Sights in Northeastern Donegal
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Grianán of Aileách
This amphitheatre-like stone fort encircles the top of Grianán Hill like a halo and offers eye-popping views of the surrounding loughs. On clear days you can see as far as Derry. Its mini-arena can resemble a circus whenever a tour bus rolls up and spills its load inside the 4m-thick walls.
The fort may have existed at least 2000 years ago, but it's thought that the site itself goes back to pre-Celtic times as a temple to the god Dagda. Between the 5th and 12th centuries it was the seat of the O'Neills, before being demolished by Murtogh O'Brien, king of Munster. Most of what you see now is a reconstruction built between 1874 and 1878.
The fort is 18km south of Buncrana…
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Doagh Famine Village
The Doagh Famine Village is set in a reconstructed village of thatched cottages. Call ahead to book its tour, packed with entertaining titbits about a disappearing way of life, and insightful comparisons with famine-stricken countries today.
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Fort Dunree Military Museum
The Fort Dunree military museum sits on a rocky outcrop in a 19th-century fort. It’s a beautiful spot. If the guns don’t impress you, the scenery and birdlife will.
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O'Doherty's Keep
At the northern end of the seafront, the early 18th-century, six-arched Castle Bridge leads to this tower house built by the O'Dohertys, the local chiefs, in 1430. It was burned by the English and then rebuilt for their own use.
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Ned's Point Fort
Walking 500m further from the keep (turn left and stick to the shoreline) brings you to Ned's Point Fort (1812), built by the British and now under siege from graffiti artists.
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Buncrana Castle
At the side of the keep is the manorlike Buncrana Castle, built in 1718 by John Vaughan, who also constructed the bridge. Wolfe Tone was imprisoned here following the unsuccessful French invasion in 1798.
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Donegal Ancestry Family Research Centre & Heritage Centre
Donegal Ancestry Family Research Centre & Heritage Centre is one of the restored riverside warehouses, which has an exhibition on the history of Rathmelton, and also does genealogical research. It costs €15 for an initial consultation.
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