72-587: Oakfield Demesne is a house, grounds and townland in County Donegal , Ireland, originally built in 1739 for the Dean of Raphoe . Since 1996 it has been owned by Sir Gerry Robinson and his wife, Lady Heather Robinson. The demesne includes the 100-acre Oakfield Park gardens, open to the public which includes the 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) narrow-gauge railway Difflin Lake Railway . The house that
144-655: 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
216-488: 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 ,
288-413: 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
360-623: 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
432-511: 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
504-418: 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
576-711: Is central to the estate was originally built by the Church of Ireland for the Deanery of Raphoe in 1739. It ceased to be used as a deanery after being sold to Captain Thomas Butler Stoney of the Donegal Militia in 1869. Former occupants included Captain Stoney. The Irish Republican Army were known to have occupied the house in the 1920s. The Patterson family, known for their music, were owners during
648-674: 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
720-539: 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
792-460: Is one of seven operational heritage railways in the Republic of Ireland that the Commission for Rail Regulation requires to have a Safety Management System (SMS) in place. 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 ) is a county of Ireland in the province of Ulster and in
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#1732783036964864-592: 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
936-527: 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
1008-567: 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)
1080-593: 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 ,
1152-867: The Attorney General in 2003, the Genealogical Office discontinued the practice of recognising Chiefs of the Name. The Hereditary Seneschal of Tyrconnell (currently vested in a living O'Donnell, who was already ennobled as a Knight of Malta , and who inherited the Seneschalship from his father), survives under the auspices of the Hereditary Great Seneschal or Lord High Steward of Ireland , currently Charles Chetwynd-Talbot, 22nd Earl of Shrewsbury , senior direct descendant of George Carpenter, 2nd Earl of Tyrconnell (of
1224-509: The Flight of the Earls . It lay in the area now more commonly referred to as County Donegal , although the kingdom and later principality of Tyrconnell was larger than that, including parts of Sligo, Leitrim (in present-day Republic of Ireland ), Tyrone , Fermanagh and a southern part of Londonderry (in present-day Northern Ireland ). According to Geoffrey Keating , by the 16th century it
1296-514: 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 ,
1368-677: 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
1440-756: 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
1512-534: 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
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#17327830369641584-600: The Northern Uí Néill and although they ruled, there were smaller groups of other Gaels in the area. From the 5th century founding of Cenél Conaill, the tuatha was a sub-unit of the larger kingdom of Ailech , along with their Cenél nEógain cousins, fellow descendants of Niall of the Nine Hostages . Their initial ascent had coincided with the decline of the Ulaid , whose kingdom of Ulster receded to
1656-514: 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 is named after the town of Donegal (from Irish Dún na nGall 'fort of
1728-563: 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
1800-790: 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
1872-522: 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
1944-589: 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
2016-483: 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
2088-642: 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
2160-474: 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
2232-638: 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
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2304-423: 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
2376-646: The 4th creation), and senior kin of Richard Talbot, Duke of Tyrconnel . The religion which predominated at an official level in Tyrconnell was Catholic Christianity . The territory of Tyrconnell was associated with the Diocese of Raphoe under the Bishop of Raphoe , which had been formed in 1111. It was mentioned at the Synod of Ráth Breasail and covered Tír Conaill. Inis Eogain is in the Diocese of Derry . Indeed,
2448-522: The Christian religion was of particular significance to the O'Donnell rulers of Tyrconnell, as their kinsman St. Colm Cille (also known as St. Columba), born at Conwal and Leck , was regarded as one of the three patron saints of Ireland. Their founder and namesake of the kingdom, Conall Gulban , had been the first nobleman converted by St. Patrick . Indeed, they later took up the symbol of the cross as part of one of their heraldic identifiers and adopted
2520-635: 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
2592-400: 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)
2664-635: The abolition of Tanistry and Brehon Law , the Chief of the Name is known as The O'Donnell of Tyrconnell, as recognised by the Chief Herald of Ireland , as the legitimate successor in a putative sequence of Chiefs of the Name (by male primogeniture), and would default to the Duke of Tetuan in Spain in succession to the current Chief, a Franciscan priest, who has no eligible progeny. However, following advice by
2736-564: 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
2808-590: The baronies of Carbury ( Cairbre , in County Sligo ), Rosclogher ( Dartrighe , in County Leitrim ), and Magheraboy ( Machaire Bui , mainly Toorah or Tuath Ratha) and Firlurg ( Lorg , in County Fermanagh ). As such it had a size varying between that of Corsica (8,680 km ) and Lebanon (10,452 km ). Although the elective Chieftaincy of O'Donnell is extinct since
2880-420: 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
2952-469: 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
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3024-536: 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
3096-400: 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
3168-410: 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
3240-574: 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),
3312-813: 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
3384-526: The existing gardens which had become mainly disused. Some old trees did remain, including a 12-limbed horse Chestnut and a Spanish chestnut , calculated to be as old as the Battle of the Boyne . To cater for the 2021 season in the COVID-19 pandemic additional outdoor covered seating has been provided for alfresco diners. The Difflin Lake Railway is 4.5 kilometres (2.8 mi) is length. As of July 2021 it
3456-404: 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 the county was based) and the earldom that succeeded it. County Donegal
3528-431: 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
3600-554: 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
3672-599: 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
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#17327830369643744-596: 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,
3816-636: 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,
3888-576: 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
3960-416: 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
4032-486: 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
4104-449: 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
4176-407: The north-east coast. In the 12th century the kingdom of Ailech split into two sovereign territories and Cenél Conaill became Tír Chonaill under the Ó Domhnaill (O'Donnell) clan. It was the location of fighting during the Nine Years' War (Ireland) at the end of the 16th century. It continued to exist until the 17th century when it was incorporated into the English-ruled Kingdom of Ireland following
4248-531: The offence of publishing or uttering blasphemous matter, the highest of any county and significantly above the national total of 35.15%. The county is in the Midlands–North-West constituency (5 seats) for elections to the European Parliament . Two candidates from Donegal contested the 2024 European Parliament election in Ireland . They were Peter Casey and Senator Niall Blaney . Tyrconnell Tyrconnell ( Irish : Tír Chonaill , meaning 'Land of Conall '), also spelled Tirconnell and Tirconaill ,
4320-420: 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
4392-408: 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
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#17327830369644464-451: 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
4536-490: 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
4608-446: The twentieth century. After purchasing the estate the Robinsons engaged the architect Tony Wright to transform the 100 acres (0.40 km) overgrown estate into parklands, gardens and lakes to restore the house to its original condition. The house was built c. 1739 as a five-bay, two-storey with a dormer constructed over a basement. The park was created by the Robinsons soon after the start of their stewardship; as an extension of
4680-433: 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
4752-400: Was a kingdom of Gaelic Ireland . It is associated geographically with present-day County Donegal , which was officially named County Tirconaill between 1922 and 1927. At times it also included parts of County Fermanagh , County Sligo , County Leitrim , County Tyrone and County Londonderry at its greatest extent. The kingdom represented the core homeland of the Cenél Conaill people of
4824-403: 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
4896-423: 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
4968-445: 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
5040-539: 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
5112-472: 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
5184-464: 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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