Donegal

Thursday we visited Donegal. It is just west of Derry, right on the Northern Ireland/Republic border. There is a beautiful national park there that we had time to explore. There is an old castle, called Glenveagh castle. It is right on the ocean and has some beautiful gardens, where I was able to take some amazing pictures.

When we got off the bus at this site, our bus driver told us it was about a 2km walk to the castle. So, we all set off thinking it would be about a 15 minute scenic walk. Well, it was extremely scenic, but it was about a 5km walk. It took us about 40 minutes in the hot sun to get to the castle. About the time we got there, it was almost time to go back to the bus, so the group leaders gave us some extra time. Still, we got to walk the gardens and see the outside of the castle, but we didn't have time to go inside.

We were supposed to go to a second park, but we ran out of time to do so. Our next planned stop was at a very famous pub in Donegal. It is called Leo's Tavern. Leo was there, and the cool thing is that he is the father of the musical artists Enya and Clannad. Leo himself is a musician, and he played the accordian and sang traditional Irish tunes as we ate our meal, and told some stories to go along with them! It was a really fun atmosphere, plus the food was delicious!

Overall, it was a fantastic day in Donegal. The weather was gorgeous, even a little hot. On the bus ride home, we passed through some of the most magnificent scenery I have ever seen. I didn't take many pictures, because they just wouldn't do justice. So, I engrained the sights in my memory, and I'm sure they will last me a very long time.