Castles and Historic Sites in Co. Donegal
9 places
1.Grianan Of Aileach
a 2,000-year-old hillfort with a solar equinox alignment
A 2,000-year-old dry-stone ringfort crowning a Donegal hilltop with jaw-dropping 360° views across five counties, two sea loughs, and the Inishowen Peninsula.
- Highlights
- 23m-diameter dry-stone ringfort, walls 5m high
- 360° views over Lough Foyle, Lough Swilly & 5 counties
- Spring & autumn equinox solar alignment through the entrance
- Facilities
- Wheelchair access
2.Bád Eddie
a 1977 shipwreck reachable only at low tide
A rotting wooden trawler has sat marooned on Magheraclogher beach since 1977, slowly collapsing into the sand while the Atlantic tide washes around it twice a day — a wild, photogenic landmark on Donegal's Wild Atlantic Way.
- Highlights
- Iconic 1970s shipwreck stranded on Magheraclogher beach, Bunbeg
- Only reachable on foot at low tide
- Free to visit, open all year
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Wheelchair access
3.Beltany Stone Circle
a 5,000-year-old ring of 64 stones
A ring of 64 massive stones, possibly the remains of a 5,000-year-old passage tomb, crowns Tops Hill south of Raphoe with panoramic views over the Donegal countryside. It is free to visit, open year-round, and the short uphill walk through a tree-lined boreen is part of the experience.
- Highlights
- One of Ireland's largest stone circles: 64 stones, 45m across
- Possible Neolithic passage tomb with raised central cairn
- Cup-marked stone aligned to the Bealtaine (May 1) sunrise
- Facilities
- Good for kids
4.Dunlewey Church abandoned
the 'Donegal Taj Mahal' ruin below Errigal
A roofless 1853 Church of Ireland ruin, built by a heartbroken widow as a memorial to her husband and often called Donegal's Taj Mahal, standing at the foot of Mount Errigal above Lough Dunlewey in the Poisoned Glen.
- Highlights
- Roofless white-marble church built 1853 as a love memorial
- Foot of Mount Errigal, Donegal's highest peak
- Overlooks Lough Dunlewey in the Poisoned Glen
- Facilities
- Good for kids
5.Fanad Head Lighthouse
Stay overnight in a restored keeper's cottage
Voted one of the most beautiful lighthouses in the world, this working light on the Wild Atlantic Way offers dramatic coastal views, guided tours, and overnight stays in restored keepers' cottages.
- Highlights
- One of the world's most beautiful lighthouses
- Wild Atlantic Way Signature Discovery Point
- Working lighthouse since 1817
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Restrooms · Wheelchair access
6.Glenveagh Castle
a 16,000-hectare wilderness with golden eagles
A remote Victorian castle perched on Lough Veagh, surrounded by 16,000 hectares of rugged Derryveagh mountain wilderness — one of Ireland's finest national parks.
- Highlights
- Victorian castle in a dramatic lakeside setting
- Award-winning exotic gardens
- Golden eagles, red deer & peregrine falcons
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Wheelchair access
7.Carrickabraghy Castle
A 16th-century O'Doherty ruin with a sea blowhole
A small 16th-century O'Doherty tower house perched on a rocky promontory at the head of Pollan Bay on the Isle of Doagh, with Atlantic views and a sea blowhole that erupts at high tide.
- Highlights
- 16th-century O'Doherty tower house on a rocky promontory
- Hissing Rock blowhole erupting at high tide
- Views over Pollan Bay to Malin Head and Glashedy Island
- Facilities
- Good for kids
8.Doe Castle
Unique rock-cut moat in Ireland
A 15th-century MacSweeney stronghold dramatically perched on a tidal peninsula in Sheephaven Bay — water on three sides, a rock-cut moat on the fourth. Free to explore the grounds; the keep opens by appointment only.
- Highlights
- Rock-cut moat carved from bedrock — unique in Ireland
- 1544 MacSweeney grave-slab inside the keep
- Tower house ~15m high, walls ~2.5m thick
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Wheelchair access
9.Donegal Castle
Jacobean fireplace carved with Brooke coat of arms
A beautifully restored 15th-century Gaelic fortress in the heart of Donegal Town — once the stronghold of the mighty O'Donnell clan, now a fascinating walk through centuries of Irish history.
- Highlights
- Magnificent Jacobean carved fireplace with Brooke coat of arms
- Original 15th-century spiral 'trip stairs'
- Stunning restored wooden roof in the tower house
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Wheelchair access