PREFACE 1 D~negal is a maratime county, bounded Oil the North by the .AJLantic, -0n the East a.~d S:-m1th by Lough Foyle 1and Counties Derry,_ Tyrone, Fermanagh ·and Leitrim, and on the West by the A'~la:ntic. I·ts greaitest length, North-Ea.sit 1and South-West, is 85 m.Jes a.~.a greatest breadth, South-East, 41 miles. It comprises an area of 1,201,408 1.Sf1atue acres, ar.ld the coast is indented by numerous bays, of which the principal are Lough iSwilly, Lough Foyle, Mulroy, Sheephaven, Teelin, Killybegs, Inver and Donegal Chief of Jthe nume1Jous islands lying off its coast are Innistrahul, North Arr.an and Tory. Much of 'the COUil1ty i,s mountainous w.iith large tracts 'Of bog but there are great s'tetiches of fertile ;agricurtural land, most important of which is, perhaps, lthat in th'; Raphoe district known as the Lagga.~. Lakes ;and rivers are nUJmetous but small. The subsoil is chiefly .graniJte, micas11ate and hmes't.one. The iclimalte is moist. :Aot·atoes, oats .and flax are the chief er-ops. The population has g.rown from 218,334 in 1871 to 2-20,346 i.n .1951. Agriculture and fishing . are principal sources of employmen1t but there are many small, ligttt industries. The manufacture of tweed (especially in !the Wes'tern Glaeltacht area) and woollen goods, shirts and collars etc., · gives much employmen't. There are Urba.n District Councils at Buncrania. Bundoran -and Letterkenny, To:wn Commissione.rs at Ballyshannon and a Harbour Board wt Kill!ybegs. The County contains the Raphoe Diocese ;and parts tof 'those of Derry qnd Clogher consisting of 51 pari!shes. The towns and la,rger !Villages (in alphabetical order iand wi•th approximate population figures, where 1available, give~ in parenthisi;s) are Ardara (44:2), Ballintra, Ballindr1ait, iBallybofey (736), Ballyshannoa (2,2:23), Bunb€g, Buncra,:n!a, (2,'295), Bundoran (1,3512), Buiitonport, Carndonagh (660), · Cardck, Carrigans, Carrigart, Oastlefi.n, Clonmany, Convoy, 1Creeslough, Culdaff, Don-=gal (1,315), Dunfann1ghy, : Dunglloe ·(593), Dunkineely, Falcarragh, Glencolumbkille, Glenties (360), 1Gortah0;rk, Greencastle, Giweedore, Inver, KHcar, Killybegs (631), Killytgordcn, Kilmacrennan, Laghey, Letterke.niny (2,649); Lifford,, IM:alin, Manorcunninghiam, Milford, 1Mountcharles (313); M·oville (937)1; Narin and Portnoo, Ne1wtawncunningham., Petitigo, (350); Portsalon, Hamelton (9'24); Raphoe, Rathmullian (402); St. Johnston and Stranorlar ( 462). ·Politically the county is divided into two consitituencies, which together send seiven deputies to Dail Eireann. CR.epresenti.ng the \Vest ·donstituerncy are Deputies Corunac Breslin, iBunbeg, (Leas CE'3.n Comhairle), Joseph Brennan, tDunkineely (Fia.nna Fail) ; 1and P. O'Donnell, ~olidtor, Dungloe (Fine Gael). The East is represenJted by Deputies D. Mad\1enamin, B.L., Glenfin (Fine Gail); Neil Og Bl:aney, Rossnakill (Fianr::a Fail); .w. W. Sheldon, Raphoe (Ind.),; and Liam Cunningham, Bur't (Fianna Fail). Mr. Michael Og MacFad<len, for many years a Fine Gael deputy, is now a Senator.
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