Nestling below Cashel hill overlooking Ballyness Bay, Gortahork is a small busy Gaeltacht (Irish Speaking Region) village in Northwest Donegal (in Gaeilge the town's name means The Field of Oats). There is a bronze statue of a man scything grain in the grounds of the old Tech, a bit 'wooden' as poses go but a great photo opportunity! It has the typical rural Irish feature of a long main street and a wild scattering of houses dissappearing up laneways and side roads. (It was the Vikings who imposed the orderly towns and villages - we Irish always liked things a bit more imaginative!) With a few shops, an impressive Church and a busy Hotel, and of course Teach Bhillie (Billie's Pub pronounced Chack Villie) which hosts the best traditional music session in the county every Tuesday night - Gortahork is homely and welcoming. Given its location on the coast hugging the foothills of the Derryveagh Mountains, Gortahork is the perfect base to explore the hills and inlets of the surrounding landscape. It is also the departure point for trips to Tory and Inis Bo Finne two Gaelic speaking islands. For travelers on a budget the fact that the village straddles the main N56 road means there are daily coach services to Derry, Belfast, Dublin, Sligo and Galway. The village is only 20 minutes drive from Donegal Airport (Carrickfin) which links to Glasgow and Dublin. If you want to sample rural life with a rich culture, you couldn't do much better than Gortahork.

Slap bang in the middle of the Donegal Gaeltacht (Irish speaking), and slap bang in the middle of the village is the oasis known as Teach Bhillie. (pronounced Chack Villie and meaning The House of Billy) This stone-built double-fronted, two storey establishment is run by Hughie and Fionnula Shiels and is named after Fionnula's father (and previous owner) Billy Doohan. The pub is always sparkling clean, has a warm fire and a warmer welcome and serves the best pint of Guinness in the district. (That's due to clean pipes and expert storage) The public bar vibrates to the chatter of Gaelic as locals share the news and craic. Every Tuesday evening from about 10pm - hail, rain or shine, you can be entranced by the best traditional Irish music 'seisiun' or session in the region. There is NO cover charge, the seisiun is free admission. Don't rush in and fly out again. The fire will be lit, the pint perfect and things will happen in their own good time. The no-smoking ban is absoute nation-wide so the atmosphere is clear and melodic! Enjoy and if you find me there remember... mine's a pint of the black stuff.

Nestling below Cashel hill overlooking Ballyness Bay, Gortahork is a small busy Gaeltacht (Irish Speaking Region) village in Northwest Donegal (in Gaeilge the town's name means The Field of Oats). It has the typical rural Irish feature of a long main street and a wild scattering of houses dissappearing up laneways and side roads. (It was the Vikings who imposed the orderly towns and villages - we Irish always liked things a bit more imaginative!) With a few shops, an impressive Church and a busy Hotel, and of course Teach Bhillie (Billie's Pub) which hosts the best traditional music session in the county every Tuesday night - Gortahork is homely and welcoming. Given its location on the coast hugging the foothills of the Derryveagh Mountains, Gortahork is the perfect base to explore the hills and inlets of the surrounding landscape. The nearby beach of Magheroarty has been described as one of the top surfing spots in Europe and a favourite of wind and kite surfers. It is also the departure point for trips to Tory and Inis Bo Finne two Gaelic speaking islands. For travelers on a budget that the village straddles the main N56 road means there are daily coach services to Derry, Belfast, Dublin, Sligo and Galway. The village is only 20 minutes drive from Donegal Airport (Carrickfin) which links to Glasgow and Dublin. If you want to sample rural life with a rich culture, you couldn't do much better than Gortahork.