Buncrana

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Buncrana
Bun Cranncha

Aoibhinn linn aille na hAite seo: "sweet to us is the beauty of this place"

Location

WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates:
55.1364° N 7.4560° W

Irish Grid Reference
C346320

Statistics

62 m (206 ft)

Population (2002)
- Town:
- Rural:

3,420
1,851

Buncrana (Bun Cranncha in Irish) is a town in County Donegal, Ireland. It is located on the Inishowen peninsula, along Lough Swilly in the north west of Ireland. Neds Point Fort lies to the north of the town. It is the second largest town in County Donegal and the largest in Inishowen. It is only 10 kilometres from Derry city and 43 kilometres from Letterkenny. It is twinned with Campbellsville, Kentucky

Folklore legend Michael Camp is rumoured to be from Buncrana, with many of his more famous stories being set there.

Buncrana is situated in the west of the Inishowen peninsula, which itself is situated in county Donegal, Ireland. The name Buncrana comes from the Irish Bun Cranncha, which translates to "Bottom Of The Crana". The Crana being the river which Buncrana was built beside. The river runs into lough Swilly, which is said to be the deepest lough in Ireland & Britain. In the 2002 Census, the population of Buncrana was recorded as 5271 (1851 of which reside just outside the town) making it the second largest town in County Donegal. A lot of development has taken place in the town centre in recent years, 'Ardravan Square' is almost complete.

Ar Ais Aris 2007 Every year (usually the last week in July - first week of August), the town holds it's annual music festival which usually runs for seven days and seven nights and finishes off with a huge fireworks display on the banks of Lough Swilly. This year however, the festival will run be a 3/4 day event (still undecided), it will run from the 21st / 22nd of July to the 25th. For an idea of what goes on, take a look at last years line up by following this link. Since its inception in 1992, the festival has gone from strength to strength, playing host to leading acts and offering many day time activities for both adults and children alike.

The Inishowen Peninsula has been referred to as 'Ireland in miniature' with beautiful, deserted sandy beaches dappled along its rugged coastline and breathtaking scenery amidst its unspoiled natural environment. The scenic mountain ranges and rambling hills offer boundless routes for hill walkers and hikers, while the beaches provide excellent facilities for sailing, swimming, water sports and fishing.

Buncrana, which is the principal town on the peninsula, provides a rich variety of culture, amenities and outdoor activities to create a high quality of life in County Donegal.

Bluegrass musician John Cutliffe and playwright Frank McGuinness were from Buncrana. In May, 1991 Sinn Féin councillor Eddie Fullerton was killed in Buncrana.