County Donegal
Donegal
Strokestown Park and Famine Museum
Donegal
Donegal is fast becoming a leading west coast touring destination with a fine selection of sights and attractions. Facing all the might of the Atlantic Ocean, the northwest corner of Ireland possesses a unique dignity and wildness.
Earth, sea and sky meet brilliantly along a deeply indented coast still undiscovered and unspoilt. This is a remote, rustic country. Air, water and land are all immaculately unpolluted.
The Atlantic coast region remains one of the most 'Irish' corners of Ireland, where old customs survive, traditions live on, and the Irish language may still be heard.
Touring Donegal takes you to one of the wildest, most rugged, and least populous corners of Ireland. If you feel uplifted by wide, open spaces, and are inspired by landscapes which seem to scorn all attempts to tame them, then you will find your Utopia here.
Awe-inspiring sea cliffs and headlands, wave-battered beaches, deep glacial valleys, towering mountains and deserted, evocative moorlands—the emphasis is on scenery, scenery and scenery!
Strokestown Park and Famine Museum
Strokestown House is an eighteenth century Palladian mansion, home of the Packenham Mahon family from 1653 until 1979. The House is unique in that it retains all of its original furnishings and can be seen by guided tour.
The Famine Museum is located in the stable yards of Strokestown Park. When what remained of the original property was purchased, an archive of papers relating to the management of the estate during the 1840's came to light. This collection is now regarded as the single best, private archive on the Great Irish Famine in the world.
By the early 1840's, a majority of the 12,000 tenants lived in poverty. When faced with bankruptcy, the landlord, Major Denis Mahon, employed a land agent to manage his affairs. The agent recommended that two thirds of the population be cleared through eviction and assisted-emigration to Canada. By late 1847, Major Mahon was the subject of much criticism because of his policies and on 2nd November 1847 he was assassinated.
The six-acre Walled Gardens have been faithfully restored to their original splendor. Visitors are given an insight into horticultural practices and garden architecture from the 1740's to the present day. The Georgian peach house and vinery date back to the 1780's and exceptional views of the estate and gardens are obtained through two splendid tripartite Venetian windows in the Georgian Gazebo house. The herbaceous border has been entered in the Guinness Book of Records as the longest herbaceous border in Ireland and Britain.