Inishowen

Inishowen (shh ...)

Cliffs, sea, bogs, waterfalls, heathery hills, narrow windy roads and sheep. Inishowen is Ireland in miniature. The peninsula is just a few miles West of Derry. It is bounded on the east by Lough Foyle and on the west by Lough Swilly. These are two of the most beautiful stretches of water in Ireland.

Treat yourself to at least one day out in Inishowen, which has some of the most stunning landscapes and unspoilt beaches in the country. Below you'll find a few suggestions for places to go.

Bike hire
If you want to explore Inishowen by bike, we can highly recommend hiring bicycles from Cycle Inishowen in Carndonagh. This is the best bike hire company ever - the bikes (Ridgebacks) are brilliant and they provide safety helmets and jackets, repair kits, maps and lots of advice. Telephone +353 (0)87 9722 532 or visit their own website.

Moville

A small, lively market town along the coast towards Greencastle. Stock up on organic food from the Farm Shop and pay a visit to the Moville Pottery.

Greencastle

A busy fishing village with maritime museum and ruined castle. You can buy fish just landed from the boats (phone Greencastle Fisherman’s Coop in advance for times - + 353 749 381187). A car ferry connects the village with Magilligan, in the north of County Derry.

Shroove Beach and Culdaff Beach

Unspoilt Blue Flag beaches safe for swimming. Both on the east of the peninsula, so relatively sheltered. In Culdaff, you can have a meal at Mc Grory’s restaurant and tradition bar which has regular Irish Music Sessions. Its Backroom is one of Ireland's leading live music venues.

Shroove Beach

Culdaff Beach

Malin Head
(photo credit Stefan Schnebelt)

It would be a shame to miss a trip to Ireland’s most northerly point, made famous by the shipping forecasts. The cliff-top walk is spectacular but can be scary and even dangerous on a stormy day: be warned! There's a lovely drive to Malin Head from Carndonagh and Malin village. Before you reach Malin Head, have a wander along Five Fingers Strand, and then climb up the steep road to the viewpoint and see it from above.

If you like seafood, ring the Fisherman’s Coop in the morning to find out when the boats will be coming into the harbour at Malin Head (+ 353 74937 0240). You can buy freshly-caught crab and lobster direct from the Coop, and take them home to the Avish to cook. (We’ve provided crab-crackers, a large cooking pot and crab-meat scooper-outers.)

The coast to the east of Malin Head is famous also for its colourful pebble beaches where, if you look carefully, you can find tiny, semi-precious stones. Visit the “Wee House at Malin” – a ruined church set just next to a pebble beach, reached via a steep, narrow country lane. Great rock pools.

Doagh Isle

Doagh Island is famous for its Famine Village, its scenery and its extraordinary rock formations. Cattle graze right the way down to the sea-shore. From Doagh Isle, take the road towards Ballyliffen and drive around the coast to Buncrana through the mountains, preferably via Mamore Gap. Drivers will have to keep their eyes on the road, but the passengers are in for a treat.

Glendowen Craft Shop and Studio

On the main R238 Buncrana-Clonmany Road. Do visit this lovely shop run by designer Ann McGonigle, who stocks not only her own tweed designs, but a wide range of Irish craft products.

Buncrana

A great little town by the sea. The main street in Buncrana is lined with brightly-painted pubs. Take your pick. They’re all very friendly and many of them have live music in the evenings.

The Grianán of Aileach
The Grianán of Aileach is one of the finest stone forts in Ireland, situated off the main Derry to Letterkenny road. Built on the site of an ancient tumulus, it is particularly splendid on a good summer’s evening when views stretch across the whole of the north west. You can see the Grianán fort from the Avish Hill.

Leenan Beach
Safe for swimming, sheltered from the wind and could almost be private.

Leenan Beach