Welcome to Donegal!!

Donegal means "Fort of the Foreigners," after the Vikings who built a garrison here. However, it was under the O'Donnells that the town began to take shape. The ruins of Donegal Castle in the town center incorporate the gabled tower of a fortified house built by the family in the 15th century. The adjoining house and most other features are Jacobean-added by Sir Basil Brooke, who moved in after the O'Donnells were ousted by the English in 1607. Brooke was also responsible for laying out the market sqaure, which is known as the Diamond. An obelisk in the center commemorates four Fransiscans who wrote the Annals of the Four Masters in the 1630's. This manuscript traces the history of the Gaelic people from 40 days before the Great Flood up to the end of the 16th century. Part of it was written at Donegal Abbey, south of the market square alond the River Eske. Built in 1474, little now reamians of the abbey but a few Gothic windows and cloister arches. About 1.5 km farther on is Donegal Craft Village, a showcase for the work of the local craftspeople, because, of course, Donegal is known for its Donegal Tweed.