North West Donegal has been named as one of Ireland’s Seven Wonders .
The citation for Donegal highlights Glenveagh National Park, Tory Island Fanad Lighthouse, saying that even by the wild and rugged standards of Ireland’s Atlantic coast, Donegal feels like a place apart.
The list, published by Conde Nast Traveller magazine, is topped by Waterford’s Copper Coast, and also includes The Burren in Co Clare, Kerry’s Ring of Beara, and the Fermanagh Lakelands.
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The Donegal citation –
Northwest Donegal
Even by the wild and rugged standards of Ireland’s Atlantic coast, Donegal feels like a place apart – and its northwest corner is as remote as it gets. Yet the rewards here are mighty. With its gothic castle and a pristine landscape that’s home to Ireland’s largest herd of native red deer and reintroduced golden eagles, Glenveagh National Park is a spectacular wilderness to explore. Nearby, the perfect triangular peak of Mount Errigal can be scaled in about two hours, leaving plenty of time to head to the long, sandy beaches of Dunfanaghy. A trip to Tory Island, six miles offshore, will take the whole day, but you may well be met off the boat by Ireland’s only king before exploring the Iron Age forts and monastic ruins. Tory is also known for its legendary céilís and late-night trad sessions. Back on the mainland but just as windswept is Fanad Lighthouse, where you can stay in a restored lighthouse keeper’s cottage.
