Letterkenny Walking Tour: Ireland’s Cathedral Town from Sentry Hill to the Swilly River

Explore Letterkenny’s Layers of History on Foot

Letterkenny might not (yet) be on your radar, but it’s overflowing with history and architecture best observed at a walking pace. From its early days as a plantation settlement, the city evolved into a significant British colony and later became an important trading port. As trade faded, religious and educational institutions grew.  Today, Letterkenny is the largest town in County Donegal, and a cultural hub of northwest Ireland. Along its streets, old meets new as church spires tower over coffee shops and stone bridges accommodate modern vehicles.  

Letterkenny is a natural choice for a first visit to this lesser-visited part of Ireland, and it makes an excellent home base for exploring greater County Donegal and the Wild Atlantic Way.  

This self-guided walking tour highlights landmarks both old and new, starting at Sentry Hill, visiting Cathedral Square and Market Square, strolling along Lower Main Street, and ending at the River Swilly. The route is compact and easily walkable, with each stop revealing a new perspective on the town’s past and present.  Allow approximately one to one and a half hours to complete this walking tour.

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Letterkenny in Historical Context

The town of Letterkenny traces its origins to the early 17th century, when the area opened to settlement as part of the Ulster Plantation, a colonization campaign by the English Crown.  Protestant English and Scottish settlers emigrated to land confiscated from the Catholic population in the region, aiming to establish control over the land and reshape Ulster’s political, religious, and cultural landscape. 

Letterkenny first appeared on a map in 1655 and developed as a strategic port on the River Swilly, linking Donegal’s interior with the wider Irish coast. 

Throughout the centuries, Letterkenny has evolved from a small riverside community into a thriving center for local trade, a cultural hub, and Ireland’s “Cathedral Town.”

This walking route through Letterkenny weaves its way through the heart of the town’s history, showcasing architectural and historical landmarks.  

Self-Guided Walking Tour of Letterkenny: History and Architecture from Sentry Hill to the River

Use this AllTrails Map to follow the walking tour route presented here:   

Open the map in AllTrails by clicking here

Start the Walking Tour at Sentry Hill 

Our walk starts at Sentry Hill, near the intersection of College Road and Sentry Hill Road. At this green space, the spire of nearby St. Eunan’s Cathedral is visible downhill, and, in the distance, the green fields of County Donegal seem to go on forever.  

This open space contains several highlights worth a quick look:

• An oak tree planted in 1985 to commemorate the 1945 Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings with atomic weapons.  
• A stone bench and memorial for Letterkenny resident May McClintock (1931-2016). McClintock was a teacher, environmental activist, community organizer, politician, and historian.  
• Perhaps the most intriguing structure on Sentry Hill is the Penal Monument  (sculptor: Redmond Herrity, 2013).  The Penal Laws, in effect from 1695 to 1829, were discriminatory regulations. The British Government used them to disenfranchise Roman Catholics and force them to convert to the Anglican Church of Ireland.  

Sculpted of Mountcharles Stone, a local sandstone with a beige appearance, the Penal Monument honors sentries that kept watch for incoming British troops at this spot during the illegal reading of Catholic Mass at a nearby location. 

• Before moving on from Sentry Hill, look across College Road. You probably noticed a grand, castle-like building located there on one of the town’s highest points.  It’s St. Eunan’s College, which opened its doors in 1906 as a Catholic seminary to prepare young men for the priesthood.  Today, it’s a secondary school with over 900 students. 
  
  Architecturally, the exterior resembles a Scottish-Baronial fortress, featuring massive stone walls and turreted round towers.  

Walk: toward Cathedral Square on Sentry Hill Road, where several historic landmarks stand within sight of one another.

Stop for a 360° Tour of Cathedral Square

Letterkenny is dubbed the Cathedral Town because its tallest building, the Cathedral of St. Eunan and St. Columba (usually referred to as St. Eunan’s), dominates the town’s skyline.

It anchors Cathedral Square, a spot that forms the spiritual and educational heart of Letterkenny. Roads on all sides bound the square; the interior is a parking lot.  

There’s a lot to see here, so we’ll tour the square by standing in one spot and turning 360 degrees in place.  

The Celtic Cross

Look to the interior of Cathedral Square, where you’ll see a 6.5-foot (2-meter) Celtic Cross with intricate carvings and traditional design.  The cross, sculpted of limestone (sculptor: Redmond Herrity, 2006), celebrates 2000 years since the birth of Jesus.  

The Letterkenny War Memorial

Behind the square and across the street, under trees, look for the Letterkenny War Memorial.  This understated tribute honors the men and women of Letterkenny who served and sacrificed during World War I.  Unfortunately, it has been vandalized more than once and has not been repaired. Only the stone base remains.  Letterkenny historian Kieran Kelly suggests that the vandalism may partially be the result of historical prejudices against Great Britain (seen by some as the enemy during the war) that linger even today. 

Trinity Hall

Turing slightly toward the right, look for the modest Trinity Hall, marked with a sign.  The medallion on the front of this former Presbyterian church lists the original building date, 1841, and the date of a modification, 1901.  Note the graceful pointed-arch window openings.

