French
DeutschDonegal Town is a town in County Donegal in northwest Ireland. With a population of 2700 in 2022, it's neither the county town — that's tiny Lifford — nor the county's largest - that's Letterkenny. It's a small place clustered around its plaza "The Diamond", with the River Eske flowing out of the Bluestack Mountains into the bay. It has a ruined abbey and a restored castle, and makes a good base for touring the south of the county.
1 Donegal Tourist Information Centre is on The Quay, open daily 9AM-5PM.
Get in
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By road from Dublin follow M3 then N3 via Cavan, crossing the border at Belturbet. The road is badged A509 then A46 through Enniskillen to Belleek, then you re-cross the border and take N15 into Donegal. There are no border checks, but you must ensure that your personal and car documents are valid for Northern Ireland.
The nearest railway stations are Sligo with trains from Dublin Connolly, and Derry with trains from Belfast.
Bus Éireann X30 / 30 runs every hour or two from Dublin Busáras, taking 3 hr 30 min via Dublin Airport, Virginia, Cavan, Enniskillen and Ballyshannon. From Cavan Bus 30 takes a slower route via Butlersbridge, Belturbet, Enniskillen and Belleek.
From Belfast travel via Enniskillen or Derry.
Expressway 64 runs every two hours from Derry via Letterkenny and Ballybofey to Donegal (90 min) and continues to Ballyshannon, Bundoran, Sligo, Charlestown, Knock airport and village, Claremorris, Ballyhaunis, Tuam and Galway.
Bus Feda 964 shares this route, running 2-3 times a day from Crolly to Letterkenny and Donegal Town then onward to Knock, Tuam and Galway.
Local Link Bus 292 runs every two hours from Ballyshannon, taking 40 min via Rossnowlagh and Laghy. Bus 982 from Sligo to Ballyshannon connects with this service.
1 The Diamond is the main bus stop, often shown on timetables as Abbey Hotel.
Get around
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The town is small enough to walk, but you need wheels for outlying attractions. There's no bike hire here, and the nearest car hire offices are in Letterkenny and Derry.
Local Link Bus 293 runs from Glencolmcille via Mainmore, Killybegs and Mountcharles to Donegal Town, with five M-Sa and three on Sunday.
Bus Éireann 492 runs 2 or 3 times a day from Dungloe via Lettermacaward, Glenties, Ardara and Killybegs, taking 90 min to Donegal Town.
Bus 994 makes one morning run M-F from Portnoo via Ardara and Meentinadea, heading back from Donegal Town in the afternoon.
Taxis include Bertie's Cabs (+353 87 441 1030), DT Cars (+353 87 213 5394) and Andy Quinn (+353 87 262 0670).
See
[edit | edit source]- 1 Donegal Abbey, Glebe, Donegal. 24 hours. This was a Franciscan Priory established in 1474. It was the scene of a battle in 1601 during the Nine Year's War between the English Tudors and the area's Gaelic rulers: a gunpowder keg caught fire and that was the end of the abbey and anyone in the vicinity. So now there's just a few shards of masonry and you mostly come for the scenic old graveyard overlooking the estuary. Free.
- The Diamond is town centre. The obelisk commemorates "The Annals of the Four Masters", a semi-historical catalogue compiled hereabouts in 1632-36. By then the abbey was in small pieces and its friars were making do in a nearby cottage and in a house near Ballyshannon. Only the chief author was a friar, but they became known as na Ceithre Máistrí, anglicised as "Four Masters".
- St Patrick's Church of the Four Masters east end of The Diamond is Roman Catholic, in sort-of-Romanesque with a Round Tower, but it only dates from 1935.
- Donegal Town Church next to the castle is Church of Ireland, built in confident Gothic in 1828.
- 2 Donegal Castle, Castle St F94 P996 (north side of Diamond), ☏ +353 74 972 2405. Daily 9AM-6PM. It wasn't just the Normans who built substantial stone castles, this one was erected in 1474 by Red Hugh O'Donnell at the same time as the abbey. That dynasty held it until they fled Ulster in 1607 after the Nine Years War. They torched it to prevent its use against the local Irish, but it was soon restored and extended by the incomers in Jacobean style. It fell into ruin in the 18th century but was restored from the 1990s and is now an event space. Adult €5, conc €4, child €3.
