Donegal

Donegal or Donegal Town ( /ˈdʌnɨɡɔːl/ or /ˌdʌnɨˈɡɔːl/; Irish: Dún na nGall) is a town in County Donegal, part of the province of Ulster in Ireland. Its name, which was historically written in English as Dunnagall or Dunagall, translates from Irish as "stronghold of the foreigners" (i.e. the Vikings).

Donegal gave its name to County Donegal, although Lifford is now the county town. Until the early 1600s, Donegal was the 'capital' of Tír Chonaill, a gaelic kingdom controlled by the O'Donnell Clan of the Cenél Conaill. Donegal sits at the mouth of the River Eske and Donegal Bay, which is overshadowed by the Bluestack Mountains ('the Croaghs'). The town is bypassed by the N15 and N56 roads. The centre of the town, known as The Diamond, is a hub for music, poetic and cultural gatherings in the area.