Finding a hotel in Donegal

To view Bed and Breakfast, Hotels, Guest House, Self Catering and campsites in Donegal please click here.

The population is 137,575 with an area of 1,865 square miles (4,841 sq km). The county town is Lifford.

In Donegal there are the popular towns of Ballyshannon, Gweedore, Donegal, Ardara, Dungloe and Letterkenny.

Geography

The coastline runs from Lough Foyle in the north to Donegal Bay in the west and is deeply indented by Lough Swilly. There are several coastal islands including Tory Island which is the largest. There are two mountain ranges, the Derryveagh Mountains, in the northwest and the Blue Stack Mountains in the west central region. The tallest peak is Mount Errigal at 2,466 feet (752 metres). The major rivers are the Foyle, the Erne, and the Finn. The area has many lakes.

Industry

Agriculture is the leading industry even though only one third of the land is suitable for cultivation. The valleys of the Finn and the Foyle are the most intensively cultivated areas. Oats and potatoes are the chief crops. Fishing and tourism are also important industries. Woollen products are produced in the south of the county. Gaelic is still widely spoken in the highland region.

History

The county was once the kingdom of Tyrconnell and Donegal was not organized as a county until the reign of Elizabeth I of England.