DONEGAL

Irish Dn Na nGall (Fort of the Foreigners) seaport and market town, County Donegal, Ireland, on the River Eske at the head of Donegal Bay. It is famed for its historic associations and picturesque environs. South of the town are the ruins of the Franciscan Donegal Abbey (founded 1474). Donegal Castle, a stronghold of the O'Donnells, was rebuilt in the early 17th century. The town is noted for its handwoven tweed. Pop. (1991) 2,193. Irish Dn Na Ngall (Fort of the Foreigners) most northerly county of Ireland, bounded on the west and north by the Atlantic Ocean, on the east by Lough (lake) Foyle and Northern Ireland, and on the south by Northern Ireland and County Leitrim, Ireland. The small village of Lifford is the county seat. The rugged coast is heavily indented, in the north, with major inlets being Lough Swilly and Lough Foyle, between which is the Inishowen Peninsula. The chief rivers are the Finn and Erne. The main mountain ranges are the Blue Stack, whose highest peak is Lavagh More (2,218 feet ), and Derryveagh, its highest peak being Errigal (2,467 feet ). Evidence of extensive glaciation exists. The climate is temperate, with warm summers and mild, moist winters. The name was extended from the town of Donegal to the county, which was made a shire in 1585. The ancient name was Tyrconnell (Land of Conall). Conall, with his brother Eoghan, conquered northwestern Ulster in approximately 400 and founded the kingdom of Ailech; its capital was at the concentric stone fortress known as the Grianan of Ailech on a hill west of Londonderry, N.Ire. Eoghan took Tyrone and Inishowen for his share, and his descendants, the O'Neills, ruled central Ulster. Conall took Tyrconnell, in which his descendants, the O'Donnells, ruled. The remoteness of these areas enabled them to escape serious interference from the Anglo-Normans. Following the defeat of the Irish cause in 1603, however, Hugh O'Neill and Rory O'Donnell took flight secretly to the European continent in 1607. The county was immediately included in the plan for the plantation of Ulster, and its history thereafter merged with that of Ireland. Donegal's population is concentrated largely along the coasts and river valleys; the main towns are Donegal, Buncrana, Ballyshannon, and Letterkenny. The county, with the exception of the urban districts, is administered by a county council and county manager. The Foyle and Finn basins are intensively cultivated, but the rugged western seaboard is unsuitable for cultivation. Agriculture consists of tillage and rearing of cattle, sheep, and poultry; the chief crops are oats and potatoes. Killybegs on the southwest coast is the main fishing port and a fish-processing centre. Salmon are caught in the Rivers Finn, Foyle, Erne, and Gweebarra. Tourism is important and is based on the scenery, the many beaches, and the golf courses. In west Donegal, which remains an Irish-speaking region, woolen garments are made by hand, and, at Convoy, Donegal tweeds are woven. Recent industrial development includes the manufacture of carpets, fishing nets, synthetic fibres, and garments. No railway serves Donegal. Area 1,865 square miles (4,830 square km). Pop. (1991) 128,117.