Stranorlar

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Town in County Donegal, Ireland

title: "Stranorlar" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["towns-and-villages-in-county-donegal", "townlands-of-county-donegal", "civil-parishes-of-county-donegal", "twin-cities"] description: "Town in County Donegal, Ireland" topic_path: "geography" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stranorlar" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Town in County Donegal, Ireland ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]

FieldValue
nameStranorlar
native_namega
settlement_typeTown
image_skylineChurch- Stranorlar.jpg
image_captionStranorlar's Roman Catholic church
pushpin_mapIreland County Donegal#Ireland
pushpin_label_positionleft
pushpin_map_captionLocation in Ireland
subdivision_typeCountry
subdivision_nameIreland
subdivision_type1Province
subdivision_name1Ulster
subdivision_type3County
subdivision_name3County Donegal
unit_prefMetric
population_density_km2auto
timezone1WET
utc_offset1+0
timezone1_DSTIST (WEST)
utc_offset1_DST+1
postal_code_typeEircode routing key
postal_codeF93
coordinates
elevation_m30
blank_nameIrish Grid Reference
blank_info
website
::

| name = Stranorlar | native_name = ga | settlement_type = Town | image_skyline = Church- Stranorlar.jpg | image_caption = Stranorlar's Roman Catholic church | pushpin_map = Ireland County Donegal#Ireland | pushpin_label_position = left | pushpin_map_caption = Location in Ireland | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = Ireland | subdivision_type1 = Province | subdivision_name1 = Ulster | subdivision_type3 = County | subdivision_name3 = County Donegal | subdivision_type4 = | subdivision_name4 = | established_title = | established_date = | unit_pref = Metric | area_footnotes = | area_total_km2 = | population_as_of = | population_footnotes = | population_total = | population_density_km2 = auto | timezone1 = WET | utc_offset1 = +0 | timezone1_DST = IST (WEST) | utc_offset1_DST = +1 | postal_code_type = Eircode routing key | postal_code = F93 | coordinates = | elevation_footnotes = | elevation_m = 30 | blank_name = Irish Grid Reference | blank_info = | website = | footnotes = Stranorlar () is a town, townland and civil parish in the Finn Valley of County Donegal, in Ireland. Stranorlar and Ballybofey (located on the other side of the River Finn) form the twin towns of Ballybofey–Stranorlar.

History

Built heritage

Evidence of ancient settlement in the area includes a number of ring fort and holy well sites in the townlands of Stranorlar, Mullandrait, Lough Hill and Admiran. Stranorlar's Church of Ireland church, St John's Church in Glebe townland, was built . Isaac Butt (1813–1879), founder of the Home Rule movement, is buried in its churchyard.

Drumboe killings

In November 1922, during the Irish Civil War, a column of Anti-Treaty IRA irregulars from the 2nd Northern Division were captured at Dunlewey in west Donegal by the National Army and held in Drumboe Castle outside Stranorlar. On 14 March 1923, they were taken from the castle to the nearby Drumboe woods and summarily executed.

There is a memorial to the four men near the Church of Ireland and Bus Éireann depot buildings, and since 1924 there has been a commemoration march to the monument each year by republicans. The four executed men were:

Transport

The town is located at the junction of the N15 and N13 national primary roads. For nearly 100 years, Stranorlar was the headquarters of the County Donegal Railway system (originally the Finn Valley Railway), with services to Derry and Letterkenny via Strabane (near Lifford), to Ballyshannon and Killybegs via Donegal, and to Glenties. At its peak, the railway had 130 employees. The last train ran from Stranorlar in 1960. As of the 21st century, the nearest operational railway station is the Northern Ireland Railways station, Derry~Londonderry railway station, in Derry.

Stranorlar railway station was built by the Finn Valley Railway and opened in September 1863 and closed on 6 February 1960. The old railway station was demolished to make way for a new bus garage owned and run by Bus Éireann. As part of a series of millennium celebrations, the old clock from the railway station was restored and installed in a new clock tower which sits at the old pedestrian entrance to the railway station yard. The town is one of the two Bus Éireann depots in County Donegal.

The town is served by the Bus Éireann No. 64 (Derry/Galway) service which connects the town to Donegal Town, Ballyshannon, Bundoran, Sligo and Letterkenny. There is also a regular service to Lifford and Strabane. TFI Local Link routes 264 (Ballyshannon/Letterkenny), 288 (Ballybofey/Derry), 290 (Ballybofey/Letterkenny), 988 (Cloghan/Letterkenny) also service the area.

Education

Stranorlar is home to St. Columba's College and Finn Valley College. The town is also home to two primary schools: St Mary's primary school, and Robertson National School.

Religion

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/05/Church_of_Ireland_Stranorlar_-geograph.org.uk-_544386.jpg" caption="[[Church of Ireland]] in Stranorlar."] ::

The town's Church of Ireland church, St John's Church, is a registered monument. The Catholic church, Church of Mary Immaculate, is a nineteenth-century structure. There is also a Reformed Presbyterian Church of Ireland church and a Presbyterian church in the town.

Sport

The local athletics club, Finn Valley Athletics Club, has a track in the town. Stranorlar is home to Finn Valley Rugby Club.

