I have been blessed in having a number of people take me around to see the sights or to visit relatives. Fr. Eamonn Kelly, the administrator of St. Eunan's Cathedral, Letterkenny, several times took me around County Donegal.
One of the places we visited was the site of the Franciscan monastery where Friar Michael O'Clery, the chief writer responsible for the Annals of the Four Masters, lived. The Annals is a history of Ireland composed in the first half of the seventeenth century, and the source of much early Irish history. The monastery is in ruins and, like many such sites, is filled with graves both old and more recent.
On the same day, we went to Donegal Castle, in Donegal Town, built by the O'Donnell chieftain in the 15th century, with 17th century additions by the Brooke family, who took it over.
We also visited and prayed at another holy well.
Fr. Eamonn Kelly
It was interesting trying to figure out why different objects were left there. There is a tradition of leaving coins, but there were also things like a belt (someone praying to lose weight?) and a cigarette lighter (someone praying to give up smoking?) There seem to be no "official" caretakers of the many holy wells. Someone in the neighborhood seems to take it upon himself or herself to be responsible for the upkeep of each well.
We also visited the mountains at the sea.
as well as the Glencolmcille Folk Village that Fr. McDyer helped the people of Glencolmcille put together as a way of attracting tourists and giving the local people work in an attempt to stop the flood of emigration.
There are cottages decorated in the style of each century from the 18th to the 20th, as well as a schoolhouse, fisherman's cottage, and pub/grocery..
And the views continued on the way home.
An amazing place..We went last year but or stay was entirely to short..would love to go back
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