Ireland (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Fionn Davenport [428]
Main St has several banks with ATMs and the post office.
SIGHTS
By the gate of the Cooley gravehouse is an unusual 3m-high cross. Note the ringhole in its head – through it, the hands of negotiating parties are said to have clasped to seal an agreement. Whether they were uncommonly tall or stood on boxes remains a mystery. In the graveyard is the Skull House, which is associated with St Finian, the monk who accused Colmcille of plagiarising one of his manuscripts in the 6th century. He lived in a monastery here that was founded by St Patrick and survived into the 12th century.
Approaching Moville from the south, look out for a turning on the left that has a sign on the corner for the Cooley Pitch & Putt (minigolf). If you pass a church, you’ve gone too far. The graveyard is just over 1km up this road on the right.
FESTIVALS
Summer sees a slew of music-oriented festivals, such the Bob Dylan Festival and the Beatles Festival, both held in July – check www.craicon.com for details.
SLEEPING & EATING
Moville Holiday Hostel ( 074-938 2378; Malin Rd; camping per person €10, dm €20, d €40; ) A private, unpaved road leads off the highway just west of town to a grove of trees and this secluded 20-bed hostel. It’s in a nook-and-cranny-filled 18th-century farmhouse beside a river, with some gorgeous spots to pitch a tent. The owner is a fount of info on the area’s rich history and folklore. Cash only.
Carlton Redcastle Hotel ( 074-938 5555; www.carltonredcastlehotel.ie; s €84-104, d €118-210; ) The peninsula’s flashiest luxury resort is along the lough, just south of Moville. Yes, it’s part of a chain, but rooms are comfortable and classy, and there’s a fine restaurant overlooking the estuary and a decadent spa.
Barron’s Cafe ( 074-938 2472; Lower Main St; dishes €4-8; 9am-at least 7pm Easter–mid-Sep; ) Run by a friendly couple, this cheap, cheerful cafe serves staples like freshly ground burgers. Upstairs, the four guestrooms, each with private bath, are happy little dens and very tidy (single/double €32/56). Book ahead.
DRINKING
There are a couple of friendly pubs along the Malin Rd, less than a block from the Market Sq, which have regular live music: Rawdon’s ( 074-938 2225; Malin Rd) and Rosato’s ( 074-938 2247; Malin Rd).
GETTING THERE & AWAY
Lough Swilly ( 074-912 2863) runs two buses Monday to Friday and one on Saturday to Moville (€6.60, 45 minutes) from Derry.
Greencastle
pop 530
Seals bob their smooth heads hopefully in the busy little fishing port of Greencastle (An Cáisleán Nua). The 1305-built Green Castle was a supply base for English armies in Scotland, and for this reason was attacked by Robert Bruce in the 1320s. The castle’s vine-netted hulk survives.
A disarmingly eccentric collection of artefacts can be found at the Inishowen Maritime Museum & Planetarium ( 074-938 1363; www.inishowenmaritime.com; museum adult/child €5/3, museum & planetarium €10/6; 10am-5pm Mon-Sat, noon-5pm Sun Easter-Oct, 9am-5.15pm Mon-Fri Nov-Easter), in a former coastguard station next to the harbour. The most fascinating exhibits are from the sunken wrecks of Lough Foyle, including, in pride of place, a pair of perfectly preserved military-issue boxer shorts salvaged by marine archaeologists from a ditched WWII bomber. The demise of the Spanish Armada and the departure from these waters of Irish immigrants are two of the museums more compelling themes. Take care if visiting on a day when local children are testing their homemade rockets out front.
Incongruously set within a new estate of identikit houses, the Cove Cafe ( 074-932 5974; lunch mains €4.95-13, dinner mains €11-20; 10am-9pm Jun-Aug, noon-9pm Thu-Fri, 10am-9pm Sat & Sat Sep-May) is a surprisingly individualistic affair of stripped wood, exposed brick, alfresco seating and inventive contemporary cuisine. Follow the signs north of town to Greencastle Cove.
Kealy’s Seafood Bar ( 074-938 1010; lunch mains €8-14.50, dinner mains €16-50; lunch Sun,