View source for County Donegal

{{Short description|County in Ireland}}
{{Use Hiberno-English|date=March 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name = County Donegal
| other_name = Tyrconnell
| native_name = {{Native name|ga|Contae Dhún na nGall|paren=omit}}
| settlement_type = [[Counties of Ireland|County]]
| image_shield = Donegal CoA.png
| shield_size = 100px
| nickname = The Forgotten County<ref name="Donegal 'wiped off crisis HQ maps'">{{cite news |title=Donegal 'wiped off crisis HQ maps' |url=https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/donegal-wiped-off-crisis-hq-maps-26651587.html |work=[[Irish Independent]] |date=21 April 2010 |access-date=17 May 2021 |archive-date=17 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210517211502/https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/donegal-wiped-off-crisis-hq-maps-26651587.html |url-status=live}}</ref>

| motto = {{force singular}} {{lang|la|Mutuam habeatis caritatem}}<br />"Have love for one another"
| image_map = Island of Ireland location map Donegal.svg
| map_caption = Location in Ireland, indicated in darker green
| coordinates = {{coord|54.92|-8.00|dim:500000_region:IE|display=inline,title}}
| area_footnotes = <ref name=WDC>{{cite web |title=County Profiles – Donegal |url=https://westerndevelopment.ie/policy/our-region/donegal-county-analysis/ |publisher=Western Development Commission |access-date=2 June 2021 |archive-date=2 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210602221024/https://westerndevelopment.ie/policy/our-region/donegal-county-analysis/ |url-status=live}}</ref>
| area_total_km2 = 4860
| area_rank = [[List of Irish counties by area|4th]]
| seat_type = [[County town]]
| seat = [[Lifford]]
| parts_type = Largest settlement
| parts = [[Letterkenny]]
| leader_title = [[Local government in the Republic of Ireland|Local authority]]
| leader_name = [[Donegal County Council]]
| leader_title2 = [[Dáil constituency]]
| leader_name2 = {{ubl|[[Donegal (Dáil constituency)|Donegal]]|[[Sligo–Leitrim (Dáil constituency)|Sligo–Leitrim]]}}
| leader_title3 = [[European Parliament constituencies in the Republic of Ireland|EP constituency]]
| leader_name3 = [[Midlands–North-West (European Parliament constituency)|Midlands–North-West]]
| blank_name_sec1 = [[Vehicle registration plates of Ireland|Vehicle index<br />mark code]]
| blank_info_sec1 = DL
| population_total = 167,084
|population_footnotes = <ref name=cso2022>{{cite web | title = Census Mapping – Donegal County Concil | url = https://visual.cso.ie/?body=entity/ima/cop/2022&boundary=C03789V04537&guid=2ae19629-14a4-13a3-e055-000000000001 | work = [[2022 census of Ireland|Census 2022]] | publisher = [[Central Statistics Office (Ireland)|Central Statistics Office]] | access-date = 9 January 2024}}</ref>
| population_rank = &nbsp;[[List of Irish counties by population|13th]]
| population_density_km2 = auto
| population_as_of = [[2022 census of Ireland|2022]]
| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = Ireland
| subdivision_type1 = [[Provinces of Ireland|Province]]
| subdivision_name1 = [[Ulster]]
| subdivision_type2 = [[NUTS statistical regions of Ireland|Region]]
| subdivision_name2 = [[Northern and Western Region|Northern and Western]]
| website = {{official URL}}
| footnotes = ''Coontie Dunnygal''<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.northsouthministerialcouncil.org/web_2006_ulster_scots_report.pdf |website=North-South Ministerial Council |title=2006 Annual Report in Ulster Scots |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130227120556/http://www.northsouthministerialcouncil.org/web_2006_ulster_scots_report.pdf |archive-date=27 February 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.northsouthministerialcouncil.org/nsmc_annual_report_2002_-_ulster-scots_version_(pdf_837kb)-2.pdf |website=North-South Ministerial Council |title=2002 Annual Report in Ulster Scots |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110829113640/http://www.northsouthministerialcouncil.org/nsmc_annual_report_2002_-_ulster-scots_version_%28pdf_837kb%29-2.pdf |archive-date=29 August 2011}}</ref> is an [[Ulster Scots dialects|Ulster Scots]] spelling.
| timezone = [[Western European Time|WET]]
| utc_offset = ±0
| timezone_DST = [[Irish Standard Time|IST]]
| utc_offset_DST = +1
| established_title = Established
| established_date = 1585<ref>{{cite web |url=https://anirishwelcome.com/county-donegal/ |title=County Donegal – Welcome To Ireland – History of Ireland |access-date=21 June 2019 |archive-date=21 June 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190621222003/https://anirishwelcome.com/county-donegal/ |url-status=live}}</ref>
| area_code_type = [[Telephone numbers in the Republic of Ireland|Telephone area codes]]
| area_code = 074 (primarily)
| postal_code_type = [[Eircode]] routing keys
| postal_code = F92, F93, F94
| elevation_max_m = 751
| elevation_max_point = [[Errigal]]
| mapframe = yes
| mapframe-wikidata = yes
| iso_code = IE-DL
}}
'''County Donegal''' (<!--please read the source before changing the transcription!-->{{IPAc-en|ˌ|d|ʌ|n|ɪ|ˈ|ɡ|ɔː|l|,_|ˌ|d|ɒ|n|ɪ|ˈ|ɡ|ɔː|l}} {{Respell|DUN|ig|AWL|,_|DON|ig|awl}};<ref>{{cite Collins Dictionary|Donegal}}</ref> {{langx|ga|Contae Dhún na nGall}})<ref name=logainm>{{cite web |url=https://www.logainm.ie/en/100013 |title=Dún na nGall/Donegal |work=Placenames Database of Ireland (logainm.ie) |publisher=[[Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht|Government of Ireland – Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht]] and [[Dublin City University]] |access-date=7 August 2019 |archive-date=25 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190525091726/https://www.logainm.ie/en/100013 |url-status=live}}</ref> is a [[Counties of Ireland|county]] of the [[Republic of Ireland]]. It is in the [[Provinces of Ireland|province]] of [[Ulster]] and is the northernmost county of [[Ireland]]. The county mostly borders [[Northern Ireland]], sharing only a small border with the rest of the Republic. It is named after the town of [[Donegal (town)|Donegal]] in the south of the county. It has also been known as '''County Tyrconnell''' or '''Tirconaill''' ({{lang|ga|Tír Chonaill}}), after [[Tyrconnell|the historical territory]] on which it was based. [[Donegal County Council]] is the [[local government in the Republic of Ireland|local council]] and [[Lifford]] is the [[county town]].

The population was 167,084 at the [[2022 census of Ireland|2022 census]].<ref name=cso2022/>

==Name==
County Donegal is named after the town of [[Donegal (town)|Donegal]] ({{derive|Irish|Dún na nGall|fort of the foreigners}})<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.donegaltown.ie/ |title=Donegal Town Website Donegal Town (Dún na nGall), Donegal |website=donegaltown.ie |access-date=2 June 2021 |archive-date=27 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210527120822/http://www.donegaltown.ie/ |url-status=live}}</ref> in the south of the county.

It has also been known by the alternative name County '''Tyrconnell''' or '''Tirconaill''' ({{lang|ga|Tír Chonaill}}, which means 'Land of [[Conall Gulban|Conall]]'). The latter was its official name between 1922 and 1927.<ref>Renamed "County Tirconaill" in 1922 by a resolution of the County Council. ('Place Name Confusion{{spaced ndash}}Donegal or Tirconaill', ''[[The Irish Times]]'', 24 April 1924). After historians and Gaelic scholars pointed out that the historic territory of Tirconaill did not include the whole county, the name County Donegal was re-adopted in 1927 ('Back to "Donegal"', ''The Irish Times'', 22 November 1927).</ref> This is in reference to the {{lang|ga|[[túath]]}} or [[Gaelic Ireland|Gaelic]] kingdom of {{lang|ga|[[Tyrconnell|Tír Chonaill]]|italic=no}} (on which the county was based) and the [[earl of Tyrconnell|earldom]] that succeeded it.

==History==
[[File:KilclooneyDolmen1986.jpg|thumb|left|[[Dolmen|Neolithic portal tomb]] at [[Kilclooney More]]]]
[[File:Doe Castle, Donegal.jpg|thumb|left|[[Doe Castle]], home of the Sweeney clan]]

County Donegal 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 the early 13th century through to the start of the 17th century. For several centuries, the O'Donnells ruled [[Tyrconnell|Tír Chonaill]] (Tyrconnell), a ''[[túath]]'' or [[Gaelic Ireland|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), the O'Donnell ''Kings of Tír Chonaill'' were traditionally inaugurated, from the 1460s onwards, at Doon Rock near [[Kilmacrennan]]. The O'Donnells' 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) 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]]<ref name="Connolly2011">{{cite book |last=Connolly |first=S.J. |title=The Oxford Companion to Irish History |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xW9LYgEACAAJ |year=2011 |publisher=OUP Oxford |isbn=978-0-19-969186-9 |page=129 |access-date=2 November 2016 |archive-date=27 March 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170327012004/https://books.google.com/books?id=xW9LYgEACAAJ |url-status=live}}</ref> 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 the [[Irish Army (Kingdom of Ireland)|Royal Irish Army]] were stationed there, the Dublin authorities were unable to establish control over Tír Chonaill and Inishowen until after the [[Siege of Kinsale|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 was one of those 'planted' during the [[Plantation of Ulster]] from around 1610 onwards. What became the [[Derry|City of Derry]] was officially part of County Donegal up until 1610.<ref name="Brian Lacy 1983"/>

County Donegal was one of the worst affected parts of Ulster during the [[Great Famine (Ireland)|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]].

