In the town, it passes several tourist attractions, one of which is Donegal Castle, the former seat of the O'Donnell Clan, the ancient rulers of the Lordship of Tyrconnell (roughly similar to modern day County Donegal without the Inishowen Peninsula).
George Carpenter, 3rd Earl of Tyrconnell | Tyrconnell | Richard Talbot, 1st Earl of Tyrconnell | George Carpenter, 2nd Earl of Tyrconnell | John Carpenter, 4th Earl of Tyrconnell |
Niall Garve O'Donnell (Niall Garbh Ó Domhnaill), last Prince of Tyrconnell (died 1626)
The story of Aodh Rua Ó Domhnaill (Red Hugh O'Donnell, also known as Red Hugh II), Lord of Tyrconnell, was the inspiration behind many books and films, not least, Disney's The Fighting Prince of Donegal.
Charles Carpenter (1757 – 1803), a naval officer and MP for Berwick-upon-Tweed, whose son George succeeded as 3rd Earl of Tyrconnell.
While opposing the French forces of Napoleon he died of disease "from his zeal and excessive fatigue." Upon his death his brother John became the 4th Earl of Tyrconnell.
Tyrone and Tyrconnell fled from Ireland early in September 1607 (the Flight of the Earls); O'Cahan, who ruled the greater part of what is now County Londonderry, and of O'Doherty, the chief of Inishowen in County Donegal, came under some suspicion.
Lady Tyrconnell inherited Kiplin the following year and in 1819 commissioned the architect P. F. Robinson to build a wing to the south.
Supported by Munster and Connacht, and assisted also by English contingents and by the MacDonnells of Antrim, O'Neill took the castle of Ballyshannon, and after devastating a large part of Tyrconnell he encamped at Knockavoe, near Strabane.
Maximilian Karl Lamoral Graf O’Donnell von Tyrconnell (October 29, 1812 — July 14, 1895) was an Austrian officer and civil servant who became famous when he saved the life of Emperor Franz Josef I of Austria.