Special Protection Areas (SPAs), as well as 14 Natural Heritage Areas (NHAs), 74 proposed Natural Heritage Areas, 145 Irish Geological Heritage Areas (IGHs) and Ireland's second largest national park, Glenveagh , which extends to over 42,000 acres (170 km ) in northwestern Donegal. Owing to its scenic landscape and " world-class wilderness ", Donegal
8840-552: The macroscopic marine algae of County Donegal was published in 2003. The survey was compiled using the algal records held in the herbaria of the following institutions: the Ulster Museum , Belfast ; Trinity College Dublin ; NUI Galway , and the Natural History Museum , London. Records of flowering plants include Dactylorhiza purpurella (Stephenson and Stephenson) Soó. The majority of Donegal has
8944-486: 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
9048-449: The most notable. Donegal boasts the longest mainland coastline of any county in Ireland, and has either the longest or third longest total coastline (including islands), depending on how it is measured. Estimates of the length of the coastline range from less than 1,000 km (621 mi) to 1,235 km (767 mi). The official figure used by Donegal County Council is 1,134 km (705 mi). The Slieve League cliffs are among
9152-691: The prominent Sinn Féin politician Councillor Eddie Fullerton was assassinated by the Provisional IRA's opponent, the Ulster Defence Association (UDA), at his home in Buncrana . This added further to the economic and social difficulties of the county, although the greater economic and administrative integration with Northern Ireland, following the Good Friday Agreement of April 1998, has been of benefit to
9256-464: The region carved out deep basins in the Donegal uplands and many tarns or corrie lakes developed in these depressions after the ice had melted, including Lough Maam below Slieve Snaght and Lough Feeane under Aghla More . Larger glacial lakes formed in the county's distinctive U-shaped valleys , such as Lough Beagh and Gartan Lough in Glenveagh , and Dunlewey Lough and Lough Nacung Upper in
9360-451: 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 from proportional representation to first-past-the-post 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
9464-477: The same way in 1937, along with Baile Ailin (formerly Allenstown). In the early years, a large percentage of the population returned to Galway or emigrated, but enough Irish speakers remained to ensure that Ráth Cairn and Baile Ghib were awarded Gaeltacht status in 1967. The original aim of spreading the Irish language into the local community met with no success, and the colonists had to become bilingual. There are areas of Ireland, north and south, where an attempt
9568-490: The smallest officially defined geographical divisions in Ireland. There are 2,787 townlands in Donegal and an additional 47 historic town boundaries. These town boundaries are registered as their own townlands and are much larger than rural townlands. The smallest rural townlands in Donegal are just 1 acre in size, most of which are either lough islands or offshore islets (Corragh Island, Bishop's Island, Juniper Island, O'Donnell's Island, etc.). The largest rural townland in Donegal
9672-482: The third Coimisiún na Gaeltachta stated in its report that the erosion of the use of Irish in the Gaeltacht was now such that it was only a matter of time before the Gaeltacht disappeared. In some areas, Irish had already ceased to be a community language. Even in the strongest Gaeltacht areas, current patterns of bilingualism were leading to the dominance of English. Policies implemented by the State and voluntary groups were having no effect. The report recommended that
9776-486: The total Gaeltacht area. The largest Muskerry settlements are the villages of Baile Mhic Íre (Ballymakeera), Baile Bhuirne (Ballyvourney), Cill na Martra (Kilnamartyra), and Béal Átha an Ghaorthaidh (Ballingeary). The Waterford Gaeltacht (Gaeltacht na nDéise, Irish : Gaeltacht [Chontae] Phort Láirge ) is ten kilometres (six miles) west of Dungarvan . It embraces the parishes of Rinn Ua gCuanach (Ring) and An Sean Phobal (Old Parish). The Waterford Gaeltacht has
9880-532: The total Gaeltacht land area. The Meath Gaeltacht has a history quite different from that of the country's other Irish speaking regions. The Ráth Cairn Gaeltacht was founded in 1935 when 41 families from Connemara in West Galway were resettled on land previously acquired by the Irish Land Commission. Each was given 9 hectares (22 acres) to farm. Baile Ghib (formerly Gibbstown) was settled in
9984-408: The total Gaeltacht population. The Mayo Gaeltacht encompasses a geographical area of 905 km (349 sq mi). This represents 19% of the total Gaeltacht land area and comprises three distinct areas – Erris , Achill Island and Toormakeady . There are 6,667 Irish speakers, with 4,000 living in areas where the language is spoken by 30–100% of the population and 2,500 living in areas where it
10088-433: The winter and warmer in the summer. Annual rainfall in the county ranges from around 850 mm (33 in) in the lowlands of north-eastern Donegal to over 2,000 mm (79 in) in western mountainous areas. Precipitation exceeding 1 mm (0.04 in) will fall across all areas of Donegal on over 150 days per year. While the prevailing wind direction in Ireland is south-westerly, which brings warm, moist air from
10192-451: Was created. The same legislation allowed the government to designate areas as being Gaeltacht districts. They were initially defined precisely and excluded many areas in which the number of Irish speakers had declined. Gaeltacht areas were recognised in seven of the state's 26 counties (nominally Donegal , Galway , Mayo , Kerry , and Waterford ). Since then, the Gaeltacht boundaries have been maintained with minor changes:
10296-466: Was henceforward in a new, different jurisdiction which remained within the United Kingdom , officially called Northern Ireland . Partition also meant that County Donegal was now almost entirely cut off from the rest of the jurisdiction in which it now found itself, the new dominion called the Irish Free State (later called Ireland from 1937). The county is physically connected to the rest of
10400-539: Was influenced by the design of the old O'Donnell royal arms. The County Arms is the official coat of arms of both County Donegal and Donegal County Council. The modern County Donegal was made a shire by order of the English Crown in 1585. The English authorities at Dublin Castle formed the new county by amalgamating the old Kingdom of Tír Chonaill with the old Lordship of Inishowen . Although detachments of
10504-551: Was named National Geographic's "Coolest place on the Planet" in 2017. The county was also ranked the 4th best region in the world by Lonely Planet's Best in Travel series for 2024, which called Donegal " purely wild with a big heart ". The forested area in the county extends to 55,534 ha (137,228 acres), the 4th highest total forest cover in Ireland. Historic deforestation left Donegal devoid of forest cover by 1900. Much of
10608-707: Was one of those 'planted' during the Plantation of Ulster from around 1610 onwards. What became the City of Derry was officially part of County Donegal up until 1610. County Donegal was one of the worst affected parts of Ulster during the Great Famine of the late 1840s in Ireland. Vast swathes of the county were devastated, with many areas becoming permanently depopulated. Vast numbers of County Donegal's people emigrated at this time, chiefly through Foyle Port . The Ballymanus mine disaster occurred on 10 May 1943 on
10712-505: Was specified under Part III of the Charter, giving it a status comparable to that of the Welsh language or Scottish Gaelic . This included undertakings in relation to education, translation of statutes, interaction with public authorities, the use of placenames, media access, support for cultural activities and other matters. Compliance with the state's obligations is assessed periodically by
10816-412: 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 system, which was rejected. The 23rd Amendment permitting the State to join
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