Discovering The Charm Of East Donegal
Donegal is known as the county of welcomes and I was to discover this firsthand when I stayed at Mrs Josephine Martin’s award winning B&B. Mount Royd Country Homeis a charming, period residence, located outside the village of Carrigans and just 8km from the city of Derry.
Even though I arrived at 11pm, Josephine still offered me a cup of tea, before showing me to my luxurious room. The next morning I was treated to a sumptuous traditional Irish breakfast that fueled me up for most of the day
ahead! I had also been woken by a traditional rural alarm clock – a rooster’s call! Fresh free range eggs were sure to be on the menu. Breakfast was served in a beautifully furnished dining room. A large Waterford Crystal lamp sat next to the breakfast buffet table, a gift from one of Josephine’s past guests. Simply walking from one room to the other in Mount Royd B&B was an experience due to Josephine’s lavish attention to detail.
ahead! I had also been woken by a traditional rural alarm clock – a rooster’s call! Fresh free range eggs were sure to be on the menu. Breakfast was served in a beautifully furnished dining room. A large Waterford Crystal lamp sat next to the breakfast buffet table, a gift from one of Josephine’s past guests. Simply walking from one room to the other in Mount Royd B&B was an experience due to Josephine’s lavish attention to detail.
Josephine’s motto is ‘‘ to treat guests with the same hospitality and service as I would wish to be treated‘‘. This devotion to service has won Mount Royd Country Country Home numerous acolades over the years, including being a R.A.C. Little Gem Award Winner every year from 2000-2006. Despite the many awards, it’s clear that Josephine and her husband Charlie, continue to treat their business more as a labour of love. “I always offer guests a cup oftea and some homemade treats when they first arrive or return from a day’s travelling as I find it often helps them unwind“, Josephine added. It was no surprise to hear that many of her guests have become family friends. B&B’s still offer that authentic, homely, hospitality
that is so uniquely Irish.
Josephine also added a touch of suspense to my visit by sharing the story of a real-life triple murder mystery that occured in nearby Dunmore House in 1938. This gruesome tragedy and the surrounding countryside inspired a young Agatha Christie to pen many of her future novels.
Mount Royd Country Home is also ideally located to explore the North West. The City of Derry is just 10 minutes drive away while Omagh Folk Park is less than a 45 minutes drive by car. The start of the spectacular Inishowen 100 scenic drive is less than 15 minutes away.
The majority of holiday-makers that visit Donegal tend to drive through the east of the county on their way to the Atlantic coastline. This is overlooking the fact that East Donegal has a lot of fun activities to offer and ancient sites to discover.
You can enjoy a thrilling “Night at the Dogs“ at Lifford Greyhound Racing Stadium or take all the family for a Harry Potter style adventure to Oakfield Park, near Raphoe, where you can explore the enchanting gardens on foot or take a magic steam engine train ride around the lake and park.
Get a sense of Ireland’s ancient past by visiting Beltany Stone Circle. This enigmatic site is even older than Stonehenge and consists of 64 standing stones. Grianan Aileach is also a must see ancient site while visiting the area. This ancient stone fortress is situated on a high hilltop with magnificent views of the Donegal Highlands, Inishowen, Derry City and East Donegal, Dating back to 1700 BC, Grianach Aileach was once the seat of the Kings of Ulster and was dedicated as a fortress to the Sun. Nearby Burt Chapel is themed on Grianan Aileach and won a prestigous European award for its design.
The majority of holiday-makers that visit Donegal tend to drive through the east of the county on their way to the Atlantic coastline. This is overlooking the fact that East Donegal has a lot of fun activities to offer and ancient sites to discover.
You can enjoy a thrilling “Night at the Dogs“ at Lifford Greyhound Racing Stadium or take all the family for a Harry Potter style adventure to Oakfield Park, near Raphoe, where you can explore the enchanting gardens on foot or take a magic steam engine train ride around the lake and park.
Get a sense of Ireland’s ancient past by visiting Beltany Stone Circle. This enigmatic site is even older than Stonehenge and consists of 64 standing stones. Grianan Aileach is also a must see ancient site while visiting the area. This ancient stone fortress is situated on a high hilltop with magnificent views of the Donegal Highlands, Inishowen, Derry City and East Donegal, Dating back to 1700 BC, Grianach Aileach was once the seat of the Kings of Ulster and was dedicated as a fortress to the Sun. Nearby Burt Chapel is themed on Grianan Aileach and won a prestigous European award for its design.
East Donegal also has its own unique character andcultural heritage, which I was to find out upon visiting the Ulster-Scots Education Centre, just a few kilometres from the village of Carrigans. The fertile lands of the Lagan Valley have been home to people of Scottish and English descent for almost 400 years and the Monreagh Ulster Scots Heritage Centre tells their story. The audio visual room is built like an old-time classroom, complete with wooden school benches and ink wells, from where I watched a fascinating local documentary, portraying the strong tradition of potato harvesting in the area.There’s a lot to see and experience in East Donegal and simply passing through, should no longer be an option!
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