What to see in County Donegal, Ireland

After our fantastic stay in Northern Ireland, I'll now show you the sights in Donegal, the northernmost

County of Ireland. I've put together how we experienced this county as a family and what you absolutely should see here. As you can see from our route below, we focused on the northern half of Ireland for this trip. We went from Derry via Donegal down to Galway. Galway is the southernmost point on our route, from which we then drove to Dublin, on the east coast of Ireland.

The route above only roughly shows which places we saw. Traveling through Ireland as a family also means considering everyone, so we often stopped in quiet areas and spent time at playgrounds and farms. But first, let's focus on County Donegal.

Donegal

Our route took us directly from Bushmills in Northern Ireland, via Portrush and Londonderry, down to Donegal. We would have liked to go to Malin Head (the northernmost point of Ireland) as well, but the Ferry between Magilligan Point and Greencastle only in peak season and across the road you lose a lot of time here. But this way we see a lot of the interior.

Arrived in Donegal, we check into our room at the Ard na Breatha (No idea how to pronounce that, as it's Gaelic), which is located on the Wild Atlantic Way and only about a kilometer from the center. I can really recommend this accommodation because everything there is very familial. In the evening, we'll stop at the Olde Castle Bar in Donegal and enjoy Irish food in a cozy atmosphere. Okay, enough advertising for now, we're dead tired and going to sleep it off.

Donegal Town, with its 2,600 inhabitants, is probably more of a village by our standards. It is the county town and there is a lot to see in Donegal.

Donegal Abbey – Franciscan Monastery

The monastery, or rather its ruin, is located directly in Donegal Bay, in the southern part of the town. The Tourist Office is also located right here in the harbor. The monastery was built in 1473 and is now only a ruin, after various wars and fires that it fell victim to. Nevertheless, a beautiful place to visit. The monastery's old graveyard creates a mystical atmosphere here. The view of the bay, past the graves, is a bit unusual, but somehow beautiful nonetheless 🙂 Since Mommy was working, Daddy and the kids came here alone. Culture during travel is always an important aspect for us.

Donegal Castle and Church of Ireland

We only visited the castle and the church in Donegal from the outside. Nevertheless, I don't want to leave these two sights unmentioned here. Only one tower remains of Donegal Castle, which you can visit. It costs a few euros to enter. Since the Olde Castle Bar is directly opposite, I was able to take a few photos for the gallery from the outside... without paying admission... essentially for free =).

The Donegal Parish Church, or Church of Ireland, was built in 1828 in the Gothic style, like many structures in the area. The church itself is open to the public and free to visit.

Slieve League – 600 Meter High Cliffs

The Slieve League cliffs, at 600 meters, are among the highest cliffs in Europe. They rise majestically out of the Atlantic Ocean, and you should definitely plan a trip there. We drove through Teelin, following the signs for Slieve League. After a few kilometers and a small mountain pass, you'll reach a parking lot and a closed gate (cattle gate). We walked from here, but the actual parking lot is beyond the gate and a good way further uphill. You can simply open the gate and drive through.

Nevertheless, we walked up from below, as the path to Viewpoint Bunglass Point. At this viewpoint, you have the best view of the cliffs. In clear weather, you can look all the way to Donegal Bay from here. I liked the walk there, as there are sheep everywhere and the landscape and atmosphere up there are simply perfect and harmonious. Especially in February and March, the colors in Ireland are amazing, as it rains from time to time, so from time to time during the day.

Granny Valley and Glengesh Pass

From Slieve League, we then drove through the Granny Valley via the Glengesh Pass. Another WOW factor on our tour. This breathtaking valley was formed by glaciers 12,000 years ago.

After a good while, we reach the picturesque town of Ardara (pronounced Ardra, so without the second A). The people there call the place „the best place in Ireland,“ but who doesn't, except for the people who live in Newry live

The area here is known for its embroidery and crochet. The 1,000,000,000,000,000,000 sheep ensure there's always enough material available. There are some weaving mills you can visit. However, we're not doing that, as all of Ireland and Northern Ireland are full of beautiful knitwear, and we've already shopped accordingly. We walk around the town a bit and then stop at Sheila's Coffee and Cream. They had excellent lunch there, traditional Irish Beef Stew. We also met an 85-year-old German woman at the cafe who emigrated there 20 years ago. She told us many interesting stories about the area. That's why I love traveling!

Meanwhile, our kids were able to play with the other children there and had a good time. Since the owner has several grandchildren herself, there are plenty of toys here for everyone. After a delicious caramel square, we made our way back home to Donegal, where we then realized we had completely forgotten to pick up our laundry from the laundromat. Well, that means we'll have fresh laundry again starting tomorrow.

Conclusion

We stayed in Donegal for a total of three days and had a wonderful time there. The sea, the mountains, and the valleys create a very diverse nature and landscape. Since we are now heading on to Galway and Dublin, we enjoyed the peace and seclusion here a bit longer.

Here are some beautiful snapshots from County Donegal.