During the [[Irish Civil War]] (1922–1923), Donegal played a strategic role due to its proximity to Northern Ireland, where [[Irish Republican Army (1922–1969)|anti-Treaty forces]] often sought refuge and resupplied. The county's rugged landscape, including areas like [[Dunlewey]],<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-03-10 |title=Brendan O'Leary will be keynote speaker at 100th anniversary commemoration of Drumboe martyrs |url=https://www.derryjournal.com/heritage-and-retro/heritage/brendan-oleary-will-be-keynote-speaker-at-100th-anniversary-commemoration-of-drumboe-martyrs-4028144 |access-date=2024-12-08 |website=Derry Journal |language=en}}</ref> provided ideal terrain for [[Guerrilla warfare|guerrilla operations]] and hiding arms caches. Local communities were divided in their loyalties, with some supporting anti-Treaty forces by offering shelter and supplies, while [[National Army (Ireland)|Free state forces]] carried out raids to suppress resistance.<ref>{{Cite web |last=John2 |date=2018-04-07 |title=New book chronicles the IRA in Donegal during partition |url=https://www.donegaldaily.com/2018/04/07/new-book-chronicles-the-ira-in-donegal-during-partition/ |access-date=2024-12-08 |website=Donegal Daily |language=en-US}}</ref>

The [[Ballymanus mine disaster]] occurred on 10 May 1943 on a beach at Ballymanus, County Donegal, when local villagers attempted to bring ashore an unexploded [[Naval mine|marine mine]].<ref>{{cite web |date=11 May 1999 |title=Victims of Donegal mine tragedy remembered |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/victims-of-donegal-mine-tragedy-remembered-1.183165 |publisher=Irish Times |accessdate=13 April 2018 |archive-date=13 April 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180413130253/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/victims-of-donegal-mine-tragedy-remembered-1.183165 |url-status=live }}</ref> Eighteen men and boys between the ages of 13 and 34 were killed in the explosion.<ref>{{cite web |date=9 June 2011 |title=Doherty calls for war mine apology |url=http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2011/0609/1224298640928.html |publisher=Irish Times |accessdate=13 April 2018 |archive-date=24 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121024012024/http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2011/0609/1224298640928.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

=== Effects of partition ===
[[File:Donegalcastle.jpg|thumb|left|[[Donegal Castle]], former seat of the [[O'Donnell dynasty]]]]
The [[partition of Ireland]] in the early 1920s severely affected County Donegal. [[Partition (politics)|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 [[County Tyrone|Tyrone]], 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 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 [[Pound sterling|sterling]].

Added to all this, in 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, 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 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.<ref name="Donegal 'wiped off crisis HQ maps'">{{cite news |title=Donegal 'wiped off crisis HQ maps' |url=https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/donegal-wiped-off-crisis-hq-maps-26651587.html |work=[[Irish Independent]] |date=21 April 2010 |access-date=17 May 2021 |archive-date=17 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210517211502/https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/donegal-wiped-off-crisis-hq-maps-26651587.html |url-status=live}}</ref>

==Geography and subdivisions==
{{Multiple image|align=right|image1=Poisoned Glen (cropped).jpg|width1=200|alt1=|image2=The Poisoned Glen - geograph.org.uk - 770833 (cropped).jpg|width2=200|alt2=|footer=The appearance of parts of County Donegal's landscape can vary from lush green in the summer to orange-brown in the winter}}
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 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<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.donegallibrary.ie/quicklinks/aboutdonegal/ |title=Donegal Library Services |publisher=Donegal Library |access-date=9 July 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131020165335/http://www.donegallibrary.ie/quicklinks/aboutdonegal/ |archive-date=20 October 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref> and has been used to market the county with the [[slogan]] "Up here it's different".<ref name = "IE NW">[http://www.irelandnorthwest.ie/?id=28 Ireland Northwest] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070422131117/http://www.irelandnorthwest.ie/?id=28 |date=22 April 2007 }}.</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sinnfein.ie/contents/16086 |title=Derry and Donegal Sinn Féin Councillors join forces to push North West tourism |publisher=Sinnfein.ie |date=16 February 2009 |access-date=9 July 2013 |archive-date=3 June 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130603121447/http://www.sinnfein.ie/contents/16086 |url-status=live}}</ref> Indeed, what became the City of Derry was officially part of County Donegal up until 1610.<ref name="Brian Lacy 1983">Brian Lac[e]y (Editor), ''Archaeological Survey of County Donegal'', p. 1. [[Donegal County Council]], Lifford, 1983.</ref>
It is part of the [[Northern and Western Region]] (a [[NUTS statistical regions of Ireland|NUTS 2 European statistical Region]]), within which it is part of the [[Border Region|Border]] strategic planning area.<ref name=si573>{{cite ISB |year=2014 |type=si |number=573 |name=Local Government Act 1991 (Regional Assemblies) (Establishment) Order 2014 |date=16 December 2014 |access-date=11 March 2022}}</ref>
[[File:Derry from the International Space Station 2013-03-17.jpg|thumb|The [[Inishowen Peninsula]] as seen from the [[International Space Station]]]]

===Baronies and townlands===
{{See also|List of baronies of Ireland|List of townlands of County Donegal}}
There are eight historic [[Barony (Ireland)|baronies]] in the county.<ref>[https://www.logainm.ie/en/s?txt=in:100002&cat=BAR Placenames Database of Ireland] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210121202131/https://www.logainm.ie/en/s?txt=in:100002&cat=BAR |date=21 January 2021 }} – Baronies.</ref> While baronies continue to be officially defined units, they ceased to have any administrative function following the [[Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898|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 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 {{cvt|312,410|acre|km2|0}}, Kilmacrennan is also the largest barony in Ireland, being roughly equal in size to [[County Monaghan]]. The smallest barony is Inishowen West, at {{cvt|77,149|acres|km2}}.
{|class="wikitable sortable collapsible nowrap" style="font-size: 100%;"
|+ Historic baronies of County Donegal
|-
! Barony !! Irish name !! Area<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.townlands.ie/donegal/ |title=Townlands in Co. Donegal |work=townlands.ie |access-date=23 July 2021 |archive-date=6 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210906181631/https://www.townlands.ie/donegal/ |url-status=live}}</ref><br /><small>(acres)</small>
|-
| [[Banagh]] || ''Báinigh'' || 179,090
|-
| [[Boylagh]] || ''Baollaigh'' || 157,429
|-
| [[Inishowen East]] || ''Inis Eoghain Thoir'' || 124,325
|-
| [[Inishowen West]] || ''Inis Eoghain Thiar'' || {{0}}77,149
|-
| [[Kilmacrenan (barony)|Kilmacrennan]] || ''Cill Mhic Réanáin'' || 312,410
|-
| [[Raphoe North]] || ''Ráth Bhoth Thuaidh'' || {{0}}80,388
|-
| [[Raphoe South]] || ''Ráth Bhoth Theas'' || 141,308
|-
| [[Tirhugh]] || ''Tír Aodha'' || 128,602
|}

Townlands are 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 is 6,053 acres (Tawnawully Mountains). The average size of a townland in the county (excluding towns) is 438 acres.

===Informal districts===
[[File:Northern Lights in Donegal, 2014 (1).jpg|thumb|[[Aurora borealis]] (''na Saighneáin'') over Malin Head]]
The county may be informally divided into a number of traditional districts. There are two [[Gaeltacht]] districts in the west: [[The Rosses]] ({{langx|ga|Na Rosa}}), centred on the town of [[Dungloe]] ({{langx|ga|An Clochán Liath}}), and [[Gweedore]] ({{langx|ga|Gaoth Dobhair}}). Another Gaeltacht district is located in the north-west: [[Cloughaneely]] ({{langx|ga|Cloich Chionnaola}}), centred on the town of [[Falcarragh]] ({{langx|ga|An Fál Carrach}}). The most northerly part of the island of Ireland is the location for three [[peninsula]]s: [[Inishowen]], [[Fanad]] and [[Rosguill]]. The main population centre of Inishowen, Ireland's largest peninsula, is [[Buncrana]]. In the east of the county lies the [[River Finn (County Donegal)|Finn Valley]] (centred on [[Ballybofey]]) and The Laggan district (not to be confused with the [[Lagan Valley]] in the south of [[County Antrim]]), which is centred on the town of [[Raphoe]].

===Geography===
[[File:Slieve League (15919171422).jpg|alt=Slieve League panorama|thumb|[[Slieve League]] cliffs, the second tallest in Ireland]]
[[File:Glengesh Pass.jpg|thumb|left|Glengesh Pass, near [[Ardara, County Donegal|Ardara]]]]
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 {{cvt|751|m|ft|0}} the highest peak, making it the 11th-highest [[List of Irish counties by highest point|county top]] in Ireland. It has a deeply indented coastline forming natural [[sea lough]]s, of which [[Lough Swilly]] and [[Lough Foyle]] are the most notable. Donegal boasts the [[List of Irish counties by coastline|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 {{cvt|1000|km|mi|0}} to {{cvt|1235|km|mi|0}}.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://research.thea.ie/bitstream/handle/20.500.12065/1521/Collins%2C%20Anthony%201996.pdf?sequence=7&isAllowed=y |title=Managing the Donegal Coast in the Twenty-first Century |website=research.thea.ie |publisher=[[Institute of Technology, Sligo]] |accessdate=13 July 2021 |archive-date=13 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210713101438/https://research.thea.ie/bitstream/handle/20.500.12065/1521/Collins,%20Anthony%201996.pdf?sequence=7&isAllowed=y |url-status=live}}</ref> The official figure used by Donegal County Council is {{cvt|1134|km|0}}.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.donegalcoco.ie/media/donegalcountyc/planning/pdfs/viewdevelopmentplans/landscapecharacterassessmentofcountydonegal/seascapecharacterassessmentofcountydonegal/Seascape%20Character%20Assessment.pdf |title=Seascape Character Assessment of County Donegal |website=donegalcoco.ie |publisher=Donegal County Council |accessdate=13 July 2021 |archive-date=13 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210713103425/https://www.donegalcoco.ie/media/donegalcountyc/planning/pdfs/viewdevelopmentplans/landscapecharacterassessmentofcountydonegal/seascapecharacterassessmentofcountydonegal/Seascape%20Character%20Assessment.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref> The [[Slieve League]] cliffs are among 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&nbsp;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 [[hydroelectricity|hydroelectric]] power. A canal linking 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.{{sfn |Delany |2004 |pp=199–201}}

Historically, the eastern boundary of the kingdom of [[Tyrconnell|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&nbsp; km (6 miles) long natural boundary with County Leitrim.

