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Donegal is most famous for its tweed production (see Tweed) with Magee’s the biggest manufacturer based here. The Diamond, a triangular central market, is at the heart of the town and an obelisk in the centre commemorates four Franciscans who wrote Annals of the Four Masters in the 1630s. This extraordinary opus follows the history of the Gaelic people from the Great Flood up to the 17th century.

The extraordinary quartzite cone of Mount Errigal dominates the Derryveagh mountain range in this wild part of Donegal. It overlooks the Glenveagh National Park, which incorporates the beautiful Lough Veagh Valley, and Poisoned Glen. One theory behind the name is that British soldiers were fed Irish spurge, a poisonous plant indigenous to the area, to murder them.

This dramatic 180-m (600-ft) rockface is home to hundreds of seabirds, including guillemots, gulls and puffins, which swoop in and out of the crevices hewn into the rock. The headland is covered in purple heather and the views over the Atlantic are stupendous.

Undiscovered by so many, this glorious corner in the far northwest has possibly the finest scenery in Ireland, with the spectacular Slieve Snaght Mountain in the centre, Foyle and Swilly lakes to east and west, and the dune-fringed beaches facing the Atlantic. The peninsula also has its share of dramatic headlands and boasts Ireland’s most north-westerly point at Malin Head.

An exciting place to be when the boats come in, Killybegs is one of the busiest fishing ports in the country. As the trawlers unload their catches gulls squawk over the water in an attempt to claim a discarded morsel.

Donegal’s largest town is flanked by the Derryveagh Mountains to the west and the Sperrin Mountains to the east. Its main street, said to be the longest in Ireland, is overlooked by the Neo-Gothic St Eunan’s Cathedral. The County Museum has a good display on local history.

Just north of Sligo is Drum-cliffe church, where WB Yeats is buried, and the visitors’ centre focuses on items and books relating to the poet. The area was a great inspiration to Yeats and he was a frequent visitor at the rather forbidding Lissadell House a few miles to the west. Lissadell was home to the Gore-Booth family, who were active in the fight for Irish freedom.

One of the best spots for viewing this magnificent lake is from the main Sligo-to-Boyle road. The Loch Key Forest Park has numerous walks along the lakeside and through the woods. Boyle is an appealing nearby town with a ruined abbey, interesting museum and some fine Georgian architecture.

Built by a Captain Robert Parke in 1609, and overlooking Lough Gill, this fortified manor house was erected on the site of an earlier tower house. The foundations and moat of this earlier structure are incorporated into the castle but otherwise it is a fine example of a plantation house. You can visit the castle by road or by boat on the Lough Gill cruise.