Donegal has no shortage of amazing things to do and see. Being Ireland’s second largest County, you would need a month to get round them all. So to help you get the most out of your visit we have compiled a list of things you cannot miss while visiting County Donegal.
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| Europe's Highest Sea Cliffs |
1. Sliabh Liag: Drink in the best views in Europe
A narrow road twists steeply up from Teelin to the
dramatic Slieve Liag cliffs and mountains. From the viewing point, you look across
one of the finest panoramas in Europe that
will set your heart racing. An information panel, part of the Donegal
Interpretative Project, sets out the details of what you see. This area of
Donegal is also part of the famed Appalachian Trail that leads eastwards along
the Bluestacks Way
and joins up with the Ulster Way
and the Causeway Coast. The nearby cultural centre, Tí
Linn, is run by Paddy Clarke, a rich source of information on the area and its archaeological
heritage.
2. Fanad Head: Hire a pedalo at Portsalon
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| Fanad Lighthouse, Fanad Head |
Golden sandy beaches and rolling farmland threaded by
narrow roads set the scene in the secluded Fanad peninsula squeezed in between
Lough Swilly and Mulroy
Bay and leading to remote
Fanad Head. Families can enjoy a day of watersports at picture-postcard resorts
such as Rathmullan or Portsalon. Take your pick from spinning for mackerel off
a pier, learning to fly-fish for rainbow trout, hire a pedalo or paddle a
kayak. If you are feeling energetic, why not saddle up and gallop along the
shores of Lough Swilly on the pristine Rathmullan Strand. As you drive around
this thrilling peninsula be prepared for delays on single track roads; your
path may be blocked by a herd of heifers and you will be reduced to cow-speed;
don’t forget you are in north Donegal where the motto festina lente ‘hurry slowly’ applies and where life moves at an
easy pace.
3. Malin Head: Dip into history or look up at the
night sky
Catch a cloudless evening and you may be enchanted by
a night sky display of the Aurora Borealis, the Northern Lights. The celestial
light show, with its ghostly wispy rays of dancing colours has been seen
hanging like a fluorescent curtain over Malin Head – what better reason to go
than to witness this astonishing sight.
As you make your way around the 100-mile circuit of the scenic Inishowen
peninsula, you will find many attractions and distractions on the journey to Ireland’s most
northerly point, Malin Head. Those with an interest in military history will
want to see Fort Dunree Military
Museum near Buncrana. Further
along, Doagh Famine Village,
an outdoor museum, provides a thought-provoking look at the area from the tragedy
of the Famine in the 1840s up to the present.
4. An Grianán Aileach: Awaken your mystical spirit
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| An Grianán Aileach, Inishowen |
Perched 800 ft. above sea level, on a spectacular hilltop
in Inishowen, the Grianán of Aileach fort is a former home of the Irish High
Kings. The origins of this circular site are believed to date from around 1700
BC. Although it has important connections with the ancient monasteries of
Donegal, its history stretches far beyond the era of Christianity and is
steeped in legend. The terraced fort is an enigmatic place in which to immerse
yourself in the past and survey the landscape. Sweeping views take in patchwork
fields and lakes as well as the wider hilly countryside. In 2013, the fort was
chosen as one of the landmarks included on the new Irish passport.
5. Surfing in Bundoran: Ride the waves
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| Bundoran - A surfer's mecca |
In the south of the county, Bundoran has become the unrivalled
gung-ho centre of surf culture hosting world class competitions. Regarded as
the top spot by the black-clad brigade, it is a place where wave-riding runs
deep in the veins of some locals’ blood. Set against a backdrop of dramatic
scenery and beaches, the reefs around Bundoran are world renowned, producing
the optimal wave size. Donegal Adventure Centre in Bundoran – the largest of
its kind in Ireland
– provides expert tuition from qualified instructors in the tricky art of
staying up on your board. If you are new to surfing, a good place for beginners
is Rossnowlagh, a few miles north.
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| Carnival Fun during Earagail - July each year |
6. Earagail Arts Festival: Catch a song and singalong
They enjoy their culture and craic in Donegal like nowhere else and music plays a huge part in
people’s lives. Many small towns stage popular summer festivals. One of the
biggest, the Earagail Arts Festival attracts international performers from the
musical and theatrical world. Home-grown talent features strongly on the bill too
and Irish musicians who have taken part include Moya Brennan, Mary Black, Donal
Lunny, Paddy Glackin and Liam O’Flynn to name but a few. Groups such as the Saw
Doctors, Clannad and The Henry Girls have delighted audiences. Alongside the
music, film shows, literature events and a host of children’s entertainment,
all add up to an action-packed programme.
