Donegal Annual / Bliainiris Thír Chonaill, Vol. 2, No. 1 (1951)

PE1,TIGO Seventeen miles from Bal:yshannon, on the Bundoran-Enniskillen G.N.R. line lies Pettigo, {Paite Gobha : The Place of the Smith's Horse), well known as the gate-'Way to the famous Lough Derg, pilgrimage centre. N estlin,g in a hollow between -wooded hills near the Northern shore of Lough Erne, it is a good angling centre. Part of the town is in the 'Six Counties, the narrow R. Termon running through it coinciding with the Border. As we:1 as angling there is :good shooting to be h:id in the neighibourhood ,but no free shooting. There are fou!' churches- 1S1.. . Mary's Catholic Church; the Church of Ireland; the Presbyte~ian and the Methodist. The post office at Mill St. transacts a11 postal business and there are two bank branches opening on Mondays and fair days. P:aces of interest are-Castle Magyath, 1 ! miles from the town. the ruin of a 16th century fortress; the Recto~v. Aue:hnahoo where John Kells Ingram, author of the famous poem ''Who Fears to Speak of '!)8" was born in 1823. Templecarn graveyard, 3 miles north of the town, in which is a wel:-preserved Mass shelter used in Pen- .al times; a cairn and megalithic tomh at the foot of Kinnago in the Tamlacht townland, 3 miles no:!.'th from the town. Half a mile awny is an inte!'esting do]men and nearby what i8 believed to be a very ancient graveyard. LOUGH DERG T Jough Derg (Loch Dearg-The Red Lake) is known the wor1d over as a place of pilgrimage. To the Irish people this romantic lake has Leen known and cher· i::;hed for ove,r 1500 years, and its history has been a succession of romantic and frequent:y tragic events. The lake is dotted with islands the principal of which i~ Station Island or St. Patrick's Purgatory, half a mile from the mainland shore.· It is on this island the pilg-rimage is made. Less than an acre in extent, the g!'eater part of it is occupied by buildings pertaining to the pilgrimage including the beautiful Church of St. Pa trick, a splendid modern edifice in Romanesque style. It has been raised to the dignity of a minor basilica, an honour which bas never' been accorded to any other church in these islands. Visitors a·re not allowed on the island during the pilgrimage season (which lasts from lst .J qpe to 15th August) except as pilgrims. The greatest and most impo:-tant of Irish pilgrimages it is the most vigorous in a:I Christendom. The Lough lies H- miles f.rom Pettigo and there is a re,gular ferry service between Island and mainland. DONEGAL TOWN Donegal Town (Dun na nGa1:- The Fo!'tress of the Foreigner), on the Rive1" Eske. at the head of Donegal Bay is a busy and prosperous town, marketing centre foi~ a wide stretch of ag!'icultural land. Possessed of many attractions it is also a tourist centre for a district rich in historical associations and heautiful seen-, ery. The town presents a pleasing appearance. Radiating from the triangu1a!· Diamond are three main roads, one to Derry, ~me to Sligo and one to West Donegal. It is well served by transport346.

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