Let’s start our tour of Ireland’s Western Seaboard with a visit to the often forgotten gems of the North West. The attractions and properties featured are just examples of what is on offer in this special corner of the world.
Festival and Events | Castles to Cottages | Things to See | Things To Do | Culinary
Festivals and Events
Like all of Ireland, the summer is awash with great festivals and events to make your stay truly special and to showcase the many and varied aspects of contemporary Irish culture.
49th Yeats Summer School & Festival
 The Yeats International Summer School is now in it's 49th year, and has become one of the most prestigious in Europe, attracting students from around the world. The schools strive to maintain an Irish ambiance with an international feel that is always personal and welcoming, informal and unpretentious.
 As always Ballyshannon, Co Donegal is the place to be this August Bank Holiday Weekend as the sounds of traditional & folk music echo from the streets, pubs and theatre once again. Another top class lineup has been confirmed for the Abbey Theatre including headline acts Dervish, The Dave Munnelly Band and Four Men & A Dog plus many more, book early to avoid disappointment. As well as plenty of pub sessions and street entertainment this will no doubt be another memorable festival weekend.
This year the festival will celebrate 31 years of providing the best of Irish Entertainment and sits proudly on the top rung of the world’s Irish Traditional Music Events.
The Strandhill Guitar Festival
Strandhill comes alive in late September with music during the guitar festival with 12 live gigs in various venues around the village showcasing the best of Sligo’s and Ireland guitar players in a wide range of music styles including jazz, rock, blues and classical.
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Where To Stay
Take your pick! From luxury resorts to cosy Bed and Breakfasts, the Noth West has something to suit every taste and pocket.
CASTLE DARGAN HOTEL
Castle Dargan Golf Hotel & Wellness Center is a wonderfully luxurious 4 star resort hotel in Ballygawley, Co Sligo. Approached through secluded grounds and mature gardens, Castle Dargan Estate, evokes images of bygone times yet is complemented by the architecturally unique design. Combining a Darren Clarke designed Championship golf course with a luxurious 4 star hotel.
Sand House Hotel, Rossnowlagh
 Over 50 years experience has fashioned the style with which you are greeted by the friendly, courteous and efficient staff at the Sandhouse Hotel and Marine Spa at Rossnowlagh Beach, Donegal Bay. The spontaneous warmth of their welcome radiates from the open log fire which glows from the period fireplace in the cosy entrance lounge. The homely, stress-free atmosphere of luxury and relaxation is adorned by displays of fresh flowers and many fine pieces of antique furniture throughout the Hotel. Located overlooking the blue flag Rossnowlagh Beach, this haven of relaxtion, comfort and quality is only 3 hours from Dublin and less than 2 hours from Belfast. A golfers paradise with 3 excellent championship links golf courses nearby.
Lough Eske Castle traces its roots all the way back to the late 1400’s and the famous O’Donnell family that founded the nearby town of Donegal.
The original castle was first built around 1474. A date stone of 1621 remains on the property to this day. The current Lough Eske Castle was constructed in the 1860s on the site of an old Brooke mansion, but was destroyed by fire in 1939. The newly renovated Lough Eske Castle stands as a continuing testament to the rich history of Lough Eske and the surrounding region.
Each guestroom at the Solis Lough Eske Castle blends the timeless allure of our Gaelic heritage with the amenities and conveniences of a modern world-class hotel. These beautifully appointed rooms feature bespoke furnishings and specially commissioned works of art, spacious bathrooms and high speed wireless internet. Many include antiques and 4-poster beds. All are decorated in calm neutral tones and offer striking views of the natural beauty that surrounds the castle.
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Things To See 
Visitor attractions ranging from literary greats such as Yeats and Kavanagh to heritage centres, museums, sessions, festivals and a tapestry of myths and legends will ensure you will never be short of something to do in Ireland’s Northwest.
Immerse yourself in one of Europe’s most ancient cultures in Ireland’s largest Gaeltacht, Donegal where Irish is still the first language of the community and traditional music, poetry, storytelling and dancing are as vibrant now as ever.
 Lifford Old Courthouse
Donegal's Amazing 18th Century Court, Jail and Asylum in the town of Lifford.
Newmills Corn And Flax Mills
The visitor to Newmills in Letterkenny can experience the pleasure of seeing one of the largest waterwheels in Ireland in action as it drives the machinery of the cornmill.
Yeats Memorial Building
The Yeats Society, Sligo operates throughout the year to provide a local and international Yeats Centre, and to run the Yeats International Summer School.
Glenveagh National Park and Castle
 Glenveagh National Park and Castle comprises some 16,500 hectares of mountains, lakes, glens and woods with a large herd of red deer. Its construction in a remote mountain setting was inspired by the Victorian idyll of a romantic highland retreat
Lissadell House
LISSADELL – HISTORIC HOUSE AND GARDENS RESCUED AND RESTORED
 Lissadell House and Gardens is situated on the shores of Sligo Bay, between Sligo and Donegal.
