We were very taken with Donegal as a county and Donegal itself as a town. We parked up near the harbour, which was very pretty and very peaceful.
The Irish accents were getting noticeably harsher and more northern. I love the Northern Irish accent. It was a cute town for some Christmas shopping, some lovely food and exploring the ruins of the Franciscan Abbey.
It was not, however, as lovely as Malin Beg and Silver Strand Beach. The park up was on a concrete pad above the beach – high above the beach. There are about 200 steps down to the sand, and the bay is set in a kind of bowl with steep sides all the way around it.
We stayed for a couple of days, taking a break from driving. I did some crafting, and Neil cleaned the inside of the van. We both spent time enjoying the views and I went in the sea. I love the biting cold as you go in, especially as your shoulders go under. It really makes you feel alive. I totally understand why people have cold pots in their garden and take advantage of cold water therapy every day. No room in the van though, so I just take the opportunity to be in the sea whenever possible. On sunny days, I am even a bit disappointed when the sea is not cold!
Glencolmcille Folk Village was a festive stop, all dressed up ready for Christmas. The village was shut as they prepared for Father Christmas being there to meet the children, but the staff invited us in and let us look around. Everyone in Ireland is so welcoming.
A wander to the bay in the morning, with a rainbow over the sea was a lovely way to start the day. We saw a lot of rainbows on our travels in Ireland.
This was followed by the Glengesh Pass viewing point. The drive through the glacial valley was bendy and fun, with a hairpin bend and narrow roads. My turn to drive as I love the challenging roads. With all the colours of autumn the views were wonderful.
Portnoo and Narin Beach turned out to be a stop worth making. As well as a beach which went on forever, and an island which you walk to at low tide. We couldn’t as the tide was in but it had the most amazing coffee shop The Paddock, Donegal.
The staff were really welcoming and they had not just one, but a selection of gluten free cakes. I was obliged to have a gluten free toasty, a cake and a take away cake. Usually I just have the choice of a pre-packed sandwich and a chocolate brownie. Homemade gluten free cakes have to be taken advantage of. We also had a festive visitor to the van.
We made it to another beach, Carrickfinn, for an evening walk, and a video call with Delilah, our beautiful granddaughter. It was tempting to have a dip, but it was so cold. I had thermal tights on under my leggings and could still feel the wind. This, and the thought of getting it all off, and on again, kept me on the sand. Leo’s Tavern kindly let us park up for the night, and we enjoyed the mussels and chips for tea.
Donegal really is wonderful beach followed by wonderful beach, and the next day we walked miles along Magheroarty Beach. We struggled with pronunciation of that one, until the lady at the Dunfanaghy workhouse museum put us right.
The workhouse museum was really well set out, following the story of one lady, Wee Hannah, through the famine and her time at the workhouse. It was a reminder, as we enjoyed this beautiful country, of how much it has suffered in the past. I was feeling embarrassed by my lack of knowledge of Irish history, so bought two books, one on Ireland as a whole and one on the history of Northern Ireland.
After Tranarossan Beach, barefoot in the frost and the water, I wanted to find Murder Hole Beach.
I had seen pictures of it on Instagram and was determined to see it for myself. We found a park up and set off on a walk, across farmers’ fields, following signs and using a footpath app. We started off with the signs promising we were on the way to Murder Hole Beach. The signs then just stopped. Neil is usually very good at navigation – which is a relief, as I have absolutely no sense of direction. This time, however, his abilities to always know the way let him down. We walked miles, and never found Murder Hole Beach. We did find Manslaughter Beach. An equally intriguing name , but not as picturesque.
To add insult to injury, I believed the walk was not too far, so left the van in swimming shorts, a t-shirt and beach shoes. I ended up walking over rough grass, dodging cow pats, jumping streams and wading through mud, in shoes not much thicker than a pair of socks.
Murder Hole Beach is still on my list for another day.
The correct name is Boyeeghter Bay. Murder Hole Beach is said to come from a local legend of a young woman who fell to her death from a cliff near the beach. It may also come from the dangerous currents, which make it perilous for swimming. These images from google show why I want to go:
The footpath app, which unhelpfully, did not get us the Murder Hole Beach, did tell us the name of where we ended up. However, I have not been able to find out where Manslaughter Beach got its name from. Despite this, Donegal has our hearts.
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