Cloughaneely golf club is a newly created parkland course majestically laid out in the grounds of an old estate. Rolling fairways and tight greens make this an excellent test of golf for all standards of player.It is just 2 miles from the cottage.
Ionad Cois Locha or the Dunlewey Lakeside Centre is situated on the shores of Dunlewey Lough in the shadow of the haunting and mysterious Poison Glen and at the foot of Mount Errigal, the highest mountain in the county.
The centre tells the story of the renowned weaver, Manus Ferry, and his home has been reconstructed to give the visitor the full flavour of life in Donegal in the middle of the last century. It offers something for all the family and facilities include weaving displays, a lake with paddle boats and canoes, an indoor play area, lakeside walks and pony trekking.
There are demonstrations in carding, spinning and weaving wool as well as guided tours of the restored house and farm, storytelling and boat trips on Dunlewey lake. There is an adventure play area, pet animals, tea room, restaurant and craft shop.
There are also traditional music sessions every Tuesday during July and August.
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.
THE CASTLE AND GARDENS
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.
Hills covered with heather and grass land overlooking the lower land, Atlantic Ocean and Tory Island.
Wild life: Mammals, there are a few mink territories on the river. They are shy darkish brown / black animals,excellent swimmers like the bigger-mostly nocturnal-otter.The mink is one and a half foot long, tail included. They have been set free in the past or simply escaped and are now an established species in Ireland. The hare you see along the river is the Arctic hare. Similar but not the same as the continental hare. Foxes and deer are never far away, just like the badger.
Tory Island derives its name from the high pinnacle cliffs eroded by the battering swells of the Atlantic. Tory Island has been populated since the age of Neolithic farmers four thousand years ago.
Tory Island lies some 11 km off the North Donegal coast and measures just 3 miles by 1 mile long.
It is served by a purpose built ferryboat, 'Tor Mor' running daily from Magheraroarty (40 minutes) and from Bunbeg (75 minutes). Tel. 075-31991 for further information.
The sea journey is not an easy one and, befoe the advent of the helicopter, Tory was frequently cut off from the mainland for weeks on end. Life on the island is not easy but valiant attempts have been made to improve the economy of the island. A successful school of painting is one of the recent visible signs of this.
The main archaeological feature of the island is the round tower which is near the shore in the village of West Town. This is a squat, partially ruined, tower but is intact on one side with some of the conical cap still surviving, built of a pinkish-hued granite cemented with a lime made, it is believed, from sea-shells. At ground level, the circumference is 15.7m, the height to the ruined cap is about 13m. However it was cemented, it is a credit to the builders that this tower survived over 1,000 years of Atlantic buffetings.
The foundation plan of an early church, known as the Church of the Morsheisear, (of the Seven People) is all that remains of what literature suggests were at least five churches. There is also at the pier in West Town a T-shaped cross, carved from a single block of stone alllmost 2m high. However, there is no known trace of "St. Columkille's Church" as shown in early ordnance survey maps.
The island has apparently been inhabited since pre-historic times and there was as elaborate four-walled fort at the east end known locally as "Dun Bhaloir" or Balor's fort. Balor is a legendary figure reputed to have only one baleful eye in the middle of his forehead. He was the Celtic God of Darkness. The story may have some origin in a real pirate who used Tory as a bolt-hole, but historians have very little evidence one way or another.
The islanders are a sturdy lot who live mainly by fishing. There is very limited agriculture on the island and the inhabitants are a very friendly people.
Beaches
Portsalon-BLUE FLAG beautiful series of beaches at the foot of Knockalla mountain.
Ballywhorisky-small secluded shallow beach with tumbledown pier west of Kindrum lake. Lovely place for a bbq lunch.
Tra-na-rossan-BLUE FLAG famous from the discover Ireland ads a few years ago. Access from the Atlantic Drive.
Downings-BLUE FLAG sheltered shallow beach good for sailboarding.
Lady Isobell's-park at Ards friary and walk down the tree lined lane to this sheltered bay. Picnic behind the beach in the trees if/when it rains or go on to have one of the tiny coves between the rocks for yourself. One of our favourites.
Marble Hill-BLUE FLAG shallow and safe. Small beach great for kids with rockpools to play in.
Killyhoey-BLUE FLAG follow the signs for the golf club to the carpark. You can fish for sea trout at the Horn Head end.
Tra-Mor-Amazing beach facing straight into the Atlantic. Acrss by parking at Horn Head bridge and walking over the sandhills. After a storm you can find amazing stuff here. A buoy from a Newfoundland fishing boat featured on TV's deadliest catch was found here recently.
Falcarragh/Ray-BLUE FLAG over 2 miles reaching from Horn Head to the Ballyness estuary. Acess from car park at the Ray river.
Magheroarty-sand spit over 2 miles long. Sea side sweeps round the bay almost joining Inishboffin Island. Ballyness estuary side has lots of bays and sandy islands to get shelter and some huge sand dunes. Another of our favourites and only 10 mins from the cottage.
Bloody Foreland-not strictly a beach but go down the steep track near the Foreland Heights hotel to the 'beach' of millions of round granite boulders.
Port Arthur-BLUE FLAG down a track between Brinlack and Derrybeg facing Inishirrer Island.
Carrickfin-BLUE FLAG follow the signs for Donegal Airport, drive past the treminal to the car park...can be windy!!