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LETTERKENNY |
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| LETTERKENNY is the largest town in Donegal and, indeed, the only one
with a population in excess of ten thousand. It has been the county's
commercial focus ever since Derry was partitioned into the North and has
undergone massive redevelopment in recent years with a refurbished town
centre, huge new shopping malls and a growing industrial sprawl beyond
its boundaries. Letterkenny's boast is that it is the main place for
entertainment in the northwest and there certainly is an ebullient
bustle about the place. Although it sits at the mouth of Lough Swilly,
there's no water in sight, and the main visual element is the file of
shop windows down the main street. The most notable sight is the huge
nineteenth-century St Eunan's Cathedral , with its intricate stone-roped
ceiling, flying buttresses and gaelicized Stations of the Cross. The
only other place of interest in town is the Donegal County Museum (Mon-Fri
10am-12.30pm & 1-4.30pm, Sat 1-4.30pm; free), housed in part of the old
Letterkenny workhouse. Temporary exhibitions occupy the downstairs area
while upstairs is a typical display of artefacts from megalithic to more
recent times, including the keys and lock of the old Lifford jail, and
an account of the old Donegal County Railway which ran to and from
Letterkenny. If you're heading west on the R250 Fintown road, look out
for the restored Newmills Corn and Flax Mills (June-Sept daily
10am-6.30pm; £2/¬2.53; Heritage Card), in a pleasant setting by the
River Swilly and, naturally, powered by its waters. The mill closed as
late as 1982 and much of the old machinery is still present. |
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