Glenveagh National Park

Glenveagh National Park is a must-see for anyone who visits County Donegal. This treasure holds a variety of walking and biking paths, pristine lakes, mountains outlining a glacial valley, waterfalls, a Victorian castle, and gardens with plants from around the world. It provides habitat for red deer, golden eagles, and other diverse fauna. 

On Saturdays and Sundays in the summer, there is a shuttle bus that picks walkers up at the Visitors Center at 10am, then drops them off at the head of either the Glen Walk or the Lough Inshagh trail, the two longest trails in this 16,000 hectare (40,000 acre) park at 8 km and 7 km long, respectively. We combined the Glen Walk with an unnamed side trail, the Viewpoint Trail, Garden Trail, and Lakeside Walk, for a total distance of about 15 km (about 9 miles).

While the hike was long, the named trails were mostly easy walks. With the exception of the Viewpoint Trail, which climbs steeply to a viewing area above the castle, the named trails either led downhill or were mostly flat, and the surface was fairly smooth. The side trail led uphill into the woods, overlooking a small glen and pocked with deer tracks.

 

The castle was built in the 1870s under the orders of John Adair, a Texan rancher who was a real jerk. He frequently fined his tenants, hired cruel men to extract the fines, and evicted 244 people from the land over the course of just three days. His widow, Cornelia Wadsworth Ritchie, made many improvements to the castle and garden over the 30+ years that she resided there, and was well-liked by the locals. 

The castle later experienced a "golden age" under the ownership of Henry McIlhenny, another American, who summered there between 1937 and 1983. He directed the restoration of the castle and the development of the elaborate gardens. The castle today contains many of the eclectic artifacts, renowned paintings, and furniture pieces that were installed by McIlhenny. 

The extensive gardens include a Victorian walled garden begun in 1885, the Belgian garden created by Belgian soldiers who sheltered at the castle during World War I, and neo-classical gardens such as an Italian Terrace and a Tuscan Garden, developed by Henry McIlhenny, James Russell, and Lanning Roper between the 1950's through 1970's. 

If your travels in Ireland allow you to visit this area, we highly recommend including Glenveagh in your itinerary!