Ireland the North 2. Day 8. Donegal

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Ireland the North 2. Day 8. Donegal

A day in Donegal lounging about for some and learning about its heritage. A visit to the castle was very rewarding and I can recommend at €4 for a pensioner. The castle was built in 1841 by Red O’Donnell who was a descendant of a man called Domhnaill who died in 901. The castle was later given to an English soldier, Basil Brooke, as a reward after the 9 years war in 1601. He restored the castle which had lain in ruins having been destroyed by the O’Connells to keep it from the English. It later lay in a ruined state again until the 1990’s when it was partially restored to its former glory. The timber structure of the roof is a real work of art.
The O’Donnell ruling clan eventually went to live in Spain rather than be subservient to the English in the 1600’s.
Another interesting fact discovered in the castle was that the Choctaw Indian Nation gave $150 to the Irish during the famine of 1850-1857. This would be tens of thousands nowadays. This was 16 years after they were driven from their lands in Mississippi and walked 500 miles to Oklahoma where half of their 21,000 tribe perished.
Some of the group went on a cruise around the bay in a catamaran with a commentary on its history of fishing etc and Donegals involvement in the mass exodus to America during and after the famine years.
There is a nice walk along the estuary of the river Eske where the trees have little doors on the trunks to enable the leprechauns to access their homes. They do exist you know!
Luckily on our day off the sun has been shining just about all day and is warm.
Tomorrow is a tough one but the weather looks ok and it should be a spectacular day on the coast.

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Photos

Red O’Donnell
Builder of castle and priory 1401