Donegal forums top 10 attractions?

homer simpson

Hey all, i was saving this for a Rainy / slow day,

A while back we had a good few threads started for people looking for advise on places to visit when coming to Donegal, which got me thinking why don't we compile our own list of things to do / places to see in Donegal?

I've had too much free time on my hands and done up a google map with the places i would add in there plotted on it, if anyone has any suggestions, anywhere at all, fell free to reply in here with it and i'll stick it up on the map, then after a while (a month or so) maybe we could have a vote / poll (although they mightn't be enough room in the poll) to compile a list of our, the Donegal forums, top 10 or something like that. If we did do a top ten maybe we could compile that list with photos and sticky it along with he google maps link

Heres a link to what i have done so far on the map ..... Click me I have marked beaches / towns / attractions / scenic drives on it.


So whatda think good idea / bad idea? Suggestions for places to add?

Durnish

gosh, Homer, I thought this was going to be about your posters!

Great work and I see that Doon Fort is even included, well done.

danniemcq

seriously homer fantastic job but you do know there is Porn on the internet?

homer simpson

danniemcq wrote: »

seriously homer fantastic job but you do know there is Porn on the internet?

Porn? hold on let me google that.....ohh i see :P

Thanks, it honestly didn't take long to do, it'll save Muffler and me time / work in the long run by not having to keep pointing people to other threads here when they ask things that have already been answered.... well thats my thinking anyways he he.

ruanaidh

Nice work!

Ave Sodalis

That's great! Good idea

I'd also add Grey Mare's Tail waterfall on the Bluestack Drive and Carnaween mountain climb

RMDrive

Super job. But you've made it likely that this thread will be short on suggestions as you have covered almost everything!!

Must get the thinking cap on.

xp90

Ah ya hoor your missing loads, wheres the glenties teenage disco??

GoldenGreen

Ards Friary http://www.ardsfriary.ie/ Retreat and conferance center also great walk out along the Ards Estuary that links up with the forest park.
(Google Map cords: 55.157003,-7.865696 )


Tramore Strand in Dunfanaghy: vote in top 10 breach walk in ireland.
Cords: 55.18455250246648, -7.985343933105469 this is the starting point, walk across dunnes for 20 mins then on the beach, the walk in now marked with a map at the start of the walk. This walk brings you up to Mc Swyes Gun as well.

Horn Head: (Cords: 55.21609841414742, -7.978177070617676)

Ionad Cois Locha, Dunlewy: http://www.dunleweycentre.com/ (Cords: 55.024233836709136, -8.147048950195312)

Muckish Mountain: Not sure of the starting point to climb it via the old miners path, but here is the cords for mountain (55.10921164121447, -7.991523742675781)

Tory Island: (55.266084669775104, -8.22549819946289)

Thats a few more for now

muckish

55.224083 -7.014066 View over Lough Foyle, greencastle
55.234079 -6.932559 Head Road Shroove, WWII Lookout, portCill
55.328085 -7.331929 View over 5 fingers Strand
55.267878 -7.173602 Clonca Church & grave Carvings, high Cross
55.272210 -7.148093 Bocan Stone Circle
54.848355 -7.602761 Beltany Stone Circle
55.104626 -8.002024 Muckish Mountain

Just a few suggestions!

muffler

muckish wrote: »

Beltany Stone Circle

Was just about to post that

Well done Homer

dee o gee

What about the Inishowen 100 scenic drive, Doagh famine village, or Glenevin waterfall.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

How about The Poison Glen/Dunlewey and also Barnes Gap. They're nice runs if you just want a jaunt in the car.

I'd put a major X on the map at the Dunlewey Centre though. Rip off. But maybe that's a topic for a different thread.

North_West_Art

Bundoran, Rossnowlagh, Falcaragh and Fanad for surfing

some of the best sea diving in Ireland

Murvagh, Rosapena, Ballyliffin, Critch Island, Portnoo for golf

deep sea fishing and boat hire from Teelin, Killybegs, Rathmullan, Portnablagh, Burtonport, Bunbeg, Mullinasole, Moville

Tory Island

Oakfield Park, Raphoe

Muckish Mountain

Dunree Fort

M.Pool

The map is great Homer, am struggling to come up with more but here goes; boat trip on Donegal bay, ferry from Rathmullen to Buncrana, Murvagh beach outside Donegal Town, new arts centre in Letterkenny, day trip to Innisboffin.

homer simpson

Thank all!