[[File:Kinnagoe Bay, Inishowen, Co Donegal - geograph.org.uk - 83440.jpg|thumb|Kinnagoe Bay]]
Donegal has a population density of 34.2 people per square kilometre, 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 Area of Conservation|Special Areas of Conservation]] (SACs) and 26 [[Special Protection Area]]s (SPAs), as well as 14 [[Natural Heritage Area]]s (NHAs), 74 proposed Natural Heritage Areas, 145 Irish Geological Heritage Areas (IGHs) and Ireland's second largest national park, [[Glenveagh]], which extends to over {{cvt|42000|acre|km2|0}} in northwestern Donegal.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.donegalcoco.ie/media/donegalcountyc/community/lcdc/App%201%20to%20LECP%20%20The%20Profile%20of%20the%20County%20February%202016.pdf |title=The Donegal Local Economic & Community Plan 2016-2022 |website=donegalcoco.ie |publisher=Donegal County Council |accessdate=23 July 2021 |archive-date=23 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210723010704/https://www.donegalcoco.ie/media/donegalcountyc/community/lcdc/App%201%20to%20LECP%20%20The%20Profile%20of%20the%20County%20February%202016.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref>

Owing to its scenic landscape and "''world-class wilderness''", Donegal was named [[National Geographic]]'s "Coolest place on the Planet" in 2017.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/travel/donegal-named-coolest-place-on-planet-by-national-geographic-1.2889597 |newspaper=The Irish Times |title=Donegal named coolest place on planet by National Geographic |access-date=23 July 2021 |archive-date=24 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210124232040/https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/travel/donegal-named-coolest-place-on-planet-by-national-geographic-1.2889597 |url-status=live}}</ref> 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''".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.lonelyplanet.com/best-in-travel#donegal|title=Best in Travel 2024|last=|website=lonelyplanet.com|language=en|access-date=27 October 2023|archive-date=28 July 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230728073433/https://www.lonelyplanet.com/best-in-travel#donegal|url-status=live}}</ref>

The forested area in the county extends to {{cvt|55534|ha|0}}, the 4th highest total forest cover in Ireland.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/65294-irelands-national-forest-inventory/ |title=National Forestry Inventory, Third Cycle 2017 |work=DAFM |date=17 November 2020 |access-date=23 July 2021 |archive-date=20 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210620124029/https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/65294-irelands-national-forest-inventory/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Historic deforestation left Donegal devoid of forest cover by 1900. Much of 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.<ref>O'Carroll, pp. 22-23</ref> The county contains extensive tracts of [[blanket bog]] which are concentrated in western and upland regions. Blanket bog covers an area of {{cvt|148656|ha|0}}, or roughly 30 percent of the entire county.<ref>Douglas et al., pp. 27</ref>

===Flora and fauna===
[[File:Aquila chrysaetos La Canada 2012-01-14.jpg|thumb|right|210px|[[Golden eagle]] (''Aquila chrysaetos'') ]]

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, County Donegal|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. 
*The typical native tree species found in Donegal are [[Scots pine]], [[Populus tremula|aspen poplar]], [[birch]], [[Corylus avellana|hazel]] and [[Quercus robur|oak]]. Other common trees include [[Sitka spruce]], [[Rowan|mountain ash]], [[Acer pseudoplatanus|sycamore]], [[Larix decidua|European larch]] and [[Aesculus hippocastanum|horse-chestnut]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.askaboutireland.ie/enfo/irelands-environment/county-focus/donegal/glenveagh-national-park/wildlife/ |title=Trees & Plants - Glenveagh National Park |website=askaboutireland.ie |access-date=21 July 2021 |archive-date=20 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210720233445/http://www.askaboutireland.ie/enfo/irelands-environment/county-focus/donegal/glenveagh-national-park/wildlife/ |url-status=live}}</ref>
*Many species of terrestrial and flying mammals live in the county, including [[Irish hare]]s, [[European hare|brown hare]]s, [[red deer]], [[sika deer]], [[Leisler's Bat|Irish bats]], [[Common pipistrelle|common pipistrelle bats]], [[Soprano pipistrelle|soprano pipistrelle bats]], [[brown long-eared bat]]s, [[whiskered bat]]s, [[Daubenton's bat]]s, [[Natterer's bat]]s, [[American mink]], [[Eurasian pygmy shrew|pygmy shrews]], [[European rabbit|rabbits]], [[European pine marten|pine martens]], [[stoat]]s, [[European badger|badgers]], [[red squirrel]]s, [[Eastern gray squirrel|gray squirrels]], [[Wood mouse|wood mice]], [[House mouse|house mice]], [[brown rat]]s, [[Eurasian otter|otters]], [[red fox]]es, [[European hedgehog|hedgehogs]] and [[feral goat]]s.<ref name="Donegal CoCo., pp. 89">Donegal CoCo., pp. 89</ref>
*Marine mammals include [[Harbor seal|harbour seals]], [[grey seal]]s, [[humpback whale]]s, [[orca]]s, [[pilot whale]]s, [[fin whale]]s, [[minke whale]]s, [[sperm whale]]s, [[Cuvier's beaked whale]]s, [[common dolphin]]s, [[bottlenose dolphin]]s, [[Atlantic white-sided dolphin]]s, [[white-beaked dolphin]]s, [[striped dolphin]]s, [[Risso's dolphin]]s and (very rarely) [[walrus]]es.<ref name="Donegal CoCo., pp. 89"/>
*Notable bird species include [[Barnacle goose|barnacle geese]], [[corn crake]]s, [[northern lapwing]]s (Ireland's [[List of national birds|national bird]]), [[grey heron]]s, [[Long-eared owl]]s, [[golden eagle]]s, [[Western barn owl|barn owl]]s, [[yellowhammer]]s, [[European storm petrel|storm petrels]], [[Parasitic jaeger|Arctic skuas]], [[Eurasian wren|wrens]], [[European goldfinch|goldfinches]], [[Atlantic puffin]]s, [[razorbill]]s, [[Common raven|ravens]], [[Eurasian curlew|curlews]] and [[Common redshank|redshanks]].<ref>Donegal CoCo., pp. 85-88</ref>
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]]).<ref>Donegal CoCo., pp. 84</ref>

The native [[Irish red deer]] in Donegal went extinct around 1860 and were re-introduced in 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, County Donegal|Burnfoot]] showcases some of Donegal's historic animal species that were hunted to extinction, including [[brown bear]]s, [[Eurasian Lynx|lynxes]] and [[Gray wolf|gray wolves]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.rte.ie/news/ulster/2019/1024/1085427-bears-wolves/ |title=Bears, wolves, lynx and monkeys at Donegal wildlife sanctuary |website=rte.ie |date=24 October 2019 |access-date=21 July 2021 |last1=Magnier |first1=Eileen |archive-date=20 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210720232535/https://www.rte.ie/news/ulster/2019/1024/1085427-bears-wolves/ |url-status=live}}</ref> In 2001, the golden eagle was re-introduced into [[Glenveagh National Park]] and is currently Ireland's only breeding population.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.glenveaghnationalpark.ie/golden-eagle-pair-spotted-in-glenveagh-national-park/ |title=Golden Eagle pair spotted in Glenveagh National Park |website=glenveaghnationalpark.ie |access-date=21 July 2021 |archive-date=20 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210720232432/https://www.glenveaghnationalpark.ie/golden-eagle-pair-spotted-in-glenveagh-national-park/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

A survey of the macroscopic marine [[algae]] of County Donegal was published in 2003.<ref>Morton, O. 2003. The marine macroalgae of County Donegal, Ireland. ''Bulletin of Irish biogeoghical Society.'' 27: 3 – 164</ref> The survey was compiled using the algal records held in the [[herbarium|herbaria]] of the following institutions: the [[Ulster Museum]], [[Belfast]]; [[Trinity College Dublin]]; [[NUI Galway]], and the [[Natural History Museum, London|Natural History Museum]], London.
Records of flowering plants include ''[[Dactylorhiza purpurella]]'' (Stephenson and Stephenson) Soó.<ref>Ennis, T. 2014. The occurrence of ''Dactylorhiza purpurella'' (T.Stephenson and T.S.Stephenson) Soó ''Irish Naturalists' Journal.'' '''33''': 128</ref>

===Climate===
[[File:Errigal Snow.jpg|thumb|Snow atop [[Errigal]]]]
The majority of Donegal has a [[temperate]] [[oceanic climate|oceanic]] climate ([[Köppen climate classification]]: Cfb), with upland areas in the [[Derryveagh Mountains|Derryveagh]] and [[Blue Stack Mountains|Blue Stack]] ranges classified as [[Oceanic climate#Subpolar variety (Cfc, Cwc)|oceanic subpolar]] (Köppen climate classification: Cfc).<ref name="met.ie">{{Cite web |url=https://www.met.ie/climate/weather-extreme-records |title=Extreme weather records for Ireland |website=met.ie |access-date=21 July 2021 |archive-date=21 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210321232347/https://www.met.ie/climate/weather-extreme-records |url-status=live}}</ref> 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 [[Condensation|condenses]], forming clouds. The mountains of Donegal are among the cloudiest places in Ireland,<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.met.ie/climate/what-we-measure/sunshine |title=Climate of Ireland - Sunshine |website=met.ie |access-date=21 July 2021 |archive-date=21 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210721150334/https://www.met.ie/climate/what-we-measure/sunshine |url-status=live}}</ref> 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&nbsp;km/h (112&nbsp;mph) on 16 September 1961, during [[Hurricane Debbie (1961)|Hurricane Debbie]].<ref name="met.ie"/>

The [[Atlantic Ocean]] has a significant cooling effect and, due to the county's long, thin shape and punctuated coastline, nowhere in Donegal 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 {{cvt|16.8|°C|0}}.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.met.ie/climate-ireland/1981-2010/malin.html |title=Malin Head 1981–2010 averages |website=met.ie |access-date=21 July 2021 |archive-date=21 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210721150342/https://www.met.ie/climate-ireland/1981-2010/malin.html |url-status=live}}</ref> 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 the winter and warmer in the summer. Annual rainfall in the county ranges from around {{cvt|850|mm|0}} in the lowlands of north-eastern Donegal to over {{cvt|2000|mm|0}} in western mountainous areas.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.met.ie/climate/what-we-measure/rainfall |title=Climate of Ireland - Rainfall |website=met.ie |access-date=21 July 2021 |archive-date=21 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210721150345/https://www.met.ie/climate/what-we-measure/rainfall |url-status=live}}</ref> Precipitation exceeding 1&nbsp;mm (0.04&nbsp;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 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.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.met.ie/climate/climate-of-ireland |title=Climate of Ireland - Polar front |website=met.ie |access-date=21 July 2021 |archive-date=25 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210625114614/https://www.met.ie/climate/climate-of-ireland |url-status=live}}</ref> 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]], a similarly placed coastal station in the southwest of Ireland records just 3.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.met.ie/climate-ireland/1981-2010/valentia.html |title=Valentia 1981–2010 averages |website=met.ie |access-date=21 July 2021 |archive-date=21 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210321232340/https://www.met.ie/climate-ireland/1981-2010/valentia.html |url-status=live}}</ref>

