Termon () is a village in the north of

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.

Geography

Termon is located eight miles from

Letterkenny Letterkenny ( , meaning "hillside of the O'Cannons"), nicknamed the Cathedral Town, is a large town in County Donegal, Ireland, on the River Swilly in the north-west of Ulster. Along with the nearby city of Derry, Letterkenny is a regional eco ...

, Donegal's main town and seven miles from

Creeslough Creeslough ( , locally ; ) is a village in County Donegal, Ireland, south of Dunfanaghy on the N56 road (Ireland), N56 road. It overlooks an arm of Sheephaven Bay, with the population of the surrounding area engaged mainly in agriculture, mo ...

. Termon is made up of many townlands including Currin, Doon, Drumlaurgagh, Gortnalaragh, Drumbrick, Drumoughill, Cloncarney, Terhillion, Gortnalaragh, Clonkilly, Knocknabollan, Fawans, Drumdeevin, Drumfin, Barnes, Stragraddy, Ballybuninabber, Letterfad, Goal and Gurtin, Loughaskerry. There are several hills close to Termon, including Lough Salt (469m), the hills of Barnes-Crockmore (the "Resting Bishop") at 324m, 349m & 307m respectively, and Stragraddy mountain (285m). All the hills have views along Donegal's Atlantic coast line or into the higher mountain country of Muckish (666m) and

Errigal Errigal () is a mountain near Gweedore in County Donegal, Ireland. It is the tallest peak of the Derryveagh Mountains and the tallest peak in County Donegal. Errigal is also the most southern and the highest of the mountain chain called th ...

(749m).

Rivers and loughs

* The Lurgy runs through Termon.(Irish - An Lorgaigh) * Clonkillymore Lough * Clonkillybeg Lough * Doon Lough * Cloncarney Lough * Lough Darragh * Lough Askerry * Lough Mnafin * Lough Acrappin - Top of Drumfin * Lough Acrabane - Barnes Gap

Sport

The local

Gaelic Athletic Association The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA; ; CLG) is an Irish international amateur sports, amateur sporting and cultural organisation, focused primarily on promoting indigenous Gaelic games and pastimes, which include the traditional Irish sports o ...

(GAA) club is

Termon Termon () is a village in the north of County Donegal, Ireland. Geography Termon is located eight miles from Letterkenny, Donegal's main town and seven miles from Creeslough. Termon is made up of many townlands including Currin, Doon, Drumlaur ...

. Founded in 1963, the club's pitch is at "The Burn Road". The Termon GAA adult team plays in the Donegal Senior Championship. The Termon minor GAA team were 2019 Donegal minor champions and were defeated on 1 January 2020 by a single point in the Ulster Minor final in Belfast. Termon LGFA adult team were crowned Tesco Club All-Ireland Champions in 2014, defeating Mournabbey of Cork in the final. Termon LGFA have won two Ulster Club Championships - one in 2010 and one in 2014 beating Donaghmoyne of Monaghan in both finals. The Termon Ladies team were 2019 Donegal champions making them senior county champions for a sixth time they competed in the 2019 Ulster Final being defeated by Donaghmoyne of Monaghan by a single point.

Historical sites

Megalithic tomb A megalith is a large stone that has been used to construct a prehistoric structure or monument, either alone or together with other stones. More than 35,000 megalithic structures have been identified across Europe, ranging geographically f ...

1 (Grid.ref C107248) - Barnes townland *Megalithic tomb 2 (Grid.ref C107219) - Gortnalaragh townland, known locally as Dermot and Groinna, 2 stones visible from the Terhillion Rd *Megalithic tomb 3 (Grid Ref C119211) - Drumbrick townland *

Standing Stone A menhir (; from Brittonic languages: ''maen'' or ''men'', "stone" and ''hir'' or ''hîr'', "long"), standing stone, orthostat, or lith is a large upright rock (geology), stone, emplaced in the ground by humans, typically dating from the Eur ...

s 1 (Grid ref C108245) - Barnes townland *Standing Stones 2 (Grid ref C109241) - Barnes townland (Ogham standing stones) - these are thought to be the original boundaries of 'An Tearmann' denoting sanctuary, as those seeking it were thought to be within the Kilmacrenan Abbey.See local history below-Frank Mc Gettigan *Cillin 1 (Grid ref C109240) - Barnes townland *Cillin 2 (Grid ref C125206) - Clonkilly townland *

Ring Fort Ringforts or ring forts are small circular fortified settlements built during the Bronze Age, Iron Age and early Middle Ages up to about the year 1000 AD. They are found in Northern Europe, especially in Ireland. There are also many in S ...

(Grid ref C121216) - Drumbrick townland, situated at the top of Drumbrick hill, visible from the Burn road

Religious sites

Several sites around Termon are significant to the

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

faith in Donegal.

