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More Information on Irish Townlands

LETTERKENNY

Letterkenny as the name implies ("Leitr", a "slope"), stands on the slope of a hill. It consists of one long street, rising steeply from the north bank of the Swilly, just where the valley has expanded into a wide and rather bare strath. In the centre is a square with a small clock-tower, but by far the most important building is the County Asylum, a little way up the Dunfanaghy Road. The Town is fairly busy and thriving, though its local importance has somewhat suffered since the railway brought Londonderry within easy business reach. It is also the chief postal centre of the district, the mails arriving twice a day by car from Strabane, and being forwarded once a day to all parts of North-West Donegal. There is nothing in Letterkenny itself to detain the tourist, but two or three days may be well spent in making excursions - to Ramelton, Rathmullen, Milford & Mulroy Bay; to Gartan Lough (Church Hill) and Glen Veagh. When the road up Glen Veagh is made practicable for carriages throughout, a most interesting drive will be to Glen Veagh Bridge, on the Gweedore Road; thence along Lough Veagh and up the glen to the top of the pass, where the Dungloe Road is joined. Hotels: Hegarty's (clean and comfortable), Laird's.