Things to like about Donegal

K-9

Seen a thread on the Sligo board so here goes, things seem to have been a bit negative lately!

Rossnowlagh, Slieve League, Bloody Foreland, Portsalon, the drive from Ballybofey/Lk to Glenties/Dungloe, Malin.

Eveythings wee and wild!

The slow way of life.

Less traffic.

The wee bit of sun in April and walking down the main street in Lk - the males on the thread will know what I mean!:D

Our county team - despite everything we still think we can win the All Ireland!

The Pulse on a Sat - a step back in time!

Generally, just the Donegal way off looking at things!

Maybe the mods could set up a poll here. It's very easy to knock Donegal but I'm wondering why do we choose to live here and would people be really any better off if they lived in Dublin, Galway, Cork etc. not just financially, employment wise, etc.

il gatto

Glencolumbkille, the sunsets on Cruit Island, nice Magee suits and the excellent road from Bundoran to Letterkenny. And the people of course:)

MikeTheMan

The Donegal folk.
Daniel & Margo.
A nice lovely wee cup of tea that only me mammy can make best.
Rathmullen beach.
Donegal Senior football team.
Rainbow across Errigal.
Slieve League.
Glenveagh NP and Gartan Lough.
Curry chips from a chip van in Letterkenny after a rake of pints on a Saturday night.
Muff.

hotshots85

MikeTheMan wrote:

The Donegal folk.
Daniel & Margo.
A nice lovely wee cup of tea that only me mammy can make best.
Rathmullen beach.
Donegal Senior football team.
Rainbow across Errigal.
Slieve League.
Glenveagh NP and Gartan Lough.
Curry chips from a chip van in Letterkenny after a rake of pints on a Saturday night.
Muff.

fintra beach just outside killybegs having a nice meal in the clocktower and then walking it off on the beach knowing that when your in donegal that the north west has its own eco system and that you never listen to the weather forcast i really shouldnt be praising donegal its one of the last uncommercialised un spoilt parts of ireland i want to keep it all to myself

Enemy Of Fate

Well i've lived here for over 9 years.................and I guess the only thing I can think of is that donegal catch tastes good.....yeah thats pretty much the only good thing about Donegal.

muffler

MikeTheMan wrote:

Muff.

Is someone from Muff called a muffler

K-9

Enemy Of Fate wrote:

Well i've lived here for over 9 years.................and I guess the only thing I can think of is that donegal catch tastes good.....yeah thats pretty much the only good thing about Donegal.

Just out of interest, why do you stay here if there's nothing good here?

Paddy20

Seanies32 wrote:

Just out of interest, why do you stay here if there's nothing good here?

Oh C,Mon, Do you not recognise a humourus 'wind up' when you see it .

P. :cool:

Paddy20

muffler wrote:

Is someone from Muff called a muffler

Now muffler,

I have read that before, and you must have as well, so why respond to an old joke

P. :cool:

K-9

Paddy20 wrote:

Oh C,Mon, Do you not recognise a humourus 'wind up' when you see it .

P. :cool:

Whos' Enemy of fate or my OP?

Peyton Manning

I love the Dunfanaghy/Portnablagh/Creeslough area..

googlehead

The Pulse on a Sat - a step back in time!
i'd rather cut off my legs!!


Daniel and margo!!!!

christ im lost for words on this one!!!

googlehead

portsalon beach
very little traffic even if there is you get home quick enough
silence at night when you sleep( well were i am)
letterkenny my home town and ballybofey were i work full of nice people.
just looking at trees and a scenery and a bit of fresh air you really appreciate it when you lived in the city for a while.

Haven't a Clue

For a person who claimed they were lost for words, you seemed to manage just fine!

I'm growing more and more sick of Donegal to be honest. I've been here 17 years and want to be in city life now. It's probably only then that I'll truly appreciate what I have in Donegal!

K-9

googlehead wrote:

The Pulse on a Sat - a step back in time!
i'd rather cut off my legs!!

But worth seeing that these places still exist.

They'll have a slow set next.

googlehead

Seanies32 wrote:

But worth seeing that these places still exist.

They'll have a slow set next.

A slow set good for pulling the birds i suppose

K-9

googlehead wrote:

A slow set good for pulling the birds i suppose

If your into hens, yes!

muffler

Right lads and lassies. I can see where this thread could go wrong.

The topic is " Things to like about Donegal" . If theres something that any of you dont like then go and start a new thread about it but keep the comments on topic please.

K-9

Was meant slightly tounge in cheek too.

