Monday 17th June 2024
Day 3: WAW – Carrickart to Dungloe (An Clochán Liath)
After a stormy night, I set off on a brisk June morning, around the Rosguil peninsula. A pleasant cruise along winding, undulating roads. Through beautiful rugged landscapes, with mountains and hills begging to be climbed.
Donegal boasts numerous sandy beaches, or strands, and coves—perfect for swimming and paddleboarding if you can get to them. There’s even one right next to Donegal Airport, which I decided to skip.
The landscape here is a rocky, barren expanse, studded with a myriad of lakes, sea inlets, peat bogs, and strands. I was still searching for my elusive Irish breakfast and was disappointed once more. I had expected charming little beach cafes, but these coastal beaches often sit along precarious narrow roads and lack amenities.
Arriving at Doe Castle at the same time as a Welsh couple, I overheard them trying to engage the Irish warden in conversation about the ‘suppression ’-referring to the long and complex history of British rule and its impact on Ireland. The husband, a bit presumptuous, loudly said, “She is English; we are Celts and should stick together.”
A lively debate ensued as to who and where the Celts truly came from. Ahhh, history. The Irish chap and I were united in our thinking and would not be provoked into micro-aggression by the Welsh.
Despite the engaging, if a little testy, historical discussion, the castle’s interior is typically only accessible with a guide. However, being a key holder, the patient warden gave us a little personal tour. What a nice chap.
After a fascinating hour or so, I stopped for a morning coffee en route to Horn Head (Corrán Binne): Emu View. It’s so called because there were emus in the fields… alongside sheep and pigs.
Coffee on board, I headed up to Horn Head (Corrán Binne). From the top, you get a 360-degree view over Donegal, from Tory Island in the distance to Malin Head, the Rosguil Peninsula, the mountains of Muckish and Errigal, the New Lake, and Tramore.
Several viewing points along the way let you see six different beaches. Although it’s on private land, there are a few walking trails, including one to a Napoleonic Tower built to warn of a possible French invasion. However, as the whole headland is a peat bog, I decided to give that walk a miss.
Magheraroarty Pier was a great place to park. It offered a lovely big beach and would have made a fantastic stopover if later in my day. There was also a cafe, but sadly, it was closed – I had such high hopes!
If you choose, you can catch a ferry over to Inishbofin. My journey, however, continued on to Bloody Foreland, so called due to the intense red colouring of the rocks at sunset.
From Bloody Foreland, the route headed inland for a bit, creating a dead zone for stopping places, before turning back towards the coast and Donegal Airport. The van’s engine was also getting hot, and I was getting fumes in the cab from a dodgy gasket. This stretch of road truly felt like a desert for places to pull over, and I desperately needed to find somewhere for the night.
Perhaps I’d been lucky so far. The Park4night app reported issues with locals in this area, and a beach I found with a car park even had a “no camping” sign.
A free car park in Dungaloe (An Clocháin Liath) provided safe harbour for the night; it has toilets, shops, and a nice little pier.
Tomorrow, I’m heading to Slieve League (Sliabh Liag), the ‘Mountain of the Flagstones’, where I’ve booked a campsite. Very exciting! Also, I haven’t showered since I left home.
Hopefully, the van will hold out. She’s purring like a kitten, but I’m still getting gassed. Bloody hell… The driving stages aren’t too long, which is a relief. My guidebook is cleverly arranged so you can travel a page per/day.
On the Horizon: Croagh Patrick
I’m currently in Donegal, and by direct route, I’m now just 3.5 hours away from Croagh Patrick (the one that got away). This was where my previous journey ended, leaving the pilgrim trail unfinished. Logistical issues and time ran out. Fingers crossed, I’ll make it by Saturday for my hike and truly bring this journey full circle!
Leave a Reply