Inishowen Peninsula & Doagh Folk Village

OVERVIEW

Gain an in-depth understanding of life in an Irish village during the Great Potato Famine by visiting an outdoor museum that depicts how families survived through the decades. After departing from the pier, your first stop will be to photograph the Grianan of Aileach - Donegal’s most impressive and intriguing ancient monument at the entrance to the Inishowen Peninsula. This circular stone fort occupies the top of Greenan Mountain and was built around 1700 BC. The fort is a magnificent vantage point, which affords stunning views in every direction. You will then continue a leisurely drive north through the gorgeous Inishowen Peninsula, a land of impossibly green hills dotted with ancient castle ruins and traditional thatched cottages. This is the Ireland most people picture when they close their eyes and think of a classic Irish country scene. Upon arriving at the outdoor Doagh Famine Village, you will have time to thoroughly explore this re-creation of an Irish village during the 19th-century Great Potato Famine. You will learn how the families survived the harsh conditions and adapted through the decades. The attractions include thatched houses, a safe house for those running from authorities, a religious hall, and a rock where persecuted Catholics performed Mass in secret. Most of the furnishings are period pieces, and costumed performers are on hand to answer questions you may have about typical village life during the famine and how villagers live today. After your visit, climb back aboard the motorcoach for the drive back to Greencastle and our next adventure.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Travel into the pastoral Northern Ireland landscape – and backwards in time – by motorcoach.
• Spend a couple hours in the recreated world of mid-1800s Ireland and America at Ulster American Folk Park.
• Tour the houses and shops Irish emigrants were leaving behind, and the ones they would find in America once they arrived.
• Board a replica sailing ship and get a visceral sense of shipboard conditions during the journey.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.