Donegal County, Ireland

County Donegal is situated in the northwest corner of the island of Ireland and is the largest  county in the province of Ulster, in the Republic of Ireland. The greater part of its land border is shared with three counties in Northern Ireland, lending it a distinct cultural identity.

Coming in at #1 on National Geographic’s Cool List for 2017, County Donegal’s legendary “rugged” landscape includes the northern Derryveagh mountain range and the southern Bluestack Mountains. Donegal’s sea coast with the impressive Slieve League cliffs (among the highest sea cliffs in Europe) offers incredible views. The Inishowen Peninsula culminates in Malin Head, the northernmost point in Ireland and the starting point for the Wild Atlantic Way.

Gaeltacht & Culture

The Donegal Gaeltacht (Irish-speaking area) is the second-largest in Ireland. Students and adults from around the world travel to Donegal during the summer months to learn the language and immerse themselves in the culture.
Donegal is known for its musical heritage. Famous natives include Enya, Rory Gallagher, Altan and Clannad.

The North Atlantic waters along the Donegal coast also present diving and surfing opportunities. Rossnowlagh was one of the first places to be surfed in Ireland and now houses the largest surf club in the country, while Bundoran is considered to be one of the best places to surf in Ireland.

Donegal is known for its textiles, whose unique woolen blends are made of short threads with tiny bits of color blended in for a heathered effect. Sometimes they are woven in a rustic herringbone format and other times in more of a box weave of varied colors. These weaves are known as donegal tweeds (with a small ‘d’) and are world renowned.