The Bay of Donegal

Donegal Bay is the Republic of Ireland's largest bay. The bay, which is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean, encompasses the coastlines of the three counties of County Donegal, County Leitrim and County Sligo.

The bay's nautical limits are from Rossan Point in County Donegal, in the north, to Leanadoon Point in County Sligo to the south.

The bay as a whole is renowned for being Ireland's premier surfing location, although the bay does offer several other interesting features, including miles of sandy beaches, several quaint fishing villages, secluded harbours and steep rugged cliffs, which include Europe's highest, the Sleive League Cliffs, which reach a height of over six hundred meters,

The bay is fed by several waterways, including the fourteen mile long, River Duff, renowned for it's grade three rapids, the River Drowes, a popular salmon and trout river which has it's source at the special site of scientific interest (SSSI) and nature reserve of Lough Melvin, the three mile long, River Eske, fed by the nine hundred square acre, Lough Eske, and the seventy four mile long, River Erne, which forms the nearby, forty two square mile, Lough Erne.

The bay has several small islands, including Ballyboyle Island, Belle's Isle, with it's sixteenth century castle, Innishmurray, with it's sixth century monastic ruins, Rooney's Island, Rotten Isle with it's nineteenth century lighthouse and St Ernan's Island.

The bay's coastline encompasses several towns and villages, including the Republic of Ireland's oldest town, Ballyshannon, the popular seaside resort of Bundoran, shown above, the village of Coolmore with it's striking Georgian manor house, the county town of Donegal, famous for it's Franciscan abbey, fifteenth century castle and Bluestack Mountains, Killybegs, with it's deep water harbour, the coastal villages of Mountcharles, Tullaghan and Mullaghmore, famous for the five hundred and twenty six meter high, Ben Bulben, and the surfers paradise of Rossnowlagh with it's mile long beach.

There are three lighthouses located on Donegal Bay, one on Rotten Island, one at St John's Point in County Donegal and one at Raithlin O'Birne, also situated in County Donegal.

SOME DONEGAL BAY WEBSITES

Tours - www.donegalbaywaterbus.com

Surfing - magicseaweed.com/Donegal-Bay-Surfing

Visit - www.donegal.ie

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