French
DeutschDungloe is a village on the west coast of County Donegal. It's in a Gaeltacht area so its official name is the Irish An Clochan Liath - "the grey stepping stones". But Irish has dwindled here as the holiday cottages have multiplied, and only 15% nowadays have it as their main language. Dungloe is best known to the world for the 1936 song Mary from Dungloe, a sentimental refrain of star-crossed love, which is recalled in an annual beauty contest and festival.
Dungloe had a population of 1250 in 2022, so it's the largest village of The Rosses, the area separated by the Derryveagh Mountains from the rest of the county. "Rosses" means "headlands": grassy boulder-strewn peninsulas facing the Atlantic, with a scattering of islands beyond. Arranmore is the largest island and although part of The Rosses it's described on its own page.
Get in
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1 Donegal Airport (CFN IATA) has two flights daily from Dublin by Aer Lingus (with heavily subsidised fares) and flights three days a week from Glasgow by Loganair. The airport has car hire and taxis but no public transport.
Local Link Bus 271 runs from Letterkenny via Churchill, Glenveagh (for National Park), Dunlewey, Crolly and Loughanure, taking 1 hr 20 min to Dungloe and continuing to Burtonport for the ferry to Arranmore. There are seven a day. Change at Letterkenny for buses from Derry, Donegal Town, Sligo, Galway and Dublin.
Local Link Bus 966 runs four times a day from Falcarragh via Magheroarty (for Tory Island ferry), Derrybeg, Bunbeg (for Gola Island ferry), Crolly and Loughanure.
2 An Clochán Liath is how Dungloe is shown on timetables, with the bus stop at the roundabout.
3 Burtonport or Ailt an Chorráin is where you take the ferry to Arranmore.
Get around
[edit | edit source]Town is small, but you need wheels to get around The Rosses.
See
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- 1 Maghery is a village 5 km west of Dungloe with a fine sandy but exposed beach. The peninsula north is Termon, denoting a religious sanctuary, with a ruined church with 19th-century gravestones. The islands seen just north are Inishfree Upper and Lower, nowadays uninhabited, with Arranmore island further northwest. On the coast 2 km south of Maghery is the ruined Crohy Martello tower, built to warn of Napoleonic invasion, and Bristi sea-arch.
- 2 Arranmore is a 20 min boat ride and easy day trip, see separate page.
- 3 Kincasslagh is a scenic little village north along the coast. St Mary's Church (Roman Catholic) is from 1854, and on R259 just east is its predecessor, the Mass Rock where services were secretly held during the "Penal" era. The village is best known as the birthplace in 1961 of the singer Daniel O'Donnell, who still lives nearby in Meenbanad.
- 4 Cruit Island (pronounced "crutch") is reached by a bridge, so it's effectively a 5-km straggly peninsula. There's a beach midway up its sheltered east side, and a golf course at the north tip.
- 5 Owey Island 500 m off Cruit Island has been uninhabited since the 1970s, though a few cottages are occasionally used as holiday homes. There's no ferry but it's within kayaking distance of Cruit.
- 6 Annagry or Anagaire is a small village near Donegal Airport with accommodation and a pub.
Do
[edit | edit source]- Angling: Bonners on Lower Main St Dungloe can fit you up with tackle, permits and local gen. There's fly-fishing for trout Feb-Oct in the nearby lakes and rivers.
- Golf: Cruit Island GC is a 9-hole links course. Twice around is par 68.
- Earagail Arts Festival is held in July at various venues across the northwest of the county.
- Mary from Dungloe is an old-style beauty contest held in Dungloe at the end of July, with street parades and general hoop-de-hoop.
Buy
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- The Cope Foodstore is a local supermarket at 35 Main St, open M-Sa 8AM-8PM, Su 9AM-6PM: the name arose from a mispronunciation of "Co-op". There are branches in Annagry, Falcarragh and Kincasslagh.
- Supermarkets east side of town are Aldi, Lidl and SuperValu, all open daily till around 9PM.
Eat
[edit | edit source]- Caprini's is within Kavanagh's Supervalu, open M-Sa 9AM-5PM.
- Bengal Village is at 50 Main St F94 X0PX, open daily 4-10PM.
