Lifford Leifear | |
---|---|
Town | |
Coordinates: 54°50′02″N7°29′10″W / 54.834°N 7.486°W | |
Country | Ireland |
Province | Ulster |
County | County Donegal |
Barony | Raphoe North [1] [2] [3] |
Dáil constituency | Donegal |
Elevation | 6 m (20 ft) |
Population | |
• Total | 1,613 |
Time zone | UTC±0 (WET) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+1 (IST) |
Eircode routing key | F93 |
Telephone area code | +353(0)74 |
Irish Grid Reference | H330984 |
Website | donegalcoco |
Lifford (Irish : Leifear, historically anglicised as Liffer) [5] is the county town of County Donegal, Ireland, the administrative centre of the county and the seat of Donegal County Council, although the town of Letterkenny is often mistaken as holding this role.
Lifford lies in the Finn Valley area of East Donegal where the River Finn meets the River Mourne to create the River Foyle. The Burn Dale (also spelt as the Burn Deele), which flows through Ballindrait, flows into the River Foyle on the northern outskirts of Lifford.
The town grew up around a castle built there by Manghus Ó Domhnaill, ruler of Tír Chonaill (mostly modern County Donegal), in the 16th century. It later became a British Army garrison town until most of Ireland won independence as a dominion called the Irish Free State in early December 1922. It lies across the River Foyle from Strabane (in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland) and is linked to that town by Lifford Bridge. Manus O'Donnell began building the castle in 1527 [6] on the Wednesday after St. Brendan's Day (Saint Brendan's feast day is celebrated on 16 May). He completed the masonry and woodwork by the end of that summer even though the O’Neill's of Tír Eoghain were at war with him. In 1543 the castle of Leithbher was given to Cahir (the son of Donnell Balbh) O'Gallagher to be guarded for the O’Donnell clan. He then proceeded to banish the people loyal to the O’Donnell's from the castle so that he could keep it for himself. In 1544 Calvagh went to the English Lord Justice, and brought back English soldiers with him to Tirconnell, the olden name for County Donegal. O'Donnell, Calvagh, and these men went with ‘ordnance and engines for taking towns’ to the castle of Lifford to take it back from the descendants of the O'Gallaghers.
Cahir, the son of Tuathal Balbh & Turlough, the son of Felim Fin O'Gallagher, who had been taken hostage earlier, was brought to the castle to see if the O’Gallagher's would surrender. Which they wouldn't. As the English attacked one was killed instantly so they killed Cahir, the son of Tuathal on the spot. The castle was then surrendered to O’Donnell to spare the life of Turlough, the son of Felim Fin and another son of Tuathal Balbh. Lifford Castle is no longer standing but there is a poem [7] from the late 16th century about the castle, which describes the owners and surroundings at the time.
"A beloved dwelling is the castle of Lifford, homestead of a wealth abounding encampment; forge of hospitality for the men of Ulster, a dwelling it is hard to leave.
Beloved are the two who keep that house without excess, without lack; the ward of the stout, even-surfaced tower are the supporting pillars of the province.
Short is the day, no matter what its length, in the company of the royal warrior of Conchobhar's Plain; fleet are the long days from the lady of bright-walled Tara.
The daughter of noble Shane O'Neill, and the son of O'Donnell of Dún Iomgháin—they are in the ancient, comely dwelling as entertainers of guests.
Dear the hostel in which these are wont to be, dear the folk who dwell in the hostel; the people of the house and the house of that people happy is any who shall get honor such as theirs.
Beloved the delightful, lofty building, its tables, its coverlets, its cupboards; its wondrous, handsome, firm walls, its smooth marble arches.
Beloved is the castle in which we used to spend a while at chess-playing, a while with the daughters of the men of Bregia, a while with the fair books of the poets.
The fortress of smooth-lawned Lifford no one in the world can leave it once it is found; that dwelling is the Durlas of the north.
Or else it is Eamhain which used to vary in form, or Croghan of the children of Mágha, or Tara of the race of Cobhthach—this bright castle, rich in trees and horses.
Or it is Naas, the fortress of Leinster, as it was first fashioned; or the fertile, ancient abode of the children of Corc, green, conspicuous Cashel.
Or it is fair Lifford itself—hardly is any of these castles better—which hath of yore assumed those shapes ye are wont to hold dear".
The Battle of Lifford was fought in 1600 during Tyrone's Rebellion.
Following the defeat of O'Doherty's Rebellion at the Battle of Kilmacrennan in 1608, a number of captured rebels were brought to Lifford where they were tried by Irish civilian courts and executed. The most notable rebel to be executed was Phelim Reagh MacDavitt.