Conwal Parish Church

To the right of Trinity Hall is the Conwal Parish Church (Church of Ireland). Generations of Letterkenny families have worshipped here and continue to do so to this day.  It’s one of Letterkenny’s oldest surviving buildings, despite undergoing extensive renovations over almost 400 years. The original date stone from 1636 is visible on the church tower, although a new spire was built in 1832.  

The churchyard contains some notable graves.  Lord George Hill and his first wife, Jane Austen’s niece Cassandra Jane Knight, are buried here.  (After Cassandra’s death, Hill married her sister, Louisa Knight).  Additionally, Sir George Marbury, founder of Letterkenny, and his wife Johanna Everard Marbury lie in the burial ground.  

St. Eunan’s Cathedral

Continue rotating to the right to view St. Eunan’s Cathedral, which dominates Cathedral Square.  Built in the late 19th century, it was designed by architect William Hague and constructed from local Mountcharles sandstone. It features oak furnishings, elaborate stained glass, and finely carved details. 

A much smaller Cathedral, St. Patrick’s, occupied this site for almost forty years before the building of St. Eunan’s Cathedral.  Due to the town’s growth and the increasing Catholic population, St. Patrick’s became too small to serve its community. St. Eunan’s Cathedral was built not only to accommodate the need for a larger place of worship, but also to make a significant religious and architectural statement after centuries of religious suppression (remember the Penal Laws mentioned above). 

Multiple efforts to build a new Cathedral failed until the involvement of new Bishop Patrick Joseph O’Donnell.  He was a key driver in planning and constructing the Cathedral in a mere 11 years. His vision included the Cathedral as “a resurrection of the fallen shrines of Donegal.”  

A significant renovation of the building occurred in 1985.  

Unfortunately, the Cathedral was closed for maintenance during my visit, so I could only view the exterior. If you have a chance to go inside, leave a comment below with your impressions! 

The Bishop’s Residence

Bishop O’Donnell (who later became a cardinal) was also instrumental in building St. Eunan’s College (which we saw earlier near Sentry Hill) and the Bishop’s Palace (Ardeunan). It’s an elegant residence and parochial house on the hill on the other side of Cathedral Road (to the right of the Cathedral). 

Now it’s time to leave the Cathedral Square area and explore some mostly non-religious buildings in Letterkenny. 

Walk: walk downhill in front of the Cathedral, and turn right at Mount Southwell Terrace.

Mount Southwell Terrace

The Georgian-style terrace is three contiguous buildings with similar decorative details. These elegant, well-preserved two-story houses were built around 1837. They have many architecturally significant features, including polychromatic brickwork, carved stone cornices, a row of arches on the first floor, and a basement level. 

A not-so-fun fact: On December 22, 1848, Dr. Samuel Davis was shot dead at point-blank range on his own doorstep at these buildings.  The murder was believed to be revenge for Davis’s eviction of tenants on his land in nearby Glenswilly.  

Walk: We’ll get to the area downhill from here in a bit.  For now, return uphill toward Cathedral Square, and make a sharp right to head down Church Lane. 

Exploring the Letterkenny Cathedral Quarter and Market Square

Church Lane is now known as the Letterkenny Cathedral Quarter, celebrating and preserving the town’s architectural, historical, and cultural heritage. In one of the oldest parts of Letterkenny, colorfully restored shopfronts, vivid murals, and small galleries fill the lane’s historic buildings, which were once in decline. 

One enduring structure, the Gospel Hall, dating back to 1895, was erected as a place of worship by the Plymouth Brethren Christian Movement, and still holds services every week. Dissatisfaction with established churches spurred the formation of the non-conformist evangelical group in Dublin in the 1820s.  Contrast this unassuming building with the ornate cathedral just up the hill. 

Walk: At the bottom of Church Lane, turn right onto Main Street.  

Market Square

Market Square is located at the intersection of Main Street and Castle.  It was once the hub of open-air markets and fair days. Farmers brought livestock and produce, and vendors set up stalls.  Today, the Square is quieter. With markets mostly a thing of the past, gatherings are more likely to occur in the bars and restaurants surrounding the square.  

Anchoring the square is “The Hiring Fair”—an eye-catching bronze sculpture by Maurice Harron, unveiled in 1994. Here, the waiting figures of children recall the town’s semi-annual Hiring Fairs, days when the young people and farmers arrived in town to meet and arrange for the youths’ employment on the farms. 

 Bank of Ireland

Almost directly across Upper Main Street from the Market Square stands the Bank of Ireland building, originally the Hibernian Bank (1873).  Although showing its age somewhat, there is no doubt that it was built to impress.  The builders took great care in producing the stonework on this bank building.  A notable trend in 19th-century bank architecture, the ornate and detailed façade suggests that the institution is well-funded and reliable.  

Walk: Continue past Market Square.  Main Street becomes Lower Main Street.

Walking Lower Main Street

The next section of this walk is a stroll down Lower Main Street, which features several buildings of interest.

Ernest Speer 

The Ernest Speer building (9 Lower Main, 1877) is a well-preserved structure with many original features showcasing the traditional architecture in Letterkenny.  