I've updated the map with most of the places now, i couldn't find some of them but i'll get them eventually. There are some great suggestions in here, i've never thought about adding Golf course / Surfing locations / Fishing spots thats a great idea, added a few more symbols to make them more distinctive on the map too...

Keep the suggestions coming, anyone thats directed to the map if they are looking for something to do will have a fairly hard job choosing where to go if this keeps up :P

Edit: just in case your wondering, some of the locations dont show up on the map when you go to the link in the OP now, but if you go to the bottom of the location menu it gives you the option to go to a second page of locations

muffler

How much is Bord Failte paying you for all this effort?

homer simpson

muffler wrote: »

How much is Bord Failte paying you for all this effort?

A few beers on the next beers night

claudiaaims

The view of Errigal from Gola Island.

slimboyfat

Has anyone mentioned Tory Island yet?

muffler

slimboyfat wrote: »

Has anyone mentioned Tory Island yet?

Yup

donegalgirl28

Is Carrickfinn not a blue flag beach??

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

donegalgirl28 wrote: »

Is Carrickfinn not a blue flag beach??

According to Donegal CoCo there are 12 Blue Flag beaches in Donegal.

Bundoran, Rossnowlagh, Murvagh, Fintra, Carrickfin, Narin, Killyhoey, Marble Hill, Portsalon, Lisfannon, Culdaff and Stroove

Madam

What a good idea, gives me some ideas for when I go home. I've taken the family to most of the beaches and places of interest I can think of, but how many times can I say 'hey there's a really intersting graveyard/church up here'! lol Thanks again:)

danjo

Great idea! Will have to change the title though to 10,000 attractions judging by the response.
Great if you could incorporate photos from the photo game thread and the ones posted by muckish yesterday.

This will be a great reference for tourism.

homer simpson

***Shameless bump***

Just thought i've give this another wee mention to see if anyone else has anything to ad to the list, I must try and figure out some way to get a poll / vote organised for the first week in Feb

fontanalis

Has anyone been to the windmills at Barnes. I remember being up there ages ago fishing and walking up the hill and looking down towards the sea the view was amazing.

homer simpson

fontanalis wrote: »

Has anyone been to the windmills at Barnes. I remember being up there ages ago fishing and walking up the hill and looking down towards the sea the view was amazing.

Yeah i was actually in them, just after they had opened it was a class trip for a new subject CSPE or something it was called, photo of me in the front of the paper in it too , i havn't got the foggiest how to get there / where it is not though? can you drive up to them?

fontanalis

homer_simpson wrote: »

Yeah i was actually in them, just after they had opened it was a class trip for a new subject CSPE or something it was called, photo of me in the front of the paper in it too , i havn't got the foggiest how to get there / where it is not though? can you drive up to them?

There was always a road going up that direction but when the windmills went up it was improved. I can't remember the exact directions to the road but here it is on the ordnance survey website.
http://maps.osi.ie/publicviewer/#V1,600792,882460,6

homer simpson

Another wee bumity bump for this. I'll be doing a final one this weekend and stickying it (time permitting), so any other suggestions anyone?

Focalbhach

The new "extension" of the Appalachian Trail (from Sliabh League through the Bluestacks, and onwards to Antrim)?

homer simpson

Leto wrote: »

The new "extension" of the Appalachian Trail (from Sliabh League through the Bluestacks, and onwards to Antrim)?

Ya would have a link to a map of the route?

Focalbhach

homer_simpson wrote: »

Ya would have a link to a map of the route?

Well, this was the proposed route sometime before last November (from here). Today's Irish Times confirms Donegal's inclusion in the International Trail - the paper version has a wee graphic outlining the route, but it doesn't appear to be online.

