Glenties

Glenties (Na Gleannta) is a town in the west of County Donegal at the confluence of two scenic glens. In 2022 the population was 900 people. Also described here are Ardara (Ard an Rátha, population 700) and the beach resort area around Portnoo and Naran.

Glenties local information is posted online.

Donegal Airport (CFN ^IATA) has flights from Dublin and Glasgow. You've more choice flying into Derry, Belfast or even Dublin, and hiring a car, which you'll need in these parts.

By road from Letterkenny follow R250 via Fintown. From Donegal Town follow N56 through Killybegs, or in good weather take the scenic shortcut R262 from Mountcharles.

McGeehan Coach 991 runs thrice M-F and twice Sa from Letterkenny to Fintown, Glenties (50 min), Ardara and Killybegs. It doesn't use Letterkenny bus station but starts outside the fish & chips shop by the roundabout.

Local Link Bus 994 runs once in the morning M-F from Portnoo via Ardara to Donegal Town and returns early afternoon.

54.797-8.2831 Glenties bus stop is on Main St outside Costcutter.

54.762-8.4142 Ardara bus stop is at the bend in the road by the Nesbitt Arms.

You need a car, or to be a keen cyclist. Don Byrne in Ardara hires bikes, open Tu-Sa 10AM-6PM.

• St Connell's Museum, Mill Rd, Glenties F94 V258, ☏ +353 74 955 7880. Wed-Fri 10AM-4PM. Small museum of local life. The Courthouse next door, built in 1843, is still in use. (updated Aug 2026)
• St Connell's Church (Roman Catholic) on Mill Rd is a striking building of 1974. The roof slants almost to the ground, is it meant to be a pyramid, tent, dolmen, skateboard ramp or mountain? It won an architecture award, which is not necessarily good news for its users. The Church of Ireland church a block west of Main St is a sober affair of 1825.
• 54.818-8.4331 Kilclooney More is a small village with a collection of prehistoric megaliths. The three best are Portal Tomb Dg 68 west side of R261, Court Tomb Dg 69 to its north, and the large Portal Tomb Dg 70 on the moor east of the road.
• 54.829-8.4642 Lough Doon Fort is a stone ringfort, age unknown, on an islet in Lough Doon. You’ll have to admire it from shore, reached by a rough lane from Loughdoon village.
• 54.828-8.5233 Dawros Head can be reached along the lane through Magheragallon. The old signal station is just rubble, but a little way east are the remains of a medieval settlement, with a corn-drying kiln.
• 54.763-8.5274 Maghera Beach is 12 km west of Ardara. It's a long sandy beach and the cliffs are riddled with sea caves: some you can reach on foot from the beach, others you need a kayak. 500 m before the beach car park is Assaranca waterfall. The lane continues up into the hills and after 2 km is Owenree River waterfalls. All these falls are cascades rather than sheer. The lane eventually joins R230 to Glencolmcille.
• 54.868-8.125 Fintown Railway, Fintown F94 FR90, ☏ +353 74 954 6280. Jun-Sept Thu Fri 11AM-2PM, Sun 12:30-4PM. This is a station-yard and rolling stock of a 3-ft (914-mm) gauge railway, which once wound up hill down dale across Donegal, hauled by An Mhuc Dhubh or The Black Pig. Trains chunter along a short section of track every 30 min or so.  (updated Aug 2026)

• Golf: Narin and Portnoo Links are in Naran F94 F433 on the coast 10 km northwest of Glenties. It’s 6904 yards, par 70.
• Fishing on the Owenea River needs a license, which several shops can supply. Sea angling is also available.
• Surf at Dooey Beach, a quiet break with consistent surf.
• Gaelic games: Naomh Conaill GAA play football at Church Rd, Glenties.
• Sheskinamore Nature Reserve is a scenic wildlife sanctuary 20 km away, on the Rosbeg Peninsula. It borders two beaches with great views of Donegal Bay.

• Walks: GAP Trail follows a former bog-cutter's railway 2 km outside Glenties, a pleasant short walk.

Bluestack Way is more challenging, crossing the Bluestack Mountains from Donegal Town and Lough Eske. From Glenties it continues along River Owenea to Ardara.

Slí na Finne is a loop around Fintown Lake and Ballinamore, heading into the Bluestack Mountains and The Croaghs.

Back lanes lead from Doochary on the Gweebarra Estuary to Fintown.

Ardara Hillwalking organise regular walks.

• Fiddlers' Weekend is at the Highland Hotel in Glenties on the first weekend in October.
• Macgill Summer School is an international series of lectures, based in Glenties but increasingly online.

• Glenties has Costcutter, open daily 8AM-7PM. The Bank of Ireland has an ATM.
• Ardara has Centra, open M-Sa 7:30AM-9PM, Su 8AM-8PM.
• Triona sells tweed and knitware on Ardara Main St, open daily 9:30AM-5PM.

• Glenties has The Thatch Bar, Ali's Char Bar, Siopa Lughnasa and Jim’s Café.
• Ardara has Nancy’s, The Courthouse, Top Pizza, Corby Pantry, Great Wall and Charlie's West End Cafe.
• Portnoo has a restaurant within the golf club, and Pirates of the Coffeebean Cafe.

• Glenties bars are Leo’s and Roddy’s.
• Ardara has Teague’s, The Beehive (within Atlantic Lodge), Corner House and Doherty's.
• Portnoo has Annora, with The Tavern 1 km south.

• Highlands Hotel, Main St, Glenties F94 NT67, ☏ +353 74 955 1111. This dog-friendly hotel gets great reviews for comfort and cooking. In 1960 Brendan Behan was staying, and in the early hours of the morning the police raided because the bar was serving well after hours. (The police station was right next door.) When the magistrates learned that the drink was privately served to assist Behan's "literary work", the case was dismissed. B&B double €130. (updated Aug 2026)
• Brennan's B&B, Main St, Glenties F94 X7TH, ☏ +353 75 955 1235. Comfy central guesthouse with excellent breakfasts. (updated Aug 2026)
• Marguerite's B&B, Main St, Glenties F94 XH66, ☏ +353 74 955 1699. Clean friendly guesthouse in village centre. B&B double €120. (updated Aug 2026)
• The Dry Arch, Straboy, Glenties F94 TXY1, ☏ +353 87 140 5058. Welcoming guesthouse on a sheep farm 1 km north of village. B&B double €120. (updated Aug 2026)
• Nesbitt Arms, The Diamond, Ardara F94 X0RN, ☏ +353 74 954 1103. Friendly comfy hotel with restaurant. B&B double €150. (updated Aug 2026)
• Ardara B&Bs also include Hillhead House, Atlantic Lodge, Bayview Country House and Woodville House.

As of Aug 2026 Glenties, Ardara and their approach roads have 4G from Eir and Vodafone, and 5G from Three.

• Glencolmcille west on the peninsula has prehistoric and early Christian sites.
• Donegal Town is the main base for exploring the south of the county.
• Dungloe is on the rugged Rosses coast.