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8 July, 2008
We woke this morning and had an excellent breakfast. Teelin Bay is a very nice B&B with great views for €30 per person!
Our bedroom at Teelin Bay B&B, Teileann, Co. Donegal
Our bathroom at Teelin Bay B&B, Teileann, Co. Donegal
Our view from Teelin Bay B&B, Teileann, Co. Donegal
First, we headed to the Silver Strand (An Trá Bhán) in Málainn Bhig. The weather was warm (16°C) and the beach looked amazing.
The Silver Strand view from above
The Silver Strand, Málainn Bhig, Co. Donegal
Looking out from the Silver Strand
The cliffs above the Silver Strand
The steps that lead from the parking lot to the Silver Strand
From Málainn Bhig, we stopped on the road to Gleann Cholm Cille (Glencolmcille) and saw that the hotel is closed and for sale with the golf course!
The Glen Head, Gleann Cholm Cille
The Glen Head
We drove through Gleann Cholm Cille and the Glengesh Pass on our way to Ballybofey where we stopped for lunch. We then headed to Derry. By the time we got to the Tourist Office it was 2:30 PM and we had missed the walking tour we had planned on taking. The girl at the Tourist Office managed to get us one at 3:30, even though none of the companies had one scheduled. We did a tour of the city walls. It was absolutely fantastic, just Sarah, me and our tour guide.
On our way to the walls we walked past a group of teens gathering fuel for the bonfire in the Fountain.
Building the Fountain bonfire, Derry
Fountain bonfire, Derry
Fires are lit all over the Six Counties that are affiliated with the United Kingdom on the night of July 11th. On July 12th, marches led by the Orange Order will be conducted in order to commemorate William of Orange (eventual Protestant King)’s victory of the Catholic King James II.
Our tour was great! At the end, we found out that our guide, Adrian Cullen, had been imprisoned in Longkesh – the H Blocks – and knew eight of the Hunger Strikers who died! I believe his company is Free Derry Tours.
St. Columb’s Cathedral, Derry
St. Columb’s Steeple (Inside the walls)
The view from the walls of Derry to the east
The Bogside viewed from Derry’s walls
Hunger Strike Mural as seen from the walls of Derry
Bogside murals from the walls of Derry
The Bogside, Derry
Our tour ended at 5 PM and we headed back to Letterkenny to stay with Martin Anderson at Hillcrest House. He is such a fantastic chef and a great host that it would have been a shame to miss it.
We arrived at 6PM, and ate at 7 PM. The meal was ridiculously good. He threw in a free desert – a mouth watering raspberry crumble with ice cream. This place is great! We think in the morning we’re going to try for a tour of the Bogside with Adrian. They are £5, but he knew so much! We also have the Giant’s Causeway and Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge planned for tomorrow.
SIDENOTE: Martin is the reason we are staying in Letterkenny and not Derry or somewhere else. Upon our arrival, Martin tilted his head to one side and said, “You have stayed here before, haven’t you?” I replied that I had, but it had been a few years (it was 2001). He replied, “You were in Donegal studying Irish and came here with your parents.” He was right, I had no idea that he would remember, especially after seven years. Aside from his personality (which is a huge reason to book here) he is a professional chef and serves affordable evening meals that are better than I have had in any restaurant in Ireland. Hillcrest House is a must visit B&B if you plan on visiting anything in the surrounding areas.
Day 10 Ireland Itinerary
The Silver Strand, Málainn Bhig (20-25 minutes from Teileann)
Ballybofey for Lunch (1:45 drive)
Derry (about 45 minutes from Ballybofey)
Letterkenny (35 minutes from Derry)
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