Bundoran

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

You have new messages (last change).

Bundoran
Bun Dobhráin

Location

WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates:
54.4754° N 8.2838° W

Irish Grid Reference
G8761

Statistics

Population ()

Bundoran Seafront

Town Bundoran and hills (sight from library).

Bundoran (Bun Dobhráin in Irish) is a tourist town on the coast of County Donegal, Ireland. Attractions include a beach/seafront, golf course and swimming pool with slides. The town is located on the N15 road near Ballyshannon approximately 3 and a half hours drive from Dublin but this has decreased with the opening of a new inner relief road in Sligo.

1 Entertainment
2 The By-Pass
3 History and Famous People
4 Sport
5 External links

[edit] Entertainment

Bundoran is popular for surfing, with a beach in the centre of town (Main beach), and another beach, Tullan Strand, close by. Main beach has lifeguards on duty during the summer months. Tullan Strand has rip currents which make it unsafe for swimming, but it is a popular surfing beach during the summer, with bigger waves than in town. Rossnowlagh, 15 minutes drive from Bundoran, is the safest beach for beginner surfers, with no rip currents and lifeguards on duty.

The Donegal Adventure Centre, Bundoran surf company, and Turf'n'surf lodge offer visitors surfing lessons.

There is a popular walk from Main beach to Tullan strand around the headland with a sea-view.

Bundoran is also home to Water World, which has the fastest indoor water slide in Ireland.

The Donegal Adventure Centre offers visitors lessons in surfing, skating, climbing, hiking, and various outdoor activities.

There is also Bundoran Glowbowl, a Ten Pin Bowling Centre in the middle of the town.

There is a six screen cineplex [1] opposite the new Market Square Shopping Centre on Railway Road.

[edit] The By-Pass

In April 2006 the new 80 million euro Bundoran/Ballyshannon bypass rendered the resort more accessible for visitors who come there each summer. The Drowes River where the southern part of the bypass commences and which separates Leitrim and Donegal is also the demarcation point between the provinces of Connacht to the south and Ulster to the north. It was the largest major infrastructural development in the south of the county, since the inception of the Great Northern Railway, which ran to Bundoran between 1866 and 1957.

[edit] History and Famous People

Its initial claim to fame was as a place of relaxation for the Ascendancy and even into the early part of the 20th century was advertised as the Brighton of Ireland, in travel and tourist literature.

One of the pioneers of the Credit Union movement in Ireland, the late Fr Paddy Gallagher came from the town as does Brian McEniff who managed Donegal to their first and only All-Ireland Final victory at senior level in 1992 against Dublin.

Bundoran or as it is known in Irish "Bun Dobhrain" which means the foot of the little water was actually, up until over a century ago two separate villages. Bundoran was the village west of the bridge over the River Bradog, this area is now known as the West End. East of the bridge almost a mile away, was the village of Single Street. In between these two separate communities lay the historic townland of Drumacrin. The area of Drumcacrin is now part of what is todays town centre. It was only after the opening of the railiway station in 1866 which was called Bundoran that the two distinct communities developed and merged to what we know nowadays to be Bundoran. Single Street was where the majority of the local native population lived. Across the bridge in what is now the West End, was the area of residence favoured by the more affluent classes.

The first official mention of Bundoran was in 1777 when Viscount Enniskillen built Bundoran Lodge, his summer residence. This building still exists to this day and is now known as Homefield House. The Viscount seems to have started a trend amongst his contemporaries as more and more of them discovered Bundoran and visited it to enjoy the seaside location and the associated health benefits.

Indeed such was its popularity that Bundoran became known as the Brighton of Ireland. With the advances in travel, in particular the railway, Bundoran's popularity spread across the class barriers. With the opening of the railway link to Belfast and onto Dublin more and more people from the east coast of Ireland discovered the appeal of Bundoran and returned year after year. It was during this period that Bundoran emerged as one of Ireland's most popular seaside resorts. Hotels and lodging houses started to spring up around the town. The best-known hotel and indeed one of Bundoran's best landmarks the Great Northern Hotel was constructed by the Great Northern Railway Company during this period.