Hillwalking is one of my favorite things to do in Ireland. I have trudged through misty rain and gray skies savoring fresh, mountain air.
But sometimes, the weather cooperates, the sun adds its splendor, and each step through the springy peat of Ireland's mountainous terrain reveals the splendor of her spectacular scenery.
Table of Contents
A Trip To Ireland
Last month my husband visited Ireland on a quick five-day trip to see his uncle who is visiting Ireland from Australia. Before he left I put in a special request. As I packed his camera I pleaded:
"If the weather cooperates, if the sun shines, and if you have a spare moment, please try to catch a few good shots of Ireland and your favorite place on earth, Co. Donegal."
And believe it or not, after one of the worst summers on record in my homeland, the sun actually cooperated and shone for one whole day during his trip.
Once the first ray of sunshine peeped through his bedroom window, he packed a picnic, stuffed his feet into his climbing boots, and took to the hills of Donegal. Here are some photos he snapped as he wandered through the Poison Glen.
The Poison Glen
"The Poison Glen" is such an unfortunate name for this spectacular place. It truly seems like a slice of heaven on earth.
It turns out in Irish this beautiful place is really called "The Heavenly Glen" or "Gleann Neaimhe".
The Irish word for heaven is "neamh" and the word for poison is "neimhe". However, the pronunciation of the word "neamh" changes slightly when it is associated with the word glen in the genitive case. Hence, some poor English translator in years gone by mixed up the word for heaven and poison when naming the glen.
Mount Errigal and the Derryveagh Mountains
The views of this valley from the surrounding Derryveagh mountains really do confirm it is a heavenly glen.
The large summit in the photo above is Donegal's highest peak, Mount Errigal.
Errigal is one of the largest of "the seven sisters", a mystical mountain chain looking over the Poison Glen and Lough Dunlewey.
The views are breathtaking from above the valley.....
..... and from below looking upwards to the imposing mountains.
A wild deer watched my husband and his best friend on their happy trails, as the sun began to set.
An old church ruins stands in the center of the valley. Clannad, the famous Donegal band, known for their fusion of traditional Celtic sounds with a New Age rhythm, sing of this valley in their song "The Poison Glen."
"Way up there in the poison glen
The sun's going down on the misty mountain
And I'm watching
And wondering
Feeling something from long ago."
- Clannad
"Haunted echo that surrounds the glen
The heather creeping through
The burned out ruins
And I'm watching
And wondering
Feeling spirits of long ago"
- Clannad
If you like the thin air of mountain peaks, the glorious windswept freedom of heavenly summits, and the ability to leave humanity for just a few short hours, then Ireland, and especially County Donegal, is your kind of place.
Just keep praying for the sun to peep out from behind the clouds!
Thanks for following my recipes and ramblings.
Slán agus beannacht,
(Goodbye and blessings)
Mairéad -Irish American Mom
Pronunciation - slawn ah-gus ban-ock-th
Mairéad - rhymes with parade
Here are some more recipes and ramblings you might enjoy...
Ireland - County By County
- County Kilkenny - Home To Ireland's Medieval City
- County Kerry - The Kingdom
- County Louth - The Land Of Legends
- County Donegal - The Beautiful Northwest
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- Healthy Honey Roasted Parsnips Recipe
- Mustard Champ - An Easy and Flavorful Irish Side Dish
- How To Make Apple Chutney Irish Style
Vince
I did quite a bit of research about the "official" names for round about where I come from the local names had nothing whatsoever to do with them. Nada, nowt, not even a miss-hearing or twisted translation.
Turns out, when they were doing the survey of Ireland in the 1830-45 they established local committees where very few were actually 'local'. Mostly the makeup was comprised of the police inspector, J.P's, priests&ministers of various hew and hue and smaller landowners. Your basic agenda on a stick Irish style to the X^. http://places.galwaylibrary.ie/odonovan.html
I expect the 'name' of that valley is probably a miss-hearing of poison than heavenly.
Lovely photos. Isn't it brilliant that they are making the cameras so small and with such good glass that taking such is a true joy. I schlep my dslr up hill and down glen but I could get away with my little Samsung with her 16mpix and 10x easily.
🙂 And lime. Lime !. You are putting you man in lime. You don't think you could pick a colour from his or your county jersey. Lime isn't even girly. 🙂 🙂
Irish American Mom
Vince - Name places in Ireland have always fascinated me. I remember listening to my granny in West Cork naming parishes and town lands, then being amazed at the difference between her pronunciation and the actual written name on a map. Thanks so much for the link above explaining the whole process for naming places during the survey of the 19th century.
Cameras today are truly amazing. All these photos were taken with a small Nikon that fits in a pocket. And don't worry about my man's jacket. He was standing behind the camera in his favorite color black. I have no say in his wardrobe whatsoever, except every now and then I buy a blue or red shirt for a birthday or Christmas to try to insert a bit of color into his collection.
All the best, and have a great weekend.
Mairead
Brian Deeney
Hi Mairead
Lovely set of photos your husband took in the Dunlewey area - have always meant to make it it to top of errigal, but haven't got around to it yet. Last year I went walking in the Urris hills in north Inishowen - the views over Lough Swilly are fantastic (the guy in this photo is my brother in law)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/donegalcottageholidays/5320568496/in/set-72157625737934580/
Irish American Mom
Hi Brian - Thanks for the link to your photo from Inishowen. Just gorgeous! Walking the hills of Ireland on a good day, and even on a wet one, is an amazing experience. I am so happy my kids are getting old enough now to join us on our treks across the hills. We love to go for long hikes here in Kentucky, so I plan to have them well trained for the Irish hills when we come back next summer.
Take care and thanks for stopping by.