7. Angling: Bag a salmon, hook a trout or wrestle a
shark
Sparkling rivers, well-stocked lakes and the fruits of
the sea attract anglers from many countries. Donegal is noted for game and coarse
fishing and its coastline is washed by some of the cleanest and clearest seas
in Europe, offering shore and deep sea angling.
Many species, including pollock, mackerel, wrasse, gurnard, tope, ray and shark
have been caught in the sea. Shore angling enthusiasts enjoy the sheltered
waters of Lough Swilly and many other locations along the coast right round to Donegal Bay. Trout and spring salmon are found
in abundance at fisheries such as those at Gweebarra, Dunfanaghy and on the
Eske, combining the River Eske, Lough Eske and its tributaries.
8. Golfing: outdoor tonic
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| Ballyliffin Golf Club, Inishowen |
As a golf tourism destination, Donegal with premium
seaside courses takes some beating. Many championship 18-hole courses are set in
areas of natural beauty and Bundoran Golf Club, founded in 1894, co-hosts the
West Coast Challenge each year. During the 1950s it was the home of the ‘Master
Golfer’ Christy O’Connor Senior. At Murvagh, on the shores of Donegal Bay,
Donegal Golf Club was named by Golf World
as one of Ireland’s
top 10 clubs and is consistently rated high by local golfers. With one of the
longest courses in Europe, it suits the big
hitters. In the north of the county, Ballyliffin Golf Club has two fine
championship links and comprises 365 acres of dune land. In 2006 Sir Nick Faldo
re-designed the Old Links course.
Click here for more information
9. Hike Errigal: stand at the top of Donegal
The distinctive white conical peak of Errigal,
(from the Irish translation, Aireagál
meaning ‘oratory’) the highest point in the county, is a potent symbol and has
a grip on the imagination. Pull on your walking books for a pleasant hike across
heather and grass before joining a stony path to the summit at 2,466 ft., where
two cairns are connected by a narrow path. Anyone with a reasonable level of fitness
– and the right gear – will be able to complete the walk to the top in less
than two hours. It’s well worth the effort. You will be rewarded with an
uninterrupted panorama of Bloody Foreland, a countryside speckled with sheep
and white cottages, and lying out to sea, the islands of Inishbofin, Inishdooey
and Inishbeg.
10. Glenveagh
National Park: look out
for golden eagles
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| Scenic Beauty at Glenveagh |
The largest tract of land in the wildest part of
Donegal, Glenveagh
National Park
incorporates moorland, mountain, lakes and woods within its 40,000 acres of
wilderness. The park – the second largest in Ireland – was once owned by the
American millionaire Henry P. McIlhenny and is now in the hands of the Irish
government. Tours of the castle, as well as guided tours of the Italianate
formal gardens are available, or you can join a ranger-led walk along footpaths
through the grounds. You may be lucky enough to catch sight of soaring golden
eagles which have been reintroduced into the area or chance upon a shy red deer.
11. Daniel O’Donnell Visitor Centre: a glittering life
of music
He has appeared 18 times in the US Billboard World
Album Charts and now Donegal’s famed singing star, Daniel O’Donnell has his
very own visitor centre charting a glittering musical career. The Daniel
O’Donnell Visitor Centre in Dungloe opened in 2012 and since then thousands
have come through the doors to celebrate the story of his life. A 12-minute film
explains his humble beginnings in Kincasslagh and rise to international
stardom. Memorabilia includes gold discs, stage outfits, his wedding suit and
his wife’s wedding dress, as well as his first schoolbag. O’Donnell’s repertoire
of songs covering Irish, country and pop has struck a chord with many emigrants.
In a musical career of more than 30 years he has sold 10 million albums.
12. Glencolumbcille
Folk Village
Museum: Commune with the rural
past
There are few better places to delve into the past
than at Glencolumbcille
Folk Village.
This clachan, or village, comprises
eight thatched, whitewashed cottages showcasing three specific years of Irish
culture: 1720, 1820 and 1920. New exhibitions house a fisherman’s cottage and a
traditional pub-grocery and shoemaker’s shop. Potter around this reflective
place and you will find a sweat house (an early Irish sauna) replica lime kilns
and mass rocks. A few miles north of Glencolumbcille, at Port, you can follow
in the footsteps of the Welsh poet Dylan Thomas who holidayed in the area in
1935. Organised walks lead through the serenely beautiful peat bogland of the valley of Glenlough,
past glacial waterfalls, and over the Glengesh Pass
to Ardara.
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