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County in Ireland
Photo: Kent Wang, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
County Donegal (Contae Dhún na nGall) is in Northwest Ireland and Lakelands Region and is the northernmost county in Ireland, stretching further north than any part of Northern Ireland. It's a large county but mostly hill and forest, with a population in 2022 of 167,000. In 1921 Donegal was one of three counties of Ulster that joined the Republic of Ireland, while the other six are in Northern Ireland. So it's referred to as part of "the south" in spite of being so far north.
By train
The county has no railway. The nearest railway stations are Sligo, with trains from Dublin Connolly, and Derry with trains from Belfast.
By bus
Letterkenny is the main transport hub. Buses run every couple of hours from Dublin, taking 4 hours via Dublin Airport, Ardee, Carrickmacross, Monaghan, Omagh, Newtonstewart, Strabane and Lifford.
By road
From Dublin take N2 to Monaghan, then A5 through Omagh to Strabane and Lifford. From Sligo follow N15 to Donegal Town. From Belfast follow M2 / A6 to Derry then N13.
By boat
Ferries from Cairnryan in Scotland sail to Belfast and Larne. You could also sail to Dublin and drive north. The nearest ferry port with direct sailings from Europe is away south at Rosslare.
By bus
All your patience will be needed if you try to tour hereabouts by bus.
By bicycle
Donegal is a great place for cycling, but it's hilly, with traffic always squeezing past you on the narrow roads. Plus the rain and the stiff Atlantic breezes and the midges.
By boat
The ferry port for Arranmore is Burtonport, for Gola Island is Bunbeg, and for Tory Island is Magheroarty.
Choose an airport to see hotels, stations, taxi ranks and car rental desks around it.
Donegal · Regional · CFN
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Glenveagh National Park is in the Derryveagh Mountains in County Donegal. It was established in 1984 as the third of the six National Parks of the Republic of Ireland.
Árainn Mhór or Arranmore is an island 5 km off the west coast of County Donegal. It's a Gaeltacht community where Irish is the official language (in its Ulster dialect) though English is universally understood.
Tory Island (Oileán Toraigh) is an island 11 km off the northwest coast of County Donegal, with a population of 145 in 2022: the community are Irish-speaking. It has scrappy remains of a monastery, but the main attraction is the remote scenery, with sea-cliffs swirling with birds.
Articles and travel topics about County Donegal and Ireland.
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ItinerariesThe Wild Atlantic Way is a scenic driving route along Ireland's west coast, covering over 2,500 km (1,600 mi) from the Inishowen Peninsula in Donegal to Old Kinsale Head in Cork.
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