===Geology and terrain===
[[File:Donegalmap.jpg|thumb|Topographic map of County Donegal]]
[[Image:Glenveagh Valley (2009).jpg|thumb|left|Glenveagh Valley]]
Donegal can be divided into six main geological subdivisions.<ref>GSI., pp. 29</ref> 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&nbsp; km northeast to southwest from [[Ardara, County Donegal|Ardara]] to [[Fanad]] Head, and quartzo-feldspathic [[Dalradian]] rocks from 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 Mountains|Grampian]] [[Terrane]]. The oldest rocks in Ireland are a [[Granite|granitic]] [[gneiss]] found on the island of [[Inishtrahull]], located ca. {{cvt|10|km|mi}} north-east of Malin Head. They are 1.78 billion years old, making them [[Paleoproterozoic]] in age.<ref name="Muir">{{cite journal |last=Muir |first=R.J. |author2=Fitches W.R. |author3=Maltman A.J. |year=1994 |title=The Rhinns Complex: Proterozoic basement on Islay and Colonsay, Inner Hebrides, Scotland, and on Inishtrahull, NW Ireland |journal=Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh: Earth Sciences |volume=85 |issue=1 |pages=77–90 |url=http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=8344451 |access-date=15 September 2012 |doi=10.1017/s0263593300006313 |s2cid=131108674 |archive-date=22 July 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150722123641/http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=8344451 |url-status=live|url-access=subscription }}</ref> The oldest rocks on mainland Donegal are a quartzo-feldspathic paragneiss found around Lough Derg, which have been dated to 1.713 billion years ago.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.gsi.ie/documents/Geoschol_Donegal_Geology.pdf |title=Geology of County Donegal |website=gsi.ie |access-date=22 July 2021 |archive-date=18 December 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171218114131/https://www.gsi.ie/documents/Geoschol_Donegal_Geology.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref>

Donegal is the most seismically active part of Ireland. The [[Great Glen Fault|Leenan Fault]] is a large [[Fault (geology)#Strike-slip faults|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 the [[Richter magnitude scale|Richter scale]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/heritage/why-does-donegal-get-a-disproportionate-number-of-irish-earthquakes-1.3854663 |title=Why does Donegal get a disproportionate number of Irish earthquakes? |website=irishtimes.com |access-date=22 July 2021 |archive-date=24 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210724135745/https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/heritage/why-does-donegal-get-a-disproportionate-number-of-irish-earthquakes-1.3854663 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-48102567 |title=Earthquake close to Irish border in County Donegal |work=BBC News |date=30 April 2019 |access-date=22 July 2021 |archive-date=21 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210721202816/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-48102567 |url-status=live}}</ref>

The county's landscape was carved out by glaciation at the end of the [[Pleistocene]] and the subsequent [[Holocene glacial retreat|retreat]] during the early [[Holocene]]. Donegal contains one of Ireland's three glacial [[fjord]]s (or [[fjard]]s) at [[Lough Swilly]], the others being [[Carlingford Lough]] and [[Killary Harbour]].{{sfn|Dundurn|2000|p=4}} Lough Swilly is the county's largest inlet and forms the western boundary of the [[Inishowen Peninsula]]. The thick ice sheet that once covered the region carved out deep basins in the Donegal uplands and many [[Tarn (lake)|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 valley]]s, such as [[Lough Beagh]] and [[Gartan Lough]] in [[Glenveagh]], and [[Dunlewey Lough]] and [[Lough Nacung Upper]] in the [[Poisoned Glen]]. Valleys such as these were the last areas to retain glaciers as temperatures rose.<ref>GSI., pp. 37</ref>

As the ice sheet thinned, topography became the dominant force driving the direction of ice and meltwater flow.<ref>GSI., pp. 38</ref> Erosion by glacial meltwater carved out large channels in southern Donegal which directed water and sediment to [[outwash fan]]s in Donegal Bay. The area south of Donegal town, where 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 [[Spit (landform)|spits]] interspersed with jagged sea cliffs.<ref>GSI., pp. 36</ref>

==Demographics==
{{Historical populations
|state=collapsed
|1600|7889
|1610|5778
|1659|12001
|1821|120559
|1831|141845
|1841|296448
|1851|255158
|1861|237395
|1871|218334
|1881|206035
|1891|185635
|1901|173722
|1911|168537
|1926|152508
|1936|142310
|1946|136317
|1951|131530
|1956|122059
|1961|113842
|1966|108549
|1971|108344
|1979|121941
|1981|125112
|1986|129664
|1991|128117
|1996|129994
|2002|137575
|2006|147264
|2011|161137
|2016|159192
|2022|167084
||footnote=<ref name=cso2016>{{cite web |url=http://census.cso.ie/sapmap2016/Results.aspx?Geog_Type=CTY31&Geog_Code=2AE1962914A413A3E055000000000001 |title=Census 2016 Sapmap Area: County Donegal |publisher=[[Central Statistics Office (Ireland)]] |access-date=26 October 2018 |archive-date=27 October 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181027061532/http://census.cso.ie/sapmap2016/Results.aspx?Geog_Type=CTY31&Geog_Code=2AE1962914A413A3E055000000000001}}</ref><ref>For 1653 and 1659 figures from Civil Survey Census of those years, Paper of Mr Hardinge to Royal Irish Academy 14 March 1865.</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cso.ie/census |title=Server Error 404 – CSO – Central Statistics Office |website=cso.ie |access-date=21 June 2019 |archive-date=21 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190321114801/https://www.cso.ie/census |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.histpop.org |title=A collection of British Historical Population Reports |publisher=University of Essex |access-date=9 July 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160507023856/http://www.histpop.org/ |archive-date=7 May 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nisranew.nisra.gov.uk/census |title=Census 2013 |publisher=Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency, Government of the United Kingdom |date=27 September 2010 |access-date=9 July 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120217095720/http://www.nisranew.nisra.gov.uk/census |archive-date=17 February 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Lee |first=J. J. |author-link=J. J. Lee (historian) |editor-last=Goldstrom |editor-first=J. M. |editor2-last=Clarkson |editor2-first=L. A. |title=Irish Population, Economy, and Society: Essays in Honour of the Late K. H. Connell |year=1981 |publisher=Clarendon Press |location=Oxford, England |chapter=On the accuracy of the [[Great Famine (Ireland)|Pre-famine]] Irish censuses}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Mokyr |first1=Joel |author-link=Joel Mokyr |last2=Ó Gráda |first2=Cormac |author2-link=Cormac Ó Gráda |title=New Developments in Irish Population History, 1700–1850 |journal=The Economic History Review |volume=37 |issue=4 |pages=473–488 |date=November 1984 |url=http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/120035880/abstract |archive-url=https://archive.today/20121204160709/http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/120035880/abstract |url-status=dead |archive-date=4 December 2012 |doi=10.1111/j.1468-0289.1984.tb00344.x |hdl=10197/1406 |hdl-access=free}}</ref>
}}

===Largest towns===
Letterkenny is by far the largest settlement in Donegal, with a population of just over 22,000. It is the largest town in the [[Border Region]] and the [[List of urban areas in the Republic of Ireland|21st largest urban area]] in the Republic of Ireland.

Under [[Central Statistics Office (Ireland)|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.
#[[Letterkenny]], 22,549
#[[Buncrana]], 6,971
#[[Ballybofey]]/[[Stranorlar]], 5,406
#[[Carndonagh]], 2,768
#[[Donegal (town)|Donegal]], 2,749
#[[Bundoran]], 2,599
#[[Ballyshannon]], 2,246
#[[Convoy, County Donegal|Convoy]], 1,702
#[[Lifford]], 1,613
#[[Muff, County Donegal|Muff]], 1,418

===Irish language===
{{main|Ulster Irish}}
[[File:Bunbeg - R258 - geograph.org.uk - 1177841.jpg|thumb|Road signs in Irish in the [[Gweedore]] [[Gaeltacht]]]]

The Donegal [[Gaeltacht]] (Irish-speaking area) 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.<ref>[http://census.cso.ie/sapmap2011/Results.aspx?Geog_Type=GA&Geog_Code=02#T3_300 Donegal Gaeltacht statistics] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130526060346/http://census.cso.ie/sapmap2011/Results.aspx?Geog_Type=GA&Geog_Code=02 |date=26 May 2013 }}</ref> There are three Irish-speaking parishes: [[Gweedore]], [[The Rosses]] and [[Cloughaneely]]. Other Irish-speaking areas include [[Gaeltacht an Láir]]: [[Glencolmcille]], [[Fintown]], [[Fanad]] and [[Rosguill]], the islands of [[Arranmore]], [[Tory Island]] and [[Inishbofin, County Donegal|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.<ref name="Pop Summary 2022">{{cite web |title=Press Statement Census of Population 2022 - Summary Results Donegal |url=https://www.cso.ie/en/csolatestnews/pressreleases/2023pressreleases/pressstatementcensusofpopulation2022-summaryresultsdonegal/ |website=CSO |date=30 May 2023 |access-date=24 August 2023 |archive-date=24 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230824171101/https://www.cso.ie/en/csolatestnews/pressreleases/2023pressreleases/pressstatementcensusofpopulation2022-summaryresultsdonegal/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Of these 7,750 said they spoke Irish daily while 4,533 spoke Irish weekly.<ref name="Pop Summary 2022"/>

==Government and politics==
===Local government===
[[Donegal County Council]] has been in existence since 1899 and has responsibility for local administration. It is headquartered at the [[County House, Lifford|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 area]]s: [[Buncrana]] (5 seats), [[Carndonagh]] (4), Donegal (6), [[Glenties]] (6), Letterkenny (7), Lifford–Stranorlar (6) and Milford (3).<ref>{{cite ISB |signedby=[[John Paul Phelan]], [[Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage|Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government]] |title=County of Donegal Local Electoral Areas Order 2018 |year=2018|type=si|num=613|access-date=7 October 2023 |date=19 December 2018 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20210604223913/http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2018/si/613/made/en/print |archive-date=4 June 2021 }}</ref>