Lifford achieved national recognition in the 2008 Tidy Towns Awards [8] as the best newcomer to the competition in Category 'C'.
The borough constituency of Lifford elected two MPs to the Irish House of Commons from 1692 until 1800. It was disfranchised under the Acts of Union 1800. The borough corporation of the town was abolished under the Municipal Corporations (Ireland) Act 1840.
Lifford is part of the Dáil constituency of Donegal.
For elections to Donegal County Council, it is part of the local electoral area of Lifford–Stranorlar. This area also forms a municipal district. [9]
Lifford has a population of 1,613 as of the 2022 census, an decrease of 13 on the 2016 census. [4] Of the 1,626 residents in 2016, 794 were male and 832 female. [10]
Lifford is part of the Civil Parish of Clonleigh; with a population of 3,547, the parish is subdivided for electoral purposes into two separate Electoral Districts: Clonleigh North and Clonleigh South, which are mainly separated by the Burn Dale. [11] [12] In 2016, the population of Clonleigh North was 1,374 (711 male and 663 female) [13] and in Clonleigh South the 2016 population was 2,173 (1,078 male and 1,095 female). [14]
Lifford is served by several schools, all of which are primary ("National") schools. For second-level education students must travel elsewhere, with Raphoe or Stranorlar, or Strabane in Northern Ireland, being popular options.
Primary schools in Lifford are:
There were other primary schools in the parish but these are long since closed, namely Blackrock National School and Ballindrait National School. [25] The Prior Endowed School and The Hansard Grammar School were fee-paying schools in Lifford and are now also closed.
Lifford Courthouse is now a restaurant and heritage centre and is located across from the County House, the HQ of Donegal County Council, in The Diamond area of the town. The courthouse was designed by Michael Priestly of Dublin and built in 1746. The museum houses a permanent display of O'Donnell clan documents and artefacts, as well as minute books from various institutes in County Donegal. It also houses some of the original cells belonging to the Courthouse.
Lifford Gaol was formerly the County Gaol or prison for all of County Donegal. It was located on the northeastern side of The Diamond. The old gaol was demolished in 1907. [26]
Cavanacor House is located just off the N14 on the outskirts of the town - which one ancestral home of the 11th President of the United States of America, James Knox Polk. His great, great, great-grandmother (Magdelene Tasker) was born here [27] in 1634, she later married Capt. Robert Bruce Pollock and emigrated to the US. King James II & VII dined at Cavanacor House on his way to the Siege of Derry in 1689. [27]
The school was built in 1880 to cater for local Protestant children with monies bequeathed by Miss Eleanor Prior from nearby Ballindrait. The Prior School closed in 1972, being amalgamated with The Royal School in Raphoe to create The Royal & Prior Comprehensive School. [28] The school and grounds were first taken over by the then Irish Department of Posts and Telegraphs, and later (from 1974) by the Irish Defence Forces for use as a military barracks. The Barracks has since closed along with Rockhill House Military Post in Letterkenny, on 31 January 2009.
St. Lugadius's, also known as Clonleigh (Church of Ireland) Parish Church, was built in 1621. Sir Richard Hansard, who had been granted land at Lifford, [29] [30] directed in his will that a church be built in Lifford. There is a monument to Sir Richard and his wife Dame Anne inside the church, with a plaque on the wall detailing his wishes and who the executors of his will were. In the graveyard George Gardiner, who won a Victoria Cross during the Crimean War in 1855, is buried.
St. Patrick's Church, usually known locally as Murlog Chapel, is the second Catholic church on the present site. The first church was built here at Murlog in the 18th century after the Earl of Erne saw Catholic worshippers praying in the open. The church was later demolished to make way for the new church which was built in 1963. A three-stage gothic tower dating from about 1820 was attached to the old church and was saved by the parish; it is still standing next to the new church. The church is in the parish of Clonleigh, formerly Clonleigh and Camus until it was established as an independent parish in 1974.
