Traditional harbour crane a beautiful addition to historic Donegal pier
The hand-cranked crane would have been used to load and unload cargo
A traditional hand-cranked harbour crane has been installed on the old pier in Donegal Town.
The old pier, known locally as the small pier, predates the main pier by the Old Abbey Graveyard. It is where steamships would have docked for hundreds of years, bringing cargo to and from Donegal Town.
The crane which has been installed on behalf of Donegal Town Tidy Towns is of the type that would have traditionally been used to load and unload the steamships.
It is a wonderful addition to the maritime heritage of the area, and is not too far from the Napoleonic era anchor and chain which came from the French frigate Romaine in 1798.
The wider pier area also includes a statue of Red Hugh O'Donnell and the ruins of the historic Franciscan Abbey, as well as the Abbey Graveyard.