Monday, September 7, 2009

100 Hundred Things On My List #2


This is Number 2!

This is something very achievable. It is so achievable that I am not sure why I have never done this before. I have certainly thought about it, I have certainly talked about it, and during the boom times when the Celtic Tiger was still alive and the property market was awash with over-generous bankers dishing out extra mortgages, I even considered buying a holiday home there. Donegal, yes Donegal. Number 2 on my list of one hundred things that must be done in this lifetime is as simple as going to Donegal and spending at least a couple of days there. I have been living in Ireland for 32 years and have ancestry hailing from this county, but never has the four wheels of any of my cars over the years crossed the county line. Even during the last four years whenI worked for Airtricity, I oversaw a significant project that had much activity in Donegal (click here to see a map), but I never got to fly there via the airport in Derry (in the county of Londonderry - thanks for that one Mr President Clinton!!).

For those of you from the UK, Donegal is our Scottish highlands, just not as high; for those of you from the US, Donegal is our Alaska, just not as cold in the winter (and we don't shoot mooses Ms Palin! But hey Sarah you are cute for a grandmother xx!)

Donegal is a major tourist attraction, and a political hotbed - plenty of international travellers can make it this far, and plenty of politicians over the years have descended from Dun a Ghaill (that's Gaelic you know!) - our current Deputy Prime Minister is a Donegaller (???citation needed!!??).

So what's keeping me and my family from visiting Donegal. Nothing that I can think of. Maybe it's just ignorance, or the fear of Irish roads. But now that it is on the list, let's just load up some weekend, drive out of the estate, turn left on the M/N3 and drive staright for Donegal. It's as simple as that!

And I gather that when you get there, to the top of Ireland, the view is great!

2 comments:

  1. Hi Paul ... Donegal, my heart place!
    Only one comment - What's stopping you?
    Grab the walking boots, climb Errigal, wander along the uncrowded beaches ... ahh food for the soul ... and one or two great little watering holes too!

    By the way, here via Caroline's site. Looking forward to reading more.

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  2. You've just reminded me its on my list of things to do as well... maybe in 2010 i will make the time!

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