A Visitor's Guide to Ireland's North West

Donegal

For those interested in outdoor pursuits, landscape painting or photography or just in getting away from the beaten track, the north-west is a real find. On a sunny summer's day Donegal is pure heaven, the match of anywhere in the world. However Winter can be very severe in this most exposed and northerly part of Ireland - go then by all means, but be equipped to deal with what nature will undoubtedly throw at you!

Sligo

Ben Bulbin, Co Sligo Sligo is a county where water is king - from the shoreline with its long sandy beaches or rocky coves to the inland lakes.

If fishing is what you are after, you'll find it here, with salmon and trout filled lakes and rivers and a great coastline for sea angling.

Cavan, Leitrim & Monaghan

The Inland portion of the region, covering counties Cavan, Leitrim and Monaghan are even less visited by tourists and this is a great shame, it is a truly lovely part of Ireland. Known especially for its many lakes and rivers, this is a place of tranquil beauty, beloved of fishermen and those who enjoy messing about in boats.

Both the Shannon and the Erne rivers flow here and there are two navigable canals joining these great waterways. For walkers the canal and riverbanks offer a great variety of landscape and the opportunity to spend some time in the small towns and villages on their banks.

Places like Belturbet, Carrick on Shannon, Gowna and Mount Nugent offer a real get away from it all vacation, with lots to do if you want to and a pace of life that is seductive and relaxing.

Recommended Things to See & Do

Lough Bo Shooting Centre
Lough Bo provide sporting clay pigeon shooting and all equipment is supplied, an instructor is always present and they can cater for both individuals and groups. In addition to clay pigeon shooting there is a rifle range. They...

Mulroy Clay Pigeon Club
One of the very few locations in Ireland which offers skeet shooting, the Mulroy Clay Pigeon Club is registered for both National and Olympic Skeet. The centre runs seven competitive national Skeet shoots and one Olympic Skeet...

Enniscrone Golf Club
Terrifically good links course, easily as good as the more famous Irish ones and akin to a place of pilgrimage for its many fans.  With not a tree in sight and the natural terrain of sand dunes and marine grasses beautifully...

Rosapenna Golf Links
It's not easy to get to Rosapenna, perched at the very top of Co Donegal, but well worth the journey. The original course here was staked out by Tom Morris, a four time winner of the British Open, in 1891 and by 20 years...

Dunfanaghy Stables
Donegal is not the easiest place in Ireland to get to, but is among the most beautiful parts of the country and there is no better way to explore it than on horseback. On the shores of lovely Sheephaven Bay, most of the riding...

Bear Essentials
If you love teddy bears (and who doesn't?) this charming workshop making hand-crafted mohair bears is a must. The workshop is owned and run by Anke Morgenroth, whose collection of bears are sought after all over the world....

Cavan County Museum
A good example of an excellent local museum, with well designed exhibitions tracing the history and heritage of Cavan from pre-Christian times right up to the mid 20th century. Particularly interesting exhibits include the Lavy...

The Cavan and Leitrim Railway
Once one of the busiest narrow-gauge railways in Ireland, mainly due to its serving the local coal mines, the line is no longer used for transport. Instead it has been the focus of loving reconstruction by local enthusiasts who...

Events Guide for the North West

Yeats Weekend Winter School
Type: Summer School | Date: January 2009
A Winter companion to the better known Yeats Summer School , this weekend event is an opportunity to learn more about one of Ireland's greatest poets in a friendly athmosphere...

Ar Ais Arís Traditional Arts Festival
Type: Arts Festival | Date: March 2009
Encompassing traditional music, song and dance, this festival in Buncrana on the lovely Inisowen peninsula features some big stars of Irish traditional music as well as lots of...

Leitrim Roots Festival 2009
Type: Festival | Date: March 2009
The idea of this enjoyable festival is for the descendants of Leitrim exiles and Leitrim people living abroad to return for a week of heritage & entertainment. It's all...

Pan Celtic Arts Festival
Type: Festival | Date: April 14th - 19th
While this is primarily a competitive festival, with competitions for singers, musicians, dancers, song writers and pipe bands, there are also many non-competitive and informal...

Earagail Arts Festival
Type: Arts Festival | Date: 10th - 20th July
With events taking place at locations throughout Co Donegal, this growing festival has an emphasis on family-friendly events as well as a solid programme covering theatre, comedy,...

