The stone the district is named for
Cloughaneely takes its name – Cloich Cheann Fhaola, ‘the stone of Feeley’s head’ – from a low standing stone in Falcarragh said to mark where the Fomorian giant Balor beheaded a local chieftain, Mac Aneely. The red veining in the white rock is supposed to be the dead man’s blood; the pillar you see now was raised in 1794. It’s a two-minute look rather than a destination in itself, but it sets the tone for a district where the old stories are still attached to specific places in the landscape.
What Cloughaneely actually is: a coastal corner of north-west County Donegal, made up of the villages of Falcarragh (An Fál Carrach) and Gort an Choirce (Gortahork). This is a Gaeltacht, and not the museum kind – Irish is the working language of the shop and the pub here. Together with The Rosses and Gweedore it makes up ‘the three parishes’, a cultural region that has produced the poet Cathal Ó Searcaigh, the memoirist Micí Mac Gabhann and the 1916 activist Eithne Coyle.
If you do one thing: the Tory Island ferry
The standout day out is the passenger ferry from Magheroarty (Machaire Rabhartaigh) pier to Tory Island, a few miles offshore. The island is a community with its own elected ‘king’, and has a Tau cross and a round-tower stump among the early-medieval remains. The Tory Island ferry sails from Magheroarty year-round when weather permits, so a forecast of high winds can mean no sailing. Confirm your departure and return with the operator before you build a day around it, and bring what you need with you, as facilities on the island are limited.
Walking the hills
Cnoc na Naomh, the ‘Hill of the Saints’, rises behind the coast and is the local walk of choice, with views out over the Atlantic to the islands. Inland, the flat-topped quartzite bulk of Muckish dominates the skyline and pulls in more serious hillwalkers; the golf course down on the coast plays in its shadow. Bring a waterproof whatever the morning looks like – this is exposed Atlantic ground and the weather turns fast. For a coastal stop, follow signed beach access and keep away from unstable dunes or cliffs.
Cloughaneely Golf Club
At Ballyconnell near Falcarragh, Cloughaneely Golf Club has a nine-hole parkland course in the grounds of the 18th-century Ballyconnell Estate, once home to the Olphert family. The selling point is the setting – mature estate trees, with Horn Head and the Atlantic in the background – rather than championship difficulty. Check visitor tee times and fees with the club before you go.
Getting there and around
The nearest railway station is across the border in Derry, about 50 km east. TFI Local Link serves the area, so check your stop and the onward leg to the ferry pier before you travel. The nearest flights are from Donegal Airport at Carrickfinn. The R257 coastal road threads the villages.
For food and supplies, stock up in Falcarragh or Gortahork before you go anywhere else, as the rest of the district is villages and open coast.