- 3 Donegal Railway Heritage Centre, Old Station House, Tyrconnell St, ☏ +353 74 972 2655. Mon-Fri 10AM-5PM, Sat Sun noon-4PM. Two narrow-gauge railways huffed and puffed across the county from 1863 to 1959, connecting Donegal to Strabane, Derry and Letterkenny: the 36-inch gauge was cheaper to construct than standard Irish gauge of 63 inches. The Centre displays their history and has a steam locomotive and a railcar from that era, though not in working order. Adult €7.50, conc €6, child €5.
- 4 Famine Graveyard is on Upper Main St by the hospital.
- 5 Lough Eske is a scenic lake 15 km northeast of town, surrounded by the Bluestack Mountains. The River Eske flows from it through town to Donegal Bay.
- Magherabeg Friary is a ruin 3 km south of town off R267: it's on private land and fenced off as unsafe. It was built around 1430 so it pre-dates the main abbey, but its friars were lowly "Third Order Franciscans", lay brothers not ordained as priests. It was abandoned and handed over to English landowners along with the main abbey around 1607.
- 6 Murvagh Beach is a 4.5-km sandy beach backed by dunes and the golf course. Dogs on leash only.
- 7 Rossnowlagh Beach is 4 km long. It's exposed to the Atlantic, which funnels into the bay and can generate big surfing waves. At low tide you can walk all the way to Murvagh. Many people park on the beach, but beware the speed of the incoming tide.
- 8 Mountcharles is a village straggling along N56 six km west of Donegal. The estuary marshes to its south were historically used for salt extraction. The main attraction, near the pier, is Salthill Gardens, open Apr-Sep Th-Sa 2-6PM.
- 9 St John's Point is a long rat's-tail peninsula starting ten km west of town. McSwyne's Castle and Ballysaggart Friary are just stumps of masonry. Near the tip is a sheltered sandy beach, and the peninsula ends with the EIRE 70 wartime aviation marker and a lighthouse - this is still active and you can't go in.
- Killaghtee Old Church just west of the start of the peninsula is a 12th-century ruin with an unusual "Maltese Cross" gravestone from 650 AD.
Do
[edit | edit source]- What's on? For local events check Donegal Democrat (south edition), published twice a week.
- The Waterbus putters round the bay on 75 min tours. They're 2 or 3 times a day in summer, but sailing times vary with the tides. The boat is wheelchair accessible. Dogs are permitted on leash on the lower deck.
- The riverbank walk starts from the bridge in town and follows the west bank of the Eske for 3 km.
- Angling: There's game- and coarse-fishing on Lough Eske and the Eske, Eany, Downes and Finn rivers.
- Shore angling is available at multiple points on the coast, and anglers' boats put out from Killybegs, Teelin and Creevy.
- Horse riding: see Ballyshannon, there are no centres closer to town.
- 1 Donegal Golf Club, Murvagh Lower, ☏ +353 74 973 4054. This is an 18-hole championship links course, blue tees 6819 m, par 73.
- Other golf courses in the area include Bundoran and Ballybofey-Stranorlar.
Buy
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- Donegal Shopping Centre is 500 m south of The Diamond, with SuperValu open M-Sa 8:30AM-9PM, Su 9:30AM-8PM.
- Aldi is east side of The Diamond, open M-Sa 8AM-10PM, Su 9AM-9PM.
- Lidl is 1 km northeast on Ballybofey Rd at the junction with N56 bypass, open M-Sa 8AM-10PM, Su 9AM-9PM.
- Donegal Craft Village is 3 km south on R267.
- ATMs are outside the banks, all near The Diamond.
Eat
[edit | edit source]- The best dining is in the hotels, see below.
- Blueberry Tea Rooms on Castle St F94 AH75 serves snacks and light meals M-Sa 9AM-6PM.
- Chandpur serves Bangladeshi food. They're on Main St, open M-Sa 4-10PM, Su 1-9PM.
- Weavers Loft on the Diamond is open M-Sa 10AM-5PM.
- Shamrock is a Chinese takeaway on Quay St.
- Harbour Restaurant, Quay St F94 R660, ☏ +353 74 972 1702. Mon-Sat 5-9PM, Sun 1-8PM. Family-friendly place for seafood, burgers and the like.
- Quay West at Quay St F94 E2A2 is open W-Su 5-9PM.
