52-446: Lifford Courthouse is a judicial building situated in the centre of Lifford , County Donegal , in Ulster , Ireland . The courthouse, which was designed by Michael Priestley in the neoclassical style and built in ashlar stone, was completed in 1746. Previously courts had been held in any suitable building and in one case, when the court met in a public house, the fines collected over
104-622: A British Army garrison town until most of Ireland won independence as a dominion called the Irish Free State in early December 1922. It lies across the River Foyle from Strabane (in County Tyrone , Northern Ireland ) and is linked to that town by Lifford Bridge . Manus O'Donnell began building the castle in 1527 on the Wednesday after St. Brendan 's Day (Saint Brendan's feast day
156-581: A capable leader in defending his country against the O'Neills, retained the chief authority. According to the Annals of the Four Masters , Manus was inaugurated by "the successors of St. Columbkille, with the permission and by the advice of the nobles of Tirconnell, both lay and ecclesiastical." When Sir Hugh Dubh O'Donnell, as he was now, appealed for aid against his son to the Maguires, Manus made an alliance with
208-625: A convalescent and respite service. Physiotherapy and chiropody services are also provided in the hospital for the in-patients and out-patients from the greater East Donegal area. The will of Sir Richard Hansard in 1619, endowed a private school, in Lifford. The will provided for 30 pounds sterling a year for a master, and 20 pounds sterling a year for an usher. The school was intended to cater for classical studies. All children of Clonleigh parish were to be entitled to attend for free education. Hansards' Grammar School commenced operations in 1697. In 1791,
260-840: A population of 3,547, the parish is subdivided for electoral purposes into two separate Electoral Districts: Clonleigh North and Clonleigh South, which are mainly separated by the Burn Dale . In 2016, the population of Clonleigh North was 1,374 (711 male and 663 female) and in Clonleigh South the 2016 population was 2,173 (1,078 male and 1,095 female). Lifford is served by several schools, all of which are primary ("National") schools. For second-level education students must travel elsewhere, with Raphoe or Stranorlar , or Strabane in Northern Ireland , being popular options. Primary schools in Lifford are: There were other primary schools in
312-425: A sentence of transportation include "stealing 2 caps", "stealing a handkerchief and blankets" and "stealing 5 chickens and 2 hens". Public hangings were also a common spectacle. One hanging in 1831 alone is reported as drawing a crowd of around 12 thousand men, women and children. The gallows, at the front of the new gaol, were also the setting for the infamous 'half-hanging' of John 'Half-Hung' MacNaghten, in one of
364-633: A stop on the Strabane to Letterkenny narrow gauge rail line. It was run by the CDR, as it was known at the time or County Donegal Railways Joint Committee . This line also stopped at Ballindrait, Raphoe and Convoy en route to Letterkenny . The nearest railway station is Waterside Station in Derry . This station is operated by Northern Ireland Railways (N.I.R.) and runs from Derry, via Coleraine , to Belfast Lanyon Place Station and Belfast Grand Central . Lifford
416-683: A year. Furthermore, classical subjects were not being taught, only arithmetic. The school continued in decline until 1840, when an inspection by the Commissioners precipitated the resignation of the master, who was accused of major neglect. Attendance which had been as low as three pupils rapidly increased under a new classical teacher. Sometime before 1856, the Earl Erne (whose family, the Creightons / Crichtons, had originally settled in Ulster at Lifford before moving south to County Fermanagh ), on behalf of
468-400: Is also very close to Strabane Bus Depot, located on Bradley Way in Strabane . From here, Ulsterbus operate services to Derry , Belfast , Omagh and other places in Northern Ireland . City of Derry Airport is the nearest airport to Lifford, located about 20 miles (32 km) away. Lifford Halt railway station opened on 1 January 1909 and finally closed on 1 January 1960. Lifford was
520-1075: Is because it is the first town in County Donegal encountered when travelling from Dublin on the N2 ( A5 / A38 through County Tyrone ). Drivers cross Lifford Bridge as they enter Lifford. Two national primary routes, the N15 to Sligo via Stranorlar , Donegal Town and Ballyshannon and also the N14 to Letterkenny , take travellers to all parts in the county. There is also the R265 / R236 / A40 national secondary route to Derry City . Lifford has several daily bus services operated by Bus Éireann to Dublin Airport / Dublin City Centre ( Busáras ). They also serve Letterkenny and Ballybofey , where connections can be had for travelling onwards to Sligo with its railway station and bus station. Lifford
