Glencolmcille

Glencolmcille is a straggle of villages on the northwest coast of County Donegal, with a population of 167 in 2022. The main settlement is also known as Cashel, indicating its cluster of prehistoric and early Christian ritual sites. The lane then meanders through Malin More to end at Malin Beg. Also described on this page are other sights and amenities on the road out to this peninsula, such as Killybegs and Teelin.

Glencolmcille means "the valley of St Colmcille", better known outside Ireland as St Columba (521-597). He was born and grew up around Donegal, studied on the east coast, then after a dispute fled to Scotland where he founded the monastery at Iona and many others. He later returned to establish churches in Ireland; there's no firm evidence he was here, but he got around by sea and the legend of his visit is credible.

For intercity routes see Donegal Town. By road from there follow N56 west then R263 through Killybegs and twisting and turning over the hills, if the sheep can be bothered to shift their ovine backsides off the road. From Derry or Letterkenny you could go via Donegal Town or go cross-country on R250 to Ardara, then the scenic R230 via Ghleann Gheis.

Local Link Bus 293 runs five times daily from Donegal Town via Mountcharles, Killybegs, Kilcar and Carrick to 54.708-8.7291 Glencolmcille and Malinmore, 75 min.

McGeehan Coach 991 runs from Letterkenny to Fintown, Glenties, Ardara and Killybegs, taking 1 hr 20 min; it no longer reaches Glencolmcille. There are 3 M-F and two Sa.

You need wheels to explore this scattered area.

NB Cabs in Killybegs are on +353 87 278 8278.

• St Columba's Church (Church of Ireland) on Glebe St was built in 1828 and is now only occasionally used. There's a 10-m stone set into the west wall of the graveyard which was probably part of a court tomb (like Cloghanmore, below) then was used for monastic buildings. There's also scraps of an 8th-century souterrain. The east side of the graveyard is Catholic, with an intricately carved pillar, now broken. 100 m west of the church is a 1.85-m stone pillar inscribed with a cross.
• Farranmacbride 400 m north of the church is another ruined court tomb. It was used as a livestock pen and has a decorated perforated standing stone 2 m tall. Through the perforation, tis said heaven may be glimpsed by the pure and devout, but there have been no recent credible sightings.
• 54.7073-8.74051 Glencolmcille Folk Village, Glencolmcille F94 DN22, ☏ +353 74 973 0017. Daily Apr-Sep 10AM-6PM, Oct 10AM-4:30PM. Small but impressive outdoor folk museum, with 18th- to 20th-century schoolhouse, fisherman's dwelling, pub-cum-village store and other cottages. Adult €8, conc €7, child €3.  (updated Aug 2026)
• 54.6892-8.74662 Cloghanmore is a megalithic court tomb: these were mostly constructed around 3500 BC but re-used for much later burials. It's aligned east-west so the mid-winter sun peeks over the mountains to shine into its chambers. Reach it up the lane L1025 branching inland from Malinmore.
• 54.665-8.7783 Malin Beg is the small village where the road ends at Silver Strand / An Trá Bhán. Steps lead down to the scenic horseshoe of a cove (no boat ramp); the sea-stack at its west end is popular for rock-climbing. The Uaig is the next inlet west, small and rocky with a fishing pier. Temple Cavan is the scrappy ruin of a medieval church to St Kevin, looking like a derelict cow shed.
• 54.664-8.8334 Rathlin O'Birne or Reachlainn Uí Bhirn is the small island seen 2 km off Malin Beg, uninhabited since the lighthouse was automated. It's a popular area for sea-angling, and you're permitted to land, but these waters are hazardous. In 2017 some anglers were lucky to be rescued when their Rib ran out of fuel near the island. A month later they did the same again, only this time their bodies were found by the lifeboat.