Mairead
Brian@irelandfavorites
Hi Mairead, Thanks for your beautiful images providing a nice distraction from world events,
Cheers'
Brian.
And yes Donegal is one of God's best works.
Irish American Mom
Three cheers for Donegal - beautiful in the rain or when the sun shines. Have a great weekend,
Mairead
Grammy
Gorgeous, fantastic pictures! Kudos to your Hubby photographer....
Irish American Mom
He really did do a great job on these shots. There is no place on earth like Ireland when the sun shines.
All the best,
Mairead
Seamus Doohan
hello to Irish American Mom .... love the blog ... i don't live that far from Errigal ...in a place called Falcarragh.... class photos and i'm glad that you enjoyed your day in the hills of Donegal ..... the beauty of these hills is why i started up a website to take locals and tourists alike on a Guided walk or hike, ... i have yet to go on a bad walk .....Check out walkingdonegal.net and next time your here give me a shout and i'll show you some hidden beauty spots in Donegal or indeed the North West .... Yours in Boots .. Seamus
Irish American Mom
Seamus - Falcarragh is such a beautiful spot in Donegal and Ireland. You are a lucky man to live in such a lovely corner of the world. My husband loves to go hill walking. He has climbed lots of mountains on this side of the Atlantic especially in California. He even made it to the top of Mount Rainier in Washington State. Like you he is a Donegal man. He climbs Errigal every time we are back home. He is going to love your website and next time we are back we will definitely have to get in touch to learn about those hidden beauty spots. Take care, and thanks for stopping by.
Mairead
Aimee
Stunning!! I love the fall colors in the grasses! Happy that Ireland cooperated with your husband when Kentucky wasn't as willing to play along. 🙂
Irish American Mom
Aimee - He was so lucky to get one sunny day on his quick trip back to Ireland. I think it was one of the few times this year the weather cooperated in Ireland. This summer was one of the wettest in history.
Have a lovely weekend,
Mairead
Jenn Ross
Oh, how I love these hills. I miss Donegal, thank you for these beautiful photo's!
Irish American Mom
Such a magnificent county! I am so looking forward to visiting next year!
All the best,
Mairead
Bonnie Banters
Ireland is such a beautiful country! My son's company is based there. One of his closest colleagues moved back to Ireland not long ago. Also, one of his oldest friends and his wife are living there now while he works on his PHD.
My son made a trip to Ireland on business the end of last month. His girlfriend met him there after a few days, and they finished out the trip as a little vacation. On a drive along the Dingle peninsula, he totally surprised her with a proposal at Slea Head Beach! He used the decoy of setting up his tripod for photos and whipped out the ring (on one knee, none the less)! I have one of the photos on my last blog.
Irish American Mom
Hi Bonnie - What a lovely engagement story! Congratulations to your son and his girlfriend! Slea Head - a magnificent setting to pop the question. I will check the photos on your blog.
Best wishes,
Mairead
Sean Mullan
Love your photos and comments.Mairead.
Do you know Brian Friel's 'Translations' - brilliant play and shows us how haphazardly place names were translated - I think it may be in Derry next year as part of the City of Culture year.
I do walking tours in Donegal and Antrim and live in the wonderful peninsula of Fanad. Feel free to get in touch anytime.
Sean Mullan
http://www.walktalkdonegal.com
Irish American Mom
Sean - I must try to see Translations some time. I have heard it is a wonderful play. I missed it by a few weeks the last time it played at "The Grianan" in Letterkenny.
Thanks for stopping by. I'll check out your site, especially when we are planning our next trip to Donegal. The Fanad peninsula is just spectacular. We drive around it every time we are home, but now that my kids are older I plan to do a lot more hill walking next time.
Take care,
Mairéad
Paul
Great write-up about a magical place!
Irish American Mom
Paul - It truly is a magical place. Thanks for checking out my post.
Mairead
The Lime Kiln
https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Lime-Kiln-Donegal-Ireland/281840397368?ref=hl#!/media/set/?set=a.10151260480677369.495241.281840397368&type=1
We would like to share some of our photos with you. We agree its a magical place!!
Thank you for sharing such wonderful photos.
Claire @ The Lime Kiln
Irish American Mom
Claire - The Lime Kiln is spectacular - you must be so proud of the restoration project. Old and new blend beautifully together. Thanks for sharing this link for your lovely rental accommodation in County Donegal.
Best wishes,
Mairead
Josephine
Hi mairead,
Lovely photo's of Dunlewey and Poison Glen. I'm blessed to live in Dunlewey and am always delighted to see positive reviews of the area. Check out our facebook page http://www.facebook.com/dunluiche for some old photos of Dunlewey and the Glen.
Josephine
Irish American Mom
Josephine - Your photos are fabulous. I especially love the old ones. Thanks so much for letting me know about your page. Last time we were home we spent a lovely day at the Dunlewey Centre. We took the boat out onto the lake - what a wonderful guided tour. My kids are still talking about "The Green Lady" ghost in the old red house.
Best wishes,
Mairead
Green Baron
Thanks for all the kind words about my photos (Cheap pocket sized Nikon). Also thanks for the links Seamus and Sean. I will definitely check them out as I am always looking out for new challenges.
While visiting my family in Letterkenny, I always make time to do some hill walking and climbing around Donegal. The last time I stood on top of Errigal and looked south I knew I had to hike around the Poison Glen as it's just breathtaking. The photos don't do it justice. It was one of the most enjoyable hikes me and my friend Liam have ever done. Cheers!
Donegal Airport
Thank you for sharing our beautiful county from all of us at Donegal Airport.
An bealach go Contae Dhún na nGall.
Irish American Mom
Donegal is beautiful. My husband is from Letterkenny so he knows many hidden treasures that are off the beaten track.
Thanks so much for stopping by,
Mairéad