Ireland (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Fionn Davenport [420]
Tourist attractions in the town itself, however, are few. Most passers-through will be on their way to Donegal’s more alluring corners, but the town makes a central base for discovering the county’s eastern and northern reaches. Visitors using public transport are likely to stop here for at least a short period.
Orientation
Main St, said to be the longest high street in Ireland, divides into Upper and Lower Main Sts. At the top of Upper Main St there is a Y-junction: High Rd veers left, while Port Rd goes right to the bus station and the road out to Derry.
Information
Check out www.letterkenny.ie for useful info on the town and surrounds.
AIB (Main St) Bank branch with ATM.
Bank of Ireland (Main St)
Cyberworld ( 074-912 0440; Lower Main St; per hr €2; 9.30am-6pm Mon-Wed & Sat, 9.30am-8pm Thu & Fri) Internet cafe.
Duds ‘n’ Suds Laundrette ( 074-912 8303; Pearse Rd; load from €10; 8am-7pm Mon-Fri, 8.30am-6.30pm Sat)
Post office (Upper Main St)
Tourist Office ( 074-912 1160; www.discoverireland.ie/northwest; Neil Blaney Rd; 9am-5pm Mon-Fri, noon-3pm Sat & Sun Jun & Aug, 9am-5pm Mon-Fri Sep-May) Large, efficient office situated 1km southeast of town at the end of Port Rd.
Sights & Activities
Dominating the town’s hillside profile, the enormous Gothic-style St Eunan’s Cathedral (1901) thrusts skyward on Sentry Hill Rd (take Church Lane up from Main St) and contains much intricate Celtic carving.
Letterkenny’s 19th-century workhouse, built to provide Famine relief, now houses the Donegal County Museum ( 074-9124613; High Rd; admission free; 10am-12.30pm & 1-4.30pm Mon-Fri, 1-4.30pm Sat). Temporary exhibits feature on the ground floor. Upstairs, the permanent collection is worth a peek for its 8000-strong artefacts from prehistoric times on.
Outside the town, salmon and trout populate the rivers and lakes. Equipment and information is available from Top Tackle ( 074-916 7545; 55 Port Rd; 9.30am-5.30pm Mon-Sat).
Festivals & Events
Theatre performances, concerts and art exhibits lure culture buffs to the diverse Earagail Arts Festival ( 074 916 8800; www.eaf.ie), held over two weeks in early to mid-July.
Sleeping
Port Hostel ( 074-912 5315; www.porthostel.ie; Port Rd; dm from €16, d €36-40; ) This IHO hostel’s gregarious owner, Karen, is an unofficial ambassador to Donegal and often takes guests further afield in her minivan, as well as organising pub crawls, BBQs and summertime music sessions. Airy dorms and private rooms house 70 beds and well-equipped kitchens over two modern buildings in rambling gardens. It’s up a crooked lane behind the An Grianán Theatre, a five-minute walk from the bus station and town centre.
Letterkenny Court Hotel ( 074-912 2977; www.letterkennycourthotel.com; Main St; s €59-99, d €78-158; ) Behind its rose-pink facade, this historic building on the main drag is deceptively large, housing 83 fresh-as-spring rooms. About a dozen pubs are within staggering distance of the front door. Some rooms and all public areas have wi-fi. There’s discounted public parking out back.
Castle Grove ( 074-915 1118; www.castlegrove.com; s/d €70/110; ) Set on an enormous estate that rolls down to the estuary, this Georgian manor, filled with fragrant fresh flowers, manages to be at once grand, yet warm and personal. Its 15 rooms are elegantly arranged with antiques, and lawns are so neat they appear trimmed by nail clippers. The award-winning restaurant is renowned for seasonal dishes like its wild mushroom risotto with steamed asparagus (Sunday lunch €20 to €25, dinner menu €55). From Letterkenny, head 5km along the road to Rathmelton and turn right just before the Silver Tassie hotel.
Clanree Hotel ( 074-912 4369; www.clanreehotel.com; Derry Rd; s/d €115/150; ) Letterkenny is a popular conference venue, hence its substantial stock of upmarket hotels. Among the best is the sprawling, silvery-grey Clanree, just as you come off the main roundabout from Derry or Sligo. Its sweeping central staircase, bar and well-regarded restaurant have a timeless elegance, rooms are comfortable,