Revisiting Donegal

To mark the end of summer we headed to Dunfanaghy for a short break. T was keen to revisit places where she had holidayed as a child. And my first holiday after moving to NI nineteen years ago had been a cycle-tour of Donegal. The weather forecast was for rain, but we struck it lucky. On each day of our trip the sun shone brightly, the sea sparkled and the hills gleamed. Whilst there was the occasional rain shower too, they soon passed and the sunshine was restored.

We stayed at The Mill in Dunfanaghy, an award-winning restaurant with well appointed rooms. It was formerly a flax mill and then the home and studio of Frank Eggington, who painted acclaimed watercolours of Donegal. The Mill is run by the grand-daughter of the artist and her husband is the head chef. Paintings line the walls throughout, many by Frank Eggington himself, alongside collections of oriental pottery. Our room looked out over a reed-lined lake towards Muckish.

Building on a succession of awards for its food and hospitality, The Mill won the prize of best restaurant in Ulster this year. It offers a six-course menu. You relax in armchairs in the lounge and make your selections, appetite whetted by home-smoked olives and a small glass of gazpacho. For my starter I had goat from Horn Head on a bed of finely chopped bacon and potatoes. After a sorbet, my main was local lamb, served three different ways: a chop, a steak and a croquette, garnished with samphire and kale. My dessert was lemon tart with lime sorbet coated with meringue. Afterwards we struggled back to the lounge for coffee and petit-fours. And after a sound sleep we went  down to an indulgent breakfast, with home-made carragheen, preserves, stewed fruits and breads, followed by the best fry I have ever tasted, with organic meats, duck eggs and home-made potato bread.

No wonder The Mill has won so many awards, every course of each meal was extremely well prepared and presented. After such luxurious repasts we needed to be active. On the first day we went to Ards Friary and walked around the coast and into the Forest Park. It is a very unspoilt peninsula: just sea, sandy beaches, rocky outcrops and trees. Across Sheephaven Bay you could see the long strand of Tramore and the developments around Downings.

On the second day I went cycling, as T searched for the old haunts from her childhood. She drove me to Creeslough and I cycled to Carrigart then across the new bridge onto the Fanad and around the coast to Fanad Head. As I arrived a rainstorm began, just as it had nineteen years before, and I ended up sheltering under the same trees. After half an hour it cleared. I then returned via Milford and around Mulroy Bay back to Creeslough. I had forgotten how hilly the roads of Donegal are. I had climbed to the top of Slieve Donard in the 52 miles I covered. By the end I was so tired that I had to rest on the bed before I was able to summon the energy to go down for the evening meal.

On the third day we went sightseeing. T delightedly showed me the places she had visited the day before. We drove and walked around Horn Head, got fantastic views out to Tory Island, climbed to the battlements of Doe Castle, had lunch in McNutt’s Cafe at Downings and went walking on Tramore Strand. After we did the Atlantic Drive and then went over the new bridge to Fanad, ending up at the lighthouse. As the sun began to slide down towards the shining sea we had to set off for our return journey. We had packed plenty into our break and we were pretty tired. But it was good to know that all these riches were only three and a half hours drive from our house. And the past was not such a far country.