The Northwest offers great contrasts. In counties Sligo and Leitrim you will find limestone terrain, dry walking underfoot, great views over the Atlantic, and a contrast between bare limestone plateaux and the rich, lake-filled valleys. This is the country made famous by the Nobel Prize winning poet W.B. Yeats, and its dominant feature is the huge brow of Benbulben.

In County Donegal you are in wilder country, amongst the oldest mountains in Ireland - or the world. Inland there are many mountain ranges. In South Donegal, the Bluestack Mountains, unfrequented and the setting for many folktales also have one of Ireland's finest waterfalls, with the evocative name of the Grey

Mare's Tail. Further north the Glenveagh Mountains are formed of rough grey granite and have fine walks in their cliff bound valleys and on their high heathery plateaux. From these peaks you can look across a lake filled valley to the solid mass of Muckish Mountain and the contrasting cone of Mount Errigal - at 752 metres the highest summit in the Northwest.

Among these hills is Glenveagh National Park, known for it herds of deer. Finally, away to the north in the Inishowen Peninsula is the isolated Slieve Snaght, only a few kilometres from Malin Head, Ireland's northernmost point.

The coast must also be visited. A day's walk will take you over Slieve League, Ireland's highest sea cliff (600 metres) and then, with an overnight at Glencolumbkille, along a coast of strikingly beautiful deep creeks, towering pinnacles and rocky islets, with huge numbers of sea birds.

Regency house, 1828, set in woodland gardens, decorated with William Morris textiles, Islamic and Japanese art etc. The collection includes 300 works by leading 20th century artists - Picasso, Kokoshka as well as Irish and Italian artists. Exhibitions are shown in the adjoining gallery. Access to the ground floor of the gallery for visitors with disabilities. Visit Glebe House and Gallery, Newmills Corn and Flax Mills and Glenveagh National Park (excluding Glenveagh Castle) at a discounted rate - ask the guide on site about the special offer "cluster ticket".

Some 16,450 hectares (40,873 acres) of mountains, lakes, glens and woods, with a herd of red deer. A Scottish style castle is surrounded by one of the finest gardens in Ireland, which contrast with the rugged surroundings. The Visitor Center houses exhibitions and an audio-visual show. The Visitor Center is accessible for visitors with disabilities. Built in the years 1870-1873, the castle consists of a four storey rectangular keep. Access to the interior is by tour only. Morning and afternoon teas are served in the castle tearooms all season. The ground floor of the castle is partially accessible for visitors with disabilities. Visit Glebe House and Gallery, Newmills Corn and Flax Mills and Glenveagh National Park (excluding Glenveagh Castle )at a discounted rate - ask the guide on site about the special offer "cluster ticket".

Ireland's leading producer of delicate, handcrafted parian china. For the skilled craftsmen and women who create it, this timeless gift of delicacy and beauty is a true source of pride. And for you too, it is something to be prized and appreciated through the years. Therefore, we at Donegal Parian China will painstakingly continue to craft each unique translucent piece of china, bringing you a gift today - that will remain a treasure tomorrow.

The oldest surviving building here is said to be 400 years old. Indeed the whole complex is an interesting reminder of a stage in the industrial development of this country which has now given way to a more sophisticated, but usually far less fascinating technology. The visitor to Newmills can experience the pleasure of seeing one of the largest waterwheels in Ireland in action as it drives the machinery of the corn mill. Restricted access for visitors with disabilities.

Palm trees and exotic plants encircle a man-made tropical lagoon, where waves lap gently on the shore. Why not relax and enjoy the balmy 86 degrees and let your worries be washed away while the more adventurous swim in the breakers, ride the surf or hurtle down the 50-meter long tornado slide. There's so much to do at Bundoran Waterworld! Welcome to a wonderful watery paradise.

Top

There is a point on the lawn at the rear of Lough Rynn House, overlooking the lake, where the visitor may witness 4,000 years of history by simply turning through 180 degrees. The Neolithic burial tomb a top "Druids Hill" was constructed some two thousand years B.C. Reynolds Castle, stands now as a lonely sentinal by the lakeshore, dates from the 16th century. Lough Rynn House itself was constructed in 1832 and serves as a "full stop" to the historical tour which spans 4,000 years. William Sydney Clements, the third Earl of Leitrim resided at Lough Rynn House for over 40 years and from there he administered 90,000 acres in the four counties of Donegal, Galway, Leitrim and Kildare. His impact on history may be measured not only by the legacy of the buildings and the landscape but also by the personal witness of hundreds of people who have transmitted their personalized stories through succeeding generations. The remains of Lord Leitrim's estate comprises of ornamental gardens and nature trails, lakeside walks and many buildings of historical interest.

Springhill is only 50 minutes from Belfast or Derry City and its warm atmosphere will stay with you well beyond the end of your visit.

