Bundoran (Irish: Bun Dobhráin) is a town in County Donegal, Ireland. The town is located near the N15 road near Ballyshannon, and is the most southerly town in Donegal. The town is a tourist seaside resort, and tourism has been at the heart of the local economy since the 18th century. Bundoran is a surfing destination and was listed by National Geographic magazine in 2012 as one of the world’s top 20 surf towns.
The first official record of Bundoran is in a deposition by Hugh Gaskein on 16 May 1653. He was a witness to events during the 1641 Rebellion when he was an apprentice butcher in Sligo. In 1689 a skirmish was fought near Bundoran between a Jacobite force under Sir Connell Ferrall and the retreating Protestant garrison of Sligo. William Cole, Viscount Enniskillen, built Bundoran Lodge, his summer home, in 1777. This building still stands on Bayview Avenue and is now called Homefield House. The Viscount seems to have started a trend amongst his contemporaries as more of them discovered Bundoran and visited it to enjoy the seaside and what were believed to be its health benefits.
For almost two centuries people have visited Bundoran beach on hot summer days. The tradition of bathing boxes began in Victorian times. They were primarily used by members of the gentry, who were reticent about undressing in public. The boxes were pushed, on wheels, to the water’s edge and the customer entered the box through one door, put on their bathing costume and stepped out another door to enter the sea. The box remained there until the bather was finished, dried off and fully clothed again. The bathing box was brought back to its original position on the beach, ready for the next client. Stationary bathing boxes were introduced in the early 1900s. They proved more amenable and cheaper to the public. In the 1920s, Mrs Elizabeth Travers and her brother-in-law, Bilshie Travers hired the boxes from the local Council.[citation needed] For 3 old pennies a customer hired a bathing costume and for 6 old pennies, they could hire “the whole package” which consisted of a bathing cap, costume and towel. A familiar sight on the beach in the 1950s and 1960s was “The Duck”. This was a former British Army amphibious craft that ferried tourists out onto the Bay. Despite being prone to breakdown, it was an attraction at the time. The Main Beach in Bundoran has been awarded a Blue Flag for each year of the existence of the competition.
The Promenade to Tullan Strand Starting at Bundoran Bridge and looking out towards the sea is Cladach Leathan (the broad beach) on which lies Bill Ireland’s Stone, named after the rescue of a shipwrecked sailor. Beyond it is the surf break of The Peak. At the end of the Promenade is Carraig na nÉan (the rock of the birds). The pump house that overlooks the bay was built by local landlords the Hamiltons in 1861. Close by is Carraig a Choiscéim (the rock of the step). Next to it is Poll Uain (Lambs’ Hole) which is also known as the Horse Pool. The Thrupenny Pool was named after the price of admission (3d. in pre-decimal currency). The main beach is called Trá na Draina (the strand of the strong) where according to legend the giant Culina wrestled with his son, both unaware of each other’s identity. The small stream that enters the sea on the beach is Sruthán na Cúil Fhinne (the rivulet of the fair girl). The coral and brachiopod fossils embedded in the rocks of Rougey are over 300 million years old. At the tip of Rougey is Aughrus (the peninsula of the steeds), where the warhorses of Conall Gulbán and the O‘Donnells grazed. Passing by the golf links is Pól Uaine and Pól Tóbí, both fishing spots. Next is the ‘Puffing Hole’. Below is Tullan Strand, where the first inhabitants of the area used flint from the rocks to make tools.
