Carndonagh Carn Domhnach
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Town | |
South West View of Carndonagh
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Location in Ireland | |
Coordinates: 55°15′N 7°16′W / 55.25°N 7.27°WCoordinates: 55°15′N 7°16′W / 55.25°N 7.27°W | |
Country | Ireland |
Province | Ulster |
County | County Donegal |
Dáil Éireann | Donegal North-East |
EU Parliament | North–West |
Elevation | 32 m (105 ft) |
Population (2011) | |
• Total | 2,534 |
Irish Grid Reference | C467453 |
Carndonagh (Irish: Carn Domhnach) on the Inishowen peninsula in County Donegal, Ireland. The town lies close to the shores of Trawbeaga Bay. Carndonagh is the site of the Donagh Cross, which belonged to an early Christian monastery founded by St. Patrick for Bishop MacCairthan. The original Irish name, Carn Domhnach, means the burial mound of the church. The town is laid out around a central square, or Diamond, and is dominated by its Italianate Catholic church. It is also home to many national schools such as both St. Patrick's GNS and BNS and Carndonagh Community School, formerly the largest community school in Ireland. It is a small but pretty town consisting of cafés, pubs, a variety of shops and a nightclub, 'Tul na Ri'. Carndonagh has a community of active musicians, artists and writers and is home to the Inishowen Carnival Group and the Inishowen Gospel choir (both international performers).
Carndonagh railway station opened on 1 July 1907, but finally closed on 2 December 1935.
The town is typical of most on the fringes of Ireland, virtually isolated in terms of a reliable transportation system, car ownership is seen as the only means of escape.
The town is served by Foyle Coaches which provides four buses Monday to Friday travelling from Carndonagh to Derry City and vice versa, with three buses on the route on Saturdays. There is also a bus service which is run by John McGinley's bus company. This provides a regular bus service from Carndonagh to Dublin.
Carndonagh consists of a number of small businesses. Shops such as Deirdre's at the Diamond, Blush Boutique and Global Fashions are alongside pubs such as the Arch Inn, the Persian and McClure's in the town. There are a number of cafes - Café Donagh, Caffe Banba, Claire the Bakers - with a couple of restaurants located around the local area - the Butterbean, Simpsons. Hairdressers and beauticians such as Vixen Hair and Beauty, Powder & Pout, Prestige Hair and Beauty, Inish Beauty and Laser Clinic and Serenity Hair Design are popular in the area.