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LETTERKENNY
is the largest town in Donegal and, indeed, the only one with a population in excess of ten thousand. It has been the county's commercial focus ever since Derry was partitioned into the North and has undergone massive redevelopment in recent years with a refurbished town centre, huge new shopping malls and a growing industrial sprawl beyond its boundaries. Letterkenny's boast is that it is the main place for entertainment in the northwest and there certainly is an ebullient bustle about the place. Although it sits at the mouth of Lough Swilly, there's no water in sight, and the main visual element is the file of shop windows down the main street. The most notable sight is the huge nineteenth-century
St Eunan's Cathedral
, with its intricate stone-roped ceiling, flying buttresses and gaelicized Stations of the Cross. The only other place of interest in town is the
Donegal County Museum
(Mon-Fri 10am-12.30pm & 1-4.30pm, Sat 1-4.30pm; free), housed in part of the old Letterkenny workhouse. Temporary exhibitions occupy the downstairs area while upstairs is a typical display of artefacts from megalithic to more recent times, including the keys and lock of the old Lifford jail, and an account of the old Donegal County Railway which ran to and from Letterkenny. If you're heading west on the R250 Fintown road, look out for the restored
Newmills Corn and Flax Mills
(June-Sept daily 10am-6.30pm; E2/e¬2.53; Heritage Card), in a pleasant setting by the River Swilly and, naturally, powered by its waters. The mill closed as late as 1982 and much of the old machinery is still present.
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