Places to visit

Carrowmore Megalithic Cemetery

Carrowmore (Irish: An Cheathrú Mhór) is a large group of megalithic monuments on the Cúil Irra Peninsula near Sligo, Ireland. Carrowmore Megalithic Cemetery contains some thirty visible tombs out of sixty identified by archaeologists. This makes it the largest megalithic tomb cemetery in Ireland. There is some controversy about the age of the site but it is thought to date back to five and half and six and a half thousand years. There is a restored cottage on the site which has an exhibition and information about the cemetery and is open from late April to mid-October. The site is about four kilometres south from Sligo off the N4 and R292 road that goes towards Strandhill.

Parke's Castle - Caisleán Parke

Parke's Castle (Irish: Caisleán Parke), situated on the northern banks of Lough Gill, County Leitrim, Ireland (Irish: Loch Gile, Contae Liatroma, Éire), is a restored castle of the early seventeenth century. It was once the home of English planter Robert Parke, who built a fortification on the site on what was once an older Gaelic castle. The term planter refers to the Plantations of Ireland in 16th and 17th century Ireland. This involved the confiscation of Irish-owned land by the English Crown and the colonisation of this land with settlers from Britain. In 1628, some years after Robert Parke's had taken control of the castle, completed his fortified manor house at the centre of the older castle.

Creevykeel Court Tomb

Creevykeel Court Tomb is situated at the foothills of Tievebaun Mountain, near the sea at Mullaghmore. It is noted as being one of the finest examples of a court tomb remaining in Ireland. This is a large and impressive court tomb and a good example of it's type, consisting of a cairn of about 55 metres enclosing an oval court and two burial chambers. To the west are the remains of three single chambered tombs. It dates from the Neolithic period (c. 4000 – 2500 BC). Archaeology from the site has uncovered Neolithic and Early Bronze Age pottery and other artefacts.

Donegal Castle - Caisleán Dhún na nGall

Donegal Castle - Caisleán Dhún na nGall is a fifteenth century castle and traditionally home of the O'Donnells whose leaders left Ireland in 1607 during the Flight of the Earls. The O'Donnell's , Lords of Tír Conaill were one of the most powerful Gaelic families in Ireland from the 5th to the 16th centuries.The castle had substantial additions in the seventeenth century. It is in the centre of Donegal - Dún na nGall and now open to the public. 

Dún Alt Promontory Fort - An Trá Bhán

Dún Alt Promontory Fort is situated above An Trá Bhán Beach (aka: The Silver Strand)  in County Donegal (Irish: Contae Dhún na nGall) and is the remains of a stone fort constructed in around 300BC by Celts. It can be reached by going west from the town of Donegal (Irish: Dún na nGall) along the N56 and the R263 past Killbegs. The site is off the R263 at Malin Beg near Glencolmcille (Irish:Gleann Cholm Cille), in south-west County Donegal, Ireland. Promontory forts are a defensive structure. They are located above a steep cliff, with a narrow connection to the main body of land to offer maximum protection. They are mainly found in a number of the Celtic lands including Brittany, Ireland, Orkney Islands, Isle of Man and Cornwall.  An Tra Bhan Beach is a beautiful location surrounded by high horseshoe-shaped cliffs.

Cloghan More Court Tomb

This large megalithic tomb about 130 feet in length has twin galleries with one covered by a large capstone. It is oriented east to west, with the main entrance located on the eastern end. At mid-day in midwinter the sun rides along a ridge of the mountains to the south and shines directly into the second chamber. This site is located north of Dun Alt Fort close to Malin More, Glencolmcille (Irish: Gleann Cholm Cille) off the R263road  in County Donegal (Irish: Contae Dhún na nGall). 

Glencolmcille - Gleann Cholm Cille Folk Village Museum

The Folk Village Museum is a 2 minute drive or 10 minute walk along the coast road from the centre of Glencolmcille village (known as ‘Cashel’). Gleann Cholm Cille is a coastal district in southwest County Donegal, Ireland (Irish: Contae Dhún na nGall, Éire).  Glencolmcille Folk Village is built in the form of a village in which each house is an exact replica of a dwelling used by the local people in the 1700's,1800's and 1900's. The furniture, artefacts and utensils in the properties are of these periods. The village was founded in 1967 by Father James McDyer and is open from Easter Sunday until the end of September. 

Kilclooney More Court and Portal Tombs

Kilclooney More (Irish: Cill Chluanadh Mhór) is a townland halfway between Narin (Irish: An Fhearthainn) and Ardara (Irish: Ard an Rátha) at the R261 road on the Loughrea Peninsula in County Donegal, Ireland (Contae Dhún na nGall, Éire). There are court and portal tombs in this area. Court tombs would have been been constructed in around 4000–3500 BC. Portal (Dolmen) tombs date to around 4000–3000 BC. The site is accessed via a track behind Kilclooney Church off the R261 at Kilclooney north from Ardara.

 

 

Doon Fort (An Dún) Drumboghill

Doon Fort (Irish: An Dún) is a large drystone fort situated on a small island in the middle of Loughadoon (Irish: Loch an Dúin) not far from the village of Ardara, County Donegal, Ireland (Irish: Ard an Ráthain, Contae Dhún na nGall, Éire). The actual date of construction is unknown and it could date from the late Iron Age which in Ireland lasted from about 500 BC – AD 400, to Early Medieval times which spanned the period of the 5th to 8th centuries. The fort covers almost the the entire area of the island and has an oval stone wall of about 45 m (148 ft) in diameter. 

 

Glenveagh Castle - Caisleán Ghleann Bheatha

Glenveagh Castle (Irish: Caisleán Ghleann Bheatha) was built between 1870 and 1873 and is located in the spectacular scenery of Glenveagh National Park/ Páirc Naisiúnta Gleann Bheatha in County Donegal, Ireland (Contae Dhún na nGall, Éire).  The American owner of the estate, Mr Henry McIlhenny sold it to the Irish Government in 1975 and subsequently presented the castle and gardens as a gift to the Irish Nation in 1981. The castle and grounds are open to the public and there is a visitors centre providing information. Glenveagh National Park is noted for its stunning scenery with mountains, lakes, tumbling waterfalls and native oak woodland. It is the second largest national park in Ireland.

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