County Donegal: Encyclopedia II - County Donegal - Culture and heritage

County Donegal - Culture and heritage

The variant of the Irish language spoken in Donegal is distinctive, and shares traits with Scottish Gaelic. The Irish spoken in the Donegal Gaeltacht (Irish speaking area) is of the West Ulster dialect, while Inishowen, which became English-speaking in the early 20th century, used the East Ulster dialect. Scots is still spoken to a degree in the Laggan district of east Donegal.

Donegal Irish has a strong influence on Irish speakers across Ulster, who find themselves speaking a language noticeably different (in pronunciation) from the 'official' Irish spoken on RTÉ.

Like other areas of western Ireland, Donegal has a distinctive fiddle tradition which is of world renown. Donegal is also well known for its songs which have, like the instrumental music, a distinctive sound. Popular music types are also popular, the county's most famous rock artist being the Ballyshannon born Rory Gallagher.

Donegal has a long literary tradition in both Irish and English. Modern exponents include the Inishowen playwright and poet Frank McGuinness and the Derry born playwright, and now a resident of Donegal, Brian Friel. Many of Friels plays are set in the fictional Donegal town of Ballybeg.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Culture and heritage", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki