These Irish name elements are associated with this record in the Logainm glossary.
An element’s translation is a clue, rather than a complete explanation of the name. Its form and meaning depend on local history and the full Irish name.
Recorded forms
Leitir Ceanainn· Irish · main form · validated name
Letterkenny· English · main form
Place & story
A market at the head of navigation
Samuel Lewis described Letterkenny in 1837 as a town of one main street, a large market square and 416 houses. The Swilly was navigable from Lough Swilly to the town by vessels carrying 150 tons. Its Friday market and several annual fairs connected river transport with the surrounding countryside. Nearby resources included slate, building stone, marl and clay suitable for pottery and bricks. The river crossing, market and access to the lough supplied the town with several complementary sources of work.[2]
Courts, schools and churches
The directory records a courthouse, a six-cell bridewell and regular petty and quarter sessions. A dispensary and small fever hospital attended to illness, while a national school formed part of the town’s educational provision. Its places of worship included the parish church, a modest Catholic chapel and three Presbyterian meeting places representing different traditions. This was the town before the much larger Catholic cathedral rose above it at the end of the nineteenth century.[2]
People & connections
Patrick O’Donnell’s cathedral project
Bishop Patrick O’Donnell laid the foundation stone of the Cathedral of Saints Eunan and Columba on 6 September 1891. William Hague designed the building, which was constructed in Mountcharles sandstone. The project drew support from emigrant communities: priests travelled to America, Canada, England and Scotland to raise funds. Dedicated in June 1901, the cathedral contains glass made by the Mayer firm of Munich and work by the Pearse firm of Dublin. A statue of O’Donnell in the grounds commemorates the bishop’s part in bringing the project to completion.[3][4]
Both counts use the 2016 settlement boundary, allowing like-for-like comparison. CSO supplies the 2022 count on this older boundary for comparison only. The official 2022 Built Up Area has different boundaries.
View population figures
Letterkenny — Census 2016 settlement footprint — census population
These are the historical areas published in the 2006 census report. Boundaries may differ between censuses and from modern settlements. Legal towns, environs and suburbs are shown separately; none has been combined into a modern settlement total.
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Letterkenny Legal Town, Donegal — Legal town, CSO 2006 report — census population
Letterkenny Environs, Donegal — Town environs only, CSO 2006 report
2002–2006: town environs only
2,524people · 2006
These are the historical areas published in the 2006 census report. Boundaries may differ between censuses and from modern settlements. Legal towns, environs and suburbs are shown separately; none has been combined into a modern settlement total.
View population figures
Letterkenny Environs, Donegal — Town environs only, CSO 2006 report — census population
These are the historical areas published in the 1996 census report. Boundaries may differ between censuses and from modern settlements. Legal towns, environs and suburbs are shown separately; none has been combined into a modern settlement total.
View population figures
Letterkenny Legal Town, Donegal — Legal town, CSO 1996 report — census population
Letterkenny Environs, Donegal — Town environs only, CSO 1996 report
1991–1996: town environs only
4,390people · 1996
These are the historical areas published in the 1996 census report. Boundaries may differ between censuses and from modern settlements. Legal towns, environs and suburbs are shown separately; none has been combined into a modern settlement total.
View population figures
Letterkenny Environs, Donegal — Town environs only, CSO 1996 report — census population
Letterkenny, Donegal — Town environs only, CSO 1986 report
1981–1986: town environs only
3,118people · 1986
Figures cover the historical town area printed in the 1986 report. Boundaries may have changed between censuses. Legal town, environs and suburb totals remain separate and differ from modern settlement boundaries.
View population figures
Letterkenny, Donegal — Town environs only, CSO 1986 report — census population
Figures cover the historical town area printed in the 1986 report. Boundaries may have changed between censuses. Legal town, environs and suburb totals remain separate and differ from modern settlement boundaries.
View population figures
Letterkenny, Donegal — Legal town, CSO 1986 report — census population
These figures use different area definitions. Read the boundary note before comparing them.
Letterkenny, Donegal — 2011 legal town and environs; 2016 census settlement
Published census settlement populations
19,274people · 2016
Settlement boundaries changed during this period. Differences may reflect boundary changes as well as population change. Where a 2011 legal-town-and-environs count is shown, it has not been recalculated onto the 2016 settlement boundary.
View population figures
Letterkenny, Donegal — 2011 legal town and environs; 2016 census settlement — census population
Cathedral of St Eunan and St Columba, Letterkenny, County Donegal illustration: based on a Letterkenny - St Eunan's Cathedral by Colin Park. AI-assisted watercolour and ink adaptation; cream paper margins added, incidental clutter omitted and fine details simplified. Licence: CC BY-SA 2.0.
placenames