Glenveagh National Park, managed by the National Parks and Wildlife Service of the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, lies along the Derryveagh mountains in the northwest of County Donegal. These 16,958 hectares of mountain, bogs, lakes and woods is cut in two by the spectacular valley of Glenveagh which gives the Park its name. The Park includes the peaks of the two highest mountains in Donegal, Errigal and Slieve Snacht as well as many other fine hills, notably Dooish and Leahanmore. Towards the southwest end of the Park are the ice-carved cliffs of the Poisoned Glen and Bingorm, while the northeast end has a gentler array of hills, deep peat bogs and the swampy valley of the Owencarrow river.
Overlooking Lough Veagh, Glenveagh Castle stands atop a slight promontory jutting into the lake. Few buildings in Ireland can boast of as fine a setting. Made from rough-hewn granite, the Castle, a castellated mansion, was built in the years 1870-1873 from designs by John Townsend Trench, a cousin of John Adair. It consists of a four storey rectangular keep with walls 1½ metres thick, with battlemented ramparts, turrets and a round tower. Many of the rooms inside still have the furnishings from the last private owner.
First conceived more than a hundred years ago, the gardens boast a multitude of exotic plants whose luxuriance contrasts starkly with the surrounding austere mountains. Work on the gardens began under the direction of Mrs Adair and the subsequent efforts of Henry McIlhenny and his advisors, Jim Russell and Lanning Roper, have resulted in gardens of extraordinary charm. Pines and ponticum rhododendrons provide windbreaks to allow ornamental rhododendrons and delicate plants from as far afield as Chile, Madeira and Tasmania to survive and flourish, attesting to the careful nurture they have received. The 11 hectares are laid out as a network of mainly informal gardens, each with a different theme. The best time to see the gardens is in May/June for rhododendrons or in August, when the Walled Garden is at its most colourful.
The backdrop of Dunfanaghy village is a majestic mountain, called Muckish, that is used by many hill-walking enthusiasts. The road south from Falcarragh to Glenveagh passes through Muckish Gap . The slate-grey mass of Muckish Mountain dominates the view all the way from Falcarragh; the hillsides are pitted with old workings where quartzite sand was extracted for the manufacture of optical glass. It's a relatively easy climb from the roadside shrine at the Gap up a grassy ridge to the summit and, on a clear day from here, the entire coastline from the Bloody Foreland, with distant Tory, to Malin Head is splendidly visible.
Just 12 miles from the cottage is Leo's Tavern the family home of Clannad and Enya. Leo and his wife Maire bought the tavern in 1968 and Leo became the resident musician with traditional sing songs nightly and would often involve the 9 members of his family. From this Clannad and Enya both started their careers and their platinum discs are on display. The tavern is now run by Leo's youngest son Bartley and provides food and nightly music with Leo and sometimes members of Clannad playing occasionally.
