As its name suggests, it is the oldest part of Letterkenny—being older than Letterkenny itself—and was the starting point of the area's development.

[2] It may be entered from central Letterkenny on its northern flank via the Oldtown Bridge (for vehicular traffic) or Devlin Way (for pedestrians).

as it is primarily green spaces within housing developments; its residents mostly utilize services in the town centre, rather than Oldtown itself.

The main food source of Oldtown's early inhabitants was fishing in the Swilly estuary, which flowed up to Conwal Cemetery.

[citation needed] Oldtown railway station was located on the Letterkenny & Burtonport Extension line.

[14][better source needed] As of 2008, employers in the area included Dunnes Stores, NowDoc,[15] Jungle King[16][17] and The Hide Out Bar (also known as the Oldtown Inn).

[20][better source needed] Residential areas in Oldtown include Brookcourt,[21] Luí Na Gréine and Ros Suilighe.

A 2009 report on the Jim Larkin Court and Gaeltex Drive blocks of flats noted a lack of facilities or play areas for children and families.

[22] McNeely Villas, originally comprising 40 homes, was developed by Con Harvey and named in honour of the then recently deceased Bishop of Raphoe William MacNeely.