Donegal County Council has three representatives on the [[Northern and Western Regional Assembly]].<ref name=si573 />

Council elections are held every 5 years, with the next election due to be held in June 2029. The [[2024 Donegal County Council election|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%).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rte.ie/news/elections-2024/2024/0611/1454079-donegal-round-up/ |title=Elections 2024: Donegal County Council round-up  |date=11 June 2024 |publisher=RTÉ |accessdate=17 July 2024 }}</ref>
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;"
|+ Results of the [[2024 Donegal County Council election]]
|- 
!colspan=2|Party
!Seats
! {{abbr|FPv%|First preference votes percentage}}
! % Change since [[2019 Donegal County Council election|2019]]
! Seat Change since 2019
|-
| {{party name with color|Fianna Fáil}}
| style="text-align:right;"|10 || style="text-align:right;"| 22.8% || {{Decrease}} 6.6% || {{Decrease}} 2
|-
| {{party name with color|Sinn Féin}}
| style="text-align:right;"|10 || style="text-align:right;"| 21.9% || {{Increase}} 2.5% || {{nochange}}
|-
| {{party name with color|100% Redress}}
| style="text-align:right;"|4 || style="text-align:right;"| 9.7% || ''New'' || ''New''
|-
| {{party name with color|Fine Gael}}
| style="text-align:right;"|3 || style="text-align:right;"| 10.5% || {{Decrease}} 8.0% || {{Decrease}} 3
|-
| {{party name with color|Labour Party (Ireland)}}
| style="text-align:right;"|1 || style="text-align:right;"| 2.0% || {{Decrease}} 0.7% || {{nochange}}
|-
| {{party name with color|Independent politician (Ireland)}}
| style="text-align:right;"|9 || style="text-align:right;"| 28.5% || {{Increase}} 2.3% || {{Increase}} 1
|}

===Former districts===
Until 2014, there were town councils in Letterkenny, [[Bundoran]], Ballyshannon and Buncrana. The town councils were abolished in June 2014 when provisions of the [[Local Government Reform Act 2014]] was commenced<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2014/act/1/enacted/en/html |title=Local Government Reform Act 2014 |date= |website=Irish Statute Book |access-date=27 February 2022 |archive-date=5 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220105202738/https://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2014/act/1/enacted/en/html |url-status=live }}</ref> and their functions were taken over by Donegal County Council.

===National elections===
The [[Dáil constituency]] of [[Donegal (Dáil constituency)|Donegal constituency]] (5 [[Teachta Dála|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 (Dáil constituency)|Sligo–Leitrim constituency]].<ref name=ea_2017>{{cite ISB |name=[[Electoral (Amendment) (Dáil Constituencies) Act 2017]] |schedule=y |year=2017 |number=39 |access-date=4 October 2021 |archive-date=18 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180718205639/http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2017/act/39/schedule/enacted/en/html}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.constituency-commission.ie/docs/Constit-Rep-2012-Chap-1.pdf |title=Constituency Commission Report 2012 – Introduction and summary of recommendation |work=[[Constituency Commission]] |date=21 June 2012 |access-date=31 May 2021 |archive-date=19 November 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171119112701/http://www.constituency-commission.ie/docs/Constit-Rep-2012-Chap-1.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref>

Historically, the county was represented in the [[Parliament of Ireland]] through the [[Donegal Borough (Parliament of Ireland constituency)|Donegal Borough]] constituency, which lasted from 1613 to 1800, when the Irish Parliament was abolished. Following the [[Acts of Union 1800|Act of Union]], the county was represented in [[Parliament of the United Kingdom|Westminster]] through the [[Donegal (UK Parliament constituency)|Donegal]] constituency until 1885. Following this, the county was broken up into four separate constituencies – [[North Donegal (UK Parliament constituency)|North Donegal]], [[South Donegal (UK Parliament constituency)|South Donegal]], [[East Donegal (UK Parliament constituency)|East Donegal]] and [[West Donegal (UK Parliament constituency)|West Donegal]] – which persisted until independence. The [[Government of Ireland Act 1920 (Parliamentary and Dáil constituencies)|Government of Ireland Act 1920]] reformed the four constituencies into a single entity covering "the administrative county of Donegal". This was broken up into [[Donegal East (Dáil constituency)|Donegal East]] and [[Donegal West (Dáil constituency)|Donegal West]] from 1937 to 1977, and into [[Donegal North-East (Dáil constituency)|Donegal North-East]] and [[Donegal South-West (Dáil constituency)|Donegal South-West]] from 1981 to 2016.

<gallery class="center" caption="Donegal's current representatives ([[2024 Irish general election|2024 General Election]])">

File:Pearse Doherty, August 2024 (cropped).jpg|[[Pearse Doherty]], <br /> ''[[Sinn Féin]]''
File:Pádraig Mac Lochlainn 2020.jpg|[[Pádraig Mac Lochlainn]], <br /> ''[[Sinn Féin]]''
File:Charles Ward 2024 (cropped).jpg|[[Charles Ward (Irish politician)|Charles Ward]], <br /> ''[[100% Redress]]''
File:Pat the Cope Gallagher MEP 1.jpg|[[Pat "the Cope" Gallagher]], <br /> ''[[Fianna Fáil]]''
File:Charlie McConalogue 2024 (cropped).jpg|[[Charlie McConalogue]], <br /> ''[[Fianna Fáil]]''
</gallery>

===Referendums===
{| class="wikitable" style="float:right; margin:1em; font-size:95%;"
|+ Donegal vote|Outlier Votes in Referendums
|- style="background:lightgrey;"
! Proposal
! Donegal Result
! National Result
|-
| |[[Third Amendment of the Constitution Bill 1958|3 (1958)]]
| style="background-color:#DDFFDD;"|61.2% ''Yes''
| style="background-color:#FFE8E8;"|'''51.8%''' ''No''
|-
| |[[Third Amendment of the Constitution Bill 1968|3 (1968)]]
| style="background-color:#DDFFDD;"|51.4% ''Yes''
| style="background-color:#FFE8E8;"|'''60.8%''' ''No''
|-
| |[[Fourth Amendment of the Constitution Bill 1968|4 (1968)]]
| style="background-color:#DDFFDD;"|51.2% ''Yes''
| style="background-color:#FFE8E8;"|'''60.8%''' ''No''
|-
| |[[Thirteenth Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland|13 (1992)]]
| style="background-color:#FFE8E8;"|60.1% ''No''
| style="background-color:#DDFFDD;"|'''62.4%''' ''Yes''
|-
| |[[Fourteenth Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland|14 (1992)]]
| style="background-color:#FFE8E8;"|58.4% ''No''
| style="background-color:#DDFFDD;"|'''59.9%''' ''Yes''
|-
| |[[Fifteenth Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland|15 (1995)]]
| style="background-color:#FFE8E8;"|59.3% ''No''
| style="background-color:#DDFFDD;"|'''50.3%''' ''Yes''
|-
| |[[Twenty-fifth Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2001|25 (2002)]]
| style="background-color:#DDFFDD;"|68.8% ''Yes''
| style="background-color:#FFE8E8;"|'''50.4%''' ''No''
|-
| |[[Twenty-eighth Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland|28 (2009)]]
| style="background-color:#FFE8E8;"|50.8% ''No''
| style="background-color:#DDFFDD;"|'''67.1%''' ''Yes''
|-
| |[[Thirtieth Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland|30 (2012)]]
| style="background-color:#FFE8E8;"|55.3% ''No''
| style="background-color:#DDFFDD;"|'''60.4%''' ''Yes''
|-
| |[[Thirty-first Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland|31 (2012)]]
| style="background-color:#FFE8E8;"|58.0% ''No''
| style="background-color:#DDFFDD;"|'''58.0%''' ''Yes''
|- 
| |[[Thirty-sixth Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland|36 (2018)]]
| style="background-color:#FFE8E8;"|51.9% ''No''
| style="background-color:#DDFFDD;"|'''66.4%''' ''Yes''
|}
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 the rest of Ireland.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.thejournal.ie/donegal-says-yes-2101162-May2015/ |title=Even Donegal voted YES in the marriage referendum |work=[[TheJournal.ie]] |date=23 May 2015 |access-date=31 May 2021 |archive-date=2 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210602213343/https://www.thejournal.ie/donegal-says-yes-2101162-May2015/ |url-status=live}}</ref> 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 voting|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 was to allow rural constituencies to elect a disproportionate number of [[Teachta Dála|TDs]]. Thirty-four constituencies voted against the amendment and four voted in favour, two of which were [[Donegal North-East (Dáil constituency)|Donegal North-East]] and [[Donegal South-West (Dáil constituency)|Donegal South-West]]. In the second vote, both Donegal constituencies again voted for the introduction of a [[First-past-the-post voting|first-past-the-post]] system, which was rejected.
[[File:Twenty-eighth Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland Bill, 2009 map (results by constituency).png|150px|left|thumbnail|Second referendum on the [[Treaty of Lisbon]]]]
The [[Twenty-third Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland|23rd Amendment]] permitting the State to join 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.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/opinion/donegal-got-no-lisbon-opt-out-1216918 |title=Donegal got no Lisbon opt-out |date=26 July 2016 |access-date=31 May 2021 |archive-date=2 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210602215321/https://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/opinion/donegal-got-no-lisbon-opt-out-1216918 |url-status=live}}</ref> Voters in the county also rejected both the Fiscal Treaty and the referendum on [[Thirty-first Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland|children's rights and state care]] in 2012.

On the issue of [[abortion]] and [[right to life]] vs [[Abortion-rights movements|pro-choice]], Donegal has consistently been 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 of the Constitution Bill 2001|twenty-fifth]] amendment in 2002 to tighten 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 [[Thirty-sixth Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland|only county]] in Ireland to vote against the repeal of the [[Eighth Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland|Eighth Amendment of the Constitution]] which had acknowledged the right to life of the unborn.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/may/27/life-is-precious-donegal-quietly-defiant-after-voting-no-in-referendum |title='Life is precious': Donegal quietly defiant after voting no in referendum |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=27 May 2018 |access-date=31 May 2021 |archive-date=2 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210602213502/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/may/27/life-is-precious-donegal-quietly-defiant-after-voting-no-in-referendum |url-status=live}}</ref> In October 2018, 48.5% of voters in Donegal voted against [[Thirty-seventh Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland|repealing the offence]] of publishing or uttering [[blasphemous]] matter, the highest of any county and significantly above the national total of 35.15%.

