Donegal Town

Donegal Town is a town in Co Donegal that gave its name to the county. Although Lifford is now the county town and Letterkenny the largest, it is the historical capital of Tír Chonaill, a Gaelic kingdom controlled by the O'Donnell clan. Donegal sits at the mouth of theRiver Eske and Donegal Bay, which is overshadowed by the Bluestack Mountains ('the Croaghs'). The town is bypassed by the N15 and N56 roads. The centre of the town, known as The Diamond, is a hub for music, poetic and cultural gatherings in the area. There are many sandy beaches in the area of Donegal, such as Murvagh beach, and some boasting good surfing conditions, such as Rossnowlagh. Donegal is also used as a base for hill-walking in the nearby Bluestack Mountains. Despite the town's many hotels catering for visitors, it suffers from a lack of social amenities for its local population. Many have to travel to nearby towns such as Letterkenny for facilities like public swimming pools, cinemas and large shopping centres. The Bus Éireann 64 bus route via Derry/Galway stops in the town and serves both Letterkenny and Sligo. The number 30 Donegal Town/Dublin route also makes stops at other key towns such as Enniskillen. Two private companies operate the other routes: 'McGeehan Bus' operates a regular service, from Glencolumbcille and Dungloe in West Donegal to Dublin Airport and Busaras in Dublin, which passes through the town;while Feda O'Donnell Coaches (also known as Bus Feda) operates a regular Glenties/Galway service that stops in Donegal. There are a number of sports clubs in the area as well a a selection of shops, pubs and restaurants. There are also a number of primary schools in the area and a secondary school.