A number of particularly important features of the area are given special treatment. Mining of Coal and Iron Sweathouses The Cavan and Leitrim Railway Coal & Mining Heritage: The Arigna area of Roscommon and the adjacent mountains of Co Leitrim were famous for coal and iron mining. Sweathouse: The Lough Allen area is the home of the sweathouse. Sweathouses were used as a cure for aches and pains, somewhat similar to the modern sauna. Built of stone with a small opening or doorway, a big turf fire would be lit for hours inside. When he or she had sweated sufficiently they emerged and took a dip in a running stream. The center has a reconstruction of a sweathouse with realistic background and setting. In July 1990, centuries of a mining tradition ended with the closure of the last of the coalmines. The center has a display depicting miners at work and tells the story of the one and only great industry of the area. The Cavan & Leitrim Railway: The Cavan and Leitrim railway was one of the most memorable systems in Ireland.

A restored plantation castle of the early 17th century, picturesquely situated on the shores of Lough Gill, once the home of Robert Parke and his family. The courtyard grounds contain evidence of an earlier 16th century tower House. It was once owned by Sir Brian O'Rourke who subsequently was executed at Tyburn, London in 1591. The castle has been restored using Irish oak and traditional craftsmenship. Access for visitors with disabilities to the ground floor.

This is the largest cemetery of megalithic tombs in Ireland and is also among the country's oldest. Over 60 tombs have been located by archaeologists - and excavations are ongoing. A restored cottage houses a small exhibition relating toe the site. Restricted access to the center for visitors with disabilities (Tombs are inaccessible for visitors with disabilities). Visitors are advised to wear shoes suitable for walking on uneven terrain.

Drumcliffe; final resting place of renowned author W.B. Yeats and site of a Columban monastery founded in the 6th century. This beautiful site which nestles under Benbulben Mountain has an exciting range of activities for the visitor. An audio-visual presentation on the history of the area and its beginnings as a monastery, a fully guided tour of the site (W.B. Yeats grave, 10th century high cross and round tower), poetry readings and interactive computer suite where visitors can find out more about Yeats, Columba and Sligo. The on-site visitor center and coffee shop offer home-bakes and quality crafts for sale.

Knock was a small, inconspicuous Irish town in the west until August 21st 1879, when two local women said they saw an apparition of Mary, Joseph and St John the Evangelist at the south gable of the parish church. Thirteen other local people came to the site following their report and confirmed the apparition. Since then, the town has grown up as a Marian shrine, with the spot where the visions were seen enclosed in glass to form a small chapel.

Commerce thrives at the shrine, with various religious articles for sale, including plastic holy-water bottles, snow-shakers, and medals, in the stalls around Knock. A small museum on the site has information about the apparitions and miracles, as well as various local tools and costumes associated with life in the west of Ireland.

Knock also boasts its own airport now, due to the determination of a local priest, Monsignor Horan, who foresaw the need for an international airport to serve the tourist industry in the west and north-west of Ireland.

Ceolaras Coleman, a community based center, draws together the many strands of the South Sligo musical tradition. The main building, situated in the village of Gurteen, is a focal point for the living tradition, for which the area is so rightly famous. Ceolaras Coleman houses a theatre, a large audio-visual display on south Sligo, its music and the life of Michael Coleman. A series of touch screen interactive facilities feature more detailed information on traditional music and instrument making as well as a selection of music performed by local musicians. Classes in a variety of traditional musical instruments are conducted by well-known exponents of the south Sligo style of traditional music. Also a part of the project is the Michael Coleman Heritage Center, located a few miles west of Gurteen. The center is a replica of the original Coleman home and also a traditional style forge, which played an important part in the development of traditional music in the Killavil area. In the reception building is housed the music archive, one of the most important elements of the whole project. To keep alive and develop the famous south Sligo style of traditional music, special tuition weekends and weekly classes are conducted, in all the popular instruments by tutors/musicians of the highest calibre. The Coleman Heritage Center has recently launched a CD entitled 'The Living Tradition', a compilation of music from the Coleman archive.

Known locally as 'The Abbey', this Dominican friary was founded in the mid-13th century by Maurice FitzGerald. The site contains a great wealth of carvings including Gothic and Renaissance tomb sculpture, well preserved cloisters and the only sculptured 15th century high altar to survive in any Irish monastic church. Access to site through Visitor Center. Restricted access to site for visitors with disabilities.

Housed in the stable yards of Strokestown House, the Famine Museum commemorates the Great Irish Famine of the 1840's. Between 1845 and 1850, approximately one-fifth of the population of Ireland either died or emigrated when blight devastated potato crop. The landlord of the Strokes town estate, Major Denis Mahon, was assassinated having attempted to clear two-thirds of his destitute tenants. The museum, using the extensive estate papers, explains the historical and social significance of the Famine, nationally. It also reflects critically on the ongoing spectacle of contemporary world hunger. Access to Strokestown Park is in the village of Strokestown, 144 km away from Dublin.