- Olde Castle Seafood Bar, Castle Street F94 AKC2, ☏ +353 74 972 1262. Daily noon-10PM. Good seafood and other fare.
- La Bella Donna, 2 Bridge St, ☏ +353 74 972 5790. Sun, Tue-Thu 5-9PM, Fri Sat 5-10PM. Good Italian fare.
Drink
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- The Reel Inn, Bridge St F94 R590 (by castle), ☏ +353 85 841 6213. Mon-Thu 10:30AM-11:30, Fri Sat 10:30AM-1AM, Sun noon-11:30PM. Friendly bar with trad music most nights.
- The Forge, 7 Meetinghouse St F94 P9K7. Tue-Thu 7-11:30PM, Fri Sat 5PM-midnight. Cosy old bar.
- McCafferty's on the Pier, The Diamond F94 E003, ☏ +353 74 974 2656. Mon-Thu 10:30AM-11:30PM, Fri Sat 10:30AM-2:30AM, Sun noon-1AM. The original, opened in 2016, of what's become a small chain of trad-style Irish pubs.
- Abbey Bar is within Abbey Hotel and has a disco until late at weekends.
- The Reveller on The Diamond is open M-Sa 10:30AM-11:30PM, Su noon-11PM and has rooms.
- O’Donnell’s on The Diamond F94 AK51 is open F Sa noon1AM, Su & Th noon-11:30PM.
- Annie Lynn’s on Main St is open M-Sa 10:30AM-11:30PM, Su noon-11PM.
Sleep
[edit | edit source]Budget
[edit | edit source]- Boortree Touring, Rossnowlagh campsite, Rossnowlagh Lower F94 W64W, ☏ +353 85 165 5917. 22 pitches for touring vans, camper vans and motor homes beside the beach. 16-amp electricity outlets, toilet and shower facilities, exterior sink for dish washing, chemical disposal & grey water waste disposal, fresh water refill. Pitch €26.00.
- Bluestack Centre[dead link] is a hostel in Drimarone, in the hills 8 km northwest of town. In 2026 it’s refugee accommodation.
Mid-range
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- Railway Lodge is a guesthouse on Tirchonaill St F94 FE04 north side of town.
- Atlantic Guest House, Main St F94 RKF3, ☏ +353 74 972 1187. Old style guesthouse, bathrooms are shared, but clean and welcoming. B&B double €110.
- Abbey Hotel, The Diamond F94 AP8W, ☏ +353 74 972 1014. Very central, mostly comfy enough but stuffy in hot weather, and at weekends the nightclub makes a racket until 2AM. B&B double €170.
- Central Hotel, The Diamond F94 X79D, ☏ +353 74 972 1027. Friendly comfy central place. B&B double €150.
- 1 Gateway Lodge, Lough Eske Rd F94 HN12, ☏ +353 74 974 0405. Motel-style rooms a short walk from town centre. B&B double €180.
- 2 Donegal Manor, Letterkenny Rd F94 XV60, ☏ +353 74 975 9995. Comfy eight-roomed guest house. B&B double €180.
- Donegal Estuary Holiday Homes are self-catering cottages (sleep 5) 2 km west of town.
Splurge
[edit | edit source]- 3 Mill Park Hotel, The Mullins F94 HD99 (off N56), ☏ +353 74 972 2880. Smart edge-of-town hotel, with 110 large rooms en suite, child friendly, and fitness centre and pool. B&B double €250.
- 4 Lough Eske Castle, Lough Eske F94 HX59 (6 km northeast of town), ☏ +353 74 972 5100. A Tudorbethan manor was built in 1868, owned by Major-General Henry George White (1835-1906), who's buried by the nearby Celtic Cross. It was ruined by a fire in 1939 but re-built as the present mock-castle in 2007. It gets great reviews for comfort and service. B&B double €500.
- 5 Harvey's Point, Lough Eske F94 E771, ☏ +353 74 972 2208. Comfy upscale place with large rooms and great lakeside setting. B&B double €300.
Connect
[edit | edit source]As of Aug 2026, the town and its approach roads have 4G from Vodafone, and 5G from Eir and Three. UK networks don’t reach this far into the Republic.
Go next
[edit | edit source]- Ballyshannon south is a small market town. Continue south for the brooding limestone crags and prehistoric sites of Sligo.
- Enniskillen is between the two Erne lakes. These are connected by navigable waterways all the way to Limerick, Waterford and Dublin.