Letterkenny is the largest and most populous town in County Donegal, Ireland. It lies on the River Swilly in East Donegal and has a population of 19,274. It is the 36th largest settlement in all of Ireland by population (placing it ahead of Sligo, Armagh and Killarney) and is the 15th largest settlement by population in the historic province of Ulster (most of which comprises the separate jurisdiction of modern-day Northern Ireland). Along with the nearby city of Derry, Letterkenny is considered a regional economic gateway for the north-west of Ireland. Letterkenny acts as an urban gateway to the Ulster Gaeltacht, similar to Galway’s relationship to the Connemara Gaeltacht.
Letterkenny began as a market town at the start of the 17th century, during the Plantation of Ulster. A castle once stood near where the Cathedral of St Eunan and St Columba, County Donegal’s only Catholic cathedral, stands today. Letterkenny Castle, built in 1625, was located south of Mt Southwell on Castle Street. County Donegal’s premier third-level institution, the Letterkenny Institute of Technology (LYIT), is located in the town, as are St Eunan’s College, Highland Radio, and a Hindu temple. Letterkenny was also the original home of Oatfield Sweet Factory, a confectionery manufacturer; the factory closed and was demolished in 2014. In 1798, Theobald Wolfe Tone was arrested at Laird’s Hotel in the town. In 2015, Letterkenny was judged as the tidiest town in Ireland.
Culture
Architecture
The Cathedral of St Eunan and St Columba, seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Raphoe, dominates the Letterkenny skyline.Upper Main Street lit up at night and crowded with people. Crossview House can be seen in the background. Several nightclubs, such as Milan, The Pulse and the Grill Music Venue, are located near this area.
Many of Letterkenny’s more notable buildings were built in the early 1850s—or earlier. These include educational and ecclesiastical buildings. The town’s tallest building is the Cathedral of St Eunan and St Columba, which was completed in 1901. The Cathedral was designed by William Hague from County Cavan. It is built in a light Victorian neo-Gothic version of the French 13th-century Gothic style. Located opposite the Cathedral, at the junction of Church Street with Cathedral Square, is Conwal Parish Church, parts of which date from the 17th century.
Another dominant building in the town is the historic St Eunan’s College. St Eunan’s is a three-storey castellated structure, built in the Edwardian variant of the neo-Hiberno-Romanesque style. It has four turreted round towers and flying buttresses which are modelled on the nearby Cathedral.
Other architecturally notable buildings can be found at Mount Southwell Terrace, which is located at the top of the Market Square, just off Castle Street. This Georgian-style terrace of red brick was built in 1837 by Lord Southwell. The terrace contains five of the most distinctive examples of Georgian houses in Letterkenny and also served as the holiday home of Maud Gonne who stayed here while on holiday in Donegal. St Conal’s Hospital is a large Victorian neo-Georgian structure located on the Kilmacrennan Road in the town. One of the most notable buildings in West Ulster, the oldest parts date from the 1860s. The hospital’s chapel was built in the neo-Norman style in the 1930s.
The Donegal County Museum is housed in the old workhouse and is located on the High Road. It was built in 1843 in the neo-Tudor style typical of this kind of building.
In more recent years, Letterkenny has seen more unusual architectural development. The new Letterkenny Town Council offices, known locally as „The Grasshouse“, were designed by Donegal-based MacGabhann Architects. One of its most notable features is its distinctive sloping grass roof situated above a broad band of aluka matt cladding although it is also noticeable for its runway-like ramp to the first-floor concourse. It is said to be a building of international interest.
Literature
A niece of Jane Austen, daughter of her brother Edward, is buried in the town alongside her husband Lord George Hill. Two other nieces, also daughters of Edward, are buried just outside the town, close to Ballyarr.[45]
Leisure and amusement
Annual events of note include the Saint Patrick’s Day Parade in March and Earagail Arts Festival in June/July.
An Grianán Theatre, is the largest theatre in County Donegal with a seating capacity of 383, and provides live performances.
Letterkenny Regional Cultural Centre, located behind An Grianán Theatre, opened on 9 July 2007.
Letterkenny hosted the annual Irish traditional music festival, the Fleadh Cheoil, for consecutive years (2005 and 2006). Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann organised both festivals. Letterkenny has also hosted the international Pan Celtic Festival for consecutive years (2006 and 2007). Celts from Ireland, Wales, Scotland, Isle of Man, Brittany and Cornwall visited Letterkenny for the „craic agus ceoil“. Along with the daily street performances on Market Square, An Grianán Theatre and The Courtyard Shopping Centre, song, fiddle, harp and dance contests also featured.
The La Scala Cinema was formerly located in Letterkenny. Brendan Behan, while holidaying in County Donegal on Tuesday 22 August 1961, walked there to watch Eamonn Andrews interviewing him in the newsreel Meet the Quare Fella. According to the Derry People, Behan chose a balcony seat and sang along with his onscreen self, „the first duet sung by one person in Letterkenny“. Behan had previously visited the town in early June 1960 and attended he Rainbow Bar, where (reported a newspaper) „he regaled those fortunate enough to be present with some typical outspoken comments on affairs of the present“.
Letterkenny is a favoured nightlife location for the local catchment area, and also for the rest of Ulster — particularly at weekends and especially for visitors from the nearby city of Derry. The Main Street — originally the retail centre of Letterkenny — has become a centre for night clubs and pubs, boosted by the remnants of its old shopping district. There are several nightclubs in the area including Voodoo on the lower Main street and The Pulse on the Port Road. The Grill Music Venue is a popular nightclub on Sundays. Many pubs such as The Central Bar (established 1808), The Cavern, Sister Sara’s, Josie’s Bar, McGinley’s, The Cottage Bar and Warehouse are found nearby.
