General Information
Overlooking Donegal Bay, the house, surrounded by 25 acres of woodland, was built around the year 1850, most likely to replace the cottage which is on the other side of the road. The renovated has been carried out in various stages. First, by my father, who acquired the house in 1969. He had the front porch and the back downstairs bedroom built. He also was responsible for the bringing the water scheme to the area and for the surfacing of the road (called for a long time "O'Kelly's road"). I inherited the house in 1996 and have since been gradually adding improvements, the latest being the dining room off the kitchen.
Sleeping Arrangements
Designed for a maximum of six adults, there are three bedrooms, two with double beds (one upstairs and the other downstairs, with what people call an “en suite” bathroom, with a shower, a lavatory and a wash basin). There is a second smaller bedroom upstairs with two single beds. These bedrooms share the big bathroom on the landing, equipped with a bath, a lavatory and a wash basin. The is also a small lavatory and hand basin, immediately on the right in the corridor leading from the back door to the scullery.
Heating
The central heating and hot water are fired by wood pellets, with an oil back-up. Apart from the water, the heating is turned it off from May to September.
For Cold Spells
There is a storage heater in the kitchen, which can be turned on low if the weather suddenly turns cold. There are also high tech electric heaters in all the three bedrooms and in the study, which can be turned on for an hour or two in the morning and in the evening. Please be careful to use them parsimoniously (the operative word). There are also two open fireplaces — one in the sitting-room and another in the main upstairs bedrooms. They both draw well. There is also a free standing cast iron stove in the fireplace in the kitchen. Logs are freely available.
Washing Machine
There is a washing machine in the back kitchen with an integrated dryer: only to be used in emergencies, with a half load. There is a washing line behind the garage. The drying in Donegal is excellent.
Bed Linen, Towel and House Linen
Each bed is supplied with a fitted sheet, a bolster cover, two pillow cases and a duvet cover. There will also be a bath towel, a hand towel and face cloth per person. You are requested to strip the beds when you leave and leave the bed linen and the towels you have used in a folded pile in your bedroom. Mary Stewart (Jack the farmer’s wife), who looks after the house and the garden for me, makes up the beds, if she has time.
Household appliances
You will find a big black folder on the kitchen table with the instructions for all the appliances.
Energy efficiency
The free-standing stove in the kitchen is both wood and turf burning : no coal please! It is dirty and bad for the environment. Leave the handle at the top right of the free-standing stove pulled out, it activates the self-cleaning function. The two fireplaces (wood or turf only please) draw well and you must of course be careful to keep the fender up.
Waste Disposal
There is a compost bin behind the garage and a big plastic container beside the sink for organic waste and a bin in the enclosure behind the kitchen. Donegal Waste call every second Thursday. Check the calendar and remember to wheel the bin down to the entrance on the corresponding Wednesday evening. The bin men call just after nine on Thursday mornings.
Bottles and Cans
You must dispose of your empty bottles and cans before you leave. There is a bottle bank in Mountcharles on the left hand side of the main street. If you are arriving from the house, it is slightly to the left, on the opposite side of the road as you turn into village. You drive down the road (Forge Road) and the bins are on the left just after the bridge (which you drive under).
Shopping
The butchers and the fish shop in Mountcharles are excellent. For general shopping, we have become resigned over the years to SUPERVALUE, open until 9 o'clock most evenings. For fresh fruit and vegetables, we recommend Gregs in the car park behind the arcade. There is a health food store (Simple Simon), on the Diamond. Although we don't like the atmosphere in the German low cost supermarkets, we have to admit that the fresh vegetables in LIDL are excellent and that the wine is about 2€ cheaper than the equivalent elsewhere.
Restaurants and Eating Out and Music
Eating out is generally disappointing. However, we heartily recommend The Olde Castle Bar in Donegal Town and nearer home The Village Tavern in Mountcharles. Both do fish. The Abbey Hotel in Donegal Town, which is like a community centre, is not a bad place for a pub lunch and a glass of beer. The staff are friendly and helpful; they will send a fax for you for 1 euro, look up timetables for you and help you in any way they can. The foyer is a great place for a cup of tea and a plate of biscuits. Unfortunately, because of the drink culture, the place gets rough in the evening and should be avoided on Friday and Saturday nights.
In general, when ordering our food, we stick to seafood chowder and open salmon sandwiches. The best most reasonably priced snacks are to be found in the bars of the 3 & 4 star hotels. We like to go to Lough Eske Castle or Harvey’s Point. Last time we had a meal at Castlemurray (St John's Point), we were agreeably surprised, although it was expensive in comparison with France; the main course at Keys’ Hotel (Stranolar) is also good value.
We have also a particular affection for the Highland Hotel, Glenties, which had run down, but which has been taken over and is currenctly being refurbished; the seafood chowder has been given a good rating by the experts in my family. The Nesbitt Arms in Ardara has been rediscovered by us recently to our great satisfaction. We also hear that the food at Woodhill House in Ardara (a delighful “big house”) is excellent. They are open for drinks all day but only only serve an evening meal and are, from what I have heard, expensive.
There is music everywhere, but be careful, the people around here make very little difference between traditional music (always wonderful) and country pop (really hard on the ears), so check it out before you commit yourself to a journey. The best and surest place for traditional music is Ardara, both at the Corner House and Nancy’s. Everything starts very late so don’t expect music before 9:30pm (21h30) at the earliest.
Walking and day trips
There are too many beautiful places to visit in a week; in order of priority I would recommend:
I) walking distance:
– the shore by either of the lanes opposite the house (10 minutes)
– the Eagles Nest, just up the road first left at the tip of Doorin Point (30 minutes on foot, 5 minutes by car),
– Inver strand, just up the road and second left (direction “Inver”), turn left at the Eany river (40 minutes on foot, under 10 minutes by car.
II) cycling distance
– St John’s Point, about half an hour away by car (everybody’s favourite place).
– Mountcharles harbour by the road (also accessible on foot along the shore).
III) by car
– Ardara, Lougros and the Maghera caves (another favourite)
– Killybegs: Ireland's largest fishing port
– Mullaghmore, a charming fishing village, where Lord Moutbatton was tragically blown up by the IRA.
– Rossnowlagh, for surfing and a bite to eat at the Sand House Hotel.
IV) day trips
– Glencolmcille: leave early in the morning for the sun. Take the N56 in the direction of Killybegs.
First stop: Teelin, Carrig, Kilcar, Bunglas–Slieve League (sliabh liag) — at 300m the highest cliffs (they say) in Europe); if you want to spend the day there, you can hire a boat to see the cliffs from the sea (Nuala Star www.sliabhleagueboattrips.com), or 66pbyrne@gmail.com
If not continue on to Malin Beg and Glencolmcille, where you should be able to find something to eat, and if you want to make it a round trip, drive home by the Glengesh pass the glacial valley linking Glencolmcille and Ardara (see separate entry). Then, back home over the bogs by Frosses, Mountcharles.
– Glenveagh national park, N56 northbound (see separate entry).
– Lissadell House, exactly an hour away from the house, was the stately home of the Gore Booth family, now a cultural centre for the Irish revival; take the N56 towards Sligo (see separate entry).