But a serious point is we all know Donegal has it's problems but what makes us decide to live here rather than anywhere else?

Madam

I love the view of the Big Isle as I drive to Letterkenny - I know I'm home then(or just a few miles to go).
Donegal Potato's nice and floury just the way I like them!
Donegal ham(to go with the purties).
The Orchard Bar and Nancy's in Ardara.
My Aunties wee cottage in Woodlands.

MikeTheMan

Mc Daids Football Special

muffler

MikeTheMan wrote:

Mc Daids Football Special

Its years since I drank that (moved on to other bottled stuff;) ). It sure was nice though at the time. Didnt realise it was still on the market.

uncle ernie

MikeTheMan wrote:

Mc Daids Football Special

+1

Creamy Goodness

football special
banana special

it's the only reason i go to donegal anymore (bar to visit the cousins)

MikeTheMan

Oh yea, the banana drink.... LOL....

Can't beat guzzling down a bottle of frothy Footie Special on a warm day.

I bought a bottle of it up in Clonmany there recently. Very fizzy and full of lovely E numbers...

Madam

How could I forget, Red Lemonade! It's not peculiar to Donegal is it? We don't get it here and if I asked for it I'd get a funny look - Red Lemonade a contradiction surely?

smashey

Don't forget the brown lemonade. Great for the day after.

Dish

Aw The Big Isle! Spot the caravans!:D haha!

Aw Donegal, just love the accent, most ppl! lol! Wolfe Tone Bar, Milan! The Modified car scene! We're fierce ppl for civics! haha!

DONEGAL SHELL INTERNATIONAL! Best rally in Ireland!

Dori Duz

Jumping into the sea from the high wall on the peir in Portsalon and swimming into the beach- wearing swimming togs, not a wetsuit and runners like the kids today are at!
Then walking down to Coll's shop for a bottle of football special!

Also, walking on the rocks in Ballyhoriskey (sp!?) on a really windy day watching the waves crashing against the craggy coastline.

I miss Donegal holidays!

david1two3

Rossnowlagh from 1965 to 1973, the tin shack shop down near the beach, the railway wagon caravan, the golf links with what seemed like mountains in the middle of it, Rolly Robinsons shop come cafe where we would have fanta and marieta. There was also an old hotel with a grass tennis court where my aunt stayed. Many cars got stuck in the sand and we would gallantly but hopelessly try to push the car up onto the high part of the beach.

Best of the lot was our uncle Tom who shouted, ranted and raved most of the time. He cooked by boiling, he boiled sausages and then wondered out loud why we wouldnt eat them, he boiled tea and wondered out loud why we wouldnt drink it, we were afraid it might get stuck in our throats. He seemed to run Ballintra although he might well have been run out of Ballintra and just made a special appearance during our month long summer holiday.The moment he would see us after our arrival from Dublin it would be off down to the barber shop as long hair was not allowed under any circumstances. He was to our Dublin ears largely unintelligable but the bits we picked up had us in uproar. When he died a bit of us died with him but we all will always laugh and almost immediately feel a sense of sadness and loss when we think of him and Donegal.

In 1965 I picked a bucket full of crabs in the Teelin harbour or beach and brought them back to the cottage, in the morning they were all gone, presumably back home to the sea. I was two and a half years old and afraid of nothing.

The enormous sea cliff down the road from Teelin was a recurrent nightmare for me on and off for years, one of my brothers would drop the ball and then he would run after it towards the cliff edge, for all I know it actually happened. When we drove up and down the path to the cliff I was in absolute panic, my only consolation being that there would be eleven coffins at the funeral if dads usually perfect driving let us down and he maniacally drove over the edge laughing like an hyenic humanoid

deman

david1two3 wrote: »

the golf links with what seemed like mountains in the middle of it.

And nicking golf balls and running up those "mountains" like hell so nobody would see you.

regob

deman wrote: »

And nicking golf balls and running up those "mountains" like hell so nobody would see you.

hahahahahahahaha

bettlebrox

Sheesh where to begin!

1. The accent
2. Being able to talk "normal" and people understand what your saying.
3. The coast, and all the beaches that I won't even start to try and name.
4. Hiking up the Bluestacks and looking over Donegal Bay.
5. All the other great hikes around the county.
6. Maybe drinking till late in some pubs in certain towns or townlands that won't be named here! 8D
7. Being home and (almost) knowing all the faces in the town.
8. Carverys with Turkey and Donegal Ham!
9.The number nine!
10. Driving thought the Gap and stopping at Biddy's for a jar.

