Driving Route: Travel through Derry & Donegal

Derry and Donegal 180 km

The ancient city of Derry was modernised in the 17th century by the building of the walls which still surround its centre - though the city itself has spread far beyond them. A walk around the walls, which are liberally supplied with plaques to tell the story, provides a fascinating glimpse into the troubled history of the settlement. The cathedral was built in 1633 on the site of a monastery founded by the great St. Colmcille in 546.

The city is beautifully placed on the banks of the River Foyle which opens to the north into the great sea inlet called Lough Foyle, once a major naval base and still an important harbour. To the north of the city is one of the most wonderful regions of Ireland, the Inishowen Peninsula. This great promontory, bordered to east and west by beautiful sea loughs and extending far to the north into the Atlantic Ocean, is the most northerly part of Ireland. The extreme tip, Malin Head, offers dramatic cliff scenery. The circuit of Inishowen presents beautiful coast roads, many lakes and magnificent mountains - together with delightful and historical towns and villages which offer all sorts of facilities, from busy popular resorts to small and welcoming villages with traditional lifestyles and such special attractions as ancient sculpture from the early Christian Church.

The road from Derry City goes north along the river Foyle and then northwest by the very edge of the great sea lough, passing no fewer than three golf links on the way to Greencastle. The castle in question was begun in 1305 by the Red Earl of Ulster. It commands the narrow water at the entrance to Lough Foyle, suffered innumerable attacks, but kept being rebuilt until the end of the 19th century. Across the mountains to the north of Greencastle is Kinnagoe Bay where, on a stormy night in 1588, the Spanish galleon Trinidad Valencera was lost there.

From Kinnagoe Bay the road goes northwards, sometimes following sea cliffs, sometimes moving inland to pass through heather moor or between the lovely hedges of fuchsia, displaying their red, bell-shaped flowers in August. Malin Head is marked by a tall lookout tower that was built there in 1805. There is a magnificent view, from this dramatic cliff-top, along the Antrim coast and to the hills of Scotland. The most spectacular of all the wonders of Malin is Hell's Hole, amongst whose stupendous cliffs the surf boils like a witch's cauldron.

Near the centre of Inishown is the hillside village of Carndonagh where, 12 or 13 centuries ago, a sculptor carved a cross and two little pillars. Using bold and simple lines, he created some of the most delightful figures ever to grace an Irish place of worship. The church bell nearby still rings through - more than 400 years after it was taken from one of the wrecked ships of the Spanish Armada.

There are more coastal defences at Dunree Head - the name translates as 'the King's Fort'. While it's a long time since a king was in charge there, the position is truly regal, commanding the approaches to Lough Swilly, a deep and safe anchorage. The guns are carefully preserved and there is a museum and coffee shop.

To the south is Buncrana, a very popular and busy seaside resort, with good pubs and plenty of accommodation and an excellent place to break the journey - and maybe try to catch a salmon or sea trout in the Crana River that flows through the town.

Then the road leaves Inishowen, to re-enter the mainland of Donegal. High on a hilltop - approached by a good, though steep, road - the Grianán of Aileach stands. A great circular stone fort, it was the seat of kings for a thousand years of more until it was abandoned at the end of the 12th century. Skilfully built of stones without any mortar, it offers one of the finest views to be enjoyed anywhere in Ireland: north over Inishowen with its lofty mountains, east and west to Lough Foyle and Lough Swilly and down below to the green pasture, reclaimed from the sea in the 19th century.

This route ends nearby in Letterkenny, a big, busy county town with comfortable lodgings, pubs and plenty of traditional song and dance.

FURTHER INFORMATION
For further information on any of the items featured above, or on the counties in general, please contact:

Derry Visitor and Convention Bureau
44 Foyle Street
Derry
BT48 6TE
Northern Ireland

Tel: 0044 (0) 28 7137 7577
Fax: 0044 (0) 28 7137 7992
Email: info@derryvisitor.com
Web: www.derryvisitor.com

Fáilte Ireland North West
Aras Reddan
Temple Street
Sligo
Tel: 00353 (0) 7191 61201
Fax: 00353 (0) 719160360

Email: northwestinfo@failteireland.ie
Web: www.irelandnorthwest.ie