From Boyle to Kilmacrennan
Saturday July 16, Hillekes 42nd birthday. We got up early as this day we have to leave our lovely cottage in Boyle and travel up further north. Around 10 we closed the door for the last time.
On the way we stopped in Boyle to visit the abbey. In 1161 the first monks arrived in Boyle and they build an abbey. In 1202 Lord William de Burgh, together with the king of Connacht, Cathal Crovderg O'Connor, ransacked the abbey. In the 15th century the influence of the abbey had declined and in 1589 the abbey was hired to William Usher and from 1599 to the end of the 18th century is was military property and known as Boyle Castle. Until today a lot of the abbey still remains. From Boyle we drove to Donegal in county Donegal. When we arrived in Donegal we visited the Donegal Craft Village, a centre for contemporary art and crafts. A number of craftsmen can be seen at work at the centre like a weaver, silversmith, sculptor, wood carver etc. The last one made art objects from very old bog wood (more than 1000 years old). With him we bought a beautiful wood carved bird. From the Craft Village it was only a short ride to the centre of Donegal where we visited Donegal Castle.
One part of this castle was build at the end of the 15th century and in the 17th century some buildings were added. The restored part of this castle is furnished so it looks like there are still people living there. From Donegal we drove to Letterkenny from where we phoned the owner of our next cottage. We agreed to meet each other at a gas station in Kilmacrennan. After a few minutes we arrived there and a few minutes later the owners, Kevin and Winnie Huston, also arrived. We followed them to the cottage, named Smiths Cottage. It is a very pleasant, 150 years old, cottage and the owners explained us all about the equipment in the house and what there is to see and do in Donegal. Upstairs there are 2 large bedrooms and downstairs a single bedroom, a large kitchen-diner and a living with a fire-place, TV and VCR. The kitchen has a microwave and a so-called Stanley range. This evening for dinner we went to a restaurant in Kilmacrennan to celebrate Hillekes birthday.
Church Hill Festival
The next day we went to Church Hill, a small village not far from our cottage. Kevin told us that there was a 3 day festival from Friday until this day. As it was only a short distance, we arrived there around noon, but there was hardly any activity, they were still busy preparing for the festival. So we continued and drove to Gartan, the birthplace a St. Colmcille.
This saint was probably born in 521 in this place. He was the first Irish missionary and he founded his first monastery on the island of Iona in 563. We enjoyed the nice weather at this tranquil place before we continued to the former St. Colmcilles abbey at the Gartan cemetery. There is nothing left of it, only the foundations remain on this cemetery that also has the remains of a church that was probably build in the 16th century by Manus O'Donnell. Next to the entrance road to this cemetery St. Colmcille's well can be found. From the cemetery we went back to Church Hill. They were still busy building the stands for the festival and we stopped to have something to drink. In front of the pub there were two face-painting ladies and Ciska had a butterfly painted or her face. Both restaurants is Church Hill could not serve us a lunch so we returned to our cottage, but we took the wrong turn and ended up in Letterkenny.
Back in Kilmacrennan we bought some rolls for lunch and ate these in the garden in front of the cottage. Around three we returned to Church Hill and now the festival was in full swing and it was difficult to manoeuvre the car through all visitors. Ciska did several things like catching ducks, rope pulling, etc. and she also won some prizes with it. She also did some rides on the fair. We walked along the stands, listened to the musical performances, had something to drink etc. All in all, we had a very pleasant afternoon at the Church Hill Festival. After we returned back at our cottage we spend the rest of the afternoon in front of the cottage. It is really an very nice cottage, highly recommended when you are staying in this part of Ireland. This week Thursday will also be the start of a festival in Kilmacrennan. So when we have time we will try to go there as well.
Atlantic Drive and Fanad Head
A route to the north of our cottage, advised by Kevin, to Fanad. A peninsula not very often visited. Most tourists visit the Inishowen peninsula. First we did a part of the Atlantic Drive. A route along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. We stopped at a viewpoint at Lough Salt. Nice, but not that nice that you should really go there to enjoy the view. Via Glen we went to Doe castle, nicely situated at in inlet of the ocean. But the castle was closed so we continued to a viewpoint at Rinnafaghia Point. But before we stopped in Downings at a shop of Mc Nutts, a famous tweed fabric manufacturer, to buy something for Ciska. But the shop didn't have much tweed clothing for sale. So we ended up buying her a beautiful handmade sweater. After having something to drink in the adjoining café and a short walk on the beach we drove to Rinnafaghia Point.
