Milford, County Donegal
Milford Baile na nGallóglach | |
|---|---|
Town | |
 | |
  Milford Location in Ireland | |
| Coordinates: 55°05′16″N 7°41′55″W / 55.087898°N 7.698498°W | |
| Country | Ireland |
| Province | Ulster |
| County | County Donegal |
| Government | |
| • Dáil Éireann | Donegal |
| Elevation | 68 m (223 ft) |
| Population (2016)[1] | |
| • Urban | 1,037 |
| Time zone | UTC+0 (WET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-1 (IST (WEST)) |
| Area code(s) | 075, +000 353 74 |
| Irish Grid Reference | C188267 |
Milford or Millford, historically called Ballynagalloglagh (from Irish: Baile na nGallóglach),[2] is a small town and townland in County Donegal, Ireland. The population at the 2016 census was 1,037.[1]
History and name
Located north of Letterkenny, the town was founded in the 18th century by the Clement family.
This town is the ancestral home of a U.S. president, James Buchanan, whose father, also named James Buchanan, immigrated from here to America in 1783.
The Irish Baile na nGallóglach literally means "town of the gallóglach". The gallóglaigh (anglicised gallowglass) were an elite class of mercenary warrior who came from Gaelic-Norse clans in Scotland between the mid 13th century and late 16th century. A battle between the Irish (helped by gallóglaigh) and the English took place on a hill in the townland and this is where the name comes from.
Amenities
The town once had two major employers: the Milford Bakery & Flour Mills and McMahons garage, but both are now long gone. There are now a post office, four supermarkets, a veterinary practice, three pubs, a health centre, library with council offices, a fire station and fishing lakes. It is not far from four different beaches: Portsalon, Rathmullan, Downings and Tramore. It is a feeder town to Letterkenny.
Education
There are a National School, Scoil Mhuire Milford; two secondary schools, Loreto Community School and Mulroy College; and an Adult Education ETB centre.
People
- Sean Ferriter, Gaelic footballer, born in Milford[3]
- Patsy Gallacher, footballer, born in Milford
- Willie Hay, Northern Ireland politician, born in Milford
Gallery
The local Roman Catholic church of St. Peter's
Milford Health Centre
See also
- List of populated places in Ireland
References
- ^ a b "Census 2016 Sapmap Area: Settlements Milford". Central Statistics Office (Ireland). Retrieved 6 June 2018.
- ^ Placenames Database of Ireland
- ^ "Hall of Fame Honour for Sean Ferriter". Highland Radio. 14 January 2020. Retrieved 14 January 2020.