Derry to Donegal Ros & Pauline's Itinerary 1.Derry City Walls 2.The Craft Village 3.River Foyle cycle 4.Inishowen Peninsula and Greencastle 5.Malin Head 6.Five fingers beach and Lag Beach 7.Kinnegoe[...]

Derry to Donegal

Ros & Pauline's Itinerary

1.Derry City Walls
2.The Craft Village
3.River Foyle cycle
4.Inishowen Peninsula and Greencastle
5.Malin Head
6.Five fingers beach and Lag Beach
7.Kinnegoe Bay and Dunagree Lighthouse

Meet Ros & Pauline Q&A

Question: Hello Ros, could you tell me a little about your home town of Greencastle.
Answer: It has still retained the traditional character since I was a child growing up there. It's absolutely beautiful. Even when I lived in London a few years ago I would take my holidays here every summer, while my English friends would be flying off to Spain or Portugal. They couldn't fathom me taking my summer holiday at home in Ireland. I'd say why I would want to go to Spain when all the fun is on my doorstep. So, one year they took the boat over with me and were amazed! It was August, our festival month and the atmosphere was fantastic. Every August there is music in all the pubs, boating regattas at the weekend and. Also, all of the pubs and restaurants in Greencastle are family owned and the seafood is just amazing.

Question: Have you any particularly fond memories of Greencastle?
Answer: Every year, and this goes back generations, there is a day in August, a Saturday when the local clergy would bless all the fishermen in a ceremony on the harbour. This was and still is a big day in the local calendar. I also have very fond memories of salmon fishing at night with my sister and my father. We would go out before dark in a 50ft trawler and; we'd sleep on the bunk beds in the cabin and in the morning watch the fishing nets drop all the salmon on the deck. We would then sail back to the harbour and sell the salmon on the market. That's a wonderful memory.

Question: Hi Pauline, tell me about the curiosity shop in Malin Head?
Answer: Well, it's this tiny shop in the middle of nowhere run by this character called Peter. The story goes that Peter was a hoarder of things: ornaments, plaques, other quirky items and one day his wife told him to get rid of all this stuff as it was filling up the house. So he decided to stock what is now called the Curiosity Shop with all with all stuff.

Question: Could you tell me a little more about Malin Head
Answer: Malin Head is the place where I would take any friend who comes to visit me and we would go horse riding. It has the perfect beach for horse riding. I would also take them to Farran's Pub for a pint of the best Guinness I've ever tasted. Even people who wouldn't normally drink Guinness would have a pint here, it's that good. Farran's is also the most northerly pub in Ireland; it has been there for many generations. In fact, they still pour Guinness the old way and they'll serve it to you with your name on the pint glass.Don't ask me how they do this (laughs).
I also must tell you about Kinnagoe Bay. It's located between Tremone Bay and Greencastle, but it's off the beaten track, because it's obscured by mountains. But if you find it, you're in for a treat. It's a sort of cove with a golden sand beach and that dark green ocean water that kind of looks like the Caribbean without the sun. It is amazing. Divers come here all the time to dive around the Spanish Armada wreck. Though, I would advise anyone wanting to dive here to go with a professionally trained group.

Question: How would you describe Londonderry to a visitor?
Answer: It's a vibrant, university city with great shops and nightlife, but it also has very perceptible ancient feel. This is because of the old city walls which surround the entire city. There is a great museum built into the walls called the Tower museum. This is where they have artefacts from the sunken Armada at Kinagoe Bay. Along the walls, the cannons are perfectly preserved, or I should say, restored. My favourite place in Derry is the Craft Village. It's like a little village in its own right, under an arch just off the busy Shipquay Street. Just to sit out on the cobblestones and have a coffee is wonderful.