572-582: Is celebrated on 16 May). He completed the masonry and woodwork by the end of that summer even though the O’Neill's of Tír Eoghain were at war with him. In 1543 the castle of Leithbher was given to Cahir (the son of Donnell Balbh) O'Gallagher to be guarded for the O’Donnell clan. He then proceeded to banish the people loyal to the O’Donnell's from the castle so that he could keep it for himself. In 1544 Calvagh went to
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#1732875824523624-492: Is fair Lifford itself—hardly is any of these castles better—which hath of yore assumed those shapes ye are wont to hold dear". The Battle of Lifford was fought in 1600 during Tyrone's Rebellion . Following the defeat of O'Doherty's Rebellion at the Battle of Kilmacrennan in 1608, a number of captured rebels were brought to Lifford where they were tried by Irish civilian courts and executed. The most notable rebel to be executed
676-694: Is home to a number of sporting clubs, including: Voluntary organisations in the area include the Strabane/Lifford Rotary Club (a branch of Rotary International ), Lifford Youthreach (part of the Donegal Education and Training Board ), and Lifford Scout Group (also known as the 19th Donegal (Lifford) Scout Group it is a part of Scouting Ireland . The Lifford/Clonleigh Mens Shed is a voluntary group within Irish Mens Shed Association. This men's shed group initially met up in
728-522: Is part of the Dáil constituency of Donegal . For elections to Donegal County Council , it is part of the local electoral area of Lifford–Stranorlar. This area also forms a municipal district. Lifford has a population of 1,613 as of the 2022 census , a decrease of 13 on the 2016 census. Of the 1,626 residents in 2016, 794 were male and 832 female. Lifford is part of the Civil Parish of Clonleigh; with
780-412: Is the day, no matter what its length, in the company of the royal warrior of Conchobhar's Plain; fleet are the long days from the lady of bright-walled Tara. The daughter of noble Shane O'Neill , and the son of O'Donnell of Dún Iomgháin—they are in the ancient, comely dwelling as entertainers of guests. Dear the hostel in which these are wont to be, dear the folk who dwell in the hostel; the people of
832-521: The Church of Ireland Bishop of Derry and Raphoe , converted the school into an English-style school, and hired a master and mistress. Both were dismissed in 1856. At this time there was a dwelling house attached to the school, lived in by a previous master. In 1857, the school was reopened as an English school under the management of the Bishop of Derry and Raphoe. Lifford is known as the "Gateway to Donegal"; this
884-695: The Finn Valley area of East Donegal where the River Finn meets the River Mourne to create the River Foyle . The Burn Dale (also spelt as the Burn Deele), which flows through Ballindrait , flows into the River Foyle on the northern outskirts of Lifford. The town grew up around a castle built there by Manghus Ó Domhnaill , ruler of Tír Chonaill (mostly modern County Donegal), in the 16th century. It later became
936-563: The Irish Defence Forces for use as a military barracks. The Barracks has since closed along with Rockhill House Military Post in Letterkenny , on 31 January 2009. St. Lugadius's, also known as Clonleigh ( Church of Ireland ) Parish Church, was built in 1621. Sir Richard Hansard, who had been granted land at Lifford, directed in his will that a church be built in Lifford. There is a monument to Sir Richard and his wife Dame Anne inside
988-677: The Lord Deputy at Lake Bellahoe , in County Monaghan , which crippled their power for many years. In the west Manus made unceasing efforts to assert the supremacy of the O'Donnells in north Connacht , where he compelled O'Conor Sligo to acknowledge his over-lordship in 1539. In 1542 he went to England and presented himself, together with Conn O'Neill and other Irish chiefs, became a Protestant, and recognised Henry VIII, who promised to make him Earl of Tyrconnell, though he refused O'Donnell's request to be made Earl of Sligo . The assimilation process
1040-533: The Siege of Derry in 1689. The school was built in 1880 to cater for local Protestant children with monies bequeathed by Miss Eleanor Prior from nearby Ballindrait. The Prior School closed in 1972, being amalgamated with The Royal School in Raphoe to create The Royal & Prior Comprehensive School . The school and grounds were first taken over by the then Irish Department of Posts and Telegraphs , and later (from 1974) by
