Ireland (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Fionn Davenport [416]
Magheraroarty is reached by turning off the N56 at the western end of Gortahork near Falcarragh; the road is signposted Coastal Route/Bloody Foreland.
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TORY ISLAND ‘NAIVE’ ART
Tory Island’s distinctive school of painters came about in the 1950s when the English painter Derrick Hill began to spend much of his time on the island, producing many paintings. The islanders often watched him as he worked. As the story goes, one of the islanders approached Hill and said, ‘I can do that’. He was James Dixon, a self-taught painter who used boat paint and made his own brushes with donkey hairs. Hill was impressed with the ‘painterly’ quality of Dixon’s work and the two formed a lasting friendship. Other islanders were soon inspired to follow suit, forging unique folksy, expressive styles portraying rugged island scenes. Among them were Patsy Dan Rodgers, now elected ‘king’ of Tory. The islanders’ work has been exhibited in Chicago, New York, Belfast, London and Paris, and fetches impressive prices at auctions. You can often see it at the island’s Dixon Gallery ( 074-916 5420; West Town), and the Glebe Gallery on the mainland.
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Bike hire can be arranged with Rothair ar Cíos ( 074-916 5614; West Town).
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FALCARRAGH & GORTAHORK
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You’ll find more tourist amenities up the road in Dunfanaghy, but the small, workaday towns of Falcarragh (An Fál Carrach) and neighbouring Gortahork (Gort an Choirce) afford an opportunity to experience life in the Gaeltacht region, and there’s a good beach nearby.
The 19th-century police barracks now house Falcarragh Visitors Centre (An tSean Bheairic; 074-918 0888; 10am-5pm Mon-Fri, 11am-5pm Sat), which has tourist information and a cafe. The Bank of Ireland at the eastern end of Main St has an ATM and bureau de change, and the post office is at Main St’s western end in Falcarragh.
Sights & Activities
It’s 4km to the windswept beach; follow the signs marked Trá from Falcarragh’s Main St. The beach is superb for walking, but currents make swimming unsafe.
The grey bulk of Muckish Mountain (670m; Click here) dominates the coast between Dunfanaghy and the Bloody Foreland. Ascents from either the north or south are steep but relatively straightforward; the easiest is from southeast of Falcarragh by the inland road through Muckish Gap. Sweeping views to Malin Head and Tory Island unfurl from the summit.
Sleeping & Eating
Cuan Na Mara ( 074-913 5327; crisscannon@hotmail.com; Ballyness, Falcarragh; s/d with bathroom €70/35, without €64/32; Jun-Sep; ) Behind a neatly clipped box hedge, the painters and decorators were hard at work on the Cannon family’s four guestrooms when we visited their whitewashed home. It’s about 2km from the centre of Falcarragh – take the turn-off signposted Trá.
Óstán Loch Altan ( 074-913 5267; www.ostanlochaltan.com; Gortahork; s/d €60/120; ) Gortahork’s main landmark is this large cream-coloured hotel on the main street. Some of its 39 neutral-toned rooms with satin-quilted fabrics have sea views. It’s one of the few places to stay along this stretch of coast to open all year. Quality bar food (€9 to €19.50) is served from noon to 9pm year-round, while its restaurant opens for lunch and dinner (mains €21 to €29.50) from June to September.
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TOP FIVE SCENIC DRIVES
Practically any stretch of road qualifies as a scenic drive in this rugged county, but the following are especially captivating. So captivating, in fact, that you’ll need to take care to keep your eyes on the road, too.
The coast highway from Dunfanaghy (opposite) to Gweedore
The 100-mile loop of isolated Inishowen Peninsula (Click here)
The vertiginous heights of Horn Head (opposite)
The lingering arc through stunning Glenveagh National Park
The snaking switchbacks traversing Glen Gesh Pass
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Maggie Dan’s ( 074-916 5022; www.maggiedans.ie;