Milford, County Donegal

History and name

Located north of Letterkenny, the town was founded in the 18th century by the Clement family. It was named after a mill that was located on Maggie's Burn on the edge of the town.

The Irish Baile na nGallóglach literally means "town of the gallóglach". The gallóglaigh (anglicised gallowglass) were an elite class of mercenary warrior who came from Gaelic-Norse clans in Scotland between the mid-13th century and late 16th century. A battle between the Irish (helped by gallóglaigh) and the English took place on a hill in the townland and this is where the name comes from.

Amenities

The town once had two major employers: the Milford Bakery and Flour Mills and McMahons garage, but both are now long gone. There are now a post office, four supermarkets, a veterinary practice, three pubs, a health centre, a library with council offices, a fire station and fishing lakes.

The Gallowglass Community Centre was donated to the community and has been functioning since September 2023 as a venue for community events and classes.

There are four nearby beaches: Portsalon, Rathmullan, Downings, and Tramore. It is a feeder town to Letterkenny.

Education

There are a National School, Scoil Mhuire Milford; two secondary schools, Loreto Community School and Mulroy College; and an Adult Education Education and Training Board centre.

Administration

The Milford electoral area has 3 seats. In 2024 the following were elected to Donegal County Council.

• Declan Meehan (Independent)
• Pauric McGarvey (Independent)
• Liam Blaney (Fianna Fáil)

People

• Amber Barrett (born 1996) - Footballer, born in Milford
• Sean Ferriter (born 1938) - Gaelic footballer, born in Milford
• Patsy Gallacher (1891-1953) - association footballer, born in Milford
• The Baron Hay of Ballyore (born 1950) - DUP politician based in Derry who previously served as the Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly; born in Milford

Gallery

|File:Milfordchurch.JPG|St. Peter's Church, usually known locally as 'the Chapel', the local Catholic place of worship. |File:Milford Health Centre - geograph.org.uk - 1194081.jpg|Milford Health Centre

References

References

1. "Census Interactive Map – Towns: Milford". [[Central Statistics Office (Ireland).
2. "Placenames Database of Ireland".
3. O'Neill, Ciaran. (16 October 2022). "Creeslough tragedy: 'This is probably the most important paper we've ever done because we've never had tragedy of this immensity'". [[Sunday Independent (Ireland).
4. "Milford, County Donegal".
5. (14 January 2020). "Hall of Fame Honour for Sean Ferriter". [[Highland Radio]].