There are also two relatively modern housing estates on the northern outskirts, Termon Villas and St. Patrick's Terrace, along with new developments such as Mill Grove.

The quality of the local land (marshy, with much blanket bog) renders it largely unsuitable for grain crops.

Many of the plantations occupy land unsuitable for other commercial uses, or where peat extraction has been completed, leaving poor quality thin soil cover behind.

Pettigo has traditionally been the 'gateway' to St. Patrick's Purgatory, a Christian pilgrimage site, situated on an island in Lough Derg.

During the mid-late 20th century, the popularity of the pilgrimage brought a significant boost to the local economy as tens of thousands of pilgrims from all over Ireland and abroad travelled through the village on their way to and from Lough Derg.

They were attacked first by a party of 100 Ulster Special Constabulary, who crossed Lough Erne but they were beaten off, losing one killed.

In the ensuing fighting, in which the British bombarded the village and then stormed it, the IRA lost three men killed, six wounded and four captured before being forced to retreat back to Donegal.

[7] Owing to its numerous Protestant inhabitants and awkward position astride the border, Pettigo would have been transferred to Northern Ireland had the recommendations of the Irish Boundary Commission been enacted in 1925.

[9][10] Bus Éireann seasonal route 486 provides links to and from Ballyshannon and Enniskillen for pilgrims to and from Station Island but also serves Pettigo.

The Government of Northern Ireland made the GNR close nearly all of its cross-border lines, including the Bundoran branch, on 1 October 1957.

The castle and lands were sold to the Leslie family of County Monaghan, who controlled the Pettigo estate until the early 20th century.

The complex encompasses: The mountains, hills and quiet country roads offer space for hill-walking, cycling and pony trekking.

30 plaques tell of the creator of Riverdance, Moya Doherty, "French" Tom Barton, "Banjo" Patterson, the Crimean War Tree and the Pettigo Connection to "The Quiet Man", among many other tales of the areas surrounded by lakes.

Lough Derg lies about four miles north of the village of Pettigo in County Donegal.

This small lake-island, renowned in Irish Christian tradition since the time of St. Patrick, has been receiving pilgrims continuously for well over 1000 years.