Donegall

Annie looking at heading Donegal June/July, suspect I'll probably get dragged along, looked at flights, there is a local airport but would seem you've got to fly Manchester/Dublin/Donegal and the prices were silly money...

So any suggestions, don't really want to take the car, but flying to Belfast and hiring a car, or train or bus from there to Donegal...

Any suggestions, could be one for Dermo this...

Ryanair do Liverpool to Derry.

Have a look at this Minty...Ryanair

Will look at that, thanks, do you know if there is a train line Derry/Donegal...

Looking at being there a couple of days either side of the 16th June...

Railway terminates in Derry if I remember right Minty. Maybe hire a car at Derry?

The Lone Ranger wrote:Railway terminates in Derry if I remember right Minty. Maybe hire a car at Derry?

Yip just been googling it myself, Annie now saying it may be as well to take the car, so that opens up a different avenue, don't really want to as no doubt there will be a bit of the amber nectar involved...

Derry is only 5 or 6 miles from the Donegal border Minty. Where in the county is annie's family from? It covers a very big area, is pretty rural so public transport wouldn't be an option unless you can get a relation to pick you up from one of the bigger towns. Fyi, Letterkenny, the main town, is a stag/hen hot spot. If you fly to Belfast, you will still have to get a bus to Derry, ( 2 hour journey). Fly to Dublin and its 4 hours plus by bus. No trains in Donegal as far as I know, they lifted the tracks decades ago. And for the love of God or allah or whatever deity is popular this week, DONT call Derry "Londonderry" in Donegal, even in jest. They'll explain to you why it's nor done and if you contiunue, you'll be lucky if you get away with a few thumps.

On the plus side, Donegal is gorgeous and completely off the main tourist trails. I'd defo recommend hiring a car. If you stay in a small village, chances are you'll get a lock in particularly on the weekend. You won't get Foster's on draught but you'll get Heineken, Budweiser etc for @ 4 euro a pint. ( alcohol is generally stronger here than UK ). The weather is guaranteed to be good the first 2 weeks in June. Will get iffy from mid June on. If you don't believe me, ask any Irish person what the weather is like during the Junior and Leaving Cert exams ( O and A levels), and they will tell you the same. Early June weather for 3 of the last 4 years was topping 23 degrees.  The pub grub is of a very high quality generally and is about a third less in cost than UK.
Let me know where Annie is from and I'll check to see if there is any bus link to it ( either private or public)

Thanks for that Dermo, she's round at her mates at the mo but will let her see your post and get back to you...

Majority of relatives live around Carndonagh , at the moment she's saying she don't want impose herself on relatives so could also be looking for a hotel/B&B...

From Derry, 35 min by car or 4 hours by bus. I know it will be a dilemma for you to make your mind up  . Its a seriously isolated part of  the country that. I've been up there only twice to play golf ( 2 of world's top 10 courses nearby). The nearest hotel I know off would be the Ballyliffin Lodge, a 4* but very good value. Nice food, but the bar is a bit "hotelish". There are another 2 hotels in the same village as far as I remember, but we were disgusted that there wasn't a local boozer we could have gone into. I'll look into it a bit more later on tonight.

No local boozer,,, feck that they can scatter his ashes elsewhere...

no local boozer in Ballyliffin. I'll bet there will be at least 3 in Carndonagh

found 4 so far on google earth. carndonagh is a lot bigger than I imagined. I thought it was a few houses at a crossroads with a pub, shop and post office. Its a fairly modern looking place.

Peww...

Thanks for help guys, decision made, fly Manchester Belfast and hire a car...

Reason, the Liverpool Derry flights at £12 each way look good but the times,,, 07:35,  four of us going from Manchester and Cheadle, we were gonna have to be up at silly o'clock to get to Liverpool, so looked at take car and  ferries, absoutly silly prices and stupid journey time, so the Manchester Belfast  car hire option was the best, flights £35 per scull return, and Manchester airport is easy for all of us to get to... So flights sorted car hire, we're gonna be there four days two hours, so looking at a five day car hire,,, sixty quid the cheapest,,, but muppet Annie couldn't pass here test five times in a manual so it's got to be an automatic, £160,,, other two don't drive and I'm fecked if I'm going to Ireland and not dwinking... Dermo I've Googled Carndonagh,,, please ensure me there is life and a pub there...

Dunno Minty. I've only ever been to Donegal twice. Very isolated spot. Have a look with Street View on Google Maps.

I did, hence the question... 

This is the view up and down the main street,,, worrying 

You'll be spoilt for choice. I have found 10 pubs in 3 minutes looking. There are 6 in this photo alone! Don't panic Pike!  

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You just don't get this service on other forums, it's good to know folks on this forum can take things seriously when they need to...

Pub crawl on the cards Minty!

Oh yeah...

Waste of time, it always happens that you find a great spot on the 3rd or 4th pub and there you will stay. Then the following night, because the craic was so good in that particular spot, you won't go anywhere else and will then consider yourself a "regular"! By the way, I'll bet you will understand the accent Rob but Annie will struggle ( unless her dad kept his accent)

Queer lot anyway