Ballyshannon, about 10 m. W. of Donnegal,—presents some pleasing scenery of beautiful landscapes, swelling hills cultivated, and with the bay flowing up between them. These hills are extremely picturesque, rising into various outlines, and dying away insensibly into one another. See Bridge of 14 arches; also the Salmon-leap, surrounded by most romantic scenery; a fine fall of water; perpendicular rocks forming the banks of the river, with bold views of the sea. Here also are some ruins of the once famous Castle of the O'Donnels, the turbulent feudal chieftains of Tyrconnel; and ½ m. distant, in a secluded but finely picturesque situation, the ruins of Asheroe Abbey. In the vicinity several Danish Raths. Belleek is a pretty village, 8 m. E. of Ballyshannon, and at the end of Lough Erne, whose waters here form two fine cataracts under perpendicular and well wooded rocks. Several handsome seats, particularly Castle Caldwell on the Lough, with ruins of several ancient Castles; but in Fermanagh.
DONNEGAL, the county town, is a decayed town 111 m. N.W. from Dublin.—It contains little worth notice, except an ancient castellated mansion of the Earls of Arran, which with the river and bridge is considered by Sir R. C. Hoare as forming a good subject for the pencil. Near it are the remains of a Franciscan Abbey (1505) in a most picturesque situation. See spacious market-place; mill-stone quarries in vicinity. The finest view of the Bay is from the bridge of Imber, whence towards the right is seen a lofty but distant mountain, with cultivated fields in the foreground: at the foot of another mountain a gentleman's seat with well grown plantations strikes the eye; and to the left the scene is diversified by a sand bank thrown up by the sea, and a high ridge of plantation on the western side of the river, with the bay appearing beyond it or seen through its waving interstices. Barnmoor pass is highly awful and grand, leading towards Lough Esk, about a quarter of a mile wide and 3 m. long, formed by mountains rising high on each side of a deep glen covered with heath, and frowning in deathlike silence. Lough Derg, 6 m. E. is remarkable for its Purgatory; founded as reported by St. Patrick, in a small island about 130 yards long and 50 broad. The Purgatory itself consists of a cave 16½ feet long by 2 wide, so very low that a tall man cannot stand erect in it. Around it are the remains of several Chapels and holy circles dedicated to various saints of both sexes. Lough Esk lies at the head of the valley which communicates with Donnegal, and at the foot of the magnificent Ross Mountains; round it the scenery is sometimes awfully sublime, and sometimes rich and cheerful. The sportsman will find red deer on the hills, and char in the lake.
Inishowen Barony.—Even in Ireland, it is considered wild, savage, and impassable, from want of good roads. But Mr. Wakefield represents it in a very different light, and worthy the notice of the tourist. The roads, he says, are very good; the land better cultivated than any other part of the county; whilst the views of Lough Swilly from it are exceedingly grand. See the agreeably situated house of the Bishop of Derry at Faun. Let the mineralogist visit the Arigal, on the eastern bound of the county, said to be the highest hill in the province; it is shaped like a sugar-loaf, and contains a quantity of mountain spar, with lead-mines in its vicinity. In this district is the parish of Cloncha, where are some remains of a large stone Cross sculptured with rude representations of various animals; also part of a Druidical circle of 12 stones, 6 feet high, forming a segment of a circle 60 feet in diameter. In the same parish see the great peninsular rock of Dunmore. In this parish are still preserved some traditionary fragments of Ossian. In Clonmany parish see the picturesque scenery round the Ch.; also a round tower forming part of the ruins of an ancient Castle; near it a castle on a pyramidal rock, not far from which is Mamore Gap, presenting the most sublime scenery of mountains, rocks, and ocean,—a district consecrated to the memory of Cuchullin and the heroes of other times: a Druidical altar here, is called Cuchullin's (or Fion Mac Cuil's) stone. Near Cromla, in this vicinity, is the site of the ancient Tura, so famed in those scattered traditionary fragments that form the basis of Mac Pherson's modern Fingal.
Killybegs, about 12 m. W. of Donnegal, offers some fine marine and mountain scenery. See ruins of Abbey.
Letterkenny, about 25 m. N.E. of Donnegal, and 15 m. W.N.W. of Londonderry, forms a good station for visiting the wild scenery towards the coast. At Ards Castle, see ruins of Castle and Baltimore Ch. Dunfanaghy has some castellated ruins in its vicinity. At Hornhead, 28 m. W. from Letterkenny, see a remarkable cavern called Mac Swine's Gun, on a rocky cliff 60 feet perpendicular. Of these rocks the lower stratum is porous sandstone, hollowed into a cavern by the violence and continual buffeting of the waves, from whence an aperture proceeds to the summit. When the wind comes from the N.W. the billows being driven with great violence into the cavern, the water thus forced to find a passage through the aperture, rises to the summit of the funnel, from whence it again descends with a most tremendous noise. Near this is MacSwine's Castle, an ancient edifice, now fitted up as a modern residence. See Rutland, a modern fishing-town, worthy the notice of the statistical tourist. Kilmacrenan, about 8 m. N., has some ecclesiastical ruins, founded by St. Columb, of which the parish Ch. forms a part. See the rock on which the O'Donnels, princes of Tyrconnel, were always inaugurated; also Lough Salt, in a romantic situation on the summit of a mountain. Murkish Mountain, situated within 4 m. of two deep and safe harbours, Dunfanaghy and Sheephaven, affords siliceous sand in great abundance. Rathmelton is a beautiful village on the banks of Lough Swilly: see Sir J. Stewart's handsome seat. The scenery around is delightful; much planting, a fine river, and every appearance of increasing industry and comfort. W. of Rathmelton is the bridge of Loughaugh, an arch of 52 feet span. Ascend Mount Alt, on the summit of which a lake with most extensive prospect, combining ocean and mountain scenery.
Lifford, 28 m. N.E. of Donnegal, is prettily seated on the river Foyle, and is the assize town for the county. The tourist will here find the inhabitants a complete Scotch colony.
Rapho, 24 m. N.E. of Donnegal, was an episcopal city, but now a dilapidated village.—See the Episcopal Palace, once a Castle which stood a siege in the Civil Wars: also the modernized Cathedral. Near Ballybofy see Lough Mourne, and the dreary mountains of Barnsmore.
Tory Island, which lies about 3 leagues from the main, N.W. from Sheephaven, contains the ruins of a monastery and of seven churches, having formerly been a "station," or place of Catholic penance.
