Ireland (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Fionn Davenport [422]
McGeehan Coaches ( 074-954 6150) runs a service from Letterkenny to Glencolumbcille (€12.50, 2¼ hours) once daily except Sunday.
Getting Around
Taxis can be ordered from Letterkenny Cabs ( 074-912 7000). There are taxi stands on Main St opposite the square, and opposite the bus station.
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LOUGH GARTAN
The patriarch of Irish monasticism, St Colmcille (or Columba), was born in a lovely setting near the glassy Lough Gartan, and some isolated stone structures and crosses remain from his lifetime. The lake is 17km northwest of Letterkenny. It’s beautiful driving country, but there’s no public transport.
Colmcille Heritage Centre
Colmcille’s Hall of Fame is this comprehensive heritage centre ( 074-913 7306; Gartan; adult/concession €3/2; 10.30am-6.30pm Mon-Sat, 1-6.30pm Sun, May-Sep), on the shore of Lough Gartan, with a lavish display on the production of illuminated manuscripts.
Colmcille’s mother, on the run from pagans, supposedly haemorrhaged during childbirth and her blood is believed to have changed the colour of the surrounding Gartan Clay to pure white. Ever since, the clay has been regarded as a lucky charm. Ask nicely and the staff may produce some from under the counter.
On the way to the heritage centre you’ll also see signs to the stone pile that once was Colmcille’s Abbey. Further down the road, on a hillside overrun by bleating sheep, is the saint’s birthplace, marked by a hefty cross. Beside it is an intriguing prehistoric tomb strewn with greening coppers that’s popularly known as the Flagstone of Loneliness, on which Colmcille supposedly slept. Some believe the chunky slab cures homesickness.
To reach the heritage centre, leave Letterkenny on the R250 road to Glenties and Ardara. After a few kilometres, turn right on the R251 to Churchill village and follow the signs. Alternatively, from Kilmacrennan on the N56, turn west and look for signs.
Gartan Outdoor Education Centre
Courses including rock climbing, sea kayaking, sailing, surfing, windsurfing, hill climbing and more are offered for both adults and children at this adventure centre ( 074-913 7032; www.gartan.com; Gartan, Churchill). It’s located on a 35-hectare estate 18km northwest of Letterkenny on the shores of Lough Gartan.
Glebe Gallery & House
The English painter Derrick Hill bought historic Glebe House ( 074-913 7071; www.heritageireland.ie; Churchill; adult/child/concession €3/1/2; 10am-6.30pm daily Easter, 11am-6.30pm Sat-Thu Jun-Sep) in 1953, providing him with a mainland base close to his beloved Tory Island. Before Hill arrived, the house served as a rectory and then a hotel. The 1828-built mansion is sumptuously decorated with an evident love of all things exotic, but its real appeal is his astonishing art collection. In addition to paintings by Hill and Tory Island’s ‘naive’ artists (see the boxed text, Click here) are works by Picasso, Landseer, Hokusai, Jack B Yeats and Kokoschka. The woodland gardens are also wonderful. A guided tour of the house takes about 45 minutes.
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DUNLEWEY & AROUND
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Blink and chances are you’ve missed the tiny hamlet of Dunlewy (Dún Lúiche) beside Lough Dunlewy. You won’t miss Mt Errigal, however, whose bare face towers over the surrounding area.
Sights & Activities
DUNLEWEY LAKESIDE CENTRE
This hugely enjoyable activity centre (Ionad Cois Locha; 074-953 1699; www.dunleweycentre.com; Dunlewy; admission house & grounds or boat trip adult/child €5.95/3.95, combined ticket €9.50/7; 10.30am-6pm Mon-Sat, 11am-6pm Sun Easter-Oct) is a great place if you’re travelling with the family in tow. Adults will be intrigued by the 30-minute tour of the thatched cottage that once belonged to local weaver Manus Ferry, who earned world renown for his tweeds (he died in 1975), while kids will adore the petting zoo. But the real highlight, for all ages, is an entertaining boat trip on the lake with a storyteller who vividly brings to life local history, geology and ghoulish folklore. Traditional music concerts (€8) take place on Tuesdays in July