The best cycling routes around Brollagh

Built between 1634 and 1636, Manorhamilton Castle is a fine sight. The castle survived the Irish Rebellion in 1641 but succumbed to the Earl of Clanrickard in 1652 and was burned. It's the official start point for the 60-kilometre (37 mi) Leitrim Way, which journeys to Leitrim Village Marina.

A glorious selection of perennials, vegetables and shrubs await at Salthill Gardens. This once classic kitchen garden has been transformed by Elizabeth Temple into a delightful space. She's been working on the garden since 1985 and the fruits of her labour are obvious. There's a small charge to enter the gardens.

On the edge of the village of Mountcharles, this long, narrow pier juts into the bay. It is a simple but characterful place: fishing boats, tidal channels and a wide view across Donegal Bay towards the Bluestack Mountains. At low tide, the pier sits high above the sand and mudflats, at high tide it seems to almost float on the open water.

This is a family run coffee shop, where you can enjoy fabulous views and enjoy homemade snacks. Walk around our animal pet area where you can meet pigmy goats, pigs, chickens, ducks, llamas, rabbits and lots more.

On the banks of the River Eske stands Donegal Castle, the 15th-century stronghold of the mighty O’Donnell clan. The combination of the robust medieval tower and the later 17th-century manor house gives it a layered appearance: Gaelic-Irish at the base, with a subtle English finish on top. From the road and the bridge, you get a beautiful view of the massive walls and its position above the water, making the castle a natural landmark as you enter Donegal Town.

The Diamond forms the central square of Donegal Town: an open, triangular space where roads, shops, and cafés converge. In the middle stands the obelisk for the Four Masters, a subtle reference to the Franciscan scholars who recorded Irish history. The square breathes a calm, local atmosphere and forms a natural landmark when cycling through the town or stopping for a short break.

A wide Atlantic beach with hard sandbanks where you can easily cycle at low tide. Open views, calm atmosphere and ideal for a break between Ballyshannon and Donegal Bay. It is once again an Irish surf hotspot.

For Ballyshannon, Rory Gallagher is not just a world-famous guitarist; he is the "Born and Bred" pride of Ireland's oldest town. Although he moved to Cork at a young age, Ballyshannon claims him with heart and soul as their own son. He was born here in 1948 at the Rock Hospital, and that deep connection can be felt everywhere in the streets. In the eyes of the local community, Rory embodies the humble, hardworking spirit of Donegal. He was the man who brought the blues to the Irish soul, armed with his iconic, battered Fender Stratocaster and his signature checkered shirt. For the locals, he is the reason thousands of fans from all over the world flock to the Rory Gallagher International Tribute Festival every year, turning the town into the centre of rock 'n' roll for a while. Rory is not a distant legend here, but a tangible presence that lives on in the statue on The Diamond and the colourful murals that adorn the town.