When you think of holidays in Ireland, what do you think of? The beautiful green farmlands of Tipperary, the dramatic peaks and lake-pools of the Ring of Kerry, angling in the River Shannon, or enjoying the craic in the vibrant capital city Dublin? All of these are undoubtedly staples of an Irish holiday, but if you’re looking for something a bit more different … why not try County Donegal?
In my opinion, County Donegal has the most spectacular scenery in the whole of Ireland: hundreds of miles of coastline with the highest sea-cliffs in Europe, beautiful beaches, and inland there are rivers, glens and bogland hills, not to mention the more barren ‘moonlike’ stretches of Connemara.
The Rough Guide to Ireland raves about the country’s second largest county saying: “the demonically daunting
peninsulas of the northern reaches are immediately contrasted a little inland by the mystical lakes of the Donegal highlands”. It reminds me of Cornwall and the highlands of Scotland … so if you like either, you’ll love County Donegal.
++ WHERE IS IT? ++ Donegal is the most northerly part of Ireland (above Northern Ireland), which is a bit weird when locals talk about going ‘up’ to Belfast (which is geographically south). With a spectacular 200 mile coastline, County Donegal is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the west and north; Counties Derry, Tyrone and Fermanagh to the east and Counties Leitrim and Sligo to the south.
++ TELL ME A BIT ABOUT THE HISTORY (BUT DON’T BORE ME!) ++ Donegal’s original name was Tir Chonaill, meaning “the land of Conal” (one of the 12 sons of Niall of the Nine Hostages). In the early seventeenth century, the English changed the name to that of their main garrison Nun na nGall (“the fort of the foreigner”). A somewhat ironic story considering that Donegal, with its wild terrain, always evaded English power.
Donegal contains the largest Gaeltacht (Irish speaking district) in Ireland, in the west of the county.
++ SO WHAT SHOULD I DO WHEN I’M THERE? ++ I stayed with friends, who lived and grew up in County Donegal, so I got the local tour. This is what we did, and I’d highly recommend it to anyone:
WALK ALONG PORTSALON BEACH: Voted the 2nd most beautiful beach in the world by Observer readers, Portsalon is simply astonishing! The beach is over a mile long, with beautiful white sand (it is an EU Blue Flag beach). You’ll be lucky if it is sunny enough to swim in the sea, but it is fun to have a paddle or dip of the tootsies. At the end of the beach is a small pub/shop/restaurant. We had an excellent pint of Guinness and double baileys over a peat fire. If you’re one for golf, there’s also a great golf course overlooking the beach (dating from 1891).
VISIT GLENVEAGH NATIONAL PARK: Explore mountains, raised bogland, lakes and woodland in this park, famous for its red deer. Try not to think of the appalling history of why the park is so stunning - the estate was obtained by a John Adair, who evicted 244 tenants during a bitterly cold April of 1861 and cleared the land so as not to bar his views. Make sure to visit the Poisoned Glen while you’re there!
PEER OVER THE SEA CLIFFS OF SLIEVE LEAGUE: Europe’s highest cliffs, you won’t find a more dramatic sight in the whole of Ireland. Follow ‘One Man’s Path’ (so named because it is only a few inches wide) around sharp bends and steep inclines. You’ll eventually find yourself on the edge of 2000 ft cliff face peering down at crashing waves … not for the faint hearted!
EAT FRESHLY CAUGHT FISH & CHIPS AT KILLYBEGS: This is the busiest fishing port in Ireland, and every day tons of freshly caught fish are hauled onto the quayside. Killybegs has charming narrow streets and whitewashed buildings perched high above the harbour. Good spots to eat fish and chips are: Molly’s Café (a local institution by the harbour); the Galley Restauraunt; and the Harbour Bar.
PARTY THE NIGHT AWAY IN LETTERKENNY: The largest town in County Donegal, Letterkenny is a wee bit ugly by day. But at nighttime, get ready to hit the town! There are plenty of pubs and bars – perfect for those of you who like pub-crawling (crawling being the key word here!)
AND YOU’LL BE LUCKY TO MAKE IT TO TORY ISLAND: Totally inaccessible, Tory Island is a remote island 8 miles off the northern coast. 120 people live on this island and it is famous for its rugged, windswept isolation. There is a ferry that goes to Tory Island once a day, but tides and weather change rapidly and so be prepared to overnight on the island.
++ HOW TO GET THERE ++ If you’re coming from the UK or the USA, the best way is to fly into Belfast. We flew in with Go (departs from Stansted). It was quite cheap - £60 per person (including all taxes). Even though you’re flying into Belfast, remember to take your passport to the airport!
Donegal has no trains, but there are plenty of public and private bus companies. The best way to get around though is to hire a car at the airport and drive from Belfast. You’ll notice that almost immediately when you cross the border from Northern Ireland into Eire that the roads noticeably deteriorate. Welcome to County Donegal!
Oh, and I forgot to say, it's not very touristy. Don't worry about fat Americans on coach tours blighting your view ... you'll have the place to yourself, so enjoy!
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Its funny no matter how well Donegal is written up it never ceases to amaze em every time I visit. Nice Review!
Joeyruss 12.07.2003 17:50
I like the sound of this place .. nice op.
gardenguru1 04.07.2003 21:47
Really interested in reading about Ireland as we are visiting for the first time in August. We won't be going to County Donegal this time but it sounds as though we should definitely visit in the future.
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Advantages: Lovely scenary, Short distance between each attraction, Cheap car fuel! Disadvantages: The road signs can be hilariously confusing sometimes
HappyBunny 20.07.2001 ·
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Donegal (Ireland)
Advantages: Lovely scenary, Short distance between each attraction, Cheap car fuel! Disadvantages: The road signs can be hilariously confusing sometimes
HappyBunny 20.07.2001 ·
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Donegal (Ireland)
Advantages: Clean and friendly, close to golf course and beach, reasonably priced Disadvantages: Not the best looking building you'll ever see, lack of good soundproofing, area under development
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