Region: Donegal
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History
The creation of the county in 1585 united for the first time the historic territories of Tireconnell and Inishowen under the common name of Donegal. Geographically inaccessible, it maintained an autonomy that was personified in the O'Donnell clan which dominated and protected the region for over 300 years. This came to an end however in 1603 at the battle of Kinsale, when Red Hugh O'Donnell and his ally Big Hugh O'Neill were defeated by George Carew and Lord Mountjoy. Plantation landlords and the anti-Catholic Penal Laws, which denied many rights of ownership, haunted some two hundred years of increasing misery in Donegal. The Famine of 1846 was not only an almost nationwide scourge, but also a demarcation line after which much was done to improve life in the peripheral, western regions of the island.
Geography
County Donegal is situated in the most north westerly part of the island of Ireland with 1031 Km of coastline on the Atlantic Ocean and 146 Km of inland boundary with Northern Ireland. The county has beautiful scenery in the shape of attractive glens and small lakes, together with an impressively rugged coast and ranges of mountains.
Population
The population of the county is 130,000 and about 80% of them live in rural areas.
Economy
The main employment sectors in the county are: manufacturing: concentrated in the textiles and food sector agriculture: characterised by small fragmented holdings fisheries: it is Ireland primary sea fishing county and accounts for approximately 45% of all landings tourism: it is the sector offering the greatest potential for economic evelopment.
Economic Development
The socio-economic situation of this bordering region involves high unemployment, disproportionate reliance on the public sector and certain industries such as textiles, clothing and agriculture. Generally the region can be considered deprived, the industrial and service sector is patchy, firm size is small. There is evidence, however, to suggest that the region is capable of job creation through increased crossborder co-operation, inward investment and development of indigenous SMEs in the tourism and natural resources sectors.
Strategy
Stimulated by its experiences and transfer of know-how during ERNAC's first period of operations (1991-1994), the North West Ireland Crossborder Region, which comprises Derry and Donegal, designed an integrated regional Information Society strategy, capable of enhancing the perspectives for cross-border economic and social development and integration.
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