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, 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, the hills of Barnes-Crockmore at 324m, 349m & 307m respectively, and Stragraddy mountain. All the hills have views along Donegal's Atlantic coast line or into the higher mountain country of Muckish and Errigal.
Rivers and Loughs
The Lurgy runs through Termon.
Clonkillymore Lough
Clonkillybeg Lough
Doon Lough
Cloncarney Lough
Lough Darragh
Lough Askerry
Lough Mnafin
Lough Acrappin - Top of Drumfin
Lough Acrabane - Barnes Gap
Sport
Termon Gaelic Athletic Association was founded in 1963. All age groups play and train at the local pitch "The Burn Road" The Club plays in the Donegal Senior Championship at male level. The Termon minor team were 2019 Donegal minor Champions and were defeated on 1 January 2020 by a single point by Lavey Derry in the Ulster Minor final in Belfast. The Termon Ladies team were 2019 Donegal champions being defeated by Dunamoyne Monaghan in the Ulster final by a single point. Termon currently fields 23 teams at all age groups male and female and schools teams.
Standing Stones 2 - Barnes townland - 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 - Barnes townland
Cillin 2 - Clonkilly townland
Ring Fort - 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 was established by Lector O'Friel sometime around the 1670s. Doon Well's origins are pre-Christian:
A 'togher' 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 and May eve.
The Mass Rocks were used during penal times. 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 would find himself put into a barrel of nails and thrown of the cliff near Doon rock at 'Binn an Sagairt' or Hill of the Priest. There is also a mass rock in the Terhillion townland of Termon, Terhillion means place of little huts or churchyard. The town land of Fawans has a mass rock which is high up in the townland.
Doon Rock
Doon Rock is the site where 25 O'Donnells were inaugurated chieftain from Eighneachan 1200 to Niall Garbh 1603. Red Hugh O'Donnell was inaugurated on 3 May 1592. Cahir Rua O'Dogherty, a lesser Gaelic chieftain, was defeated here by Sir Arthur Chichester in 1608, after staging a rebellion. 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. The parish priest is Fr Patrick McHugh.
Ethne's Well
Ethne's Well, in the Barnes townland, is named after Columba's mother. Ethne is strongly associated with the area. 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 Glassan is thought to be in the Stragraddy townland of Termon.
