Donegal Town Courthouse to close temporarily due to safety concerns

Donegal Town Courthouse has been closed due to safety concerns, with services being relocated to Ballyshannon Courthouse until further notice.

The courts service issued a statement saying: "From 1 October 2025, all court sittings scheduled for Donegal Courthouse will take place in Ballyshannon Courthouse.

"The Courts Service have recently been advised by the Office of Public Works (OPW) that due to Health and Safety concerns with Donegal Courthouse, it is no longer safe for public use.

"The OPW have confirmed that they have organised for a full building condition survey to be carried out. Following receipt of the full building condition survey report, the Courts Service will consider next steps.

"We apologise for the disruption this will cause for Court users."

The district court sits in Donegal Town on the first Wednesday of each month, as well as on the second and fourth Mondays. The Donegal Town Courthouse also houses the Coroner's Court on occasion, and prior to Covid-19, circuit court sittings were held there. Donegal Circuit Court now sits in Letterkenny due to bigger capacity and more advanced facilities.

News of the historic building's temporary closure for safety reasons has led to concern that it will not reopen, as happened in Glenties and Carndonagh. It remains to be seen if repair to the building is deemed feasible.

According to the National Built Heritage Service, Donegal Town Courthouse was built in 1833 at a cost of €800, largely of ashlar sandstone. The original building consisted of two storeys over basement offices and former bridewell (jail) to the rear. It was extended in 1891 having a single-story porch to the front, and two-storey split level extension to the north-west. 

The courthouse was set alight and damaged by the IRA in 1922, a fate suffered by many buildings of its type throughout Ireland between 1919 and 1923. It was later reconstructed by William James Doherty (1887 – 1951), an architect from Derry City who worked extensively in County Donegal from the 1920s.

Today, the courtroom retains its classic layout and fixed timber bench seating, panelled dock, pedimented panel to rear of judge’s chair, gallery with cast-iron supports and timber panelled balustrade.

Of major architectural significance, Donegal Town Courthouse sits on the town's Diamond and Tirchonaill Street alongside some of the town's most historic buildings - Donegal Castle and the Church of Ireland parish church.