BALLYSHANNON  , a seaport and

market-town of Co . Donegal, Ireland, in the south parliamentary division, at the mouth of the Erne; on the Bundoran branch of the Great Northern railway . Pop . (1901) 2359 . The river is here crossed by a bridge of twelve arches, which connects the town with the suburb of The Port . Below the bridge the river forms a beautiful cascade, 150 yds. wide, with a fall at low water of 16 ft . Here is the salmon leap, where the fish are trapped in large numbers, but also assisted to mount the fall by salmon-ladders . The fisheries are of great value, and there is an export trade to England in salmon, which are despatched in ice . The harbour is a small exposed creek of Donegal Bay, and is only accessible to small vessels owing to a bar . Previous to the Union Ballyshannon .returned two members to the Irish parliament and it was incorporated by James I . There are slight remains of a castle of the O'Donnells, earls of Tyrconnell, where the English, on attempting to besiege it, were defeated and lost heavily in their retreat across the river, in 1597 . There are numerous raths.or encampments in the vicinity and other remains .

Coolmore, 3 M . N.W., is a bathing-resort .