And many more that I can't think of at the moment. Of course there's a wile load to complain about, but that's for another thread.

regob

the animals, the fields, the grass, the language, the fresh air and so much more

Scottty2Hottty

Everything!

Especially when ya come home after being away for ages!

I also love the tea at home for some reason tea definitely tastes better in Donegal!

McDaids Football special...... Ah the memories!

regob

of course dont forget donegal creameries

Paddy20

The Fact That It Exists

regob

Paddy20 wrote: »

The Fact That It Exists

agreed

JIZZLORD

Is donegalese a recognised dialect of the english language?

JosephQ

Just back after two GREAT weeks. Loved the crack, the fresh air, the people, the food, the hills, the beaches (frozen this time of year bit still beautiful

nanook

a portion of scampi with pink sauce in charlies of ardara.

Nothing like it, massive portion to boot.

regob

pizza out of maggiedans and the fact that it is donegal!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

gowayyalanger

The Cottage Bar.
Don't need to say any more than that.

Goldenquick

Donegal in general, it's the friendliest county in Ireland .

redarmyblues

What I don't like is Letterkenny and Bundoran

muffler

redarmyblues wrote: »

What I don't like is Letterkenny and Bundoran

Cough, splutter >>> phlegm.

The thread is all about things you LIKE about Donegal.

Welcome to the forum.

shiibata

Walked up to Glenveagh castle with the in-laws day after boxing day and back . Christ, its a fine place, that outdoor swimming pool on the verge of the lough, could just picture myself lying there on a good summers day:cool:.
Beautiful place

muffler

shiibata wrote: »

Walked up to Glenveagh castle with the in-laws day after boxing day and back . Christ, its a fine place, that outdoor swimming pool on the verge of the lough, could just picture myself lying there on a good summers day:cool:.
Beautiful place

A fine place indeed and a very under-promoted gem.

Redsoxfan

I'm from very near Glenveagh. The Castle, National Park, and surrounding area are beautiful and relatively unspoilt. 'God's Country' indeed. I am getting married there next summer, despite the fact the bride to be is from 'The Big Smoke'.

However, while up home at Xmas, we took a spin in to see the new Solis Lough Eske Castle Hotel (we had looked at having our reception there until we saw the price), I got to thinking-would Glenveagh Castle do more for the area if it went down the route of converting to a 5* Hotel?

Look at the publicity places like Ashford Castle get for the areas they are in-would be good for that part of Donegal, no?

And I would keep the National Park-have the hotel tucked away out of sight, overlooking the lake, a la The Lough Eske.

Sacrilege for some, but I was never really that impressed with the tour of the Castle. The beauty of the gardens and surrounding area, now that's a different story.

tuppence

Redsoxfan wrote: »

I'm from very near Glenveagh. The Castle, National Park, and surrounding area are beautiful and relatively unspoilt. 'God's Country' indeed. I am getting married there next summer, despite the fact the bride to be is from 'The Big Smoke'.

However, while up home at Xmas, we took a spin in to see the new Solis Lough Eske Castle Hotel (we had looked at having our reception there until we saw the price), I got to thinking-would Glenveagh Castle do more for the area if it went down the route of converting to a 5* Hotel?

Look at the publicity places like Ashford Castle get for the areas they are in-would be good for that part of Donegal, no?

And I would keep the National Park-have the hotel tucked away out of sight, overlooking the lake, a la The Lough Eske.

Sacrilege for some, but I was never really that impressed with the tour of the Castle. The beauty of the gardens and surrounding area, now that's a different story.

Not coming from Donegal, i would have thought to have an national park on your door step is an honour and even more than "a like" about your county, something to be proud of. If its a national park status,its an area of outstanding beauty isnt it , for everyone not just those who can afford it.
Shame that you dont think they are making the most of the house and the grounds arent been promoted well. Thats the Department of Environement fault i suppose. Sure theres some good models of best practice in new Zealand or somewhere they could plagerise even re activities in the house/park. Something along the lines of promoting the place to schools and stuff must be done currently surely? Maybe they could have a working farm or something eg rather than a zoo.
As someone from Glenveagh and very proud of your area, i am sure it is very frustrating that it is not utilised as best it might. But privitising areas of a public park wouldnt be the way to go to promoting it to the wider public, I would have thought. A shift of policy and increased funding to celebrate these areas no doubt has a key role. There are so many stately homes that have had to go into private hands cos of lack of protection by central government. (Lissadel house being one) The very least they can do is protect the designated areas. (theres only 6)
Anyway I am sure if they legally could have they would have done it by now! :D

Jimbo

Daniel O Donnell, ftw