Carndonagh

Carndonagh (karn-DUN-ah; Irish: Carn Domhnach, meaning 'cairn or mound of the church')^[2][3] is a town on the Inishowen peninsula in County Donegal, Ireland, close to Trawbreaga Bay. As of the 2022 census, Carndonagh had a population of 2,768.^[1]

Carndonagh Carn Domhnach
Town
Carndonagh Location in Ireland
Coordinates: 55°15′04″N 7°15′42″W
Country	Ireland
Province	Ulster
County	County Donegal
Dáil Éireann	Donegal
EU Parliament	Midlands–North-West
Elevation	32 m (105 ft)
Population  (2022)[1]	2,768
Eircode routing key	F93
Telephone area code	+353(0)74
Irish Grid Reference	C467453

History

The town is the site of the Carndonagh stones,^[4] a series of five sculpted stones which are dated to between the 7th and 9th centuries.^[5] Other evidence of ancient settlement in the area includes a number of ringfort, souterrain, chambered cairn and standing stone sites in the townlands of Ballylosky, Churchland Quarters and Tullanree.^[6][7]

Carndonagh's Church of Ireland (Anglican) church was built c. 1769,^[8] the Weslyan (Methodist) chapel dates to 1867,^[9] the Presbyterian church to 1886, and the Catholic church (built on the site of a smaller 19th-century chapel) was completed in 1945.^[10]

Carndonagh railway station, which opened in July 1907, was closed in December 1935.^[11]

Amenities

The town is laid out around a central square, or 'diamond', and is dominated by its Romanesque Revival Catholic chapel. It is home to 6 national schools including St. Patrick's GNS and BNS, Glentogher NS, Craigtown NS, Donagh NS, St. Bridget's NS and Carndonagh Community School, formerly the largest community school in the Republic of Ireland. Carndonagh is home to the Inishowen Carnival Group, Carndonagh Musical Society, Brass Band and the Inishowen Gospel Choir.^{[citation needed]}

Transport

TFI Local Link, runs a number of public transport routes for the area: 952 (Carndonagh/Derry),^[12] 954 (Carndonagh/Malin Head),^[13] 955 (Buncrana/Carndonagh),^[14] 2529 (Quigley's Point/Carndonagh),^[12] 7748 (Shrove/Carndonagh)^[15] and 7749 (Redcastle/Carndonagh).^[15]

There are private coach services from the town to Derry^[16] and Dublin.^[17]

Carndonagh is on the R238, R240 and R244 regional roads.

Sport

The local Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) club, Carndonagh GAA, fields Gaelic football teams in the AllSportStore.com Division 4 championship.^{[citation needed]}

Carndonagh F.C., the local association football (soccer) club, participates in the Inishowen Football League.^{[citation needed]}

People

See also: Category:People from Carndonagh

• Roy Campbell (1901–1957), South African poet, who explored the legacy of his Carndonagh ancestors in the 1952 memoir Light on a Dark Horse^{[citation needed]}
• John Wallace Crawford (1847–1917), adventurer, educator, and author^[18]
• Gary Doherty (born 1980), footballer Norwich City^[18]
• John Pitt Kennedy (1796–1879), engineer^[19]
• Keith McErlean, actor^[20]
• Tommy Tiernan (born 1969), comedian^[21]

Gallery

• 
  Sacred Heart Catholic Church, which replaced the 1826-built Roman Catholic Chapel in 1945
• 
  Carndonagh Church of Ireland church
• 
  Carndonagh Presbyterian church
• 
  Carndonagh Methodist church
• 
  Carndonagh Shopping Centre
• 
  Town centre (The Diamond)

See also

• List of towns and villages in Ireland