Carndonagh

The village

Carndonagh, known in Irish as Ceann Dunnaigh, sits on the Inishowen peninsula in County Donegal near Trawbreaga Bay. The 2022 census counted 2,768 people there. That number makes it the biggest of the peninsula’s north-coast villages. It also acts as the practical crossroads for the area. The road along the bay, the route into the glens, and the way to the Fahan all converge here.

The place functions as a working village. Shops, fuel stations, and a full range of stays are available. It exists to be a base.

The bay and the coast

Trawbreaga Bay serves as the village’s front door. It is a wide, sandy, sheltered stretch of the Atlantic. Generations have fished and worked these waters. Summer boats still use them today.

The coast road leads out of the village toward the north coast beaches and headlands. The drive itself is enjoyable. Bay sits on one side, glens and townlands on the other. The sea here is the west Atlantic in its proper form. The village makes exploring it easy.

The glens

Country rises behind the village into the glens of Inishowen. Walks from Carndonagh into this interior form the other half of the day. They are short enough for a morning but long enough to justify the drive. Conditions improve before the wind builds. The village provides a natural start point for those wanting the interior as well as the coast.

Practical

Allow a day for the area. Spend the morning at the bay and the afternoon in the glens. Finish at the village’s pub. Pair the trip with Glencolmcille to the south for a full coast day.