EVS is a fantastic opportunity to travel. As new volunteers we cannot wait to leave and visit Ireland. This is a country that offers a heterogeneous variety of fantastic places to discover. So we dedicate a weekend to the Wild Atlantic Coast in order to reach some of the highest areas of Ireland. For the occasion, we met two friends of Francesca, EVS volunteers in Kilkenny. So in five, we ventured along the winding Irish roads.
We left Drumshanbo on Saturday and reached Donegal via Sligo. Donegal is a small tourist town on the Atlantic Ocean. There we visited the castle and took a short walk to the main street via the main square, until we reached the cemetery with an ocean view. We could not stop too much because still at the beginning of the journey – moreover, the city center is not very big – that’s why we decided to leave.
Got back to the road we took the N15 towards Letterkenny. It was a very long journey and our breaks were very short because the place to be reached was still far away. After Letterkenny we had to reach Buncrana, Clonmany and then Leenan. There we rented a typical Irish cottage for the night.
We arrived just for dinner… what a pity though because we did not have much time to go around. And the weather was not the best! After a quick Fish & Chips we took advantage of the evening light to reach the Atlantic Ocean on Pollan Bay. The beach in the evening is very charming, and the atmosphere is peaceful and magical at the same time.
Tired but really happy we went to bed… that night a really strong wind blew! The following morning we left to reach Fanad Head. It is not the most northerly point of Ireland, but it is close. We traveled along the road around Lake Drongaw Lough and the entire cove, passing through a Viking landscape. In front of our eyes, desolate lands and cliffs overlooking the sea formed a breathtaking view.
The lighthouse on the cliff is really charming. We had a sack lunch sitting on the cliff, and for us it is not so every day! The trip was not over yet because we wanted to visit the Glenveagh National Park. Unfortunately, arrived at the park it started to rain but we decided to make a short stop the same. A minibus took us from the park entrance to the castle along the Lough Beagh lake.
It seemed to be in a movie: a journey into another journey. Arriving at the castle we decided to visit the garden and look at the castle from the outside. We did not have time to enter. Once we reach the car, we leave again: this time we know that there will be no other stops. We had to reach Sligo in time because Francesca’s friends had to go back to Kilkenny by train.
It was a fantastic experience and in two days we got to know part of Ireland. The trip was a bit tiring because we spent a lot of time in the car. We were ready for the next adventure and a new day of work at GEAI!
