Irish Donegal, in the center of the county of the same name in Ulster, cannot even be called a city. Officially, it is a "settlement without clearly defined borders". Only the population, which exceeds 1,000 people (as much as twice!), allows Donegal to be considered something more than just a village. It is located almost in the very north of the territory of the republic, in the place where the Eske River flows into the North Atlantic. It is windy, cold and almost constantly raining here; and the strongest - right in the middle of the summer season. It may seem that Donegal is nothing but wilderness and wilderness, and he would be short-sighted who would travel so far for no known reason. And in fact, it would be foolish to be in Ireland and not see Donegal.
A BIT OF HISTORY
The first people appeared in these places in prehistoric times. In the 12th century, a Danish fortress was already established here, which was later captured by the Irish: the very name of the city comes from the Gaelic "Dún na nGall" - "Fortress of foreigners". In the 15th century, Franciscan monks founded an abbey on the shores of Donegal Bay, and at the same time, Donegal Castle, the O'Donnell fiefdom, became one of the "command centers" of the struggle against the English, which it remained until the 17th century. From the Middle Ages to the present day, the city is famous for its craftsmen and artists, and first of all for its traditional Irish material, tweed.
It would be strange to expect significant architectural beauty or richness in cultural life from a small city. But they don't go to Donegal for that. The whole county and especially the coast of Donegal Bay is a place of incredible beauty, wild, free, truly Irish. Here are also the highest rocky cliffs in all of Europe - Slyv Lig. There are no industrial enterprises here, the most "heavy" production in the vicinity is the production of tweed fabric. Due to this, local places are considered a model of environmental friendliness and the cleanest region in Ireland.
HOW TO GET
By plane to the capital, and from there by car or regular Bus Eireann buses. Buses depart directly from the airport.
To be sure, the town of Donegal is not so cut off from civilization. Firstly, it connects three branches of the federal highways: the N56, which leads to the very north and to Letterkenny, and the N15, which takes you south to Sligo or north-west to Derry. Secondly, Donegal Bay, on which the city stands, is one of the largest in the country.
ENTERTAINMENT AND SIGHTS
The castle of the O'Donnell clan still stands in the center of the town, perfectly preserved and quite majestic, although not as large as, for example, Glenvech in Letterkenny. You can explore the castle from the inside on your own, including going down into the dungeons, or book a guided tour. The interiors of the castle have been carefully restored and perfectly reproduce medieval life.
It may also be interesting to see the ruins of Donegal Abbey near the main town square. The abbey was turned into ruins purely by chance: during the preparation of the defense of the city, the violent O'Donnell blew it up by mistake. The monastery is also famous for the fact that a monumental work in the field of history - "Annals of the Four Masters" - was created here. In the 17th century, four monks of the abbey, under the threat of an English invasion, decided to preserve information about the true culture of Ireland, presenting it in the form of a historical chronicle. The annals included descriptions of all known (or supposed) events in the country's history, starting with the flood, as well as retellings of ancient myths. In 1937 a Diamond Obelisk was erected near the ruins of the abbey in memory of this.
The Donegal Railway Museum is housed in the brightly painted houses of the old railway station on Tyrconnelly Street. Here you can get acquainted with the entire history of the development of the narrow-gauge railway system of the county, which was once the longest of the narrow-gauge railways in Europe. In the exposition of the museum there are models, real wagons, photographs and many other curiosities.
In the settlement of Craft Village, which is a few kilometers south of the city, there are many benches and shops with handmade products made of clay, porcelain, metal, and so on. Here you can see how authors work and learn for yourself, eat in an excellent gourmet restaurant or have a picnic on specially designated lawns.
Surroundings of Donegal
Only ten kilometers from the city is the wonderful Lake Eske, connected to the bay of the Eske River. The lake is a favorite place for outdoor recreation for local residents, where they swim, fish, hike and cycle. And in the beautiful Victorian estate of Ardamnon with a stunning garden, which is listed as a national monument, a hotel has been opened.
On the coast of Donegal Bay, there are many towns and villages with a completely traditional way of life. This is, for example, Killybegs, where the largest flotilla of fishing vessels in the country is based. Near Killybegs is Kilcar, an extremely picturesque village famous for its music festival.
The commitment of the residents of the county to the old traditions is also expressed in the fact that Gaelic is spoken by the most people in the county in the entire country. True, the Gaelic of Donegal is quite specific in terms of pronunciation.
In the southern part of the bay, about 30 km from Donegal, there are two famous beaches, Bundoran and Rossknowlach, both with the Blue Flag. There are extensive flat sandbars and a good standing wave at all times, perfect for surfers. Championships in this sport are also held here, and at the end of summer - a ten-day surfing festival in Rossnoulah.
A total of 7 Blue Flag beaches can be found near the city of Donegal.
Having reached Bundoran, it is worth visiting the town with the same name. His popularity was brought by the hospital, where products with extracts of local algae are widely used. There is also a large sports center that organizes kayaking, surfing, rock climbing, orienteering, archery, canoeing and even cliff jumping. In addition, a number of scenic hiking trails start from Bundoran. Finally, in June, Bundoran hosts a one-of-a-kind music and jazz festival on the beach.
Less than 50 km from the city, if you drive in the direction of Killybegs and beyond, near Lake Agh is the famous One Man's Pass. It is a path of suitable width that stretches for three kilometers along the mountain ridge, past marshes, lakes and bogs, until it reaches the famous Sloe League itself, where it abruptly breaks off. The height of Slyv Liga is almost 600 m, and the view from there is indescribable.
The peatlands of Donegal are about 4,000 years old.
And if you go even further west, you will reach Glencolumbkill. This village on Glen Bay, in a surprisingly green location, is just over 50km from Donegal. People lived here for another 5,000 years. years ago, and this place is known for its numerous burials and monuments of those times. Glencolumbkill is especially famous for its prehistoric stone steles with Christian crosses carved on them in the 6th century. This is the merit of St. Colem, highly respected in Ireland, who founded the local monastery.
