Ballybofey

History

A few miles west of Ballybofey, on the main road to Fintown (the R252), is the Glenmore Estate, located at Welchtown. The estate formerly included Glenmore Lodge, a country house that stood on the opposite, southern bank of the River Finn, near Glenmore Bridge. The house was originally built in the Georgian-style in the mid-to-late-18th-century. It was reworked for Sir William Styles in the neo-Tudor-style in the early 20th century. The house was demolished in the 1990s. The private estate is now known for its fishing and hunting.

The town grew rapidly in the 19th and 20th centuries. There are no schools or churches in the town of Ballybofey itself, with all these amenities lying either across the bridge in Stranorlar or outside the town limits. This is due to laws during plantation times when certain Catholic buildings were not allowed within a specified range of Protestant towns, in this case Stranorlar, though Stranorlar now has both a Roman Catholic and a Church of Ireland church.

Events

Ballybofey previously played host to an annual Twin Towns Festival. The last of these took place in August 2007.

The Balor Arts Centre is a 300-seat arts and theatre complex, and Butt Drama Circle is a local amateur drama group.

Sport

Ballybofey is home to Finn Park where League of Ireland side Finn Harps play their home games. Seán MacCumhaill Park is also located in Ballybofey, where the Donegal senior football team have their county office and play most of their home games.

Transport

Ballybofey railway station opened on 3 June 1895, but closed on 15 December 1947.

Bus Éireann routes 64 (Derry/Galway) and 480 (Ballybofey/Derry) pass through the town.

TFI Local Link route 264 (Ballyshannon/Letterkenny), 288 (Ballybofey/Derry) and 290 (Ballybofey/Letterkenny) all service the town.

The town is on the N15 road. The N15 has a junction with the N13 road in Stranorlar.

People

• Isaac Butt (1813–1879) – politician, leader of the Home Rule League, born a short distance away in Glenfin, where the Isaac Butt Memorial Hall stands
• John Dunleavy (born 1991) – footballer
• Conal Gallen (born 1955) – singer and comedian.
• Oisín Gallen – footballer
• Jimmy Kelly (1911–1970) – footballer
• Ernan McMullin (1924–2011) – philosopher
• Joseph Barclay Pentland (1797–1873) – geographer, natural scientist, and traveller.
• Jason Quigley (born 1991) – boxer

References

References

1. (2016). "Sapmap Area – Settlements – Ballybofey-Stranorlar". [[Central Statistics Office (Ireland).
2. "Census for post 1821 figures.". CSO.
3. "The Online Historical Population Reports Website". Histpop.
4. "Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency – Census Home Page". Nisranew.nisra.gov.uk.
5. "Census Interactive Map – Towns: Ballybofey-Stranorlar". [[Central Statistics Office (Ireland).
6. Rowan, Prof. Alistair. (1979). "Buildings of Ireland: North West Ulster.". Penguin Books.
7. "Donegal Direct". Donegal Direct.
8. "Balor Arts Centre {{!}} Donegal Diaspora".
9. (2017-02-20). "Butt Drama Circle to perform Brian Friel classic".
10. "Finn Harps website". Finn Harps F.C..
11. "Sean Mac Cumhaills".
12. "Ballybofey station". Railscot – Irish Railways.
13. "Expressway Timetable Route 64, Galway - Derry - Bus Éireann - View Ireland Bus and Coach Timetables & Buy Tickets".
14. "Bus Éireann Timetable Route 480, Derry - Donegal - Ballyshannon - Sligo - Bus Éireann - View Ireland Bus and Coach Timetables & Buy Tickets".
15. "123968 SITT TT 264 Ballyshannon to Letterkenny 4pg DL".
16. "426-288-Stranorlar-to-Derry-2.jpg".
17. "290-988-Ballybofey-Cloghan-to-Letterkenny-TT.jpg".
18. Reid, Colin W.. (2014). "'An Experiment in Constructive Unionism': Isaac Butt, Home Rule and Federalist Political Thought during the 1870s". [[The English Historical Review]].
19. (24 March 2022). "Barnet sign John Dunleavy on loan from Wolves". BBC Sport.
20. (12 October 2011). "Conal set to leave them laughing in TG4 series". [[Donegal Democrat]].
21. (13 December 2023). "Oisín Gallen wins Gradam Shéamuis Mhic Géidigh". [[Ocean FM (Ireland).
22. (10 February 2011). "Sad Passing of Brilliant Donegal Priest Who Became Professor Emeritus of Philisophy[sic] at Amercian[sic] University".
23. "Joseph Barclay Pentland". Dictionary of Ulster Biography.
24. (3 June 2021). "'When he said 'from Ballybofey, Donegal'... The legs went". Journal Media Ltd.
25. (18 November 2021). "Amazing Mural of Jason Quigley Unveiled in Twin Towns".