Main Street, Letterkenny
Encyclopedia
Letterkenny
Letterkenny , with a population of 17,568, is the largest town in County Donegal, part of the Province of Ulster in Ireland. The town is located on the River Swilly...
, County Donegal
County Donegal
County Donegal is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Donegal. Donegal County Council is the local authority for the county...
, Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
. It is the longest street in Ireland. The street is divided into two sections. Lower Main Street runs from the junction at Oldtown
Oldtown, Letterkenny
Oldtown is a district located in the parish of Conwal and Leck in Letterkenny, County Donegal, Ireland. As its name suggests, it is the oldest part of the town and became the starting point of the town's development...
Road to the Market Square. Upper Main Street runs from the Market Square to the junction at Crossview House. Traffic flows in a one-way system
One-way traffic
One-way traffic is traffic that moves in a single direction. A one-way street is a street either facilitating only one-way traffic, or designed to direct vehicles to move in one direction.-General signs:...
from Crossview House downwards. The road junctions on the street are:
Upper Main Street
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Lower Main Street
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History
Theobald Wolfe ToneTheobald Wolfe Tone
Theobald Wolfe Tone or Wolfe Tone , was a leading Irish revolutionary figure and one of the founding members of the United Irishmen and is regarded as the father of Irish Republicanism. He was captured by British forces at Lough Swilly in Donegal and taken prisoner...
was captured and held on the street during the Irish Rebellion of 1798
Irish Rebellion of 1798
The Irish Rebellion of 1798 , also known as the United Irishmen Rebellion , was an uprising in 1798, lasting several months, against British rule in Ireland...
. He was held for a short time at Laird's Hotel opposite the Market Square before being transferred to the nearby Derry Gaol
Derry Gaol
Derry Gaol, also known as Londonderry Gaol, refers to one of several gaols constructed consecutively in Derry, Northern Ireland...
. The Wolfe Tone Bar was established in his honour and is located on Lower Main Street on the site of the old Garda barracks. The Barracks building had been there since the 1850s and was an RIC
Royal Irish Constabulary
The armed Royal Irish Constabulary was Ireland's major police force for most of the nineteenth and the early twentieth centuries. A separate civic police force, the unarmed Dublin Metropolitan Police controlled the capital, and the cities of Derry and Belfast, originally with their own police...
Barracks up to 1922.
Hiring Fairs were held in Letterkenny in years gone by when children between the ages of 11 and 16 were sold for periods of six months to wealthy farmers of the Lagan Valley
Lagan Valley
Lagan Valley is an area of Northern Ireland between Belfast and Lisburn. The Lagan is a famous river that flows into Belfast Lough. For a section, the river forms part of the border between the counties of Antrim and Down....
. These Rabble Days were held annually in May and November at Speer's Lane, at the corner of Upper Main Street. The monument Rabble Children by Maurice Harron was erected at the Market Square in December 1994.
Regeneration works were carried out on Lower Main street in late 1996. Footpaths were widened and cobblestones were placed on the street at the junction with Larkin's Lane. These cobblestones were removed in 2008. The street was the main location of events when the town hosted the Fleadh Cheoil
Fleadh Cheoil
The Fleadh Cheoil is an Irish music competition run by Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann or more commonly known as "Comhaltas" ....
in 2005 and 2006. The Lower Main Street pavements have since fallen into a higgledy-piggledy bad state of repair which has led to calls from the local council
Letterkenny Town Council
Letterkenny Town Council governs the town of Letterkenny, in County Donegal, Ireland. It was the first of four local councils to be established in County Donegal. It oversees functions of the town such as planning and financial issues. The town council offices are located in the Public Services...
for re-paving to be carried out.
Criminal Activity
The Main Street has seen numerous assaults, stabbings, sexual assaults, drug raids and attacks on Gardaí in the past.In August 2009 the Lower Main Street was nearly blown-up when a severed gas pipe was discovered in an alleyway. The street was sealed off as the gas spread around the area. Occupants in nearby buildings were evacuated while attendants at the Wolfe Tone Bar were kept inside for fear of igniting the gas. A gas engineer later shut off the supply of gas from the meter.
In 2011 a Garda officer and three nightclub bouncers were repeatedly stabbed outside the Voodoo Nightclub. One of the bouncers had his leg penetrated by the blade while the Garda had his hand slashed.
Services
Main Street once served as the main shopping area in the town but trade has now shifted further afield. The Main Street is still home to many older establishments including R.McCullagh Jewellers, dating from 1869, and Speers Department Store. It is also acts as the financial services centre of the town with the majority of banks being located there.Today the street is a centre for popular night clubs such as Club Voodoo
Club Voodoo
Club Voodoo is an award-nominated bar and nightclub located in Letterkenny, County Donegal, Ireland. It opened in 2006 and is located on the Main Street.In 2011 a Garda officer and three nightclub bouncers were repeatedly stabbed outside the Voodoo Nightclub...
. It is a popular nightspot at weekends, being the location of many stag
Bachelor party
A bachelor party , also known as a stag party, stag night or stag do , a bull's party , or a buck's party or buck's night , is a party held for a man shortly before he enters marriage, to celebrate his "last night of freedom" or merely to spend...
and hen parties. The street can become quite vicious in the early hours of the morning and this has led many local to steer clear. The area has seen numerous assaults, stabbings, sexual assaults, drug raids, and attacks on Gardaí in the past.
Shopping Centres
The Courtyard Shopping Centre is located near the mid-point of the street. The centre is laid out over three floors. Current tenants include EasonEason & Son
Eason & Son is a group involved in the wholesale, distribution and retail of books, newspapers, magazines, stationery and cards on the island of Ireland ....
and Heatons
Heatons
Heatons is an Irish department store. The store specialises in mens, womens and childrens clothing and homewares. They have 53 stores around Ireland, North and South. The store was established more than 60 years ago...
.
The Market Centre is a small shopping centre located opposite the Market Square. It has a gathering of shops spread around a flat shopping mall.