Donegal area must sees
 

Will be in Donegal for 1.5 days. There is so much to do there. What are the must sees for such a short time?

Check out:
www.welovedonegal.com

Bob

Depends on your interests... As you say, Donegal has so much... We are in Glencolumcille, so we have Slieve League, Bunglas, the folk Village, and within reach Rossnowlagh, the little known Assaroe complex....any of the side roads will bring you to utterly peaceful beaches and dramatic scenery...

We are staying in Donegal town .
We will be travelling from Cong so upon arrival in the afternoon what kind of touring is possible for a short time . Or is there a good place to stop enroute.
Then we have only the next day to tour.

OK: Donegal Town has an ancient Abbey and a castle also.

On your way up country, you will pass Rossnowlagh and Assaroe abbey; Mass caves there and water wheels etc.

If it is scenery etc you love, then head out of Donegal Town towards Mountcharles and Killybegs. Try the side roads labelled coast roads.

Past Killybegs, head for Glencolumcille; that will take you to Carrick and Slieve League. That is about an hour by road from Donegal Town.

Glen itself has a folk museum; also, past the village magnificent scenery and on the back road a splendid woollen mill shop, which is the road we are on. Signposted from the road to Glen from Carrick, across the high peat bogs....

Silver Strand is there too; glorious beach..

Blue Haven near Killybegs does good food; also Kitty Kelly ( more expennsive) or the Clock Tower.

As you say, there is so much, but this will give you a good flavour of Donegal.

On our way north from Westport to Donegal (St. John's Point just west along coast from Donegal town) we made stops at Carrowmore Megalithic Cemetary, Drumcliff (Yeats grave site), Belleek, and drove a little ways along the southern part of Lower Lough Erne for a quick stop at Tully Castle (ruins/garden). Another option for stops on the way would be Knock, which we visited on the way back south.

We did southern coast drive past Killybegs to Glencolumkille and continued on to Glenveagh National Park (also has a castle you can tour). From our B&B on St. John's Point this was atleast an 8 hour touring day (we stayed just north of Letterkenny which would probably be about an hour closer to Glenveagh than Donegal town,).

if you want to check out pics of some of these places

irelandjune2006.shutterfly.com
(200 pics)

or the extended version (400 pics)

ireland2006pictures.shutterfly.com
password is vinegarhill (the name of my "Irish" pub band which you can learn more about at vinegarhillmusic.com)

Chip: Those are absolutely fabulous pictures. Some of the best I've ever seen. Thank you so much for sharing. They're just wonderful!!

To reiterate: we were impressed not only with Slieve League but the drive to it. I had an Irish coffee in the last little town (would it have been Teelin or Carrick) before the road out to the cliffs. Everyone in there was speaking Gallic. Sorry, it was 6 years ago--may have some facts and spellings wrong.

Drove from there out to Adara and bought a gorgeous sweater for about 1/2 what similar ones are in the Peruvian Knit catalog.

Of course see Carrowmere and Yeats' grave. Also Carrowkeel way up on the hill I had to see Innisfree but it didn't make me spout poetry. I will arise and go now....

That would be Carrick. Yes, we are Gaeltacht here.

The sweaters in Glencolumcille are even better than in Ardara.. of course I would say that, as a hand knitter here!

Anchoress, my husband bought a hat in Sneem from the hand knitter. He still loves and wears it.

Loved hearing the speech. I had bronchitis at the time and it was a rainy day at Slieve League so the Irish coffee hit the spot. It amused me that it was made so differently than San Francisco.

I suspect my husband bought something in Adara too.

And, of course, we both ravaged McGee's in Donegal!

Irishgreen,
We've spent a couple of weeks in Donegal so if I were to plan 1.5 days for myself, this is what I'd do:

If I arrived early afternoon I'd skip the castle in Donegal and head for Carrick, then on to Glencombcille. The cliffs are fascinating and beautiful but I'm not sure I'd take the time (I have a fear of heights...)

I'd stop at the sweater factory at Glencombcille! Anchoress, my husband loves the sweater he bought there and wears it all the time. I bought a cardigan at McGee's that I'll be wearing all my life.

I wouldn't go to the folk village. I'd head to Glengesh Pass (it's stunning) and Ardara then back to Donegal. OK, that might be too much for one day! Maybe someone else can provide a reality check.

The second day I'd go to Glenveagh. We've been twice and enjoyed it and the scenery around there.

So much great information. Thank you all so much. You cannot get this from any book!!!

The pictures WONDERFUL!!! I showed them to my husband who is not doing the planning and what excitement they created. He is now so involved . Thank you for that.
Can I ask what camera you are using? We are in the process of purchasing a new digital for this trip. He would like a camera to do the scenery justice.Your pictures are of such great quality.

Has anyone ever stayed at Ardeevin B&B???
Thank you all again!!

I am glad you enjoyed them.

All the credit for the pictures goes to the beauty of Ireland! I actually was frustrated at not being able to capture everything to do it justice.

The pictures are a combo of our pictures...actually weeded out of 500++ pics (an old Sony 3.3mpx digital camera...you can get much better quality now; my sister's newer digital, and throw-away kodak cameras).

Ah, there are a couple of sweater places here in Glencolumcille..The one I mean is out on the high peat bogs near the prehistoric ring fort.... pass the folk village, on up the cliff road, then turn left just after the big yellow hotel. A peaceful road with magnificent views of Slieve League. A family firm who have diversified and have a wondrous selection of hand and machine/hand -pieced knitting using local wool from Kilcar. The old lady who set the firm up knits there all day.. They buy some of my fine baby knitting also. Lovely people..

irishgreen...Haven't stayed at Ardeevin B&B, but overnighted at The Arches Country House right next door, and loved it! Beautiful home, delightful hostess, Noreen. We had a front bedroom overlooking Lough Eske. Large room with a nice sitting area at the windows.

Helen