1092-401: The Commissioners of Education reported that there were no free scholars in the school out of an attendance of 18, of whom 6 were boarders. The Commissioners of 1807–1812 reported the school as being in a very unsatisfactory condition. While the headmaster and usher were being paid salaries according to the endowment, the teaching had been handed off to a third person on a wage of 6 pounds sterling
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#17328758245231144-551: The County Hospital catering for all of County Donegal . It is located on the banks of the River Foyle just before the bridge into County Tyrone . Although this is not the first location of the County Hospital, It was originally in the diamond area of the town in a place called the Barrack yard. The Hospital first opened in this location in 1773. The first surgeon was a man called Mr. William Hamilton from nearby Strabane . In 1780 it
1196-472: The English Lord Justice, and brought back English soldiers with him to Tirconnell , the olden name for County Donegal . O'Donnell, Calvagh, and these men went with ‘ordnance and engines for taking towns’ to the castle of Lifford to take it back from the descendants of the O'Gallaghers. Cahir, the son of Tuathal Balbh & Turlough, the son of Felim Fin O'Gallagher, who had been taken hostage earlier,
1248-447: The O'Donnells during one of the bitterest and most protracted of the feuds between his clan and the O'Neills , which in 1491 led to a war lasting more than ten years. Hugh Dubh left Manus to rule Tyrconnell , though still a boy, when he went on a pilgrimage to Rome in about 1511. On his return from Rome (via England, where he was knighted by King Henry VIII ) in broken health after two years' absence, Manus, who had proved himself
1300-464: The O'Neills, by whose assistance he established his hold over Tyrconnell. But in 1522 the two great northern clans were again at war. Conn Bacagh O'Neill , An Ó Néill (who was created The 1st Earl of Tyrone in 1542), was determined to bring the O'Donnells under his rule. Supported by Munster and Connacht , and assisted also by English contingents and by the MacDonnells of Antrim , O'Neill took
1352-399: The castle of Ballyshannon , and after devastating a large part of Tyrconnell he encamped at Knockavoe , near Strabane . Here he was surprised at night by Sir Hugh Dubh and Manus O'Donnell, and routed with the loss of 900 men and an immense quantity of booty in the Battle of Knockavoe . Although this was one of the bloodiest ever battles between the O'Neills and the O'Donnells, it did not end
1404-408: The castle, which describes the owners and surroundings at the time. "A beloved dwelling is the castle of Lifford, homestead of a wealth abounding encampment; forge of hospitality for the men of Ulster , a dwelling it is hard to leave. Beloved are the two who keep that house without excess, without lack; the ward of the stout, even-surfaced tower are the supporting pillars of the province. Short
1456-547: The church, with a plaque on the wall detailing his wishes and who the executors of his will were. In the graveyard George Gardiner , who won a Victoria Cross during the Crimean War in 1855, is buried. St. Patrick's Church, usually known locally as Murlog Chapel, is the second Catholic church on the present site. The first church was built here at Murlog in the 18th century after the Earl of Erne saw Catholic worshippers praying in
1508-429: The course of a day was used to buy drinks for the jury. The building also incorporated a prison in the basement until a purpose-built facility was opened next to the courthouse in 1793. The design involved an asymmetrical main frontage with eight bays facing The Diamond; the central bay featured a doorway with a banded stone surround and a pediment ; there was a stone panel containing the coat of arms of George II above
1560-532: The doorway. The building was originally used as a facility for dispensing justice but, following the implementation of the Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898 , which established county councils in every county, the Grand Jury Room also became the meeting place for Donegal County Council . The purpose-built prison next to the courthouse was demolished in 1907 and the county council moved to County House on
1612-814: The earliest recorded public hangings at the courthouse in 1761. It was not only murder that carried the sentence of death in Donegal at that time, but also 'killing and maiming cattle' and horse-stealing. The last public execution in Lifford is thought to have been in 1847. With the phasing out of transportation, prison sentences became a more common punishment in Ireland. Some prisoners were sentenced to an additional punishment of hard labour during their stay in Lifford. Just as in many other prisons throughout Ireland, this usually consisted of breaking stones which were then used to build and repair roads, or grinding up bones, which would then be used as fertilizer. Another more public punishment