In the [[2024 Irish constitutional referendums|2024 constitutional referendums]], Donegal had the highest votes for "no" in the country where 80% voted "no" to family and 84% voted "no" to care.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-03-09 |title=Irish referendums: Voters reject changes to family and care definition |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-68484651.amp |access-date=2025-03-29 |website=BBC News |language=en-gb}}</ref>

===European elections===
The county is in the [[Midlands–North-West (European Parliament constituency)|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]].{{citation needed|date=July 2024}}

==Freedom of Donegal==
{{More citations needed section|date=October 2022}} 
The Freedom of Donegal is an award that is given to people who have been recognised for outstanding achievements on behalf of the people and County Donegal. Such people include [[Daniel O'Donnell]], [[Phil Coulter]], [[Shay Given]], [[Packie Bonner]], [[Paddy Crerand]], [[Seamus Coleman]], the [[Clannad|Brennan family]] and [[Jim McGuinness]].<ref>[https://www.independent.ie/regionals/donegal/news/jim-mcguinness-to-be-awarded-freedom-of-donegal/a1374985781.html Jim McGuinness to be awarded Freedom of Donegal]</ref>
In 2009 the members of the 28th [[Infantry]] [[Battalion]] of the [[Defence Forces (Ireland)|Irish Defence Forces]] were also awarded the [[Freedom of the City|Freedom of the County]] from [[Donegal County Council]] "in recognition of their longstanding service to the County of Donegal".

==Transport==
[[File:Donegal Carrickfin Airport - Terminal entrance - geograph.org.uk - 1174804.jpg|thumb|[[Donegal Airport]], which is located in [[The Rosses]] region]]
An extensive rail network used to exist throughout the county and was mainly operated by the [[County Donegal Railways Joint Committee]] and the [[Londonderry and Lough Swilly Railway]] Company (known as the L. & L.S.R. or the Lough Swilly Company for short). All these lines were laid to a 3-foot gauge, while the connecting lines were all laid to the Irish standard gauge of {{RailGauge|1600mm}}. This meant that all goods had to be transhipped at Derry and [[Strabane]]. Like all narrow gauge railways, this became a handicap after [[World War I]], when road transport began to erode the railways' goods traffic.

By 1953, the Lough Swilly had closed its entire railway system and become a bus and road haulage concern. The County Donegal lasted until 1960 as it had largely dieselised its passenger trains by 1951. By the late 1950s, major work was required to upgrade the track, and the Irish Government was unwilling to supply the necessary funds, so 'the Wee Donegal', as it was affectionally known, was closed in 1960. The [[Great Northern Railway (Ireland)|Great Northern Railway]] (the G.N.R.) also ran a line from [[Strabane]] through The Laggan, a district in the east of the county, along the River Foyle into Derry. However, the railway network within County Donegal was completely closed by 1960.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.derryjournal.com/news/your-community/nostalgia/closure-of-derry-road-a-great-loss-to-ireland-1-3540020 |title=Closure of the 'Derry Road' a great loss to Ireland |work=Derry Journal |access-date=20 August 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131212190328/http://www.derryjournal.com/news/your-community/nostalgia/closure-of-derry-road-a-great-loss-to-ireland-1-3540020 |archive-date=12 December 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Today, the closest railway station to the county is [[Derry ~ Londonderry railway station|Waterside Station]] in the City of Derry, which is operated by [[NI Railways]] (N.I.R.). Train services along the [[Belfast–Derry railway line]] run, via [[Coleraine railway station]], to [[Lanyon Place railway station|Belfast Lanyon Place]] and [[Belfast Grand Central station|Belfast Grand Central]] stations.

County Donegal is served by both [[Donegal Airport]], located at Carrickfinn in [[The Rosses]] in the west of the county, and by [[City of Derry Airport]], located at [[Eglinton, County Londonderry|Eglinton]] to the east. The nearest main international airport to the county is [[Belfast International Airport]] (popularly known as Aldergrove Airport), which is located to the east at [[Aldergrove, County Antrim|Aldergrove]], near [[Antrim, County Antrim|Antrim Town]], in [[County Antrim]], {{cvt|92|km}} from Derry City and {{cvt|127|km}} from Letterkenny.

==Culture and religion==
[[File:Grianan of Aileach scenic view 01.png|thumb|left|The [[Iron Age]] fortress [[Grianan of Aileach]] ({{Irish place name|Grianán Ailigh}}).]]

The variant of the [[Irish language]] spoken in County Donegal shares many traits with [[Scottish Gaelic]]. The Irish spoken in the Donegal ''[[Gaeltacht]]'' (Irish-speaking area) is of the [[Ulster Irish|Ulster dialect]], while [[Inishowen]] (parts of which only became English-speaking in the early 20th century) used the East Ulster dialect. [[Ulster Scots dialects|Ulster Scots]] is often spoken in both the [[River Finn (County Donegal)|Finn Valley]] and The Laggan district of East Donegal. Donegal Irish has a strong influence on learnt Irish across Ulster.

Like other areas on the western seaboard of Ireland, parts of County Donegal have a distinctive [[Donegal fiddle tradition|fiddle tradition]] which is of world renown. County Donegal is also well known for its songs which have, like the instrumental music, a distinctive sound. Donegal musical artists such as the bands [[Clannad]], [[The Pattersons]], and [[Altan (band)|Altan]] and solo artist [[Enya]], have had international success with traditional or traditional flavoured music. Donegal music has also influenced people not originally from the county including folk and pop singers [[Paul Brady]] and [[Phil Coulter]]. Singer [[Daniel O'Donnell]] has become a popular ambassador for the county. [[Popular music]] is also common, the county's most acclaimed rock artist being the Ballyshannon-born [[Rory Gallagher]]. Other acts to come out of Donegal include folk-rock band [[Goats Don't Shave]], Eurovision contestant [[Mickey Joe Harte]] and indie rock group [[The Revs]]. In more recent years, bands such as in Their Thousands and Mojo Gogo have featured on the front page of ''[[Hot Press]]'' magazine.

[[File:Dunlewy - Derelict church with walled yard and gate - geograph.org.uk - 1190473.jpg|thumb|right|[[Errigal]] towers over [[Gweedore]] and [[Cloughaneely]]. The former [[Church of Ireland]] church (now ruined) at [[Dunlewey]] can be seen in the foreground.<ref name="Willie Cumming p. 96">Willie Cumming, Duncan McLaren and T.J. O'Meara, ''An Introduction to the Architectural Heritage of County Donegal'', p. 96. National Inventory of Architectural Heritage (N.I.A.H.), [[Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs]], Dublin, 2014.</ref> The church was built in the early 1850s.<ref name="Willie Cumming p. 96"/>]]
[[File:Trawbreaga Stitch 02 (3777308805).jpg|thumb|Five Finger Strand, [[Inishowen]].]]
[[File:Cutting the peat on the side of Lough Fad - geograph.org.uk - 51748.jpg|thumb|Cut [[Peat|turf]] between [[Carndonagh]] and Redcastle.]]

County Donegal has a long literary tradition in both Irish and English. The Irish [[navvy]]-turned-novelist [[Patrick MacGill]], author of many books about the experiences of Irish migrant [[wikt:itinerant|itinerant]] labourers in [[Great Britain|Britain]] at around the start of the 20th century, such as ''The Rat Pit'' and the autobiographical ''Children of the Dead End'', is from the [[Glenties]] area. The MacGill Summer School in [[Glenties]] is named in his honour and attracts national interest as a forum for the analysis of current affairs.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.macgillsummerschool.com/about/ |title=About |date=n.d. |website=MacGill Summer School |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190610161228/http://www.macgillsummerschool.com/about/ |archive-date=10 June 2019 |access-date=21 October 2019}}</ref> The novelist and socialist politician [[Peadar O'Donnell]] hailed from [[The Rosses]] in west Donegal. The poet [[William Allingham]] was also from Ballyshannon. Modern exponents include the [[Inishowen]] playwright and poet [[Frank McGuinness]] and the playwright [[Brian Friel]]. Many of Friel's plays are set in the fictional Donegal town of [[Ballybeg (fictional town)|Ballybeg]].

Authors in County Donegal have been creating works, like the ''[[Annals of the Four Masters]]'', in Irish and [[Latin]] since the [[Early Middle Ages]]. The Irish philosopher [[John Toland]] was born in [[Inishowen]] in 1670. He was thought of as the original [[Freethought|freethinker]] by [[George Berkeley]]. Toland was also instrumental in the spread of freemasonry throughout [[Continental Europe]]. In modern Irish, Donegal has produced a number of (sometimes controversial), authors such as the brothers [[Séamus Ó Grianna]] and [[Seosamh Mac Grianna]] from [[The Rosses]] and the contemporary (and controversial) Irish-language poet [[Cathal Ó Searcaigh]] from [[Gortahork]] in Cloughaneely, and where he is known to locals as {{lang|ga|Gúrú na gCnoc}} ('Guru of the Hills').

County Donegal is known for its textiles, whose unique woollen blends are made of short threads with tiny bits of colour blended in for a heathered effect. Sometimes they are woven in a rustic herringbone format and other times in more of a box weave of varied colours. These weaves are known as [[donegal tweed]]s (with a small 'd') and are world-renowned.

There is a sizeable minority of [[Ulster Protestants]] in County Donegal, and most Donegal Protestants trace their ancestors to settlers who arrived during the [[Plantation of Ulster]] throughout the 17th century. The [[Church of Ireland]] is the largest Protestant denomination, with [[Presbyterianism]] second. The areas of County Donegal with the highest percentage of Protestants are The Laggan district of East Donegal, centred on [[Raphoe]];<ref>{{cite news |title=Brexit and the border: Views of Donegal Protestants |work=[[BBC News]] |date=2 January 2018 |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-foyle-west-42491577.amp |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210713142352/https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-foyle-west-42491577.amp |archive-date=13 July 2021}}</ref> the [[River Finn (County Donegal)|Finn Valley]]; and areas around Ramelton, Milford and Dunfanaghy – where their proportion reaches up to 30–45 per cent. There is also a large Protestant population between Donegal Town and Ballyshannon in the south of the county. In absolute terms, Letterkenny has the largest number of Protestants (over 1,000).

The [[Earagail Arts Festival]] is held within the county each July.

