Donegal dreamin’

Atlantic Drive

‘WHERE the ocean kisses Ireland and the waves caress its shore’ goes The Saw Doctors’ Green and Red Of Mayo in an ode to the Emerald Isle’s ragged west coast.

It’s that lyric which sprung so strongly to mind as I stood on Donegal’s beautiful coastline last weekend watching the waves not so much caressing – but assaulting – Ireland’s stunning northern edges.

With the strong winds swirling around the heavy, grey skies of the splendid Downings and the Atlantic waves crashing in around Ulster, this was as fierce as you’ll ever see the picturesque county.

But, as ever with Donegal, it oozed a sense of serenity not often found in the rough and tumble of town or city life.

Our base for the weekend – Anam Mara cottage in the Rosapenna Cottages area – sat neatly among a close-knit rural, Gaeltacht community with a bay – boats bouncing around on its choppy waters – and mountain range providing a jaw-dropping backdrop. A fine sight to stir the soul even on the greyest of mornings.

And inside a traditional Irish welcome awaited you; turf burning on an open fire, illuminating the wooden surroundings, which gave the place a home-from-home feel from the off.

We eased our way in on the Friday night with a good old-fashioned – and reasonably priced – fish supper (“sure it’s probably only fresh out of the sea”) from the nearby village before enjoying a few glasses of red wine by the fire.

Our newly-found quiet only interrupted by the strong wind roaring down the chimney and Christy Moore ballads.

There was no let-up with the aforesaid wind and come Saturday, we set off for lunch at the Silver Tassie Hotel near Letterkenny, where we we enjoyed a roast dinner before driving around the visual gem of the weekend – Atlantic Drive.

Here, the narrow roads twist and turn along the dazzling coastline, which throws up postcard-like sights that leave you feeling drunk on the beauty of it all – it’s truly spectacular (even amid the wind and rain).

By Sunday morning we were pining for more – but not before lunch at The Singing Pub (soup then gammon and pineapple with chips for me and seafood basket for the other half).

The pub is everything you would expect from a traditional Donegal pub, with its low ceilings, roaring fire and Irish-speaking locals parked at the bar sipping on Guinness.

Although The Singing Pub was minus singing on our visit (the Saturday night Trad night have been shifted due to a charity pub quiz), we did find one artist, Belfast singer-songwriter Glenn Simpson, who kindly passed on his Let The Feast Begin CD (thanks Glenn, I enjoyed it very much).

Full on pub grub, but hungry still for sightseeing, it was off for second helpings of Atlantic Drive, before making our way to the mist-covered Errigal – the tallest peak of the Derryveagh Mountains in the north west of Ireland.

Again, the conditions made it difficult, but we did escape the car – if only for a brief period – to allow our feet to descend upon the ground that propped up the towering mountain, immortalised in irish music and literature.

On a nicer day, this area also boasts the much-hyped Glenveagh National Park, among other attractions, sure to be a hit with tourists.

But for us, this stormy weekend was ultimately about swapping the hustle and bustle of urban life for the muted sounds of rural Ireland and if the truth be told ,the biggest draw of our time there, was the glow of the cottage’s turf-burning fire.

And looking it back, I wouldn’t have had it other way.

For more information on Anam Mara cottage, Rosapenna Cottages, Downings, or to book, contact Roisin McKeever; telephone 07736069500 or email roisin_mc_keever@hotmail.com.