• Teelin or Teileann is a small fishing village. It has accommodation and you come this way for Slieve League.
• 54.634-8.64755 Slieve League Cliffs Centre, Bunglass Rd, Teelin F94 EV52, ☏ +353 74 973 9077. Daily 9AM-6PM. This is start point for visiting Slieve League, which rears up 2 km west, with its south face etched into dramatic sea-cliffs. You can park free here and take a shuttle bus (adult €9, child €7) up to the viewing platform. Or drive on (or walk 50 min if you’re stingy) to the upper car park (€10 for two hours, €15 for the day, toilets available), then walk 25 min along a paved quiet road. From the viewing platform, you can walk a moderately challenging trail along the cliffs for hours. Tourist guides will bend your ear about how much higher these are than the Cliffs of Moher, but they're sloping not sheer. South across the bay is Sligo's Ben Bulben. Trails lead to the summit of Slieve League: One Man's Pass and Pilgrim's Path will get your attention as they teeter along the sharp ridge with the wind blasting up off the cliff face.  (updated Aug 2026)
• 54.6403-8.68236 Slieve League summit is at 596 m / 1955 ft.
• 54.637-8.4457 Killybegs is the village near the turn-off from N56 onto R263, so it might be your first or last stop on the way to Glencolmcille. It has the best harbour on this rugged coast and is an active fishing port. Outside St Mary's Church is the elaborate 16th century grave slab of Niall Mór Mac Suibhne or MacSweeney, depicting a chain-mailed warrior and grappling wrestlers. There's a sprinkling of accommodation, see Sleep, so you could base here and day-trip further west.

“And whereas the superstitions of Popery are greatly increased and upheld, by the pretended sanctity of places, especially of a Place called St. Patrick’s Purgatory in the County of Donegal and of Wells to which Pilgrimages are made, by vast numbers at certain seasons . . . Be it further enacted that all such meetings and assemblies shall be deemed and adjudged Riots and unlawful Assemblies.”

- Proclamation of Queen Anne in 1703

• Turas or the Pattern Walk is a religious procession on 9 June, the date of St Colm Cille's death. It's a 5-km walk to 15 holy sites, which traditionally was undertaken barefoot starting at midnight.
• Away to Me demonstrate sheepdog working at Malin Beg, plus lamb rearing in season.
• Boat trips sail from Killybegs to the cliffs of Slieve League, several operators.
• Golf: see Glenties for Big P Golf Club at Ardara.
• Wild Atlantic Way is a coastal itinerary from the north tip of County Donegal to Kinsale in County Cork, 2500 km in all. The local section leaves N56 at Ardara and hugs the coast to Assaranca Waterfall, then winds over the hills by Owenree to pick up R230 into Glencolmcille. Leave on R263 to Killybegs and rejoin N56 into Donegal Town.

• Glencolmcille has Byrne's Food Store and filling station, open M-Sa 8AM-9PM, Su 8AM-6PM.
• Killybegs has Rooney’s SuperValu, open daily 8AM-10PM.

• Glencolmcille has An Chistin (F-W 11AM-6:30PM) and Kelly’s Corner (M-Sa 10AM-6PM, Su 10AM-4PM).
• Teelin has The Rusty Mackerel (daily noon-11:30PM).
• Carrick has eeffoC Coffee shop plus takeaways.
• Killybegs has Anderson’s Boathouse, Seafood Shack, Asian Kitchen, India Today, Mrs B’s Coffee House, Marina Café and Ahoy Cafe.

• Glencolmcille bars are John Eoinín's and Roarty's which has rooms.
• Carrick has Evelyn's Central Bar. Sliabh Liag Distillers still have a transport hub in Carrick but their distillery has moved to Ardara.
• Killybegs has Harbour Bar.

• Millstone B&B is on R230 east end of the village.
• Gleann Dobhar is 1 km north of the main village at Gannew F94 WP64. It’s self-catering and no longer offers B&B.
• 54.6954-8.77081 Aras BnB, Malin More F94 HH31, ☏ +353 87 327 8596. Clean modern B&B with 20 rooms, dog-friendly. B&B double €100.  (updated Aug 2026)

• Teelin has accommodation in three neighbourhoods. Carrick is on R263 at the turn-off and has Slieve League Lodge. O’Neill’s is half a km down the lane towards Teelin.

Teelin village has Teelin Bay House and Slieve League B&B.

Derrylahan is east side of the harbour. The hostel also has camping and caravan pitches.

• Killybegs has Tara Hotel, Seawinds B&B, Bay View Hotel and Fleet Inn.

As of Aug 2026, this area has a patchy mobile signal from all Irish carriers. 5G has not reached the area.

Either follow the coast east via Killybegs to Donegal Town, or go over the hills northeast to Ardara and Glenties.