Even though I don't think Donegal has to be part of your Ireland travel plans, I do have 2 great recommendations for you. The first is the place that we stay. It was a little Farmhouse B&B outside of the town and it was very quaint, charming, but not lacking in amenities. It was called the Coxtown Manor. When you arrive it has a private drive and I felt like I was stepping into a Jane Austen movie or something. It was a very dreary, cold day and the grass and trees were so green, and the farmhouse was so gray, and the yellow light from inside was so inviting. It is basically an old farm that they have turned into a B&B. There is the main house and then the 300 year old back house (where we stayed). Even though our location was the oldest, it had been the most newly renovated. The accommodations were very comfortable and the bathroom very modern. It wasn't until the 2nd day that I heard the owner say something about it being haunted. He actually said some people have said that it is, but he had never really experienced anything. I think when something is that old, there is always the possibility. Regardless, I would recommend it and I was not scared. Of course the breakfast was wonderful with all the traditional fare. The breakfast room was so perfectly proper, I felt like I was lost in a British time warp. In the evenings, they will serve you food and they have a cool bar in one part of the house. A nice place to hang out after being out all day. (Or having gone through all the drama we had while in Donegal.) You can drink and live it up without having to drive back to your hotel. A nice perk.
The back house where we stayed.
We had a great room that they called a "family" room. Plenty of room for us for a couple of nights!
The breakfast room.
Jack and Mark at the bar!
Traditional breakfast
All of their dishes had their logo on them. I really wanted to put one in my purse!
The 2nd recommendation I have is a place called the Castle Murray House.
The funny thing about this place is that is was recommended to us by the people at the Coxtown Manor as a great place to go eat. As we arrived up to it, I immediately recognized it as a place I had suggested we stay at when we were planning the trip. We had decided against it because it was quite a bit more expensive and we were really trying to stay on budget. Now the Castle Murray house has quite a different feel and look to it than the Coxtown Manor. The Castle Murray House sits out on Donegal Bay so it is much more coastal in feel. It has breathtaking views of the bay and was the PERFECT place to go eat dinner. Although I don't recommend Donegal as a tourist location, it might be worth the stop through just to have dinner at the Castle Murray House. Reservations are probably recommended. You have a great view from just about any table in the restaurant and the meal was to die for. I had my first lobster of the trip and it was great. After dinner, I took the girls out on the lawn and we got some photos of the sunset. So pretty!
Aunt Karen and Uncle Mark celebrating their Anniversary!
My first lobster in Ireland...Thankfully I didn't have to do hardly any work to eat this one. By the time we left Ireland I was ordering them whole and am proud to say I now know how to properly eat a lobster! YUMM-O
Sarah and Nana with the Rahan Castle in the background. It dates back to at least the 15th century.
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