This morning we leave the beautiful Banagh Peninsula to continue north.
Along the way we cannot ignore the call of the Dolmens and with them all the cultural heritage of this country.
We stop to look for the Kilclooney Dolmen, in the small village of the same name.
I have an idea of where it can be found but to get there you have to cross several private fields, finding more signs than usual about not crossing the lawn, I’m undecided.
Well in this case there are many houses, so we go to the first in sight and ask if we can go. The gentleman tells us that the owner of the field is not in the house but that there are no problems, in fact there are no cattle grazing.
Not that I am frightened by the beautiful Irish heaps, but on the bulls I have some reservations.
Fortunately, when there are buildings of cultural interest, gates are put up to facilitate the crossing of the fields, after only five or six we arrive in sight of the Dolmen.
This monument dates back to 4000-3000 BC.C. and the stone used as a “roof” is about 4m by 6m!
How did they put it up there?
Unlike other Dolmens that you will find on my blog this one has a peculiarity: the back stone is cuneiform; probably in this way it was possible to adjust the angle of the stone “roof” while they put it in place.
The word Dolmen means “stone table” and comes from Breton: “dual” means table while “maen” is stone.
There are 190 Dolmens in Ireland!
Will we ever be able to find them all?
Doon ring fort
Another typical construction of Ireland’s past is the ring fort .
Seeing the Doon ring fort was not possible, partly because it is located on an island and we do not have a ship; a bit because a gentleman on a tractor told us that the owner of the camp is not happy to have tourists go up and down his property.
About this always remember to be respectful of the places you visit, we are always guests and as such we must act.
Please don’t leave dirt around because there is no one to pick it up for you and I don’t think it pleases anyone to find crap in their own backyard.
End of the ramanzina.
Returning to the ring fort, this was the residence of the O’Boyle.
The exact date of construction is not known but it is thought to date back to the late Iron Age (about 350 BC.C- 400 d.C) or in the early middle ages.
But what was the use of a fort on an island?
It was basically a royal residence and was used to show the power of a family.
The arch in the sea of Crohy
This magnificent arch is located just south of the village of Maghery, on the Crohy Peninsula.
It is known by the name of Bristì (or Bristé) which translates to “trousers” and is 25 meters high.
Today is not the right day to try an adventure but I found that it is possible to climb on it with a minimum of physical preparation.
I immediately put it on the To Do List for a new trip to Donegal, maybe in the summer.
I think I saw a shark near the arch!
But I’m not sure and I have no evidence so it may have been yet another attack of pareidolia from which I evidently suffer acutely (I do not tell you how many times I exchange white stones for sheep! Ps: many…)
To reach the arch the most comfortable means is the car.
From the town of Dungloe follow the coastal road and stop at the tourist sign.
There is no parking, only a mini pitch. To get to the arch just follow the field towards the sea starting from behind the sign.
In the area there is also another arch in the sea, the Great Pollet Sea Arch, but we have yet to go and explore it.
Letterkenny
To reach Letterkenny, where we will stay in the coming days, we cross several snowy landscapes that give a beautiful image of this wild county.
On the way we meet a breeder with very tender calves and we try to exchange a few words (a little because I would like to get off and hug them all, the calves not the shepherds) but we find that we do not understand each other very well.
He asks us where we come from and to the answer “Italy” asks if it is abroad… okay it conquered me, I would have been all day trying to communicate, who knows how many stories behind that face lived.
Reached Letterkenny we check in at “Pearse B&B”,a very convenient place with private parking that is close to everything.
After a bit of relaxation we leave to go and challenge us at Arena 7, an entertainment center with a lot of old-school games but above all with bowling!
Mamma mia how much I like bowling, our war ends in a draw, a game won by one.
Unfortunately we do not have time for the play-off, I booked two tickets to go and see Eternals at the cinema.
Remember if you are in the area that on Tuesdays tickets cost less!
If you don’t know how we got here or what will become of us… here are the buttons.
