# Termon

Termon (Irish: An Tearmann, meaning 'place of sanctuary') is a village in the north of County Donegal, Ireland.

## Geography

Termon is located eight miles from Letterkenny, Donegal's main town and seven miles from Creeslough. Termon is made up of many townlands including Currin, Doon, Drumlaurgagh, Gortnalaragh, Drumbrick, Drumoughill, Cloncarney, Terhillion, Gortnalaragh, Clonkilly, Knocknabollan, Fawans, Drumdeevin, Drumfin, Barnes, Stragraddy, Ballybuninabber, Letterfad, Goal and Gurtin, Loughaskerry.
There are several hills close to Termon, including Lough Salt (469m), the hills of Barnes-Crockmore (the "Resting Bishop") at 324m, 349m & 307m respectively, and Stragraddy mountain (285m). All the hills have views along Donegal's Atlantic coast line or into the higher mountain country of Muckish (666m) and Errigal (749m).

### Rivers and loughs

* The Lurgy runs through Termon.(Irish - An Lorgaigh)
* Clonkillymore Lough
* Clonkillybeg Lough
* Doon Lough
* Cloncarney Lough
* Lough Darragh
* Lough Askerry
* Lough Mnafin
* Lough Acrappin - Top of Drumfin
* Lough Acrabane - Barnes Gap

## Sport

The local Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) club is Termon GAA. Founded in 1963, the club's pitch is at "The Burn Road". The Termon GAA adult team plays in the Donegal Senior Championship. The Termon minor GAA team were 2019 Donegal minor champions and were defeated on 1 January 2020 by a single point in the Ulster Minor final in Belfast. Termon LGFA adult team were crowned Tesco Club All-Ireland Champions in 2014, defeating Mournabbey of Cork in the final. Termon LGFA have won two Ulster Club Championships - one in 2010 and one in 2014 beating Donaghmoyne of Monaghan in both finals. The Termon Ladies team were 2019 Donegal champions making them senior county champions for a sixth time they competed in the 2019 Ulster Final being defeated by Donaghmoyne of Monaghan by a single point.

## Historical sites

* Megalithic tomb 1 (Grid.ref C107248) - Barnes townland
* Megalithic tomb 2 (Grid.ref C107219) - Gortnalaragh townland, known locally as Dermot and Groinna, 2 stones visible from the Terhillion Rd
* Megalithic tomb 3 (Grid Ref C119211) - Drumbrick townland
* Standing Stones 1 (Grid ref C108245) - Barnes townland
* Standing Stones 2 (Grid ref C109241) - Barnes townland (Ogham standing stones) - these are thought to be the original boundaries of 'An Tearmann' denoting sanctuary, as those seeking it were thought to be within the Kilmacrenan Abbey.See local history below-Frank Mc Gettigan
* Cillin 1 (Grid ref C109240) - Barnes townland
* Cillin 2 (Grid ref C125206) - Clonkilly townland
* Ring Fort (Grid ref C121216) - Drumbrick townland, situated at the top of Drumbrick hill, visible from the Burn road

## Religious sites

Several sites around Termon are significant to the Roman Catholic faith in Donegal.

### Doon Well

Doon Well (Irish: Tobar an Dúin) was established by Lector O'Friel sometime around the 1670s. Doon Well's origins are pre-Christian:
* A 'tóchar' (ancient wooden road) runs underneath the bog adjacent to Doon Rock
* Bronze Age artefacts have been found near the well
* The water used in the inauguration ceremony of the O'Donnells would have been carried from the well. Stations and rosary are still 'walked' from St. Columba's chapel to Doon Well on Hogmanay (New Year's Eve) and May eve.

### Mass Rocks

Mass rocks were used during the religious persecution of the Catholic Church in Ireland that began under Henry VIII and ended only with Catholic Emancipation in 1829. There are thought to be several more in the Termon area and were generally in areas were people could meet, practice their faith and post a look out to warn the congregation. Priests usually said Mass under pain of death, if they were caught, the priest hunters would put their quarry into a barrel of nails and throw him off the nearby cliff still called 'Binn an tSagairt' or Hill of the Priest. There is also a mass rock in the Terhillion townland of Termon, Terhillion (Tirkillin) means place of little huts or churchyard. The town land of Fawans has a mass rock which is high up in the townland.

### Rock of Doon

Doon Rock (120m approx) is the site where 25 O'Donnells were inaugurated as Chief of the Name and Lord of Tír Chonaill from Eighneachan in 1200 to Niall Garbh Ó Domhnaill in 1603.
While describing how Red Hugh O'Donnell was inaugurated on 3 May 1592, Timothy T. O'Donnell has written:
    "The inauguration of the O'Donnell as King of Tyrconnell was both civil and religious in nature. The ceremony took place on the great Rock of Doon which is one mile west of Kilmacrenan, from which one is give a breathtaking view of the surrounding country. It began with the religious rites in the church of the nearby monastery and holy well singing Psalms and hymns in honor of Christ and St. Columba for the success of the Prince's sovereignty. Standing on the Rock surrounded by nobles and his clansmen, the Prince received an oath in which he promised to preserve the Church and the laws of the land. The Prince also vowed to deliver the succession of the realm peacefully to his Tanist (his successor). O'Ferghil, the hereditary warden and abbot of Kilmacrenan, performed the religious ceremony of the inauguration of The O'Donnell. O'Gallagher was the Prince's Marshal and O'Clery was the Ollamh, or scholarly lawyer who presented to him the book containing the laws and customs of the land and the straight white wand symbolizing the moral rectitude demanded of his judgments and rule."
Then, in honour of the Holy Trinity, Hugh would have surveyed his Clan lands as he walked three times sunwise around the peak of Rock of Doon, after which all the Irish clans present loudly acclaimed him as "O'Donnell!"
Cahir O'Doherty, Lord of Inishowen, was also killed in battle there by Sir Arthur Chichester in 1608, while leading an uprising. This event was a significant influence on the formulation of plans for the plantation of Ulster.

### St. Columba's Chapel

Termon is served by St. Columba's Chapel (1854–present). The parish priest is Fr Patrick McHugh.

### Ethne's Well

Ethne's Well (Irish: Turas an Ri), in the Barnes townland, is named after Columba's mother Ethne. This holy well had stations performed on 9 June for nine nights.

### St. Glassan

St. Glassan is a saint of the parish of whom little is known. The "Martyrology of Donegal" gives his feast day as 1 October. The grave of Father Glasán (Frater Cassians) is thought to be in the Stragraddy townland of Termon.