Lissadell was the birthplace of Constance Markievicz, one of the leaders of the 1916 Revolution in Ireland, and the first woman MP in Westminster, and also a favourite retreat for her friend, the poet William Butler Yeats, who wrote one of his most famous poems about Lissadell.
Sadly, over the last hundred years, Lissadell had fallen into decay, and its future was endangered, but since 2004, in one of the West’s recent most exciting tourism developments, Lissadell and its world famous Gardens, are being restored to their former glory, and developed as the premier eco tourism attraction in Ireland’s North West by husband and wife team, Eddie and Constance Walsh.
 Visitors to Lissadell tour the House itself, with its stunning art collection, and newly opened servants’ quarters; the magnificent Gardens; Exhibition Hall, and Art Gallery, the Garden Museum; the Heritage and Garden Shop, and old fashioned Tearooms, and country and seashore walks.
Gardens now restored: the 2.5 acre Walled Victorian Kitchen Gardens, with a splendid, award winning display of vegetables, salads, herbs, and soft fruit. By the seashore, the walled 2 acre Alpine Rockery Garden has been fully restored, together with rose gardens, stepped ponds, rockeries, and unparallelled views of Sligo bay.
 Over 160 potatoes have been planted in the Gardens this year to mark the UN Year of the Potato 2008
The ongoing restoration at Lissadell has been hailed as one of the most exciting developments in the North West for years, and we find that our visitors return again and again. We look forward to welcoming you to one of the jewels of Ireland North West!
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Things To Do
Golf is a huge attraction across Irelands Western seaboard. The reason – it is home to some of the most beautiful and challenging courses in the world.
Nature just needed a nudge to shape the great Atlantic links courses. Centuries – old estates, stately trees and loving care produced the parklands. With twenty-six 18-hole and eighteen 9-hole courses from, no matter where you stay in the North West Region, you are never more that a short drive from a fine golf course.
North and West Coast Links
 This Galway-based marketing company brings groups to 12 of Ireland’s finest championship links golf courses, including Connemara, Carne, Enniscrone, Co Sligo GC, Donegal GC, Narin & Portnoo, Rosapenna, Portsalon, Ballyliffin, Portstewart, Royal Portrush and Ardglass. John McLaughlin, one of the company’s directors, says ‘these are all absolutely top-notch courses. We consider them all in the same league and with the number five golf course in the world (Royal Portrush) – it goes to show the quality of the other courses’. www.northandwestcoastlinks.com
Surfing and Beaches
 Take in breathtaking views, enjoy brisk, refreshing walks on undisturbed beaches or even catch a wave in the swirling Atlantic surf. Whatever the season, whatever your mood, you can do it all in the North West. The relentless action of the mighty Atlantic Ocean, and the distance travelled by its waves before breaking ashore on the Northwest coast, combine to form the ideal conditions to ensure perfect surfing water
Angling
 Bag a trout. Hook a salmon. Play a pike, Fill a keep net. Raise a skate. Wrestle a shark. They’re all wild and plentiful. Great trout, salmon and wild brown trout river and lakes. Fully equipped sea angling boats for hire….. what choices …. What fishing.
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Where To Eat
Taste of the North West
 Visitors to the North West Region of Ireland can leave the fast pace of urban living behind and enjoy some of the finer things in life. In this part of Ireland we still enjoy fresh good food and time well spent with family and friends. We invite you to sample both our hospitality and the fare on offer at our many restaurants, gourmet pubs, castles, hotels and café’s. We are proud to boast that we have world renowned and award winning chefs just waiting to tempt your taste buds!
HIGHLANDS HOTEL
The Hotel is sitauted in picturesque village of Glenties. The hotel is renowned for it's warm & friendly atmosphere and good food.
CAISLEAIN OIR RESTAURANT
Caisleáin Óir, family-owned pub and restaurant with guest accommodation, is ideally situated in the Donegal Gaeltacht in the historic village of Annagry.
THE BELFRY PUB AND EMBASSY RESTAURANT
The Belfry in Sligo Town offers a lunch menu including carvery or á la carte dishes, while the Embassy Restaurant is open in the evening and on Sundays.
Mc GRORY’S OF CULDAFF
 McGrory’s was first established on the Inishowen Peninsula of Co. Donegal, Ireland in 1924 and has remained a family run business for three generations. The current owners are brothers John and Neil Mc Grory and their sister Anne Doherty.
The 60 seater restaurant at Mc Grory's of Culdaff offers a unique dining experience with a menu that reflects good quality locally sourced produce, with an emphasis on seafood, excellent steaks and high quality lamb with vegetarian options also available.
The design of the room reflects the era of when the building was first built. Drawing in elements from the art noveau and art deco periods, these have been combined with the original natural stone work to give a striking appearance.
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