HMS Donegal was a 74-gun ship of the line of the Téméraire class, originally launched in 1794 under the French flag as Barra. She was built for the French Navy during the 1790s and underwent several name changes, becoming Pégase in October 1795 and Hoche in December 1797. As Hoche, she was part of a French expedition during the Irish Rebellion of 1798, serving as the flagship of Commodore Jean-Baptiste-François Bompart. The vessel was heavily involved in the Battle of Tory Island on 12 October 1798, where she was engaged by British forces. During the battle, Hoche sustained significant damage, losing her topmasts and having her sails shredded, which caused her to fall behind the French fleet. Ultimately, she was captured by the British Royal Navy after surrendering at 10:50 am, with Commander Bompart and her crew suffering heavy casualties. Following her capture, she was towed to Lough Swilly, County Donegal, and recommissioned into the Royal Navy as HMS Donegal. She was stationed initially in Plymouth in 1800 and later assigned to the English Channel and the waters off Cádiz. Notable during her service was her pursuit and capture of the Spanish frigate Amfitrite in November 1804 after a 46-hour chase, and her involvement in the Battle of San Domingo in February 1806, where she played a key role in engaging and capturing the French ships Brave and Jupiter. She also participated in the blockade off Cádiz and was part of Vice-Admiral Nelson’s fleet. Throughout her career, Donegal saw action in various engagements, including the Battle of Les Sables-d'Olonne in 1809 and the Battle of the Basque Roads, where her first-lieutenant commanded a fire ship. She continued active service into the 1810s, capturing privateers and French vessels, and serving as a flagship later in her career. She was placed in ordinary in 1811 and 1814 before being refitted for further service. HMS Donegal was ultimately broken up in 1845, marking the end of her nearly 50-year maritime service.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.