Buncrana
Buncrana (/ˈbʌnkrænə/ bun-KRA-NA; Irish: Bun Cranncha, meaning "foot of the (River) Crana") is a town in County Donegal, Ireland. It is beside Lough Swilly on the Inishowen peninsula, 23 kilometres (14 mi) northwest of Derry and 43 kilometres (27 mi) north of Letterkenny. In the 2022 census, the population was 6,971, making it the second most populous town in County Donegal, after Letterkenny, and the largest in Inishowen.
Buncrana
Bun Cranncha | |
|---|---|
Town | |
Buncrana from the south | |
|
Coat of arms | |
| Motto(s): Aoibhinn Linn Áille na hÁite Seo (Irish) "sweet to us is the beauty of this place" | |
Buncrana Location in Ireland | |
| Coordinates: 55.1364°N 7.4560°W | |
| Country | Ireland |
| Province | Ulster |
| County | Donegal |
| Dáil Éireann | Donegal |
| EU Parliament | Midlands–North-West |
| Elevation | 62 m (203 ft) |
| Population (2022) | 6,971 |
| Time zone | UTC±0 (WET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+1 (IST) |
| Eircode routing key | F93 |
| Telephone area code | +353(0)74 |
| Irish Grid Reference | C346320 |
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1821 | 198 | — |
| 1831 | 1,059 | +434.8% |
| 1841 | 961 | −9.3% |
| 1851 | 797 | −17.1% |
| 1861 | 686 | −13.9% |
| 1871 | 755 | +10.1% |
| 1881 | 764 | +1.2% |
| 1891 | 735 | −3.8% |
| 1901 | 1,316 | +79.0% |
| 1911 | 1,848 | +40.4% |
| 1926 | 2,309 | +24.9% |
| 1936 | 2,295 | −0.6% |
| 1946 | 2,729 | +18.9% |
| 1951 | 3,039 | +11.4% |
| 1956 | 3,064 | +0.8% |
| 1961 | 3,165 | +3.3% |
| 1966 | 3,115 | −1.6% |
| 1971 | 3,334 | +7.0% |
| 1981 | 3,938 | +18.1% |
| 1986 | 4,131 | +4.9% |
| 1991 | 4,388 | +6.2% |
| 1996 | 4,805 | +9.5% |
| 2002 | 5,271 | +9.7% |
| 2006 | 5,911 | +12.1% |
| 2011 | 6,839 | +15.7% |
| 2016 | 6,785 | −0.8% |
| 2022 | 6,971 | +2.7% |
Buncrana is the historic home of the O'Doherty clan and originally developed around the defensive tower known as O'Doherty's Keep at the mouth of the River Crana. The town moved to its present location just south of the River Crana when George Vaughan built the main street in 1718.
The town was a major centre for the textile industry in County Donegal from the 19th century until the mid-2000s (decade).