Ireland Travel Search: Ulster: County Donegal (Republic of Ireland) Visitor Information Tourism Directory


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Ireland > Ulster > County Donegal (Republic of Ireland)

Donegal (Dun na nGall - Fort of the Foreigner) is the 4th largest county in all of Ireland and is a real `pocket rocket' sized area, encompassing all that is wonderful about Ireland distilled into one relatively small area. Here the names roll off the lips, Donegal Bay and the huge expanse of north west Atlantic Sea facing coast, a wild windswept region that is incredibly beautiful, Slieve League, Bloody Foreland, and inland, Neolithic and early Bronze Age monuments, the soft distilled golden light so beloved of generations of painters and poets, craggy mountains, wild heather meadows, and soft shamrock green pasture lands. A friendly lilting Gaelic rich accent is carried by the local people, with part of Donegal still officially Irish speaking (Gaelic). However, in recent times Ireland itself has discovered Donegal, and the population has accelerated rapidly with a continual building boom along the coast. - Probably best to visit now.

Click on the headings to find out more:

On the River Eske, Donegal Town is the capital town for this charming county, and is superbly situated at the heart of the road system in Donegal. Naturally, this is the Donegal Tweed cloth country and Donegal is THE best place in Ireland to buy it.

Legend has it that St Patrick visited Lough Derg in County Donegal and prayed for 40 days (and nights) on a small island in the middle of the lake. A basilica (St Patrick's Purgatory) has been built on the lake, but visitors (who must be over the age of 14) are required to fast for 36 hours and then complete the Stations of the Cross in bare feet. It's an extremely rigorous experience and you can only visit the basilica if you are a genuine pilgrim.

The imposing remains of Donegal Castle over the River Eske in Donegal town are adjoined by a three-story manor house. The castle was burned down in the 16th century, supposedly by a member of the powerful O'Donnell family, who refused to let his castle fall into English hands.

The Finn Valley is beautiful yet not much visited - so if you want to truly get away from it all to fish, walk, cycle or just contemplate, this is where to head.

Remote and splendid Bloody Foreland is one of Ireland's finest places for cycling. The name derives not from knees skinned in cycling accidents - but from the colour of local rocks.

Killybeggs (another great Irish name!) is reached via a wonderful drive along country lanes from Bruckless and Dunkineely, with lovely small villages along the way in which to buy traditional Irish lace and hand knitted Donegal sweaters (pullovers?) at a fraction of the cost of big department stores. Killybeggs is the largest fishing port in Ireland, and famous for its sea fishing competition in July every year. (It's just been given a cool 60 million Euros to expand the port to take bigger boats and more of them, so again - a good idea to visit before it happens.)

Past Killybeggs is the most breathtaking scenery in Donegal, the cliffs of Bunglass, Scregeigther and Slieve League rise to over 1900 feet and are the highest in Europe. From here, you can see clear into county Mayo.

Moving on to Glencolmcille you will find exquisite beaches all along the coast, and in particular Malin Bay, a totally sheltered bay with crystal clear water that is a photographers dream. The area is also famous for its woollen handicrafts, with the town of Ardara a great place also for tweed cloth and in particular, Aran sweaters.

Arranmore Island has been continually settled since prehistoric times and was most likely to have been one of Donegal's first coastal population areas. Archaeological excavations on ancient sites on the island have dated remains to the early Iron Age, around 800 BC. The island has also been the stronghold of a number of Gaelic chieftains, Manus Óg O'Domhnaill (Manus O'Donnell), a cousin of the Donegal chieftain Aodh Dubh O'Domhnaill, being its most famous. Many of the Gaelic traditions practised by these families are still alive on Arranmore today.

Tory Island is reached by a regular ferry from Magheraroarty or from nearby Downings. The trip across is about 7 miles and it can get pretty rugged in winter, so be warned. It is a gem however and worth the trip, especially if the weather is good. It is often compared to a Mediterranean or Greek island with its small whitewashed cottages and their brilliantly painted blue and red doors. Two villages are on the island called (naturally) East Town and West Town. The island has a population of about 130, one pub, a small hotel and hostel, a Catholic church, and is fast becoming famous for its fisherman painted simple landscape paintings. Go there and be amazed. It also has remains of an ancient Christian monastery including the Tau Cross, and `Balors Fort', a huge ugly rock sticking out into the sea and called so after Balor, the god of darkness - and reputedly a very ugly critter indeed.

Rathmullen is a deepwater port on Lough Swilly that has sheltered warships for hundreds of years. It is a charming town with beautiful beaches and great views across Lough Swilly. The drive to nearby Ramelton (also called Rathmelton) is stunning. Ramelton stages a great festival every year in July and it is a very picturesque town with quite a bit to see. A word of warning. Don't let your children (or yourself) drink the local cordial (soft drink) especially if sugar sends them into hyper drive, as this is probably one of the sweetest concoctions in the world!

O'Doherty's Keep is part of a Norman castle built around 1300, with only the Keep remaining. In the 15th century it came into the possession of the O'Doherty family who were the hereditary rulers of Inishowen. In 1588 Sean Óg O'Doherty and Red Hugh O'Donnell rescued shipwreck survivors from the Spanish Armada vessel, the 'La Trinidad Valencia' who were shipwrecked in nearby Kinnegoe Bay. They were subsequently imprisoned in Dublin Castle by the English and executed for assisting England's archenemy - Spain. (No thanks - literally - in those days.)

In 1608 Cahir O'Doherty, Sean Og's son, who was pretty upset with the English at the way his dads humanitarian efforts had been rewarded, led a rising against the English garrison in Derry. Bad move. The Keep was then burned in reprisal and all of Inishowen, including the Keep, was given to Sir Arthur Chichester who leased it to another Englishman, Henry Vaughan. The Keep was rebuilt and the Vaughan family lived there until around 1720 when they built the nearby manor house. It is also believed that Wolfe Tone, a leader of the 1798 rising, was imprisoned in the Keep after his capture in Lough Swilly aboard a French Frigate, before he was moved to Derry jail.

Cavanacor House is situated one kilometre outside Lifford, on the road to Letterkenny and is one of the earliest Plantation houses in Donegal, having been continuously occupied since the 17th century. Prior to the siege of Derry, Protestant armies were gathered together on the plains at Cavanacor. On the 20th April 1689, James II dined at Cavanacor House during the siege, and due to his royal protection, the house survived his armies retreat. One of life's delicious ironies was that whilst he (King James) was dining at Cavanacor with John, Thomas and Frederick Keyes, his host's brothers were inside Derry's walls, defending it against his army. In the 1690's Magdalene Tasker, (who was born at Cavanacor in 1634) married Capt. Robert Bruce Pollock. They and their children immigrated to America and settled in Somerset County in Maryland. In America the family shortened their name to Polk. James Knox Polk (born 1795), great, great, great grandson of Magdalene Tasker Polk, became the 11th American President in 1845 and held the Presidency until his death in 1849. The present owners, the O'Kanes have furnished the house with great care with exquisite Jacobean and Georgian furniture. As working artists they have also developed a thriving artistic centre offering pottery, sculpture and painting workshops.





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