Note the expertly carved timber pilasters supporting the horizontal entablature with the shop name “Ernest Speer” displayed in the manner of a traditional Irish shopfront. 

Walk: Proceed along Lower Main Street 

Voodoo 

A contemporary block of buildings, housing the Voodoo bar and nightclub (approximately 19 Lower Main), is a contrast to the historic sites you’ve seen so far. But history pops up everywhere here.  The Letterkenny branch of Sinn Féin, the Republican political party, was formed in the backyard of this building in 1917.  

Walk: Proceed along Lower Main Street 

Letterkenny Library and Arts Centre

Slightly further down the road at the corner of Lower Main and Oliver Plunkett, Letterkenny’s Library and Arts Centre is both an architectural and cultural landmark. Opened in 1995, it stands out for its modernist touches and clock tower. Inside, exhibitions and archives celebrate Donegal’s literary and artistic heritage.

Walk: Continue along Lower Main, looking for the Corn Market Sign.

Corn Market Sign

The understated Letterkenny Corn Market Sign is a panel with a molded frame reading “Letterkenny Market 1852.”  It sits on the east boundary wall of the former Letterkenny town corn market. 

Market Square wasn’t the only place with markets in Letterkenny! The Corn Market sign is another reminder of Letterkenny’s importance as a regional market town during the mid-to-late nineteenth century. 

Walk: Continue along Lower Main.

Devlin Hall

The old Devlin Hall (63 Lower Main), recognizable by its rounded gable, had a long history as a venue for entertainment, dancing, nightlife, community events, and social gatherings. Today, it’s the home of the Letterkenny Youth and Community Club.  The club offers youth in Letterkenny opportunities to participate in a range of activities and socialize in a secure and safe environment. 

Walk: Continue on Lower Main, then turn left on Oldtown Road, and follow the road south toward the roundabout.

Three Bridges over the River Swilly

Here, at the end of our tour, we see three bridges crossing the River Swilly: the Oldtown Railway Bridge, the Oldtown Bridge, and the Devlin Way.  

Oldtown Railway Bridge

After crossing the roundabout and approaching the river, the Oldtown Railway Bridge comes into view on the right.  The bridge was in service from 1903 to 1953, built by the Londonderry and Lough Swilly Railway Company.  The survival of the single-track bridge indicates solid construction and high-quality materials in the stone masonry of the abutments as well as the metal elements of the bridge itself.  

Walk: Continue a short distance to the nearby pedestrian bridge.

Devlin Way

You can get a good view of the Railway Bridge from Devlin Way, the first pedestrian bridge built over the River Swilly. Opened in November 2006 and named after the local Devlin family, it connects the Letterkenny town center to the suburban Oldtown area. 

Old Town Bridge

The last of the three bridges, the Old Town Bridge, is parallel to the pedestrian bridge.  It’s a triple-arch bridge built around 1720. This bridge may incorporate building materials obtained from an earlier bridge built around 1620.  Although altered and repaired over the centuries, it has no problem carrying modern cars over the river.  

The Letterkenny Walking Tour is complete! You can now return to Lower Main Street or your preferred location in Letterkenny. 

Practical Information for Your Letterkenny Walking Tour

Starting Point:
Sentry Hill  (Approximate GPS: 54.952348, -7.7433483) is near the upper end of Church Lane.

Route Distance and Duration:
Approximately 0.9 miles (1.4 kilometers) one way.
Plan for 1 to 1.5  hours at a leisurely pace, with time to stop at churches, squares, and viewpoints.

Difficulty:
Easy. The route follows sidewalks and gentle slopes through the central area of Letterkenny. 

What to Bring:

• Comfortable shoes and a light jacket (Donegal weather can change quickly, and rain is often a possibility!)
  
• A refillable water bottle
  
• Your camera or smartphone for the many architectural details along the way
  

Nearby Amenities:
Cafés, restaurants, convenience stores, and other shops are available along this route. Look for parking near Cathedral Square or along Main Street if you’re arriving by car.

Where to Stay in Letterkenny

Despite its small size, Letterkenny welcomes visitors with a range of accommodations from the town center to its outskirts. 

I stayed at the super-convenient, centrally located and highly rated McGettigan’s Hotel.  For other options, you can use the map and links below to research and book your lodging in Letterkenny.  

 Booking.com ⯁ Expedia.com ⯁ Hotels.com ⯁ Kayak ⯁ Tripadvisor 

Walking Through Letterkenny – Pin It For Later!

I created these images for the Letterkenny walking tour to share on your Pinterest Boards.

Conclusion: Experience Letterkenny History on Foot

This self-guided walking tour touches on historic and architectural sites of interest in the Letterkenny town center.  Explore Letterkenny from Sentry Hill to Cathedral Square, the Cathedral Quarter, Market Square, Lower Main Street, and the River Swilly, where the town began.  History might be front and center in Cathedral Square, and more subdued along Lower Main Street, but exploring Letterkenny on foot reveals aspects of the past even as modern life is surrounds these storied sites.  Take your time following this route, and let the town’s heritage unfold as you stroll.