Letterkenny is a town in County Donegal, in the north of Ireland. If you’re planning a visit to this town, there are heaps of fun things to do in Letterkenny. It is known as the Cathedral town and the largest and most populous town in Donegal.
Things you'll find in this article
8 Things To Do In Letterkenny Donegal (For 2024)
1.Donegal County Museum
Letterkenny’s 19th-century workhouse, built to provide Famine relief, now houses the local museum. The permanent collection offers 8000-plus artifacts from prehistoric times onwards. This county museum is officially recognized by the Government of Ireland as the best museum in the country.
Admission Fee
Free
Opening Hours
Monday to Saturday 10 am to 4:30 pm
Contact Information
Address: High Rd, Ballyboe Glencar
Email: museum@donegalcoco.ie
Phone: +353 74 912 4613
2.Main Street Letterkenny
Main Street is an important thoroughfare in Letterkenny and it said to be the longest street in Ireland. Letterkenny’s long, sloping main street is graced by a cute little market square halfway down and red-brick Georgian houses which some of it owned by famous people.
3.Glenveagh Castle
Set in some 16,500 hectares of County Donegal mountains, Glenveagh Castle is a 19th Century castellated mansion built between 1870 and 1873. The Scottish Baronial-style castle is built by Captain John George Adair. When he picked the location for his castle, he went as far as evicting 244 tenants to have privacy.
The gardens around the house were planted in a free-flowing style with exotic species from Tasmania, Madeira, and Chile. The Glenveagh gardens itself is a major attraction aside from the surrounding lakes and forest in the area.
Admission Fee
Adult Castle Ticket €7.00 | Concession Castle Ticket €5.00 | Family Castle Ticket €15.00
Opening Hours
9 am to 5 pm but check in advance first as the castle tour is limited during off-peak and winter season. To verify the schedule, click here.
Contact Information
Address: Glenveagh, Churchhill, Letterkenny, Donegal
Email: glenveaghbookings@ahg.gov.ie
Phone: +353 76 1002537
4.Glenveagh National Park
Glenveagh National Park is one of Donegal’s treasures and Ireland’s second largest national park. The park is located 15 kilometers west of Letterkenny. It unfolds across 16,500 hectares of heathland, forest and bare mountain slopes around the amazing Lough Veagh.
Glenveagh National Park offers several things to do in Letterkenny. From the Glenveagh Castle, lovely gardens, viewpoint, hiking trails, lake and the visitor center that shows the history of this famous attraction in Letterkenny.
Admission Fee
Free
Opening Hours
The visitor center is open from 9 am to 5 pm. The park is open from dawn till dusk.
Contact Information
Address: Church Hill, Letterkenny, Co. Donegal, Ireland
Email: glenveaghbookings@ahg.gov.ie
Phone: +353 76 1002537
5.Newmills Corn and Flax Mills
One of the few monuments of industrial archaeology in Ireland is the complex of mills at Newmills. The oldest surviving building in the complex is said to be 400 years old. New mills is an interesting reminder of a stage in the industrial development of this country which has now given way to more sophisticated but usually far less fascinating technology.
The complex of industrial buildings includes both corn and flax mills powered by the river Swilly. The visitor can also check out one of the largest waterwheels in Ireland in action.
Admission Fee
Free
Opening Hours
Summer: Monday – Friday 08:00-20:00 Saturday, Sunday, Bank Holidays 09:00-20:00 | Winter: Monday – Friday 08:00-17:00 Saturday, Sunday, Bank Holidays 09:00-17:00
Contact Information
Address: Churchill Road
Email: newmills@opw.ie
Phone: +353 74 9125115
6.Letterkenny Town Park/ Bernard McGlinchey Town Park
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Bernard McGlinchey Town Park is a public park located on the site of an 18th-century woodland. The park is often used as the venue for festivals and French markets. There are also work out equipment for adults and playground for children so it’s a good place for the entire family to spend a day.
Admission Fee
Free
Opening Hours
24/7
Contact Information
Address: Ballyboe Glencar
Phone: 074 9194200
7.Ballymacool Town Park
Currently, the biggest public park in Donegal, Ballymacool Town Park is a good place for kids and the entire family. It is also located outside of the city and in the countryside area so it’s a good place to relax after a crazy week. The park has a picnic and park benches located throughout. It also has toilet facilities.
Admission Fee
Free
Opening Hours
8 am to 9 pm
Contact Information
Address: Ballymacool, Creeve (Smith)
8.Cathedral of St. Eunan and St. Columba, Letterkenny
St. Eunan’s Cathedral or the Cathedral of St. Eunan and St Columba as it is also known, is a Roman Catholic cathedral located in the parish of Conwal and Leck in Letterkenny. It was built between 1890 to 1900 and is the only Catholic cathedral in the county. St Eunan’s Cathedral should definitely be on your plan when you visit Letterkenny. The ergonomic design of the Cathedral was built in the Victorian neo-Gothic style and it surely one of its kind.
Where to stay in Letterkenny.
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