LOCAL AMENITIES
All year round there is something to entertain. From the St Patrick's Day parade in March, the seafood festival in May, the August Fair, Jazz and Blues Festival in September and Halloween madness in October.
The nearest village is Dunfanaghy which is 20mins walk or 5 mins in a car for restaurants, shops and supermarkets.
• Boat Hire / Fishing - 3 local brown trout fishing lakes
The area has three popular lakes with anglers - Sessiagh, New lake & Purt, for permits and boats contact Arnold's Hotel. Fishing & coastal trips leave from Portnablagh Pier or boat trips to Tory Island and Innisboffen leave from Magheroarty Pier (30mins away).
• Ards Forest Park
• Art Galleries - The Gallery in Dunfanaghy sells paintings, handcrafts, artists materials, picture framing, antiques. Open Mon - Sat 10am - 6pm
• The wonderful Glebe House and Gallery is home to the Derek Hill collection and well worth a visit.
• McGrory's of Culdaff - Just reviewed by The Sunday Times (Jan 2012) as "possibly Ireland's best music pub" - Just 60 min away.
• The Bridge Bar - Rathmelton, 30mins drive, for traditional Irish music
• Dunfanaghy Jazz & Blues Festival
• Tory Island day trips
• Mountain Climbing - Errigal, Muckish
Information on the numerous local walking routes is available from Arnold's Hotel and Corcreggan Mill. Hill walking enthusiasts can climb Muckish mountain or tackle Errigal the highest mountain in Donegal and set in the picturesque Poisoned Glen where you may also visit the Dunlewey Lakeside Centre.
• Horse Riding
• 18 hole Golf Links in Dunfanaghy
• If you drive along the west coast you drive through rugged landscapes and mountain vistas to the Irish speaking towns such as Gweedore, Dunloe, Glenties and Cruit
• Knockalla Drive is a wonderful circular drive on a scenic coastal road.
• Letterkenny has all the amenities you would expect to find in a market town - cinemas, museum, theatre, leisure centres, art galleries and excellent shopping.
• A visit to Glenveagh National Park is a must… lies in the heart of the Derryveagh Mountains in north-west Donegal. A castle situated by a lake surrounded by hills with beautiful gardens and plenty for the children to see and do including face painting, nature discoveries, birds of prey and cafe. The historical tour of the castle is also interesting and one can walk for hours in the surrounding areas.
• Donegal Rally Mid June. The Donegal International Rally is an annual sporting event held in County Donegal, Ireland. It is one of Ireland's oldest annual rally competitions and is a top event in the Irish Rallying calendar. It has a reputation for being one of the country's most challenging rallies. The event begins and concludes in Letterkenny.
Further information & maps available to view at the property.
RESTAURANTS
We have yet to sample Portnablagh fare however these are the following local restaurants:
In Portnablagh, The Cove Restaurant, Tel: +353 (0)74 913 6300. The restaurant has sea views. Main courses include a fair amount of seafood, meat dishes such as slow cooked belly of pork, or shank of lamb, and imaginative vegetarian dishes too. Reservations recommended; toilets wheelchair accessible; not suitable for children under 10 yrs after 6.30pm. Dinner Tue-Sun (& Bank Hol Mons), 6-9pm; early bird Dinner, 2/3 course, €20/25; also á la carte; house wine €18.
The Starfish, on other side of the road, does tasty soup, sandwiches and food.
The Mill Restaurant, Tel. +353 (0)74 9136985. Overlooking New Lake, 1/4 mile past Dunfanaghy, on the right hand side. It is a small friendly restaurant offering a relaxing but efficient service. Dinner is served between 7pm and 9pm, Tuesday to Sunday. The dinner menu changes every 4-6 weeks using fresh local produce in season. Derek and his small team produce food with a modern Irish flavour, with an emphasis on local seafood and shellfish.