Doon Well

Doon Well () was established by Lector O'Friel sometime around the 1670s. Doon Well's origins are pre-Christian: *A 'tóchar' (ancient wooden road) runs underneath the bog adjacent to Doon Rock *

Bronze Age The Bronze Age () was a historical period characterised principally by the use of bronze tools and the development of complex urban societies, as well as the adoption of writing in some areas. The Bronze Age is the middle principal period of ...

artefacts have been found near the well *The water used in the inauguration ceremony of the O'Donnells would have been carried from the well.

Stations Station may refer to: Agriculture * Station (Australian agriculture), a large Australian landholding used for livestock production * Station (New Zealand agriculture), a large New Zealand farm used for grazing by sheep and cattle ** Cattle stat ...

and

rosary The Rosary (; , in the sense of "crown of roses" or "garland of roses"), formally known as the Psalter of Jesus and Mary (Latin: Psalterium Jesu et Mariae), also known as the Dominican Rosary (as distinct from other forms of rosary such as the ...

are still 'walked' from St.

Columba Columba () or Colmcille (7 December 521 – 9 June 597 AD) was an Irish abbot and missionary evangelist credited with spreading Christianity in what is today Scotland at the start of the Hiberno-Scottish mission. He founded the important abbey ...

's chapel to Doon Well on

Hogmanay Hogmanay ( , ) is the Scots language, Scots word for the last day of the old year and is synonymous with the celebration of the New Year in the Scottish manner. It is normally followed by further celebration on the morning of New Year's Day (1 ...

(New Year's Eve) and May eve.

Mass Rocks

Mass rock A Mass rock ( Irish: ''Carraig an Aifrinn)'' was a rock used as an altar by the Catholic Church in Ireland, during the 17th and 18th centuries, as a location for secret and illegal gatherings of faithful attending the Mass offered by outlawed ...

s were used during the

religious persecution Religious persecution is the systematic oppression of an individual or a group of individuals as a response to their religion, religious beliefs or affiliations or their irreligion, lack thereof. The tendency of societies or groups within socie ...

of the

Catholic Church in Ireland The Catholic Church in Ireland, or Irish Catholic Church, is part of the worldwide Catholic Church in communion with the Holy See. With 3.5 million members (in the Republic of Ireland), it is the largest Christian church in Ireland. In ...

that began under

Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is known for his Wives of Henry VIII, six marriages and his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. ...

and ended only with Catholic Emancipation in 1829. There are thought to be several more in the Termon area and were generally in areas were people could meet, practice their faith and post a look out to warn the congregation. Priests usually said

Mass Mass is an Intrinsic and extrinsic properties, intrinsic property of a physical body, body. It was traditionally believed to be related to the physical quantity, quantity of matter in a body, until the discovery of the atom and particle physi ...

under pain of death, if they were caught, the

priest hunter A priest hunter was a person who, acting on behalf of the English and later British government, spied on or captured Catholic priests during Penal Times. Priest hunters were effectively bounty hunters. Some were volunteers, experienced soldiers ...

s would put their quarry into a barrel of nails and throw him off the nearby cliff still called 'Binn an tSagairt' or Hill of the Priest. There is also a mass rock in the Terhillion townland of Termon, Terhillion (Tirkillin) means place of little huts or churchyard. The town land of Fawans has a mass rock which is high up in the townland.

Rock of Doon

Doon Rock (120m approx) is the site where 25

O'Donnell The O'Donnell dynasty ( or ''Ó Domhnaill,'' ''Ó Doṁnaill'' ''or Ua Domaill;'' meaning "descendant of Dónal") were the dominant Irish clan of the kingdom of Tyrconnell in Ulster in the north of medieval and early modern Ireland. Naming ...

s were inaugurated as

Chief of the Name The Chief of the Name, or in older English usage Captain of his Nation, is the recognised head of a family or clan ( Irish and Scottish Gaelic: ''fine'') in Ireland and Scotland. Ireland There are instances where Norman lords of the time like ...

and

Lord Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power (social and political), power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler. The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the Peerage o ...

Tír Chonaill Tyrconnell (), also spelled Tirconnell and Tirconaill, was a kingdom of Gaelic Ireland. It is associated geographically with present-day County Donegal, which was officially named ''County Tirconaill'' between 1922 and 1927. At times it also i ...

from Eighneachan in 1200 to Niall Garbh Ó Domhnaill in 1603. While describing how

Red Hugh O'Donnell Hugh Roe O'Donnell II (; 20 October 1572 – 30 August 1602), also known as Red Hugh O'Donnell, was an Irish Chief of the Name, clan chief and senior leader of the Irish confederacy during the Nine Years' War (Ireland), Nine Years' War. He was ...

was inaugurated on 3 May 1592, Timothy T. O'Donnell has written: :"The inauguration of the O'Donnell as King of Tyrconnell was both civil and religious in nature. The ceremony took place on the great Rock of Doon which is one mile west of

Kilmacrenan Kilmacrennan ( or ), also Kilmacrenan, is a village, townland and civil parish in County Donegal, Ireland. The village population was 888, as of the 2022 census. The village's population has increased steadily over the last decade with many n ...

