Ireland the North 2 Day 7. Donegal

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Ireland the North 2. Day 7. Donegal

The Abbey Hotel in Donegal is very large, very busy and has great staff but room service must be very slow since we didn’t get our rooms until 5pm. It is a good job we weren’t wet through and needing a shower. The evening meal made up for it with good quality food and a pleasant waiter.
Leaving Sligo in the morning was pleasant enough under a blue sky alongside the river and wading birds. The hill of Benbulbin was in our sights for most of the day as we circled it before heading for the coast at Mullaghmore, by which time I had my sunglasses on - a rarity this week so far. The cliffs and coastline at Mullaghmore are quite spectacular and well worth visiting, as was the beach in town by the harbour from where Lord Mountbatten set off before being blown up by the IRA in 1979. A few kilometres along a busy road before lunch at Bundoran. A tough climb followed out of Ballyshannon, past the Abbey Mill with its waterwheel, and a fast descent on a narrow road to the coast road to Ballintra. Donegal was reached by cycling alongside the N15 passing confusing signs giving the distance to Galway in random numbers. We saw two signs 1km apart with 15km on them. The conclusion is that the Irish have bought signs with 3km, 5km and 15km in bulk and installed them at random along the roadside. 
A walk on the quay took us to the ruins of the Abbey but more if this tomorrow. Sleep calls. Overall a very pleasant day with Mullaghmore being the highlight.

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