Donegal Bay
Donegal Bay (Bá Dhún na nGall in Irish) is an inlet (or bay) in the northwest of Ireland. Three counties – Donegal to the north and west, Leitrim and Sligo to the south – have shorelines on the bay, which is bounded on the west by the Atlantic Ocean. The town of Donegal and the River Eske lie at the head of the bay.
Donegal Bay was also the site of the assassination of Admiral of the Fleet The 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, whose unguarded boat was attacked with an explosive by terrorists of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) in August 1979.
Donegal Bay is Ireland's largest bay, and also contains Ulster's highest (and Europe's sixth-highest) sea cliffs at Slieve League, which tower 1972 ft (601 m) above sea level.
Donegal Bay's beaches have some of Europe's finest surfing, caused by a combination by a direct west-facing location and the funnel-shape of Donegal Bay (the westerlies of the Atlantic Ocean get funnelled into a relatively small area, which increases the size of the swell). Rossnowlagh and Bundoran are recognised by the European surfing community as among Ireland's finest surf beaches with good facilities and excellent water quality.
Towns on the Bay
Rivers that empty into the bay
- River Drowes (between Bundoran and Tullaghan)
- River Erne (at Ballyshannon)
- River Eske (at Donegal Town)
Islands in the bay
- Isle of St Ernan
- Belle's Isle
- Rotten Island
Geographical coordinates
- Latitude: 54° 40' N (54.67)
- Longitude: 9° 04' W (-9.07)
- NWS buoy: 62093 M4