- Soloma is a Ukrainian restaurant at 47 Main St, open Tu-Sa 11AM-7PM.
- Bridge Inn, Lower Main St F94 YN81, ☏ +353 74 952 1526. Sun-Thu noon-midnight, Fri Sat noon-1AM. Lively place for burgers and similar pub grub.
- Golden Palace on Lower Main St is open M-Th 4PM-midnight, F-Su 3PM-midnight.
- Lucky Inn at the top end of Main St is open daily 4:30PM-midnight.
Drink
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- Patrick John Sally's is at 74 Main St, open M-Sa 10:30AM-midnight, Su noon-11PM.
- Teach Owenie Bán on Main St is open daily 11AM-midnight.
- Mulhern's Corner Bar at 24 Main St is open daily 10:30AM-midnight.
- McCafferty's, Lower Main St F94 AN25, ☏ +353 74 956 1682. Daily noon-11:30PM. Large bar on four levels with food and TV sport, now grown into a small chain.
- 1 Bonner's Bar, Mullaghduff F94 KH66 (1 km south of airport), ☏ +353 74 954 3368. Daily 11AM-midnight. Atmospheric place, often has live music.
- 2 Leo's Tavern, Meenaleck F94 RK75, ☏ +353 74 954 8143. Mon-Fri 4PM-12:30AM, Sat Sun 1PM-12:30AM. This is run by Bartley the brother of Enya, the singer-songwriter Eithne Pádraigín Ní Bhraonáin who was born in Gweedore in 1961. The original publican was their musical father Leo Ó Braonáin who died in 2016. The tavern is studded with Gold Discs and similar trophies of Enya's career with Clannad then solo. Customers highly rate the food, service and setting.
- Sharkey's is a popular bar in Annagry, open daily 1-11:30PM.
- Crolly Distillery, Killindarragh, Crolly F94 XHH5, ☏ +353 74 956 2376. Mon-Sat 11AM-7PM, Sun noon-7PM. Crolly makes whiskey in the former Crolly doll factory. Tours are hourly. Tour €21.
Sleep
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- Dungloe Caravan Park, Carnmore Rd, Dungloe F94 YY28 (junction with Gweedore Rd), ☏ +353 85 265 4750. Grand little tourer caravan and campsite open June-Aug.
- The Midway, Main St, Dungloe F94 XKV7, ☏ +353 74 952 1251. Pub with budget rooms, value for money.
- River House, Gweedore Rd, Dungloe F94 AP97, ☏ +353 74 956 1997. Very, very basic.
- Waterfront Hotel, Mill Rd, Dungloe F94 W974 (200 m west of Main St), ☏ +353 74 952 2444. Smart modern place by the pier, does good food. B&B double €150.
- Inisean B&B is a smart B&B on Pole Rd, 100 m north of Waterfront Hotel.
- Radharc An Oileain, Quay Rd F94 DV70 (200 m south of town centre), ☏ +353 86 163 7555. Welcoming B&B with views over the bay.
- 1 Viking House Hotel, Belcruit, Kincasslagh F94 HR60 (near bridge to Cruit Island), ☏ +353 74 911 7066. Smart modern place with good restaurant and views towards the island. B&B double €170.
- Sleepy Hollows is a campsite and caravan park at Meenaleck F94 HK73, 200 m north of Leo's Tavern, open year round. Adults only, 2-person tent €30.
- Danny Minnie's Country House, 1 St Mary's View, Annagry F94 X862 (on R259), ☏ +353 74 954 8201. Mon-Sat 6-11:30PM. Upmarket restaurant with rooms in Annagry.
- Caisleáin Óir Hotel, Illannavoree, Annagry F94 WY03 (on R259), ☏ +353 74 954 8113. Small hotel with great scores for comfort and dining. B&B double €120.
Connect
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As of Aug 2026, Dungloe has 4G from Three, and 5G from Eir and Vodafone. Lots of dead spots on the approach highways.
Go next
[edit | edit source]- Arranmore is reached by ferry from Burtonport.
- Tory Island is more remote, and reached by ferry from Magheroarty.
- Letterkenny is Donegal's largest town and transport hub.