There we made a walk on the cliffs. There was a fierce wind and it was a spectacular sight seeing the waves breaking on the rocks. This caused the water to spray up several tens of metres and to fan out over the cliff. When walking over the cliff we saw dark clouds approaching, a clear sign of oncoming rain, and we decided to quickly return to the car. But not fast enough, as we were surprised by the rain. Due to the fierce wind the raindrops felt like hailstones hitting our faces. So rather wet we arrived at the car. Next we drove around a large inlet, Broad Water, to the Fanad peninsula. On the way there was a lot of rain, but after a short while the clouds broke and we were facing the sun against a blue sky. This happened all the day, one moment we had rain, the next moment the sun was shining. We stopped at de 'Teastop' between Portsalon and Fanad Head to have something to eat and drink. That was a rather expensive place, beware what you order as you have to pay for each item separately, the scones, the butter, the marmalade, the cream, etc. When you order scones, you may assume that the price includes the butter, marmalade and cream. When we complained about this when paying the bill, the owner returned us some money. There is no pricelist in the tearoom, only a small note on the outside on which the prices are mentioned. So when you are around, go somewhere else or take good care before ordering else you will be ripped off at this place. From the Teastop it was only a short drive to Fanad Head with its bright white lighthouse. The waves were less spectacular here as at Rinnafaghia Point, but nonetheless we still were blown out of our clothes here. Via another route we returned to Letterkenny to do some shopping before returning to the cottage. After dinner Hilleke en Ciska went to the house of Kevin en Winnie (not far from the cottage) to ask something, Arjan stayed behind. Some time later the oldest son of Kevin en Winnie asked Arjan if he also wants to come to have a drink. Also two women from the USA who were staying in the other cottage were there and we all had a pleasant and enjoyable evening. Also Ciska, she enjoyed herself watching a video of Snow White (in English!).
Letterkenny
A quiet day while visiting Letterkenny, a town not far from Kilmacrennan. For breakfast we had bacon and eggs, for the first time since we left the B&B in Shankill. Around 10am Winnie stood at our doorstep to tell she had made an appointment with a dentist for Hilleke, she had a sore tooth for a few days now. So after breakfast we went to Letterkenny and parked our car in a car park in Main Street, one of the longests streets in Ireland. The dentist had his office also in that street, so we first wanted to know where it was exactly and we also looked for an internet café. We found them both in Main Street and then we walked to the cathedral, one of the few tourist attractions in Letterkenny by the way.
We have to be here right now for the dentist, else we probably wouldn't have visited this town. The weather, by the way, was drizzling at one moment and dry and sunny at the next moment. This is the kind kind of weather we are experiencing already for a few days. The gothic St. Eunan cathedral from 1901 has several beautiful stained windows and Celtic sculptures. There is also a life-size crib. The stable is missing, but all figures and animals were standing in one of the small chapels in the cathedral. After a visit to a bookstore to buy some postcards, Hilleke went to the dentist and Arjan and Ciska went to an internet café to check the mail. When they were finished there, Hilleke phoned to say that would take longer as she had to undergo a root canal treatment. She would phone again when that was finished. In the mean time Arjan and Ciska went to a a tearoom to have lunch. After that Hilleke phoned again to say the dentist was finished. As there was nothing more to do in Letterkenny we decided to go to the Tourist Info to get some more information about the town and surroundings. The Tourist Info is not in the centre of town as might be expected but out of town, but there are no signs for it. When we finally found it we took some information about Donegal and then we went to the town park of Letterkenny. This park has a large playground so Ciska had a great afternoon enjoying herself there. Back in our cottage Arjan tried to light the fire. It is fuelled by peat and it took him several fire starters to get it burning. So the remaining part of the afternoon and evening we had a nice fire in our living room.
Inishowen peninsula
The peninsula that most tourists visit is Inishowen. Via Letterkenny we first went to Grianán of Ailéach. This is a very old ring fort of eat least 2000 years old. The fort was restored in 1870 and it is located on top of a hill with a magnificent view over the surroundings. The fort is a perfect circle of 23 metres in diameter and at the base the walls are about 4 metre thick. When we arrived at the fort we met the American ladies that are staying in the other cottage of Kevin and Winnie. After a walk over the walls of the fort we went to Fort Dunree via the Gap of Mamore. Fort Dunree was build as a small fortress in 1798 against a threatening invasion by the French and at the end of the 19th century it was enlarged and modernised.
During the Second World War it was home to Irish militaries that had to assure that none of the fighting countries would violate the Irish neutrality. Since 1986 Fort Dunree is home to a military museum. When you are interested in military history a visit to this fort is highly recommended. After this visit we had lunch in a hotel in Ballyliffin before continuing our tour to Malin Head, the most northern point of the Irish mainland. The cliffs here are not as high and not as spectacular as those at Fanad Head. After a short walk on the cliffs we continued over this beautiful peninsula. Via narrow winding roads over hills and through valleys with sometimes sights on the ocean or an inlet. In Buncrana we wanted to cross Lough Swilly to Rathmullan to avoid driving around the lake. But unfortunately we arrived just too late to catch the 5 o'clock ferry and so we had to wait for about 1 hour and 20 minutes for the next crossing (it takes about half an hour to cross, but there is only one boat). In the same time we could have drive around the lake, but we decided to go with Ciska to the playground right next to the jetty. So she enjoyed herself for about an hour there. Around six we went to the ferry again and around seven we arrived at the other side of the lake in Rathmullan. From there it was about an half hour drive to Kilmacrennan.
