Page "County Donegal" Paragraph 24

County Donegal is famous for being the home of the once mighty Clann Dálaigh, whose most famous branch were the Clann Ó Domhnaill, better known in English as the O ' Donnell Clan.

Until around 1600, the O ' Donnells were one of Ireland's richest and most powerful Gaelic ( native Irish ) ruling-families.

Within the Province of Ulster only the Clann Uí Néill ( known in English as the O ' Neill Clan ) of modern County Tyrone were more powerful.

The O ' Donnells were Ulster's second most powerful clan or ruling-family from the early 13th-century through to the start of the 17th-century.

For several centuries the O ' Donnells ruled Tír Chonaill, a Gaelic kingdom in West Ulster that covered almost all of modern County Donegal.

The head of the O ' Donnell family had the titles An Ó Domhnaill ( meaning The O ' Donnell in English ) and Rí Thír Chonaill ( meaning King of Tír Chonaill in English ).

Based at Donegal Castle in Dún na nGall ( modern Donegal Town ), the O ' Donnell Kings of Tír Chonaill were traditionally inaugurated at Doon Rock near Kilmacrenan.

O ' Donnell royal or chiefly power was finally ended in what was then the newly created County Donegal in September 1607, following the Flight of the Earls from near Rathmullan.

The modern County Arms of Donegal ( dating from the early 1970s ) was influenced by the design of the old O ' Donnell royal arms.

The County Arms is the official coat of arms of both County Donegal and Donegal County Council.