The hospital was once the County Hospital catering for all of County Donegal. It is located on the banks of the River Foyle just before the bridge into County Tyrone. Although this is not the first location of the County Hospital, It was originally in the diamond area of the town in a place called the Barrack yard. The Hospital first opened in this location in 1773. The first surgeon was a man called Mr. William Hamilton from nearby Strabane. In 1780 it was proposed to move to new premises with the Cavalry Barracks and stables in the town being sought, it was not until 1799 that the premises were renovated and ready to be occupied. In the early 1900s, the hospital was operating at full strength with the Maternity and Surgical wards treating on average 400 patients and carrying out around 350 operations annually. [31] The hospital today caters for long and short-term residents by providing a convalescent and respite service. Physiotherapy and chiropody services are also provided in the hospital for the in-patients and out-patients from the greater East Donegal area. [32]
The will of Sir Richard Hansard in 1619, endowed a private school, [33] in Lifford. The will provided for 30 pounds sterling a year for a master, and 20 pounds sterling a year for an usher. The school was intended to cater for classical studies. All children of Clonleigh parish were to be entitled to attend for free education. Hansards' Grammar School commenced operations in 1697. In 1791, the Commissioners of Education reported that there were no free scholars in the school out of an attendance of 18, of whom 6 were boarders. The Commissioners of 1807–1812 reported the school as being in a very unsatisfactory condition. While the headmaster and usher were being paid salaries according to the endowment, the teaching had been handed off to a third person on a wage of 6 pounds sterling a year. Furthermore, classical subjects were not being taught, only arithmetic. The school continued in decline until 1840, when an inspection by the Commissioners precipitated the resignation of the master, who was accused of major neglect. Attendance which had been as low as three pupils rapidly increased under a new classical teacher. Sometime before 1856, the Earl Erne (whose family, the Creightons / Crichtons, had originally settled in Ulster at Lifford before moving south to County Fermanagh), on behalf of the Church of Ireland Bishop of Derry and Raphoe, converted the school into an English-style school, and hired a master and mistress. Both were dismissed in 1856. At this time there was a dwelling house attached to the school, lived in by a previous master. In 1857, the school was reopened as an English school under the management of the Bishop of Derry and Raphoe.
Lifford is known as the "Gateway to Donegal"; this is because it is the first town in County Donegal encountered when travelling from Dublin on the N2 (A5/A38 through County Tyrone). Drivers cross Lifford Bridge as they enter Lifford. Two national primary routes, the N15 to Sligo via Stranorlar, Donegal Town and Ballyshannon and also the N14 to Letterkenny, take travellers to all parts in the county. There is also the R265/R236/A40 national secondary route to Derry City. Lifford has several daily bus services operated by Bus Éireann to Dublin Airport / Dublin City Centre (Busáras). They also serve Letterkenny and Ballybofey, where connections can be had for travelling onwards to Sligo with its railway station and bus station. Lifford is also very close to Strabane Bus Depot, located on Bradley Way in Strabane. From here, Ulsterbus operate services to Derry, Belfast, Omagh and other places in Northern Ireland.
City of Derry Airport is the nearest airport to Lifford, located about 20 miles (32 km) away.
Lifford Halt railway station opened on 1 January 1909 and finally closed on 1 January 1960. [34] Lifford was a stop on the Strabane to Letterkenny narrow gauge rail line. It was run by the CDR, as it was known at the time or County Donegal Railways Joint Committee. This line also stopped at Ballindrait, Raphoe and Convoy en route to Letterkenny.
The nearest railway station is Waterside Station in Derry. This station is operated by Northern Ireland Railways (N.I.R.) and runs from Derry, via Coleraine, to Belfast Lanyon Place Station and Belfast Grand Central.[ citation needed ]
Lifford is home to a number of sporting clubs, including:
Voluntary organisations in the area include the Strabane/Lifford Rotary Club (a branch of Rotary International), [43] [ citation needed ] Lifford Youthreach (part of the Donegal Education and Training Board), [44] and Lifford Scout Group (also known as the 19th Donegal (Lifford) Scout Group it is a part of Scouting Ireland. [45]
The Lifford/Clonleigh Mens Shed is a voluntary group within Irish Mens Shed Association. [46] This men's shed group initially met up in the local resource centre and community gardens in Croaghan Heights but subsequently moved to the closed Boyagh National School in Porthall. [47]
County Donegal is a county of the Republic of Ireland in the province of Ulster and in the Northern and Western Region. It is named after the town of Donegal in the south of the county. It has also been known as County Tyrconnell or Tirconaill, after the historic territory. Donegal County Council is the local council and Lifford is the county town.
Letterkenny, nicknamed the Cathedral Town, is a large town in County Donegal, Ireland, on the River Swilly in the north-west of Ulster. Along with the nearby city of Derry, Letterkenny is a regional economic gateway for the north-west of Ireland.
Donegal is a town in County Donegal in Ulster, the northern province in Ireland. Although Donegal gave its name to the county, now Lifford is the county town. From the 15th until the early 17th century, Donegal was the "capital" of Tyrconnell, a Gaelic kingdom controlled by the O'Donnell dynasty of the Northern Uí Néill.
Stranorlar is a town, townland and civil parish in the Finn Valley of County Donegal, in Ireland. Stranorlar and Ballybofey form the twin towns of Ballybofey–Stranorlar.