Mary from Dungloe Festival
Type: Festival | Date: July 26th - Aug 4th
A big event in Donegal, during which a new title-holder for the Mary from Dungloe crown is chosen from hopefuls from all over the world. The title is owed to the words of a famous...

The MacGill Summer School
Type: Summer School | Date: July 12th - 19th
A truly political event this, and one of the oldest Summer Schools in Ireland -  it is always popular and provocative and frequently makes the news as...

Warriors Festival
Type: Sport | Date: August 24th
The central event of this festival is the gruelling Warrior's Run, which takes runners from the beachfront at Strandhill over a 10 mile route involving a seriously challenging...

Yeats Summer School
Type: Summer School | Date: July 26th - August 8th
Organised by the Sligo Yeats Society, this very popular school commemorates the life and work of W.B. Yeats in  a series of workshops, lectures, seminars and readings. Attended...

O'Carolan Harp Festival
Type: Music: Traditional | Date: Aug 1st - 4th
A ten day feast of Irish music with traditional music concerts, sessions and workshops as well as craft demonstrations and exhibitions. The highloght is the International...

Dromineer Literary Festival 2008
Type: Literary Events | Date: 26th - 28th Sept
Now in its fifth year, the Dromineer Literary Festival is becoming well known as a friendly and intimate event and the location, on the banks of Lough Derg, certainly contribute...

Mohill Arts & Storytelling Festival
Type: Festival | Date: October 2008
There is little to beat the magic of a good story well told, and the storyteller was a revered character in Irish history and culture, telling his tales around firesides. Since...

Charles Macklin Autumn School
Type: Summer School | Date: 10th - 12th Oct
Charles Macklin was a noted player and dramatist, born in the Inisowen Peninsula in the 17th century. The festival held in his honour  and the 2007 school held in his name...

Sligo Traditional Singing Weekend
Type: Music: Traditional | Date: 3rd - 5th October
Centered around Sligo town this weekend of singing workshops, informal singing sessions, audio and video presentations, scholarly talks and a field trip is dedicated to the art...

Sligo Live
Type: Festival | Date: October 23rd - 27th
A giant marquee at Sligo racecourse will be the focal point for the Sligo Live Festival which in 2007 featured folk, traditional and roots musicians including Sinead O'Connor,...

World Rally Championship 2009
Type: Sport | Date: Jan 30th - Feb 1st
For the first time in 2007 a round in the World Rally Championship took place in Ireland, and in 2009 the WRC is coming back - bigger and better. This time Ireland has the honour...

Patrick Kavanagh Weekend
Type: Literary Events | Date: November 28th -30th
Taking place in Inniskeen, the annual Patrick Kavanagh weekend is a celebration of the life and work of one of Ireland's most famous and loved poets and attracts visitors...

Sligo International Choral Festival
Type: Music: Other | Date: Oct 15th - 19th
This annual festival is one of Ireland's top choral festival, and sees choirs from all over Ireland and abroad converge on Sligo to compete in competitions in a dizzying array...

McGlinchey Summer School
Type: Summer School | Date: June 2009
The McGlinchey Summer School will not take place in 2008 but may return in 2009.   Each year the Summer School takes a different theme which is used to kick start conversation...

Cootehill Championship Fishing Festival
Type: Sport | Date: September 2008
Cootehill in Co Cavan is one of Ireland's premier fishing destinations, with the rivers Dromore and Annalee, both tributaries of Lough Erne, running beside the town and 26...

Coleman Traditional Festival
Type: Music: Traditional | Date: September 2008
This festival is a celebration of Irish music and culture, focusing on the South Sligo Style of music as played by Michael Coleman, a noted and very influential fiddle player....

Bundoran Ocean Fest
Type: Festival | Date: September 2008
Centered around the Donegal Adventure Centre this festival is about surfing, and there'll be plenty of that, but also much more. A varied music programme includes something...

Getting There & Getting Around

By Road

For detailed road directions from anywhere else in Ireland to the North West please use the AA Ireland Route Planner.

By Air & Sea

Aer Arann run flights between Dublin and Donegal. To the south Knock Airport, in Mayo, has flights from the UK and other Irish Airports. To the east/north City of Derry Airport serves mainly the UK, with some flights from Spain.

By sea the best way to arrive is via Northern Ireland, from Scotland with P&O Ferries or Stenaline, from Liverpool with NorseMerchant.

By Train & Bus

Irish Rail trains run between Dublin and Sligo, which is about 3 hours away by car. No trains reach Donegal, but Bus Eireann operates regular bus services to and from Dublin to all towns in the North West.