Donegal

Our luck has run out and now we know just why it is sooo green here - started raining at breakfast! Heading along the Wild Atlantic Way today. Drove through the fishing port of Killybegs to Teelin where we had to change to a minibus to climb the road to the Slieve League Cliffs. Paddy, our guide, said the cliffs were there and they'd been looking for them all morning!! The fog was so thick you could barely see over the edge of the path, let alone see cliffs that are 1,972 feet high! The fog cleared very slowly and we could see the Atlantic waves but not the cliffs. Had scones and coffee in Teelin and then continued on through the countryside to Triona Design to see the 150 year old loom and a demonstration of weaving of Donegal tweed.
On to Adara and we had some time to kill before dinner so had a look in some of the shops selling sweaters and tweeds.
Met one of the great characters of the trip so far! We went into one shop and there was no one at all in there. Eventually a man came in but didn't bother with us and we continued to look at the sweaters. When he heard us speak he said "Australian" and something else we couldn't understand as he spoke so fast and with such a thick Irish accent. Then he said something and we heard "George Bailey" and it was clear he was talking cricket. I wasn't sure I heard correctly but I thought I heard an expletive - I did, and from then on every second or third word was an expletive. When I asked the size of a sweater on the wall he said "How would I ........ know? I can't ....... see from here". When he realised I don't like some sports he wanted to know what was wrong with me. He was hilarious and I couldn't stop laughing when we walked out.
Had an early dinner at Nancy's in Ardara, a seventh generation owned restaurant. Had the best vegetable soup I've eaten in a very long time & beef and Guiness pie - all absolutely delicious. On the way out the owner asked if we would like a drink and gave us a nip of moonshine. It was actually quite delicious, with a slight caramel taste. Then back to the hotel for an Irish storyteller. A nice way to end our stay on Donegal.
Some shots of the. Outcry side, buildings in Ardara and inside Nancy's.Read more