The Ballybofey and Stranorlar Golf Club is an 18-hole golf course in the area, and game angling occurs in the River Finn.

Tourism

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/46/Walking_Trail_beside_the_River_Finn_in_Drumboe_Woods.jpg" caption="Walking trail beside the River Finn in Drumboe Woods"] ::

Drumboe Woods are a tourist attraction at Stranorlar. The woods are managed by Coillte and provide walking routes along the banks of the River Finn and the upper woods. The woods also contain the ruins of Drumboe Castle. Outside the town, a small folly called "The Steeple" is a destination for walkers. From the top of the tower, on a clear day, the hillfort of the Grianan of Aileach can be seen. There is a raised ring fort at Dunwiley, outside the town.

Since 2021, the Frances Browne Literary Festival has been an annual event in Stranorlar and Ballybofey. The festival, which takes place in October, “celebrates the rich cultural and literary heritage of East Donegal.” It includes lectures, dramatic and musical performances, and a multilingual poetry competition, with awards for poems in English, Irish, and Ulster Scots. Recent guests have included Annemarie Ní Churreáin and Nessa O'Mahony.

Notable people

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a2/Frances_Browne_Statue_Stranorlar_1.png" caption="[[Frances Browne]] statue in the Pound, Stranorlar"] ::

References

References

  1. "Srath an Urláir/Stranorlar".
  2. (1983). "Archaeological Survey of County Donegal". [[Donegal County Council]].
  3. Ó Snodaigh, Aengus. (12 March 2023). "Centenary of the Drumboe Martyrs". [[An Phoblacht]].
  4. Mac Conmara, Tomás. (27 April 2023). "Hurled into eternity: after the executions". [[RTÉ]].
  5. (28 March 2016). "Donegal and west Tyrone remember Drumboe Martyrs and 1916". [[An Phoblacht]].
  6. Duffy, Connie. (14 March 2023). "100th Anniversary: Shooting of Drumboe Martyrs marked this morning". Donegal Live.
  7. Ashmore, Chris. (31 December 2019). "End of the line - 60 years ago today last trains ran on the Co. Donegal Railways network". Donegal Live.
  8. Farnworth, Roger. (2020-05-27). "Co. Donegal Railways, Ireland – Part 1 – The Glenties Branch – Stranorlar to Ballinamore".
  9. "Derry-Londonderry Train Station".
  10. Meehan, Paddy. (13 January 2019). "Remembering the end of the railways in Donegal". Donegal Live.
  11. "County Donegal Railways". The Narrow Gauge Railway Society.
  12. Smith, Ron. (22 February 2020). "Exploring the old railway network in Donegal". [[The Press and Journal]].
  13. "09 – Railway Station – Ballybofey and Stranorlar".
  14. (16 June 2020). "Bus Éireann launches 'Keeping Ireland Connected' campaign". [[The Connaught Telegraph]].
  15. "Galway to Derry with Expressway Route 64".
  16. (September 2022). "Route 264: Ballyshannon to Letterkenny".
  17. (January 2025). "Route 288: Ballybofey to Derry".
  18. (February 2022). "Route 290: Ballybofey to Letterkenny & Route 988: Cloghan to Letterkenny".
  19. (18 December 2024). "St. Columbas College".
  20. "Finn Valley College".
  21. (11 April 2025). "Scoil Mhuire B & C".
  22. (23 August 2024). "ROBERTSON N S".
  23. "St. John's Church of Ireland Church, GLEBE (STRANORLAR), Stranorlar, DONEGAL". [[Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage]].
  24. Duffy, Connie. (24 September 2023). "Popular Stranorlar-based curate Fr Anthony Briody announces departure". Donegal Live.
  25. "Church of Mary Immaculate, Main Street, STRANORLAR, Stranorlar, DONEGAL". [[Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage]].
  26. "Stranorlar Reformed Presbyterian Church".
  27. "Stranorlar Presbyterian Church, Meetinghouse Lane, STRANORLAR, Stranorlar, DONEGAL". [[Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage]].
  28. (11 March 2025). "Athletics: Finn Valley AC to host exciting track & field meet". Donegal Daily.
  29. (April 2010). "Finn Valley RFC Officially Opened by Former Ireland and Lions star, Jeremy Davidson".
  30. (28 March 2025). "Finn Harps Academy Launch Golf Classic 2025". [[Highland Radio]].
  31. McNulty, Chris. (29 July 2020). "Picture special: Sean MacCumhaills host annual golf classic". Donegal Daily.
  32. Walsh, Harry. (22 June 2017). "Pop stars put their Donegal estate on the market". [[Donegal News]].
  33. "Drumboe woods".
  34. "Drumboe".
  35. McNulty, Chris. (2021-10-07). "Frances Browne Literary Festival opens this evening".
  36. Staff Writer. (7 September 2024). "2024 Frances Browne Literary Festival attracts stellar lineup".
  37. Lunney, Linde. (October 2009). "Browne, Frances".

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::

towns-and-villages-in-county-donegaltownlands-of-county-donegalcivil-parishes-of-county-donegaltwin-cities