Overview
Glengad is a scatter of houses and a working pier on the north coast of the Inishowen peninsula in County Donegal, where the county runs out into the Atlantic. It has been a fishing place for as long as anyone can trace, and still is. In clear weather the coastline looks out towards Inishtrahull, with Rathlin Island to the east and, when the air is clear, the Western Isles of Scotland on the horizon.
It is a stop rather than a day out. Come for the sea and the views, not for facilities.
An unlikely link to the White House
One family that left Glengad went a long way. James ‘Jackie’ McLaughlin emigrated to the United States in 1903; his son Bill became mayor of Wilmington, Delaware, and an early political mentor to a young Joe Biden. Biden gave the eulogy at Bill McLaughlin’s funeral, a thread that ties this small Donegal townland to American politics more directly than most places its size can claim.
What to see and do
The coast
The reason to stop is the wide Atlantic outlook towards Inishtrahull and, on a good day, Scotland. Use public roads and follow local access signs. The coast is exposed, so keep away from the rocks and the water in rough conditions and mind your footing when the wind is up.
Nearby on the water
Small operators in nearby Greencastle run boat trips out around Inishtrahull and Rathlin; check current sailings with the operator before you go. For golfers, the links at Ballyliffin Golf Club, which has hosted the Irish Open, are a short drive away.
The pier and the football club
Glengad’s pier is a working one, used by the local fishing fleet. Leave it clear for working boats. The village also fields a football club out of proportion to its size: Glengad United play in the Inishowen Football League.
Where to stay and eat
For accommodation and food, look to nearby Greencastle or Buncrana.
Nearby
- Famine Village on Doagh Island – an open-air museum of 19th-century life.
- Greencastle Maritime Museum – fishing heritage and local shipwrecks.
- The Guns of Dunree – coastal artillery batteries with wide views over Lough Swilly.
- Derry – the walled city.
Getting there
Glengad is a car trip: from Derry or Letterkenny onto the Inishowen roads and up the northeast coast, part of the Wild Atlantic Way. Public transport into Inishowen is thin, so a car makes life much easier. The coast is exposed and can be slippery in poor weather, so heed local signage about unstable ground.
Pick a clear, calm morning if you can: that is when Scotland is most likely to show on the horizon.