Things to do in Donegal
Donegal's rugged landscape lends itself to active sports like climbing, hill walking, surfing and kite-flying. Many people travel to Donegal for the superb golf links, long sandy beaches and extensive dune systems are a feature of the county, and many links courses have been developed.
For the Golfer, Donegal offers some of Ireland's most challenging courses from Ballyliffin in the north to Bundoran in the South, Portnoo on the west coast and the superb Letterkenny course just down the road from us. Portsalon, Rosapenna, Ballybofey and numerous more, being a keen Golfer myself I would be only be to happy to advise our guests with any information they need
Rock climbing is of very high quality and still under-developed in the county. The complete Donegal climbing guidebook is available at the Colmcille Climbers website. There is a wealth of good quality climbs in the county from granite rocks in the south to quartzite and dolerite in the north; from long mountain routes in the Poisoned Glen to boulder challenges of excellent quality in the west and in the Inishowen Peninsula.
Co. Donegal is steeped in Irish history, visit the Workhouse Heritage Center in Dunfanaghy and hear the sweet voice of 'Wee Hannah telling the story of her harsh upbringing in the 1830's and of her time spent in the workhouse. A tour of Doagh Famine Village and see what it was like to live in rural Ireland during The Famine is a must. The folk village at Glencolmcille Est. 1967 by Fr. McDyer dates back nearly five hundred years is also worth a visit.
For the Angler, the North West is well known for its Salmon, Grilse and Sea Trout which run our local waters each year making it one of the premium game Angling areas in the Atlantic sphere.
Surfing on Donegal's Atlantic coast is considered to be as good as any in Ireland and up there in the world ratings. The old Victorian seaside resort of Bundoran, located in the very south of the county, has been 'reborn' as the center of surfing in County Donegal. Indeed, Bundoran is now the main surfing 'resort' in Ulster.
Donegal International Rally
Letterkenny is the base for the annual Donegal International Rally which runs stages throughout Donegal in June each year. The rally is a pivotal round of the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship, and incorporates a National Rally for modified cars, a section for older historic rally cars and a round of the Ford Fiesta Challenge and a Junior Rally, for up and coming drivers.
Entertainment
There is a large cinema complex in the town, located on Canal Lane, Century Cinemas is an eight-screen cinema with full car parking facilities. An Grianán Theater, the largest theater in County Donegal with a seating capacity of 383. The Letterkenny Arts Center provides a constant throughput of new blood. Recent additions to the arts infrastructure include modern additions to Letterkenny Library and Arts Center and the Cristeph Gallery. Letterkenny Regional Cultural Center, located behind An Grianán Theater, opened July 2007. Letterkenny also has an active music scene.
With its sandy beaches, unspoiled boglands and friendly communities, Co. Donegal is a favoured destination for many travelers, Irish and foreign alike. One of the county treasures is Glenveagh National Park (formerly part of the Glenveagh Estate), as yet (February 2008) the only official national park anywhere in the Province of Ulster. The park has a large nature reserve with spectacular scenery of mountains, raised boglands, lakes and woodlands. At its heart is Glenveagh Castle, a beautiful late Victorian 'folly' that was originally built as a summer residence