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1664-453: The house and the house of that people happy is any who shall get honor such as theirs. Beloved the delightful, lofty building, its tables, its coverlets, its cupboards; its wondrous, handsome, firm walls, its smooth marble arches. Beloved is the castle in which we used to spend a while at chess-playing, a while with the daughters of the men of Bregia, a while with the fair books of the poets. The fortress of smooth-lawned Lifford no one in
1716-453: The jail's infamous residents. The building also now houses a bistro, a local library, conference rooms and often hosts special events. Lifford Lifford ( Irish : Leifear , historically anglicised as Liffer ) is the county town of County Donegal , Ireland, the administrative centre of the county and the seat of Donegal County Council , although the town of Letterkenny is often mistaken as holding this role. Lifford lies in
1768-531: The local resource centre and community gardens in Croaghan Heights but subsequently moved to the closed Boyagh National School in Porthall . Manus O%27Donnell Manus O'Donnell ( Irish : Maghnas Ó Domhnaill or Manus Ó Domhnaill ; 1490 – 9 February 1563) was a Gaelic Irish lord and King of Tyrconnell . After his father Hugh Dubh 's death in 1537, Manus succeeded as Tyrconnell 's ruler. In 1555 he
1820-565: The new head of the FitzGerald dynasty and the new claimant to the Earldom of Kildare , a boy of twelve who was in the secret custody of his aunt, Lady Eleanor McCarthy. Lady Eleanor, in order to secure a powerful protector for the boy, accepted an offer of marriage from Manus O'Donnell, who on the death of Sir Hugh Dubh in July 1537 was inaugurated as "The O'Donnell". Conn O'Neill (later Earl of Tyrone )
1872-406: The open. The church was later demolished to make way for the new church which was built in 1963. A three-stage gothic tower dating from about 1820 was attached to the old church and was saved by the parish; it is still standing next to the new church. The church is in the parish of Clonleigh, formerly Clonleigh and Camus until it was established as an independent parish in 1974. The hospital was once
1924-463: The opposite side of the Diamond in 1930. The building continued to be used as a courthouse until 1938 and then fell into disrepair before being renovated in the late 1980s and then being fully renovated in the early 1990s and being reopened as a Heritage Centre in 1994. Transportation was a common punishment in Lifford, with many sent by boat to colonies overseas. Crimes in the courthouse that warranted
1976-575: The parish but these are long since closed, namely Blackrock National School and Ballindrait National School. The Prior Endowed School and The Hansard Grammar School were fee-paying schools in Lifford and are now also closed. Lifford Courthouse is now a restaurant and heritage centre and is located across from the County House , the HQ of Donegal County Council , in The Diamond area of the town. The courthouse
2028-612: The war; and in 1531 O'Donnell applied to the Lordship of Ireland for protection, giving assurances of allegiance to King Henry VIII . In February 1537, The 10th Earl of Kildare (previously known as Lord Offaly, and better known to history as 'Silken Thomas') and his five uncles were executed at Tyburn for their rebellion in Leinster . Following their executions, the English Crown made every effort to capture Gerald, 11th Earl of Kildare ,
2080-469: The world can leave it once it is found; that dwelling is the Durlas of the north. Or else it is Eamhain which used to vary in form, or Croghan of the children of Mágha, or Tara of the race of Cobhthach—this bright castle, rich in trees and horses. Or it is Naas , the fortress of Leinster , as it was first fashioned; or the fertile, ancient abode of the children of Corc, green, conspicuous Cashel . Or it
2132-662: The writing of the Life of Saint Columbkille in Irish , which is preserved in the Bodleian Library (Rawlinson B 514) at Oxford. He was also a poet and many of his poems, written in Irish, survive. Manus was married several times. His first wife, Joan O'Reilly, was the mother of Calvagh, and two daughters, both of whom married O'Neills; the younger, Margaret, was the wife of the famous rebel Shane O'Neill . His second wife, Hugh's mother, by whom he
