Donegal Swing

Day 1

Arrival to Ireland

On arrival to Ireland you will be met by a Tailor-Made Golf Tours representative and your chauffeur if applicable. After the tour bus has been loaded or your self-drive vehicle collected the journey to Donegal will take 3¼ hours from either Shannon or Dublin Airports. Connections may be available from Dublin to Donegal Airport.

Day 2

Donegal Golf Links

Donegal golf links is on a spit of land that juts into the bay about 15 minutes south of Donegal town centre.

Historic Donegal Town for Donegal Castle. The town istelf is a busy throroughfare where the River Eske flows into Donegal Bay and founded by the Vikings in the 8th century. The castle was built by Red Hugh O’Donnell in 1474, head of the O'Donnell clan that ruled Donegal for 400 years. The castle is furnished throughout and includes Persian rugs and French tapestries. At the end of the pier are the ruins of the Franciscan Friary. It was here that the first complete history of Ireland was written down in the 17th century in what is now known as the 'Annals of the Four Masters'. Just northeast is the beautiful Blue Stack Drive and Poisoned Glen. The route offers fabulous views over Lough Eske and to the Bluestack Mountains. To the southeast Belleek Pottery is 18 miles from the golf course and from there the wonderful lake county of Fermanagh can be explored.

Day 3

Narin & Portnoo

Narin & Portnoo links is located beside the seaside village of An Fheartainn (Narin) 25 miles northwest of Donegal Town. The journey takes 45 minutes.

A direct journey to Carrigart/Downings would take 1½ hours. The direct route follows the main N59 through the towns of Dungloe and Glenties, the principal towns of an area known as 'The Rosses', a scenic area with many side trips to be considered. The route then turns northeastward to the seaside resort of Dunfanaghy past majestic Horn Head. An alternative route from Gweedore would be through The Poisioned Glen to magnificent Glenveagh National Park where a guided tour of Glenveagh Castle is well worth considering.

Day 4

St. Patricks Links at Rosapenna

The first tee on the St. Patrick's links is 5 minutes drive from Carrigart, 10 minutes from Downings and 20 minutes from Dunfanaghy.

Glenveagh National Park, is situated on the eastern side of the Derryveagh Mountains. The Park contains 14,000 hectares of mountain, raised bogland, lakes and woodlands and is dissected by the valley which gives the park its name, Glenveigh (Gleann Bheatha) meaning Glen of the Birches. The Estate was established by John Adair who, in April 1861, evicted 244 tenants and cleared the land so as not to mar his views of the magnificent landscape. This ignoble history makes the beautiful views all the more poignant for today's visitor. The Park lands include the two highest mountains in Donegal, Errigal and Slieve Sneacht. At the south-west end of the park are the ice-carved cliffs of the Poisoned Glen, a corruption of the name in Irish which mean 'heavenly glen'. Lough Veagh has natural stocks of brown trout, salmon and artic char. The 19th century Glenveagh Castle with its neo-gothic architecture complete with ramparts, turrets and a round tower is open to the public. There are a number of pleasant walks through the fine gardens and guided tours of the castle interior. The Park has the largest herd of Red Deer in Ireland if not in Europe. The deer spend the summer on the Derryveagh mountains, coming down hill in winter. The Park is also home to meadow pipit, stonechats, grouse, ravens, siskins, tree-creepers, redstarts, wood warblers and occasionally peregrines and merlins. The Golden Eagle was reintroduced to the park in 2000. Having become became extinct 100 years ago, largely due to over hunting by both farmers and game keepers. The park is particularly spectacular when the prolific Rhododendron Ponticum are in bloom in early Summer.

Day 5

Sandy Hills Links

Rosapenna Golf Club clubhouse, for Old Tom and Sandy Hills links, is 5 minutes from Carrigart and 2 minutes from Downings. It is 25 minutes to Dunfanaghy.

A spectacular circular drive can be taken from Downings around the nothern end of the Rosguill Peninsula. The drive features many beautiful sandy beaches. In a clockwise direction the route first provides views over Sheephaven Bay to the hamlet of Doagh, an old fishing village. The road then turns east across the peninsula where there is a left hand turn that leads to the far north of the peninsula at Melmore Head. Along this road, popular with campers and caravanners, is Tranarossan beach, one of the loveliest in Ireland. From Tranarossan, or from a new trail beginning at a car park further on, it is possible to reach the intruigingly named Murder Hole Beach. Returning to Downings along the eastern shore overlooking Broadwater is a traditional thatched pub, An Sibin Ceoil (the singing pub) which serves food in a wonderful atmosphere. Back in Downings The Harbour Bar is among our very favourite in Ireland.

Day 6

Portsalon Golf Links

The waters of Broadwater and then Mulroy Bay separate the Rosguill Peninsula (Rosapenna) from the Fanada Peninsula (Portsalon). A journey via the 'Bridge to Nowhere' that crosses Broadwater near Carrigart takes 30 minutes, about 5 minutes less than a more conventional route south around the water through Milford.

The Fanad Peninsula and Inishowen Peninsula are separated by Lough Swilly, a long, narrow glacial fjord that once was of military significance. Portsalon is on the northwestern shore of Lough Swilly and Ballymastocker Strand, one of the finest beaches in the world (lying immediately below Portsalon golf links) is accessible from the southern end on the R268. Indeed this R268 road is a scenic route that provides stunning views back over the strand to Portsalon and then incredible views of Lough Swilly to the village of Rathmullan. With luck the Lough Swilly Ferry may be running from Rathmullan across to Buncrana on the Inishowen Peninsula saving the journey to the head of the Lough at Letterkenny and back up the western side of Inishowen. A direct journey from Portsalon to Ballyliffin would take 1½ hours.

Ballyliffin is a very small village but has 4 hotels! Nearby in Straid is a luxury 4**** guesthouse while 15 minutes in the other direction is McGrory's of Culdaff, one of our favourite places to stay.

Day 7

Glashedy Links at Ballyliffin

The golf courses at Ballyliffin are a very short drive from any of the Ballyliffin hotels and 15 minutes drive from Culdaff.

Ireland's most notherly point at Malin Head can be visited on a circular drive around the top on the Inishowen Peninsula. From Malin village, noted for its fine village green, the road passses Five Finger Strand, another lovely Donegal Beach. Malin Head car park is adjacent to Lloyd's Signal Tower, where ships were once recorded passing before the data was transmitted back to London. There is a spectacular walk from the car park past Hell's Hole to Malin Head viewpoint. Returning south Farren's Bar is the most northerly bar in Ireland while nearby is the Seaview Tavern, a renowned seafood restaurant.

Day 8

Old Links at Ballyliffin

The golf courses at Ballyliffin are a very short drive from any of the Ballyliffin hotels and 15 minutes drive from Culdaff.

Close to Ballyliffin Golf Club is Doagh Famine Village, a unique attraction telling the stories of local families and their efforts to survive after the famines of the 1840's and continuing to the present day. Informative story telling, life-size exhibits and a generous dollop of humour make Doagh a visit worth considering. Just west of Clonmay in the village of Straid is Glenevin Waterfall, an 30 ft. cascade oreached by a well maintained trail from beside Glen House guesthouse. The road peters out to the west near the towland of Dunaff where there is a trail to Dunaff Head that marks the end of Lough Swilly and the beginning of the Atlatic Ocean.

Day 9

Departure from Ireland

After a final night in Ballyliffin, for those with suitable flights, it is 3¾ hours to Dublin Airport. If flights are earlier then accommodation is arranged closer to the airport the night before. Routing through London Heathrow allows departure from City of Derry Airport, just less than 1 hour from Ballyliffin.