, from which one is give a breathtaking view of the surrounding country. It began with the religious rites in the church of the nearby monastery and

holy well A holy well or sacred spring is a well, Spring (hydrosphere), spring or small pool of water revered either in a Christianity, Christian or Paganism, pagan context, sometimes both. The water of holy wells is often thought to have healing qualitie ...

singing Psalms and hymns in honor of Christ and St.

for the success of the Prince's sovereignty. Standing on the Rock surrounded by nobles and his clansmen, the Prince received an oath in which he promised to preserve the Church and the laws of the land. The Prince also vowed to deliver the succession of the realm peacefully to his

Tanist Tanistry is a Gaelic system for passing on titles and lands. In this system the Tanist (; ; ) is the office of heir-apparent, or second-in-command, among the (royal) Gaelic patrilineal dynasties of Ireland, Scotland and Mann, to succeed to ...

(his successor). O'Ferghil, the

hereditary warden Heredity, also called inheritance or biological inheritance, is the passing on of traits from parents to their offspring; either through asexual reproduction or sexual reproduction, the offspring cells or organisms acquire the genetic informat ...

and abbot of Kilmacrenan, performed the religious ceremony of the inauguration of The O'Donnell. O'Gallagher was the Prince's Marshal and

O'Clery O'Clery is a surname, and may refer to: * Conor O'Clery, Irish journalist and writer * Helen O'Clery (1910–2006), Irish writer of children's books * Keyes O'Clery (1849–1913) - The O'Clery - Irish barrister and Home Rule politician See also ...

was the

Ollamh An or ollamh (; anglicised as ollave or ollav), plural ollomain, in early Irish literature, was a master in a particular trade or skill. Bard Generally, ''ollam'' referred to a professional poet or bard of literature and history, and a membe ...

, or scholarly lawyer who presented to him the book containing the laws and customs of the land and the straight

white wand The White Rod, White Wand, Rod of Inauguration, or Wand of Sovereignty, in the Irish language variously called the slat na ríghe (rod of kingship) and slat tighearnais (rod of lordship), was the primary symbol of a Gaelic king or lord's legitima ...

symbolizing the moral rectitude demanded of his judgments and rule." Then, in honour of the

Holy Trinity The Trinity (, from 'threefold') is the Christian doctrine concerning the nature of God, which defines one God existing in three, , consubstantial divine persons: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ) and God the Holy Spirit, three ...

, Hugh would have surveyed his Clan lands as he walked three times

sunwise Sunwise, sunward or deasil (sometimes spelled ''deosil''), are terms meaning to go clockwise or in the direction of the sun, as seen from the Northern Hemisphere. The opposite term is ''widdershins'' (Middle Low German), or ''tuathal'' (Scottish ...

around the peak of Rock of Doon, after which all the

Irish clan Irish clans are traditional kinship groups sharing a common surname and heritage and existing in a lineage-based society, originating prior to the 17th century. A clan (or in Irish, plural ) included the chief and his patrilineal relatives; howe ...

s present loudly acclaimed him as "O'Donnell!" Timothy T. O'Donnell (2001), ''Swords Around the Cross: Ireland's Defense of Faith and Fatherland 1594-1603'', Christendom Press. Pages 48-49.

Cahir O'Doherty Sir Cahir O'Doherty ( or ; 1587 – 5 July 1608) was the last Gaelic Irish chief of the O'Doherty clan, who in 1608 launched a failed rebellion against the English crown. O'Doherty was the eldest son of clan chief John O'Doherty, ruler of ...

, Lord of

Inishowen 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 ringfor ...

, was also killed in battle there by

Sir Arthur Chichester Arthur Chichester, 1st Baron Chichester (May 1563 – 19 February 1625), known between 1596 and 1613 as Sir Arthur Chichester, of Carrickfergus in Ireland, was an English administrator and soldier who served as Lord Deputy of Ireland from 1605 ...

in 1608, while leading an uprising. This event was a significant influence on the formulation of plans for the

plantation of Ulster The Plantation of Ulster (; Ulster Scots dialects, Ulster Scots: ) was the organised Settler colonialism, colonisation (''Plantation (settlement or colony), plantation'') of Ulstera Provinces of Ireland, province of Irelandby people from Great ...

St. Columba's Chapel

Termon is served by St. Columba's Chapel (1854–present). The parish priest is Fr Patrick McHugh.

Ethne's Well

Ethne's Well (), in the Barnes townland, is named after

's mother Ethne. This holy well had stations performed on 9 June for nine nights.

St. Glassan

St. Glassan is a saint of the parish of whom little is known. The "Martyrology of Donegal" gives his feast day as 1 October. The grave of Father Glasán (Frater Cassians) is thought to be in the Stragraddy townland of Termon.

References

{{County Donegal O'Donnell dynasty Towns and villages in County Donegal