Saint Ernan's Country House
| Tourist Attractions & Sight-Seeing
in County Donegal
The following map gives locations of just some of the many tourist attractions and sight-seeing opportunities available to guests staying at St Ernan's Country House in County Donegal. All are within driving distance and include areas of natural
beauty, dramatic sea and landscapes, castles, historical buildings and
gardens and shopping for traditional Irish hand crafts, including Donegal
Tweed, hand knits, crystal and china. And after your days journey return
not to a hotel - but to the privacy, peace and quiet of St Ernan's. |
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1. Donegal Town - Donegal Town including the O'Donnell Castle and many craft shops selling unique, traditional Irish hand crafts. |
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2. Slieve League - The Slieve League cliffs, situated on the West coast of Donegal, are said to be the highest and one of the finest marine cliffs in Europe with a three hundred metre drop straight down into the wild, Atlantic waves below. This creates a breathtaking but extremely scary view. One is advised to leave one's car and walk the few miles to the cliffs so as not to miss the exciting scenery of the area. There are terrific views of the sea and the Sligo Mountains to be seen. Donegal Bay can be clearly seen as you walk towards the very high top of Slieve League and there is a small lake at eye level. A short walk will take you to the right of the amazing cliff face of Bunglas (which literally means end of the cliff) which rises over 306m above the raging ocean. One Man's Path will take you to the summit of Slieve League but the climb must be approached with extreme caution as it is very dangerous. |
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3. Ardara Heritage Centre - Tells the story of Donegal tweed from the shearing of sheep to the manufacture of the woven cloth. Weavers at work show how a loom operates and the different stitches which make up Aran knitwear can be examined. Ardara Heritage Centre tells the story of Donegal tweed from the shearing of sheep to the manufacture and completion of the beautiful woven cloth. Old photographs, displays and models recall the remarkable history of tweed production in the Ardara region. The audio-visual presents some of the many attractions of this scenic
area of Donegal. |
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The Glebe Gallery which is a Gallery housing a collection of paintings belonging to the artist Derek Hill who lived at the Glebe House, the collection contains works by famous artists such as Picasso, George Braque and Matisse, as well as some of Derek Hill's own paintings. He had a studio on Tory Island where he encouraged the Islanders to paint and they formed their own school of painting whose works are now very much sought after. |
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5. Glenveagh National Park - Here within a late 19th century setting in a rugged and remote mountain valley, Henry McIlhenny from Philadelphia created one of the most celebrated gardens in Ireland. Woodland gardens and pleasure grounds, an Italian terrace with antique sculpture and terracotta pots, are all skillfully interwoven against the wild and beautiful Donegal landscape. |
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6. Grianan an Aileach - Visit this inspiring archaeological site incorporating an original Stone Age Ring Fort - an important structure in Ireland's turbulant history. |
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7. Castle Coole - A magnificent neo-classical house designed by James Wyatt, family home of the Earls of Belmore. It has remarkably fine interiors and exquisite furniture and furnishings from the period before 1830. |
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8. Florence Court - One of the most interesting and important houses in Ulster, built in mid-eighteenth century by John Cole. The house has magnificent plaster work and its striking rococo dining-room ceiling was fortunately saved from fire in 1955. The rest of the plaster work has been meticulously restored. The grounds provide an excellent picnic site or a place to just sit and admire the views. |
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9. W.B. Yeats' Grave - Travel south around Donegal Bay and at Drumcliffe Churchyard stop to view the grave of W.B. Yeats, the Nobel prizewinning poet, who based much of his work on the natural features around Sligo. Continue through County Mayo to visit the pilgrimage town of Knock, one of the world’s leading shrines. The Virgin Mary is reputed to have appeared to 15 people on August 21, 1879. Visit the shrine and the modern basilica before heading to Galway, the capital of the west of Ireland. Check into your hotel overlooking Galway Bay with views of the Aran Islands and the Burren Country. |
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10. Belleek Pottery - This world famous pottery offers guided tours. Visitors can watch master craftsmen and women at work and the visitor centre shop offers an extensive range of fine parian ware. |
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11. Park Castle - Fivemile Bourne, Co. Leitrim, sits in a sheltered lakeside location on the northeast side of Lough Gill and is part of the celebrated Lough Gill Drive (see below). A fine example of a 17th century fortified manor house, this castle was named after the English family who gained possession of the land during the 1620 Plantation of Ulster. Highlights of the castle include an Irish oak interior, diamond-shaped chimney, mullioned windows, parapets, and a courtyard that predates the castle with a cluster of old stone buildings and a wishing well. |
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Ireland's Blue Book (an association of the finest Country House Hotel
s, Guest Houses, in Ireland)
Karen Brown's Ireland (a select Guide to Hotel s & Country Houses in Ireland)
Lodgings Ireland (some of Ireland's finest Manor House Hotel s, Country Houses & Castles)