The N14 road is a national primary road in the Republic of Ireland. The entirety of the route is located in the northwest of Ireland, in County Donegal, connecting Manorcunningham to Lifford in the east. Here it connects to the N15 near the border with Northern Ireland and along the A38 to Strabane in County Tyrone.
The R236 road runs in County Donegal in Ulster, and links Stranorlar, via Convoy and Raphoe, to St Johnston and Carrigans, becoming the A40 into Derry in Northern Ireland.
Raphoe is a small town in County Donegal in the north-west of Ulster, the northern province in Ireland. It is the main town in the fertile district of East Donegal known as the Laggan, as well as giving its name to the Barony of Raphoe, which was later divided into the baronies of Raphoe North and Raphoe South, as well as to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Raphoe and the Church of Ireland (Anglican) Diocese of Derry and Raphoe. There is also a civil parish of Raphoe.
Convoy is a village and civil parish in the east of County Donegal, Ireland. The village is located in the Finn Valley district and is part of the Barony of Raphoe South. It is situated on the Burn Dale, and is located on the R236 road to Raphoe.
Laghy or Laghey is a village and townland in County Donegal, Ireland, between Ballintra and Donegal Town. It is one of three villages that make up the parish of Drumholm, formerly a civil and Church of Ireland parish, now only used as a division of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Raphoe. The village has a quarry, a supermarket, garden centre, filling station, two public houses, a church with a graveyard, an Orange hall, a recycling centre, a Donegal County Council yard and salt depot, and a national school. Rossnowlagh and Murvagh beaches are nearby. Murvagh is also the home to Donegal Golf Club.
Anagaire is a village in The Rosses district of County Donegal, Ireland. As of 2022, the population was 309.
Castlefin, sometimes spelt Castlefinn, is a market town and townland in the Finn Valley of County Donegal, Ireland. It is located between Stranorlar and Lifford in East Donegal. As of 2022, the population was 730. The River Finn flows by the town. The town is located in along the main N15 national primary road, which runs from Bundoran to Lifford. The town lies 6 miles from Lifford and 8 miles from the twin towns of Ballybofey and Stranorlar. It has close links to Letterkenny, to the twin towns of Ballybofey and Stranorlar, and to West Tyrone in Northern Ireland, especially with the towns of Strabane and Castlederg.
Kilmacrennan, also Kilmacrenan, is a village, townland and civil parish in County Donegal, Ireland. The village population was 753, as of the 2016 census. The village's population has increased steadily over the last decade with many new housing developments catering, in particular, for an overspill population from Letterkenny. Kilmacrennan was historically the caput of its eponymous Barony of Kilmacrennan, of the eight Baronies of Donegal.
Loch an Iúir, anglicised as Loughanure, is a village and townland in The Rosses, a district in the west of County Donegal in Ulster, the northern province in Ireland. The village is in the Gaeltacht, being halfway between Gweedore and Dungloe, with the N56 road passing through the village. According to the 2016 census, 37% of the population spoke Irish on a daily basis outside the education system. The village of Loughanure lies within the Barony of Boylagh.
The Diocese of Derry is a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic Church which straddles the international frontier between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. It is in the ecclesiastical province of Armagh. The diocese was established in the year 1158. The diocese consists of almost fifty parishes and some number of religious congregations have houses in various parts of the diocese.
Ballindrait is a townland, village and census town in County Donegal, Ireland. Located near Lifford, the village and townland of Ballindrait is in the civil parish of Clonleigh and the barony of Raphoe North. The Burn Dale flows through the centre of Ballindrait.
St Johnston, officially Saint Johnstown, is a village, townland, and an electoral division in County Donegal, Ireland. It is in the Laggan district of East Donegal on the left bank of the River Foyle. It is in the civil parish of Taughboyne and barony of Raphoe North, on the R236 (Lifford–Newtowncunningham) road where it overlaps the R265 (Carrigans–Raphoe) road. The village is about 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) south of Derry.
Porthall is a village and townland in County Donegal, Ireland. The village is located on the west bank of the River Foyle, in The Laggan district of East Donegal, on the R265 road. The nearest town is Lifford, the county town.
Killygordon is a small village in the Finn Valley in the east of County Donegal, Ireland. As of 2022, the population was 716. It is located on the N15 between Stranorlar and Castlefin. The separate hamlet and townland of Crossroads, usually known as The Cross, lies half a mile from Killygordon. The River Finn passes by the village on its way towards its confluence with the River Mourne and the River Foyle.
The Burn Dale is a burn or small river in the east of County Donegal in Ulster, the northern province in Ireland. The burn is also known in English as the Dale Burn, the Burn Deele, the Burndale River, the Deele River or the River Deele. In the Ulster Scots dialect, a 'burn' is a stream or small river.