Letterkenny Donegal Ireland
Letterkenny is the largest town in County Donegal. It is situated on a hillside overlooking the River Swilly which drains the lovely Swilly Valley. It derives its name from the Gaelic, Leitir Ceannain, or hillside of the O'Cannons, who were local chieftains before Norman times. The well defined site of what was once the stronghold of the O'Cannon clan may still be seen close by the banks of the Swilly near Newmills. The Swilly Estuary was a major barrier to traveling in early times and the area west of the Swilly was very sparsely populated. Early maps make no mention of Letterkenny, showing only Ramelton and "Kill-O-Donnell" at most.
Letterkenny dominates the economy of County Donegal, Ulster's largest county. The town is considered to be one of the fastest growing towns in all of Ireland. Letterkenny and the nearby City of Derry form the major economic core of North-West Ireland.
Letterkenny is the largest town in County Donegal. Despite having a long tradition of emigration that continued up until the early 1990s, Letterkenny has gained cultural diversity over many years, with people immigrating from all over the world, particularly from Poland, Romania, Latvia and various African nations.
This is reflected in the recent growth of international restaurants and shops, including Chinese and Indian restaurants, Italian pizzerias, as well as specialised shops run by and providing goods for Africans, Asians, South Americans, and Eastern Europeans. Letterkenny is home to the only Hindu temple in Ireland
Many of the Letterkenny's more notable buildings were built in the early 1850s - or earlier. These include educational and ecclesiastical buildings. The town's tallest building is St Eunan's Cathedral, which was completed in 1901. The Cathedral was designed by William Hague from County Cavan. It is built in a light Victorian neo-Gothic version of the French thirteenth-century Gothic style. Located opposite the Cathedral, at the junction of Church Street with Cathedral Square, is Conwal Parish Church, parts of which date from the 17th century.