DONEGAL, a maritime co. in Ulster province, and washed by the Atlantic on the n. and west. Its greatest length is 85 miles; greatest breadth, 41; average, 27; area, 1865 sq.m., one third being arable, and AT in wood. The coast-line is 395 in. long, being indented by many deep bays, and loughs, some 2 to 20 m. broad, and 15 to 25 long. Some of the coast cliffs rise from 500 to 800 feet. Of the many isles off the coast, 17 are inhabited. Except a small tract in the e. and s.e., the surface is mountainous, moony, and boggy, with many small lakes and rivers, associated with endless fairy tales and traditions. The highest hill, Erigal, rises 2,462 ft:, and several other hills exceed 2,000 feet. The mountain-ridges run n.e. and s.w. The largest stream is the Foyle, running 16 m. n.e. into Lough Foyle. Derg is the largest loch. The geolog ical structure of D. consists of granite, metamorphic rocks, and graywacke, with Devo nian and carboniferous limestone strata and trap. White marble occurs at Dunlewy. Except on the Foyle, the climate is moist, raw, and boisterous from violent w. and n.w. winds. There are many ruins of houses and churches overwhelmed with sand. Of the Irish counties, D., in ratio to its area, has least land in cultivation and occupied in towns and woods. The soil is generally cold and poor on the primitive rocks, and light clay on the slaty. In 1878, 237,222 acres were in crop, the largest proportion being oats, potatoes, turnips, and flax. There are manufactures of linen, worsted stockings, worked muslins, and kelp, and fisheries of cod, sole, plaice, herring. and mackerel. Trade is
chiefly through Londonderry. Inaccessible retreats and abundance of turf-fuel made D. at one time the chief seat of illicit distillation in Ireland. It contains 6 baronies, 8 poor law unions, and 51 parishes. Pop. '41, 296,448; '51, 255,160; '71, 218,334, of whom 165,270 are Roman Catholics, 27,125 Episcopalians, 23,080 Presbyterians, and the rest of other denominations. D. sends two members to parliament. 'The towns are small, the chief being Lifford, the county town; Ballyshannon, Letterkenny, Rathmelton, Donegal, and Killybegs. Industrious farmers and artisans occupy the low fertile tracts. The population of the mountain districts has been much diminished by emigra tion. Till 1612, when James I. planted Ulster with English and Scotch settlers, the s. part of D. was called Tyrconnel, and belonged to the O'Donnels, who, from the 12th c., were inaugurated as princes of Tyrconnel on Donne rock, near Kilmacrenan. D. has many ruins and traces of forts, of 30 religious houses, castles, and of the palace of the north Irish kings on a hill near Laugh Swilly. Near Derry is the coronation-stone of the ancient Irish kings. D. contains many memorials of St. Columba. Warren, in 1798, captured a French fleet off Tory isle, which contains the remains of seven churches, two stone crosses, and a round tower. St. Patrick's Purgatory is on an isle in Loch Derg. Near Horn Head is a hole in the roof of a cave, called APSwiney's Gun, from which issue, at times,' jets of water with loud explosions.