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Donegal is situated in the
north-west of Ireland and surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the west;
Counties Derry, Tyrone and Fermanagh to the east and Counties Leitrim and Sligo
to the south. The County has six hundred and fifty kilometres of coastline with many sheltered bays and Blue flag beaches. Dún na nGall is Irish for *fort of the foreigner*, so called from having repelled the numerous Viking raids on the County in the 8th and 9th centuries. Donegal is one of the least populated Counties in Ireland with only 130,000 inhabitants. The West of the County contains the largest Gaeltacht (Irish speaking district) in Ireland and Malin Head, Ireland's most northernly point, is situated in the Inis Eoghain peninsula of County Donegal. The County's largest town is Letterkenny with a population of 15,000, while Lifford is the administrative centre of the County. Cattle and sheep farming together with fishing and textile industries are the main means of employment in Donegal. Several hundred students graduate each year at Letterkenny Institute of Technology, making Donegal an attractive location for the hardware and software industries. One of the most appealing aspects of the weather in Donegal is its changeability due to the influence of the Atlantic Ocean. It is true to say that in Donegal you can experience rain and sunshine at the same time! In 1999 Malin Head weather station reported 999.7mm of rainfall for the year and an annual mean temperature of 10.4 degrees Centigrade (Central Statistics Office). |
Tá an daonra is lú i nDún na nGall (130,000 duine) na condae ar bith eile sa tír. Tá an Ghaeltacht is mó sa tír súite in Iarthar na condae agus tá Ceann Mhailinn, an pointe is faide aduaidh sa tír, suite i leathinis Inis Eoghain. Leitir Ceanainn an bhaile is mó sa chondae le daonra de 24,000 agus is é Leifear iárionad riarthach an chondae.
| Tá cuid is mó de fhostaíocht an chondae déanta suas de fheirmeoireacht eallach agus caoirigh chomh maith le iascaireacht agus teicstílí. Gach bhlian bronntar céimeanna ar na céadta míc leínn ón Institiúid Teicneolaíocht Leitir Ceanann agus cuidíonn seo go mór le tionscail crua-earraí agus bog-earraí a mhealladh go Dún na nGall. Is é ceann de na gnéithe is tarraingteach faoin aimsir i nDún na nGall nó an doigh a athraíonn sé de bharr tionchar an tAigéan Atlantach. Tá sé fíor le rá go dtig leat an fhearthainn agus solas na gréine a mhothú ag an am céanna i nDún na nGall! I 1999, i staisiún na h-aimsire I gCeann Mhailinn, taifeadadh an tuairisc gur thit 999.7mm d'fhearthaine i rith na bliaina agus go raibh méan theocht de 10.4 céim ceinteagrádach sa cheantar (an tOifig Staidreamh Lárnach). © |