Letterkenny tourist information
Letterkenny is Donegal's principle town and the ideal location to base yourself for a holiday in Donegal and Ireland's beautiful North West Region. Letterkenny got its name from the Gaelic Irish "Leitir Ceannain" meaning "Hillside of the O'Cannons. Originally a tiny fishing village, which developed on the banks of Lough Swilly. Letterkenny had grown into a prosperous market town by the 17th century and is now the largest and most densely populated town in Donegal. Letterkenny is a vibrant town, particullary at night there are a number of very popular pubs and clubs.
The O'Canainn clan were the earlist recorded overlords of the Swilly-side. They were first mentioned in history in 948 and their last cheiftain Rory O'Canainn, was slain in 1248 to be succeeded by Godfrey O'Donnell as king or Ri of Tir Conaill. However it was not recognised as a town until the Plantation of Ulster when the Fair-headed hillside was granted to a scotsman named Patrick Crawford along with one thousand acres of land between 1610 and 1611. He was killed at the Seige of Dunyvegan in Isla, Scotland and sir George Maybury married his widow. Sir George built a plantation, consisting of a bawn of clay and lime, sixty feet square and nine feet high and a house of stone and lime, seventy two feet long,eighteen feet broad and twelve feet high.
In addition he constructed a market town called Letterkenny which consisted of fifty thatched houses thirteen of which had clay and stone walls. The main streets were more pony tracks than streets. The Civil survey of 1657 describes Letterkenny as a town that had a market every Friday and two fairs annually, a stone and lime dwelling-house, a ridge at the East end over the River Swilly, a bawn of four flankers and a fair church. There was one watermill.
Letterkenny aerial map
Please click on any icon on the Letterkenny aerial tourist map, to find close by places, offering hotels and tourist information. You can zoom in and zoom out our touristical map as well as switch between satelite and map view of Letterkenny.
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