People from County Donegal have also contributed to culture elsewhere. [[Francis Alison]] was one of the founders of the College of Philadelphia, which would later become the [[University of Pennsylvania]].<ref name="Marquis 1607-1896">{{cite book |title=Who Was Who in America, Historical Volume, 1607–1896 |publisher=Marquis Who's Who |location=Chicago |year=1963}}</ref> [[Francis Makemie]] (originally from [[Ramelton]]) founded the Presbyterian Church in America. [[David Steele (minister)|David Steele]], from Upper Creevaugh, was a prominent [[Reformed Presbyterian churches|Reformed Presbyterian]], or [[Covenanter]], a minister who emigrated to the United States in 1824. [[Charles Inglis (bishop)|Charles Inglis]], who was the first [[Church of England]] bishop of the [[Diocese of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island|Diocese of Nova Scotia]], was the third son of Archibald Inglis, the [[Rector (ecclesiastical)|Rector]] in [[Glencolmcille]].

==Places of interest==
[[File:Glenveagh National Park (2579034038).jpg|thumb|[[Glenveagh]] National Park, the second largest in Ireland]]
The area's attractions include [[Glenveagh]] National Park (formerly part of the Glenveagh Estate). The park is a 170&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup> (about 42,000&nbsp;acre) nature reserve with scenery of mountains, raised boglands, lakes and woodlands. At its heart is [[Glenveagh Castle]], a late [[Victorian architecture|Victorian]] 'folly' that was originally built as a summer residence. The [[The Shuggling Stone|Shuggling Stone]], a granite boulder near Glen village, is a picturesque site.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Rock - Dunfanaghy - Co. Donegal |url=https://dunfanaghy.info/the-rock |access-date=2025-05-12 |website=dunfanaghy.info}}</ref> County Donegal was voted number one on ''The National Geographic Traveller'' (UK) 'cool list' for 2017.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.natgeotraveller.co.uk/smart-travel/features/cool-list-17-2017/ |title=The Cool List: 17 for 2017 |date=n.d. |access-date=24 December 2016 |archive-date=11 December 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161211160841/http://www.natgeotraveller.co.uk/smart-travel/features/cool-list-17-2017/ |url-status=live}}</ref>
[[File:Fintown Railway on trackbed of CDR County Donegal Railway, Lough Finn (5951398952).jpg|thumb|Fintown Railway on the track of [[County Donegal Railways Joint Committee]] next to [[Lough Finn]] near [[Fintown railway station]].]]
The Donegal [[Gaeltacht]] (Irish-speaking district) also attracts young people to County Donegal each year during the school summer holidays. The three-week-long summer Gaeltacht courses give young Irish people from other parts of the country a chance to learn the Irish language and traditional Irish cultural traditions that are still prevalent in parts of Donegal. The Donegal Gaeltacht has traditionally been a very popular destination each summer for young people from [[Northern Ireland]].<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.dailyedge.ie/gaeltacht-memories-970204-Jun2013/ |title=8 things we all did in the Gaeltacht |last=Hyde |first=Fiona |work=The Daily Edge |access-date=26 November 2018 |archive-date=26 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181126092715/https://www.dailyedge.ie/gaeltacht-memories-970204-Jun2013/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Scuba diving is also very popular with a club being located in Donegal Town.

==Education==
Higher education within the county is provided by the Letterkenny campus of the [[Atlantic Technological University]] (ATU; formerly the [[Letterkenny Institute of Technology]] (LYIT), popularly known locally as 'the Regional', established in the 1970s). In addition, many young people from the county attend third-level institutions elsewhere in Ireland, especially at [[Magee College]] and other institutions in Derry, and also at: [[Ulster University at Coleraine]] (UUC); [[Ulster University]] at [[Jordanstown]] (UUJ); [[The Queen's University of Belfast]] (Queen's or QUB); and the [[University of Galway]] (formerly NUI Galway). Some Donegal students also attend the [[Limavady]] campus of the [[North West Regional College]] (popularly known as Limavady Tech) and the [[Omagh]] campus of [[South West College]] (popularly known as Omagh Tech or Omagh College).{{citation needed|date=March 2025}}

==Sport==
[[File:Clgghaothdobhair.jpg|thumb|[[Gaoth Dobhair]] GAA grounds.]]

===Gaelic football and hurling===
The [[Gaelic Athletic Association]] (G.A.A.) sport of [[Gaelic football]] is very popular in County Donegal. Donegal's inter-county football team have won the [[All-Ireland Senior Football Championship]] title twice (in 1992 and 2012) and the [[Ulster Senior Football Championship]] ten times. [[Donegal senior football team|Donegal]] emerged victorious from the [[2012 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final]] on 23 September 2012 to take the [[Sam Maguire Cup]] for only the second time, with early goals from [[Michael Murphy (Gaelic footballer)|Michael Murphy]] and [[Colm McFadden]] setting up a victory of 2–11 to 0–13 over [[Mayo senior football team|Mayo]]. In 2007, Donegal won only their second national title by winning the [[National Football League (Ireland)|National Football League]]. On 24 April 2011, Donegal added their third national title when they defeated [[Laois GAA|Laois]] to capture the National Football League Division Two, they added another Division Two title in 2019. There are 16 clubs in the [[Donegal Senior Football Championship]], with many others playing at a lower level.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.clubgaa.ie/donegal/index.htm |title=Donegal Gaelic football and hurling Clubs |work=clubgaa.ie |access-date=25 July 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140830133030/http://clubgaa.ie/donegal/index.htm |archive-date=30 August 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

[[Hurling]] (often called 'hurley' within County Donegal), handball and rounders are also played but are less widespread, as is the case in other parts of western Ulster. The Donegal county senior hurling team won the [[Lory Meagher Cup 2011|Lory Meagher Cup]] in 2011 and the [[Nicky Rackard Cup]] in 2013.

===Rugby Union===
[[File:Narin & Portnoo Golf Club 02.jpg|thumb|Narin and Portnoo Golf club, one of the many links courses in the county]]
There are several [[Rugby union|rugby]] teams in the county. These include Ulster Qualifying League Two side [[Letterkenny RFC]], whose ground is named after [[Dave Gallaher]], the captain of the 1905 New Zealand [[New Zealand national rugby union team|All Blacks]] touring team, who have since become known as [[The Original All Blacks|The Originals]]. He was born in nearby [[Ramelton]].

Ulster Qualifying League Three sides include Ballyshannon RFC, Donegal Town RFC and Inishowen RFC. Finn Valley RFC and Tir Chonaill RFC both compete in the Ulster Minor League North.

===Association football===
[[Finn Harps F.C.|Finn Harps]] play in the [[League of Ireland]] and play their home matches at Finn Park in Ballybofey. The club's colours are blue and white, and they go by the nickname "Harps". The club won the FAI Cup in 1973–74 which remains their highest profile achievement to date. They are the county's only League of Ireland club, with the county's other clubs playing in either the [[Ulster Senior League (association football)|Ulster Senior League]] or the local junior leagues.{{citation needed|date=January 2025}}

[[File:Bundoran Strand, Co. Donegal.jpg|thumb|[[Bundoran]] was included, in a 2012 edition of ''National Geographic'' magazine, in a list of the world's top 20 surf towns]]

===Golf===
There are a number of golf courses such as [[Ballyliffin Golf Club]], located in the Inishowen peninsula. Other courses of note are Murvagh (located outside Donegal Town) and Rosapenna (Sandy Hills) located in Downings (near [[Carrigart]]). The Glashedy Links was previously ranked 6th in a ranking taken by Golf Digest on the best courses in Ireland.{{citation needed|date=January 2025}} The old links were ranked 17th, Murvagh 20th and Sandy Hills 25th.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2014-12-18 |title=Golf Digest Ireland's Top 100 courses for 2015 - News |url=https://www.irishgolfdesk.com/news-files/2014/12/18/golf-digest-irelands-top-100-courses-for-2015 |access-date=2025-11-11 |website=Irish Golf Desk |language=en-IE}}</ref>

===Cricket===
[[Cricket]] is chiefly confined to The Laggan district and the Finn Valley in the east of the county. The town of [[Raphoe]] and the nearby village of [[St Johnston, County Donegal|St Johnston]], both in The Laggan, are the traditional strongholds of cricket within the county. The game is mainly played and followed by members of the [[Ulster Protestants]] of County Donegal. [[St Johnston Cricket Club]] play in the [[North West Senior League]], while Letterkenny Cricket Club play in the Derry Midweek League.<ref>{{cite web |last1=McNulty |first1=Chris |title=Howzat! New Letterkenny Cricket Club Joins North West League |url=https://www.donegaldaily.com/2019/04/04/howzat-new-letterkenny-cricket-club-joins-north-west-league/ |website=Donegal Daily |date=4 April 2019 |access-date=8 June 2019 |archive-date=8 June 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190608123645/https://www.donegaldaily.com/2019/04/04/howzat-new-letterkenny-cricket-club-joins-north-west-league/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

===Athletics===
Athletic pursuits have been highly popular in Donegal over the years with numerous athletes from County Donegal going on to represent Ireland at the international level, with at least five winning medals at major events. Such athletes include [[Danny McDaid]] in the World Cross-Country Championships in 1979, Bridie Lynch who won medals in the World Paralympic Games in 1992 and 1996,<ref name="Bridie Lynch - Ref for medals">{{cite web |title=Bridie Lynch |url=https://www.paralympic.org/bridie-lynch |website=International Paralympic Committee |accessdate=14 March 2022 |archive-date=19 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220519163037/https://www.paralympic.org/bridie-lynch |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Bridie Lynch - Ref for place of birth">{{cite web |last1=McNulty |first1=Chris |title=Bridie Lynch: She thumbed home carrying two Paralympic Silver Medals |url=https://www.donegalsporthub.com/30020-2/ |website=Donegal Sport Hub |date=October 2016 |access-date=14 March 2022 |archive-date=4 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221104135339/https://www.donegalsporthub.com/30020-2/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Gary Murray who came 8th in the [[1999 European Cross Country Championships|European Junior Cross-Country Championship of 1999]], and [[Mark English (athlete)|Mark English]] who won medals in the European 800m Championships in 2014, 2015, 2018 and 2019. Sommer Lecky also achieved silver in the [[2018 IAAF World U20 Championships|World Junior High Jump 2018]]. Other notable athletes from Donegal include [[Paul Dolan (athlete)|Paul Dolan]], [[Caitriona Jennings]] and [[Brendan Boyce]] each of whom has represented Ireland at the international level.

