It’s All About Buncrana - Town Team sets out 2040 vision for the seaside town

The community-led Town Team group has launched an ambitious action plan setting out a shared vision for Buncrana’s development over the next 15 years.

The non-statutory plan brought together voices from business, community and youth groups, the arts, Tidy Towns, the local authority and sports clubs. It is chaired by Cllr Fionán Bradley with Cllr Jack Murray serving as vice-chair.

While the plan is not legally binding, it is intended to act as a guiding framework to inform decision-making, prioritise projects and support funding applications as Buncrana plans for its future within the ‘North West City Region’.

The Buncrana Town Team Action Plan outlines than 123 actions under six broad headings aimed at developing the town into a “vibrant, well-connected socio-economic hub” by 2040.

It places a strong emphasis on sustainable economic growth, improved infrastructure, environmental responsibility and deeper community engagement.

The plan is designed to act as a catalyst for Buncrana’s continued development by building on local strengths such as its natural environment, strong community spirit and tourism potential, while also addressing key challenges identified through consultation.

Key areas of focus include enhancing public infrastructure, diversifying the local economy, promoting sustainable practices and strengthening collaboration between community groups, the local authority, Government agencies and private partners.

Established in 2024, the Town Team developed the Action Plan through a process of consultation, strategic planning and stakeholder engagement. The document is aimed at everyone with an interest in Buncrana’s future, including residents, businesses, community organisations, Donegal County Council, central government, private developers and visitors to the town.

The plan also aligns with and complements a range of existing and proposed initiatives, including Donegal County Council’s Re-powering Buncrana project, the Regeneration Strategy and Action Plan, the proposed redevelopment of the former Leisure Centre, the Inishowen Development Partnership’s Eco Strategy, the recently launched Night-Time Economy Action Plan 2025-26, and proposals for a Social Innovation Hub.

Indeed, the building of a new swimming pool for Buncrana was the number one issue highlighted in an online survey that was carried out by the Town Team, with 44% of respondents highlighting this when asked their suggestion for town improvements. Nothing else came remotely close.

Read more: Leisure Centre Co-Operative Society winds up and transfers site to Donegal County Council

Looking ahead to 2040, the Town Team’s vision is for Buncrana to become a thriving socio-economic hub powered by renewable energy, with a mixed economy combining large-scale industrial employment and a new generation of small and medium industries in areas such as arts, fashion, sustainable construction, design and food.

Tourism is identified as a major opportunity, with the plan envisaging state-of-the-art facilities that celebrate Buncrana’s culture and heritage while making full use of its coastal setting and natural environment.

The vision also includes a range of modern leisure facilities to support health and wellbeing through sport, the arts and recreation, along with the development of an internationally recognised innovation and training centre specialising in sustainable industry, construction and renewables.

A vibrant, diverse and safe night-time economy is another key ambition, alongside a commitment to tackling dereliction and delivering heritage-led regeneration of the town centre and industrial buildings.

Improved mobility and connectivity feature strongly, with proposals for innovative community transport systems designed to meet the needs of people of all ages and abilities.

The plan also highlights the importance of reconnecting Buncrana to the wider region, including aspirations for inclusion in a future North West City Region light rail network.

Embracing Lough Swilly through water-based activity, marine enterprise and all-season transport links is another central theme, as is empowering young people through youth-led facilities, social enterprise and a meaningful democratic voice in shaping the town’s future

Cllr Fionan Bradley, who chairs the Town Team committee, said Thursday night’s launch and panel discussion at the Inishowen Innovation Hub drew more than 60 people and was a huge success.

He said the plan was the culmination of 18 months work and the huge response to the survey – more than 700 responses, or around 10% of Buncrana's population – was evidence of the public’s ‘buy-in’.

“It’s incumbent on all of us now, public representatives, businesses, residents, voluntary, sporting, community and religious organisations to work together to ensure that this plan is delivered and so that Buncrana can achieve its full potential by 2040,” he said.

The members of the Town Team are: Cllr Fionán Bradley (chair), Cllr Jack Murray (vice-chair), Luke Timlin (secretary), Rois Deeney (PRO), Paddy Henderson (assistant PRO), Seamus Canning, Anthony Barber, Anne Marie McLaughlin, Paul McGonigle, Ciaran McGuinness, Ruth Garvey-Williams, Shauna McClenaghan, Sophie Gallagher, Siobhán McCafferty, and Rena Donaghey.