[4] Bundoran, or Bun Dobhráin in Irish (which means the foot of the little water) was, up until over a century ago,[when?]

[6] In 1689 a skirmish was fought near Bundoran between a Jacobite force under Sir Connell Ferrall and the retreating Protestant garrison of Sligo.

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.

The rights of the people to have access to the seashore were blocked by a local landlord but the locals found a champion in the parish priest Canon Kelaghan who fought through the courts in 1870 to ensure that the pathways and roads to the beach remained open to the public.

Henceforth Bundoran's only railway link with the rest of the Irish Free State was via Northern Ireland, and as such was subject to delays for customs inspections.

[19] The Main Beach in Bundoran has been awarded a Blue Flag for each year of the existence of the competition, bar 2019.

[20] 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.

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).

At the tip of Rougey is Aughrus (the peninsula of the steeds), where the warhorses of Conall Gulbán and the O‘Donnells grazed.

[citation needed] The Fairy Bridges and Wishing Chair are located on the Roguey Walk near Tullan Strand in the town.

This natural sea arch bridge[21] was said to be Bundoran's first tourism attraction when the town became popular in the late 1700s.

It features in a painting by artist Helen Allingham and in 2020 won a TripAdvisor Travellers Choice award[22] placing it in the top 10 attractions on the review site across the globe.

The Waterworld complex opened in 1991 with its development coming about as a result of major storm damage in 1988[23] along the seafront.

The indoor water park includes a wave pool, rapids, slides that were added in 1994 with the addition of an external tower, and a three-lane multi-slide and toddler pool which were added in 2013 as a result of a multi-million euro investment by its owners Donegal County Council.

[24] Bundoran has many hotels, among the biggest are The Allingham Arms (132 rooms), The Great Northern (102) and The Holyrood (91).

As well as hotels, a 2018 report recorded sixteen caravan sites and campsites (consisting of 4,312 beds), several hundred self-catering residences and nine hostels.

Bus Éireann also run a regular service, several times a day, from Derry to Galway, via Letterkenny and Bundoran.

Feda O'Donnell (Bus Feda) runs from Crolly to Galway via Gweedore, Letterkenny, Donegal Town, Ballyshannon and Bundoran to the west of Ireland, including Sligo and Galway,[27] with an additional service to Limerick during the college term.

[35] The Astoria Ballroom was built in 1953 at a time when dances were a major social activity, and showbands would entertain large crowds at the venue.

[43] After its closure, St. Martha's was accused of child abuse and in June 2002 legal action was brought against it by numerous former pupils.

[44] The St Joseph's orphanages were erected from funds bequeathed by the late Miss Sarah Crudden, Newtownbutler.

[citation needed] All that is left on the lands is the extension area used till the 1980s by 'live in' students of the Ard Lughaidh.

[citation needed] Due to the decreasing class sizes in Ard Lughaigh in the 1990s the school faced closure and some students moved to Ballyshannon.

In 1963, Réalt na Mara joined with Ballyshannon club Aodh Ruadh to become St Joseph's.

In 1979, Bundoran beat Ballybofey in a nail-biting one-point victory to win the Senior Championship.

[19] In 2015, Réalt Na Mara won the Donegal Intermediate Football Championship title and went on to reach the Ulster final where they were defeated by Loughinisland.

[56] The construction cost was £800 in £1 shares and was set up by James Cassidy (cattle dealer) and John Conlan (merchant).

[57] The International Football Association Board (IFAB), the body that determines the Laws of the Game, met at the Great Northern Hotel in Bundoran in 1909.

[58] Bundoran is a member of the Douzelage, a town twinning association of towns across the European Union and United Kingdom, and is there for twinned with:[59] The song "Beautiful Bundoran" was written c. 1960 by Mai O'Higgins from Dungarvan, Waterford with the melody written by Bertie Flynn.