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2184-658: Was Phelim Reagh MacDavitt . Lifford achieved national recognition in the 2008 Tidy Towns Awards as the best newcomer to the competition in Category 'C'. The borough constituency of Lifford elected two MPs to the Irish House of Commons from 1692 until 1800. It was disfranchised under the Acts of Union 1800 . The borough corporation of the town was abolished under the Municipal Corporations (Ireland) Act 1840 . Lifford
2236-485: Was a relative of the young Lord Kildare, and this event accordingly led to the formation of the short-lived Geraldine League , a federation including the O'Neills, the O'Donnells, the O'Briens of Thomond , and other powerful clans; the primary object of which was to restore young Lord Kildare to his lands, titles and properties, but which afterwards aimed at the complete overthrow of English rule in Ireland. In August 1539, O'Donnell and Conn O'Neill were heavily defeated by
2288-521: Was brought to the castle to see if the O’Gallagher's would surrender. Which they wouldn't. As the English attacked one was killed instantly so they killed Cahir, the son of Tuathal on the spot. The castle was then surrendered to O’Donnell to spare the life of Turlough, the son of Felim Fin and another son of Tuathal Balbh. Lifford Castle is no longer standing but there is a poem from the late 16th century about
2340-519: Was demolished in 1907. Cavanacor House is located just off the N14 on the outskirts of the town - which one ancestral home of the 11th President of the United States of America , James Knox Polk . His great, great, great-grandmother (Magdelene Tasker) was born here in 1634, she later married Capt. Robert Bruce Pollock and emigrated to the US. King James II & VII dined at Cavanacor House on his way to
2392-543: Was designed by Michael Priestly of Dublin and built in 1746. The museum houses a permanent display of O'Donnell clan documents and artefacts, as well as minute books from various institutes in County Donegal. It also houses some of the original cells belonging to the Courthouse. Lifford Gaol was formerly the County Gaol or prison for all of County Donegal . It was located on the northeastern side of The Diamond. The old gaol
2444-540: Was imprisoned and deposed by his son Calvagh , who effectively took over the kingdom's leadership. Manus died during his imprisonment in Lifford . Manus O'Donnell was born in 1490 into the O'Donnell clan , a Gaelic Irish noble family which ruled Tyrconnell , a kingdom geographically associated with present-day County Donegal . Manus's father, Hugh Dubh (pronounced in Ulster Irish as 'Hugh Doo'), had been Rí (king) of
2496-565: Was imprisoned by Calvagh, who deposed him from all authority in Tyrconnell. Manus died in Lifford on 9 February 1563. Manus O'Donnell, though a fierce warrior, was hospitable and generous to the poor and the Church. He is described by the Four Masters as "a learned man, skilled in many arts, gifted with a profound intellect, and the knowledge of every science." At his castle of Portnatrynod near Strabane, he supervised, if he did not actually dictate,
2548-453: Was in a coat of crimoisin velvet with aiglettes of gold, twenty or thirty pair, over that a great doble cloke of right crimoisin satin, garded with black velvet, a bonnet with a feather set full of aiglettes of gold: that methough it strange to see him in so honorable an apparrail, and all the rest of his nacion that I have seen as yet, so vile”. In his later years, Manus was troubled by quarrels between his sons Hugh and Calvagh ; in 1555 he
2600-538: Was known as " surrender and regrant ". By the early 1500s, O’Donnell was a significant patron of the arts in Ulster, and he took a particular interest in the trade and customs of the Continent . Rather than dressing in the ancient Gaelic styles, he adopted the fashion of contemporary Spanish noblemen. His dress was described in 1542 as “furnisht of other apparrail better than any Irishman, for at such time as he mette with me he
2652-554: Was proposed to move to new premises with the Cavalry Barracks and stables in the town being sought, it was not until 1799 that the premises were renovated and ready to be occupied. In the early 1900s, the hospital was operating at full strength with the Maternity and Surgical wards treating on average 400 patients and carrying out around 350 operations annually. The hospital today caters for long and short-term residents by providing
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#17328758245232704-415: Was whipping, sometimes performed in the town where the offense was originally committed. Notable prisoners included: Today, the old courthouse operates as a museum , where the public can walk through the cells and experience life as a prisoner. Visitors to the prison are 'arrested' and taken down into the dungeons on the guided tour. This takes the form of a one-man show in which an actor portrays some of
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