The History of Castlefinn by Eoin Catterson

Castlefinn is in the parish of Donaghmore, barony of Raphoe, 4.5 miles from Lifford. Its name translates from the castle on the banks of the River Finn, the stones from the castle were used in the construction of the bridge that still stands today, and at the close of Elizabeth's first reign it belonged to Sir Neil Garbh O'Donnell. It is situated on the river Finn, which is navigable to the River Folye for vessels of 14 tonne burden, is on the road from Strabane to Stranorlar and in 1837 consisted of a single street, with a Roman Catholic Chapel.


Castlefinn railway station opened on the 7th September 1863, but finally closed on 1st January 1960. A number of buses pass through Castlefinn on a daily basis going to Letterkenny, Derry, Strabane, Dublin, Sligo and Galway.

The History of Potato Blight - by Jean Wray

In 1844 the first evidence of a new and deadly disease appeared in the potato crops in Ireland. Commonly known as 'Blight' the airborne fungus Phtophthora Infestans turned growing crops black overnight and rotted the tubers. At this point in history the majority of Irish people depended on the potato as their main source of nutrition. There was no known cure for this devastating fungus which became even more virulent in 1845. The result lead to starvation and disease with over a million people dying and eight hundred thousand leaving the shores of Ireland. Many died in the 'Coffin Ships' as they sailed to America, Canada and further afield. They took with them diseases such as typhus which resulted in epidemics, Canada being particularly affected.

The famine relates to several elements of history. The cause was a natural event out of man's ability, at the time, to control. The social consequences were devastating. From death to emigration the Irish population dropped by an estimated 25%. Numbers cannot be accurate as deaths were not registered and the 1841 census of population at 8,173,124 was widely accepted to be an underestimate. At the time Ireland was under British rule and British government were reluctant and slow to give help. Although many landlords did what they could to relieve suffering the political aftermath continues to this day. The blight fungus remains to the present time though now can be controlled. It devastated an already impoverished Society in the 1840s. Even today Irish radio issues warnings when Blight favorable weather is expected.

The Changing pattern of Agriculture in the Laggan during the twentieth century by Billy Mc Kinley

The changes which took place in the pattern of agriculture in the Laggan during the twentieth century were prefound. During the previous three centuries a pattern of settled agriculture had developed, with discernible characteristics evolving in the type of crops grown, the breeds of animals kept, the methods of cultivation and the tools and machinery used. Much of agriculture was labour intensive, giving rise to a very large rural population. This was all to change, particularly in the second half of the twentieth century. These changes were revolutionary and affected every aspect of agriculture as we know it.

The changes which took place in agriculture in the Laggan during the twentieth century are all related to economic, social and technological history. The value of the crops grown and the animals reared, which were often 'exported' to other parts, had a marked effect on the prosperity of this area of relatively rich farmland. Change would not have been possible without the technological developments in farm machinery and their adoption by the farming community, the arrival of the tractor being just one example. The use of modern machinery meant that agriculture became much less labour intensive, which had a profound effect on the lives of the rural community.

The Londonderry and Lough Swilly by Virginia Mc Loone

The Londonderry & Lough Swilly Railway Company opened its first railway in 1863 and it operated 99 miles of railways extending from Derry westwards to Letterkenny, onwards to Burtonport and north to Carndonagh.

The Railway cut through the heart of the Lagan with stations at Carrowen, Newtowncunningham, Sallybrook, Pluck and into Letterkenny thus providing vital transport for farmers and facilitating the export of farm produce and cattle. By 1863 the City of Derry had become an important trade centre and a major port and the L & LS Railway was constructed to provide services from Derry to Donegal.

The line from Letterkenny to Burtonport travelled inland and avoided the coastal villages - the stations were located two or three miles away. The Railway lacked a catchment population and was heavily reliant on freight traffic which ultimately led to the railway's demise.

On the night of January 30th, 1925, a violent storm with winds reaching 120mph caused major destruction with a section of the railway being blown off the Owencarrow Viaduct (near Creeslough) resulting in four lives being lost and many serious injuries.

By the 1920s and 30s the Co. Donegal Railways (CDR), operating in the south of the county, were using petrol and then diesel railcars but the L & LSR did not adopt this option. It was decided instead by the company that its future lay with road transport and it started to buy suitable vehicles. Over the next two decades the road transport fleet expanded and the railway became increasingly unsustainable. The last Londonderry and Lough Swilly train ran from Letterkenny to Derry on August 8th 1953 and arrived 50 minutes late with 14 wagons of cattle for export.

Elements of History

The L & LS Railway relates to economic and social history in so far as in the mid 1800s, very shortly after the famine, the construction of 99 miles of railway, as well as embankments, bridges, station houses and good sheds etc provided valuable employment for locals. The operation of the railway provided employment for people as drivers and stokers as well as station masters and clerks.

The railway was a very efficient means of transport for fish from Burtonport, turf from Gweedore to the Lagan and for transporting farm produce and cattle that previously had to be walked to Derry for export. The Railway contributed a lot to the local economy during its 90 years in operation.

The introduction of passenger and freight trains into remote areas of Donegal heralded a new era in technology. The early decades of the century saw the L & LSR at its most developed with 99 miles of narrow gauge line, a fleet of locomotives and new passenger coaches and goods vans.

From a political perspective, L & LSR trains were used to transport British troops during the War of Independence resulting in the railway itself being attacked and damaged. Local staff frequently refused to operate the trains if troops were on board. On one occasion there was a running gunfight with plain clothed British agents. Throughout the L & LSR area the war was hard fought and many incidents involved the railway and trains until hostilities ceased in 1925.