Carndonagh (; ) is a town on the

Inishowen peninsula Inishowen () is a peninsula in the north of County Donegal in Ireland. Inishowen is the largest peninsula on the Ireland, island of Ireland. The Inishowen peninsula includes Ireland's most northerly point, Malin Head. The Grianan of Aileach, a ...

County Donegal County Donegal ( ; ) is a Counties of Ireland, county of the Republic of Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Ulster and is the northernmost county of Ireland. The county mostly borders Northern Ireland, sharing only a small b ...

, Ireland, close to Trawbreaga Bay. It is the site of the

Carndonagh stones The Carndonagh stones are a set of five sculpted stones in the town of Carndonagh, County Donegal. All five stones are on the grounds of Donagh Church. The group consists of one free-standing high cross with two smaller, attendant pillars; a fr ...

. The Irish name, ''Carn Domhnach'', means "the cairn or mound of the church".

Amenities

The town is laid out around a central square, or Diamond, and is dominated by its

Romanesque Revival Romanesque Revival (or Neo-Romanesque) is a style of building employed beginning in the mid-19th century inspired by the 11th- and 12th-century Romanesque architecture. Unlike the historic Romanesque style, Romanesque Revival buildings tended t ...

Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

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 Carndonagh Community School () is a secondary school located in Carndonagh, County Donegal, Ireland. History Carndonagh Community School was formed in 1972 by the merger of Carndonagh College (a local boys' school), The Convent of Mercy Second ...

, formerly the largest community school in the

Republic of Ireland Ireland ( ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 Counties of Ireland, counties of the island of Ireland, with a population of about 5.4 million. ...

. Carndonagh is home to a number of musicians, artists and writers and to the Inishowen Carnival Group, Carndonagh Musical Society, Brass Band, and the

Inishowen Gospel Choir Inishowen () is a peninsula in the north of County Donegal in Ireland. Inishowen is the largest peninsula on the island of Ireland. The Inishowen peninsula includes Ireland's most northerly point, Malin Head. The Grianan of Aileach, a ringfort ...

(both international performers).

History

Carndonagh railway station Carndonagh (; ) is a town on the Inishowen peninsula in County Donegal, Ireland, close to Trawbreaga Bay. It is the site of the Carndonagh stones. The Irish name, ''Carn Domhnach'', means "the cairn or mound of the church". Amenities The town ...

opened on 1 July 1907, but finally closed on 2 December 1935.

Transport

TFI Local Link TFI Local Link, or simply Local Link, is a set of local bus services in Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided ...

, runs a number of public transport routes for the area: 952 (Carndonagh/

Derry Derry, officially Londonderry, is the second-largest City status in the United Kingdom, city in Northern Ireland, and the fifth-largest on the island of Ireland. Located in County Londonderry, the city now covers both banks of the River Fo ...

), 954 (Carndonagh/

Malin Head Malin Head () is the Extreme points of Ireland, most northerly point of mainland Ireland, located in the townland of Ardmalin on the Inishowen peninsula in County Donegal. The head's northernmost point is called Dunalderagh at latitude 55.38ºN ...

), 955 (

Buncrana Buncrana ( ; ) is a town in Inishowen in the north of County Donegal in Ulster, the northern Provinces of Ireland, province in Ireland. The town sits on the eastern shores of Lough Swilly, being northwest of Derry and north of Letterkenny. I ...

/Carndonagh), 2529 (

Quigley's Point Quigley's Point () is a village in County Donegal, Ireland. Located on the eastern shores of Inishowen and overlooking Lough Foyle, the village is sometimes known locally as "Carrowkeel" (or "Carowkeel") as it is in a townland of that name. To t ...

/Carndonagh), 7748 ( Shrove/Carndonagh) and 7749 (

Redcastle Redcastle (), historically known as Edirdovar and Ederdour, is a medieval castle in Killearnan on the Black Isle, northern Scotland. It is so named from the colour of the stone of which it is built. The castle is now in a state of ruinous d ...

/Carndonagh). There are private coach services from the town to Derry and

Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...

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

Sport

Some of the sports clubs and organisations active within the community in Carndonagh are: *Carndonagh GAA – the local

Gaelic football Gaelic football (; short name '')'', commonly known as simply Gaelic, GAA, or football, is an Irish team sport. A form of football, it is played between two teams of 15 players on a rectangular grass pitch. The objective of the sport is to score ...

club which participates in the AllSportStore.com Division 4. *Carndonagh F.C. – the local soccer club, participating in the

Inishowen Football League The Inishowen Football League (IOFL) is an amateur league for Association football, football clubs in the Inishowen peninsula of County Donegal, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. There are three divisions, with a Promotion and relegation, promotion ...

People

* Roy Campbell (1901–1957) –

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

n poet, who explored the legacy of his Carndonagh ancestors in the 1952 memoir ''Light on a Dark Horse'' *

John Wallace Crawford John Wallace ("Captain Jack") Crawford (1847–1917), known as "The Poet Scout", was an American adventurer, educator, and author. "Captain Jack" was a master storyteller about the Wild West and is known in American history as one of the most po ...

(1847–1917) – adventurer, educator, and author *

Gary Doherty Gary Michael Thomas Doherty (born 31 January 1980) is an Irish former professional footballer who played as a defender, having previously also played as a forward. He gained international honours for the Republic of Ireland. He began his caree ...

(born 1980) – footballer

Norwich City Norwich City Football Club is a professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk, England. The club competes in the Championship, the second tier of English football. The club was founded in 1902. Since 1935, Norwich have played their h ...

Damien Faulkner Damien Faulkner (born 15 February 1977) is an Irish race car driver from Moville County Donegal. Beginning his professional career in Formula Vauxhall Junior in 1995, he competed in the Formula Ford Festival in 1996 and finished 11th. He ...

(born 1977) – racing driver * John Pitt Kennedy (1796–1879) – engineer *

Keith McErlean Keith McErlean (born ) is an Irish actor from Carndonagh in Inishowen, County Donegal, in Ireland. His career began when he graduated from the Gaiety School of Acting in 1998. McErlean has appeared in a number of plays for the Abbey Theatre and ...

– actor *

Tommy Tiernan Tommy Tiernan (; born 16 June 1969) is an Irish comedian, actor, and writer. He is best known for his stand-up career, hosting '' The Tommy Tiernan Show'' (2017–present) and playing Gerry in the sitcom '' Derry Girls'' (2018–2022). Early l ...

(born 1969) – comedian

Gallery

File:Inside the church of Carndonagh - geograph.org.uk - 51422.jpg, Sacred Heart Catholic Church, which replaced the 1826-built Roman Catholic Chapel in 1945 File:Carndonagh Church of Ireland - geograph.org.uk - 1359846.jpg, Carndonagh Church of Ireland church File:Carndonagh Presbyterian Church - geograph.org.uk - 1359711.jpg, Carndonagh

Presbyterian church Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Christianity, Reformed Protestantism, Protestant tradition named for its form of ecclesiastical polity, church government by representative assemblies of Presbyterian polity#Elder, elders, known as ...

File:Methodist Church, Carndonagh - geograph.org.uk - 1381458.jpg, Carndonagh

Methodist church Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a Protestant Christianity, Christian Christian tradition, tradition whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's brother ...

File:Carndonagh Shopping Centre - geograph.org.uk - 1381465.jpg, Carndonagh Shopping Centre File:Carndonagh town.JPG, Town centre (The Diamond)

References

External links

Visit Carndonagh
{{Authority control Towns and villages in County Donegal