North_West_Art

Just thought of Beltany Stone Circle at Raphoe... link here
and the Inishowen planetarium and maritime museum at Greencastle... link to Planetariun here

homer simpson

Its well on the way to being finished now (new thread made and stickied) i'm slowly adding in short descriptions and links to website photos regarding the individual items, so if anyone has any photos hosted(on the likes of flickr, pix.ie) and wouldn't mind having them linked from the description of the item please reply in here with the photo.

Also if anyone wants to write a very quick review, as in a sentence to describe the place, please reply here with it and i'll add it in there (even one i have something already wrote for, as mines are very basic). I've only done the ones i know well so need loads more.

Penfailed

The Inishowen Quad Safari/Lazer Wars/Bumper Balls - http://www.inishowenquadsafari.ie/

Buck

Thanks Homer, just back from a long weekend in Donegal. Found this thread very helpful.

Pangea

I dont see Fintragh Beach on that map, Its a Blue Flag beach.

frii

So what is the top 10?

TroutMask

Daniel O'Donnell Centre in Dungloe has to be in the Top 10

DonegalCat

Hello folks.

Great idea for a thread.

Can I just add another place ~ Bonny Glen Wood near Ardara. Sorry, I don't know how to get the co-ordinates.

It's a beautiful woodland near Ardara (out past the Kilclooney Dolmen) with an interesting history.

It is said that several families during the famine were offered tickets on boats to America if they gave the land over to the Porter Estate.

There is no entrance fee, plenty of parking and lots of tables & benches dotted along the way where you can take a picnic.

There are two laid out walks (one short and the other a little longer) and there are 3 lakes in the woods. It is a natural habitat to many species of butterfly, bird, and even deer.

The paths seem easy enough to push a baby chair along (I saw parents with strollers there and they didn't seem to have any bother).

NIMAN

As someone who lives near it, its a shame that Malin Head has no proper visitor centre.

I think one was touted, not sure if it will ever go ahead, but most countries would have some sort of marking of their most northerly point. I think there's something at the Mizen Head end, isn't there?

caustic 1

I think Malin head is stunning without adding a visitor centre, somehow I think would take away from the wildness if there was one there. Just my opinion.

NIMAN

You may be right, but if tourists are going to make the effort to get there, then the least they could have would be decent facilities to maybe use a toilet or get a bite to eat.

icescreamqueen

Would like to add www.grassroutes.ie to the list of things to do in Donegal. They are based in Termon and they hire out electric and normal bikes but they will bring out the bikes to you within a reasonable distance from Termon. Myself and my sister hired out the bikes from Glenveagh castle and we had the most amazing day cycling around Glenveagh and Churchill. It was one of the best days out I've had in Donegal and is such a great way to get off the beaten track but doesn't require an amazing level of fitness lol. A big thumbs up for this business and a major boast for Donegal. An maith

annascott

Would it be possible to compile a list of top 20 things to do that doesn't involve looking at scenery or pubs?
I just can't think of anything but there must be stuff out there.

1. Bowling at Arena 7 Letterkenny
2. Cinema - Letterkenny, Lifford and Bundoran
3. Dog Racing - Lifford
4. ????

retalivity

Plenty of outdoor activities to be had:

Numerous golf courses all over the place, or pitch and putt for easier/cheaper alternative
Climb errigal/muckish/slieve snaght
Canoeing & deep sea fishing out of Bunbeg/Burtonport (probably others)
The go-karting centre on the ramelton road seems to still be open and has added other activities http://lkactivitycentre.com

danniemcq

retalivity wrote: »

Canoeing & deep sea fishing out of Bunbeg/Burtonport (probably others)

Rathmullen too, you can charter a boat and head to the wrecks out at the mouth of the lough or just head somewhere along the Swilly and there is also the fishing festival coming up now in June.

guttenberg

Donegal Airsoft in Newtowncunningham is also pretty good (they do an airsoft and archery package). Pushing the boat here but you can also get lovely Pink and White ice cream ( it's a 99) in Buncrana. I've been known to drive the half hour there just for it.

firemansam4

not sure if anyone has mentioned oakfield park Raphoe?
www.oakfieldpark.com

Iwernia

http://www.donegalbaywaterbus.com/