===Other sports===
Donegal's rugged landscape and coastline lends itself to active sports like [[climbing]], [[mountain biking]], [[hillwalking]], [[surfing]] and [[kite]]-flying.

{{wide image|Sommet Mont Errigal.jpg|1500px|Panoramic view of [[Errigal]]'s summit.}}

==People==
{{category see also|People from County Donegal}}
{{main|List of people from County Donegal}}

==See also==
*[[List of monastic houses in County Donegal]]
*[[List of National Monuments in County Donegal]]
*[[List of public art in County Donegal]]
*[[List of townlands of County Donegal]]
*[[List of towns and villages in the Republic of Ireland]]
*[[List of abbeys and priories in the Republic of Ireland#County Donegal|List of abbeys and priories in the Republic of Ireland (County Donegal)]]
*[[:Category:People from County Donegal|People from County Donegal]]
*[[County Donegal (Parliament of Ireland constituency)]]
*[[Earagail Arts Festival]]
*[[High Sheriff of Donegal]]
*[[Lord Lieutenant of Donegal]]
*[[The Troubles]]
*[[Wild Atlantic Way]]
*[[Báidín Fheilimí]]

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Further reading==
*O'Carroll, Niall. ''Forestry in Ireland - A Concise History'', National Council for Forest Research and Development, 2004
*{{Cite book |first=Ruth |last=Delany |title=Ireland's Inland Waterways |publisher=Appletree Press |year=2004 |isbn=978-0-86281-824-1}}
*Donegal CoCo. ''Biodiversity Species List for County Donegal (with priorities)'', An Action of the County Donegal Heritage Plan (2007–2011), [[Donegal County Council]], 2009
*Douglas, C, O'Sullivan, A, Grogan, H, Kelly, L, Garvey, L, Van Doorslaer, L, Scally, L, Dunnells, D, & Wyse Jackson, M, Goodwillie, R, Mooney, E. ''Distribution, Ecology and Conservation of Blanket Bog in Ireland'', National Parks and Wildlife Service, 2000
*{{cite book |title=Inishowen: Paintings and Stories from the Land of Eoghan |author=Dundurn |year=2000 |publisher=Dundurn |isbn=9781900935173}}
*Geological Survey of Ireland (GSI). ''The Geological Heritage of Donegal: An audit of County Geological Sites in Donegal 2019'', The [[Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment|Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications]], 2019
*{{cite book |author=Seán Beattie |title=Donegal |location=Sutton |publisher=Printing Press |year=2004 |isbn=0-7509-3825-0}}(Ireland in Old Photographs series)
*Morton, O. 2003. The marine macroalgae of County Donegal, Ireland. ''Bull. Ir. biogeog.soc.'' '''27''': 3–164.
*''Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland (Annála Ríoghachta Éireann) by the Four Masters'', from the earliest period to the year 1616, compiled during the period 1632–36 by Brother Michael O'Clery, translated and edited by John O'Donovan in 1856, and re-published in 1998 by De Burca, Dublin.
*Parks, H.M. 1958. A general survey of the marine algae of Mulroy Bay, Co. Donegal. ''Ir. Nat. J.'' '''12''': 277–83.
*Parks, H.M. 1958. A general survey of the marine algae of Mulroy Bay, Co. Donegal: II ''Ir. Nat. J.'' '''12''': 324–30.
*Patrick Buckland, ''A History of Northern Ireland''. [[Gill & Macmillan]], Dublin, 1981.
*[[John Bowman (broadcaster)|John Bowman]], ''[[Éamon de Valera|De Valera]] and the Ulster Question, 1917–1973'' (Paperback Edition). [[Clarendon Press]], [[Oxford]], 1982.
*Brian Lacy (Editor), ''Archaeological Survey of County Donegal''. [[Donegal County Council]], Lifford, 1983.
*Willie Nolan, Máiread Dunleavy and Liam Ronayne (Editors), ''Donegal: History & Society''. Geography Publications, Dublin, 1995.
*Gerald O'Brien (Editor), ''Derry & Londonderry: History & Society''. Geography Publications, Dublin, 1999.
*Patrick McKay, ''A Dictionary of Ulster Place-Names''. The Institute of Irish Studies, [[The Queen's University of Belfast]], Belfast, 1999.
*[[Paul Bew, Baron Bew|Paul Bew]] and Gordon Gillespie, ''Northern Ireland: A Chronology of the Troubles, 1968–1999''. [[Gill & Macmillan]], Dublin, 1999.
*{{cite book|first=Enda |last=Staunton |title=The Nationalists of Northern Ireland, 1918–1973 |edition=Paperback |publisher=The Columba Press |location=[[Blackrock, Dublin]] |year=2001}}
*[[Professor|Prof.]] [[Michael Lynch (historian)|Michael Lynch]] (Editor), ''The [[Oxford Companions|Oxford Companion]] to Scottish History''. [[Oxford University Press]], Oxford, 2001.
*[[John Hume]], ''Derry Beyond The Walls''. Ulster Historical Foundation, Belfast, 2002.
*[[Alistair Rowan]], ''[[The Buildings of Ireland]]: North West Ulster (Pevsner Guides)''. [[Penguin Books|Penguin]], London, 1979 (Republished by [[Yale University Press]], London, 2003).
*Brian Lalor (General Editor), ''The Encyclopaedia of Ireland''. Gill & Macmillan, Dublin, 2003.
*Tom Ferris, ''The Great Northern Railway: An Irish Railway Pictorial''. Midland Publishing, 2003.
*[[Samuel Lewis (publisher)|Samuel Lewis]], ''Counties Londonderry & Donegal: A Topographical Dictionary''. Friar's Bush Press, Belfast, 2004 (originally published as part of ''A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland'' by S. Lewis & Co., London, 1837).
*Jonathan Bardon, ''A History of Ulster''. [[Blackstaff Press]], Belfast, 2005.
*John McCavitt, ''The Flight of the Earls''. Gill & Macmillan, Dublin 2005.
*Avril Thomas, ''Irish Historic Towns Atlas No. 15: Derry-Londonderry''. [[Royal Irish Academy]], Dublin, 2005.
*Jim MacLaughlin (Editor), ''Donegal: The Making of a Northern County''. [[Four Courts Press]], Dublin, 2007.
*Seán Beattie, ''Ancient Monuments of Inishowen, North Donegal''. Lighthouse Publications, [[Carndonagh]], [[Inishowen]], County Donegal, 1994 & 2009.
*Paul Larmour and Shane O'Toole, ''North by Northwest: The life and work of Liam McCormick''. Gandon Editions, [[Kinsale]], County Cork, 2008.
*Carole Pollard, ''Liam McCormick: Seven Donegal Churches''. Gandon Editions, [[Kinsale]], County Cork, 2011.
*''Lios-seachas o iar Thir Chonaill'', A.J. Hughes, ''Donegal Annual'' 37, 1985, pp.&nbsp;27–31.
*''Orthographical evidence of developments in Donegal Irish'', A.J. Hughes, ''Eigse'' 22, 1987, pp.&nbsp;126–34.
*''Rang scoile a teagascadh i dTir Chonaill?'', A.J. Hughes, ''Donegal Annual'' 39, 1987, pp.&nbsp;99–102
*Ian Donnachie and George Hewitt, ''The Birlinn Companion to Scottish History''. Birlinn Ltd., [[Edinburgh]], 2007.
*John Crowley, William J. Smyth and Mike Murphy (Editors), ''Atlas of the Great Irish Famine''. [[Cork University Press]], Cork, 2012.
*Jim MacLaughlin and Seán Beattie (Editors), ''An Historical, Environmental and Cultural Atlas of County Donegal''. [[Cork University Press]], [[Cork (city)|Cork]], 2013.
*Willie Cumming, Duncan McLaren and T.J. O'Meara, ''An Introduction to the Architectural Heritage of County Donegal''. [[National Inventory of Architectural Heritage]] (N.I.A.H.), [[Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht]], Dublin, 2014.
*Catriona J. McKenzie, Eileen M. Murphy and Colm J. Donnelly (Editors), ''The Science of A Lost Medieval Gaelic Graveyard: The Ballyhanna Research Project'', [[National Roads Authority|Transport Infrastructure Ireland]] (in association with [[The Queen's University of Belfast]] and [[Donegal County Council]]), Dublin, 2015.

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
{{Wikivoyage}}
*[http://www.donegal.ie/ Official County Donegal Portal]
*[http://www.gaelscoileanna.ie/assets/Staitistic%C3%AD-2010-2011_Gaeilge.pdf County Donegal Gaelscoil stats 2010–11]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20130526060346/http://census.cso.ie/sapmap2011/Results.aspx?Geog_Type=GA&Geog_Code=02#T3_300 Census 2011 – Donegal Gaeltacht stats]
*[http://www.cso.ie/en/media/csoie/census/census2006results/volume9/volume_9_irish_language_entire_volume.pdf Census 2006 – Irish language stats for the county]
*[http://www.donegalcoco.ie/ Donegal County Council]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20050321101650/http://www.dun-na-ngall.com/ Donegal County.com & Dún-na-nGall.com Bi-lingual County Site]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/19991008111645/http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Estates/6587/Donegal.html Geocities]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20100225050320/http://www.craicon.com/moville/1/dylanfest-2008-is-on.shtml DylanFest in Moville]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20100225061206/http://www.craicon.com/moville/1/beatlesfest-on-the-lough-.shtml Beatlesfest on the Lough]
*[http://www.libraryireland.com/Jaunting-Car/Title.php/ On an Irish Jaunting Car through Donegal and Connemara (1902)]

{{Geographic Location
|South = [[County Leitrim]] [[File:County Leitrim arms.svg|30px]]
|Southeast = [[County Fermanagh]] [[File:Ferm_arms.png|30px]]
|East = [[County Londonderry]] [[File:Lderry arms.svg|30px]]<br />[[County Tyrone]] [[File:Tyrone arms.svg|30px]]
|West = Atlantic Ocean
|North = Atlantic Ocean
|Centre = County Donegal
}}
{{County Donegal}}
{{Ireland counties}}
{{Authority control}}
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[[Category:County Donegal| ]]
[[Category:Counties of the Republic of Ireland|Donegal]]
[[Category:Local government areas of the Republic of Ireland|Donegal]]
[[Category:O'Donnell dynasty]]
[[Category:Ulster|Donegal]]