Take a self-guided walking trail of places of historic interest around the village of Doochary/An Dúchoraidh using the interactive map below.
Short films created at each site are included on the interactive map. Photos and descriptions of all the different locations are also available below.
If you are travelling by car, it is recommended that you stop off at No.1. The Golden Eagle at the top of the hill before walking the trail around the village.
Interactive Map
1. The Golden Eagle – Welcome
Welcome to the start of Doochary Heritage Trail. At the top of ‘The Corkscrew’ is a picnic area with a panoramic view over the valley. This sculpture of a Golden Eagle, created by Donegal artist John Gillespie, was commissioned by Doochary Development to honour the efforts to reintroduce the Golden Eagle to Doochary in 2001. View on map / Welcome page
2. The Ice House
The Ice House is a unique two-room stone Victorian structure built from locally quarried red granite and set into the side of a small hill. The Ice House was commissioned, literally to store ice, by the Marquis Conyngham around 1850. Conyngham owned huge tracts of the county up until the beginning of the 20th century and built a hunting lodge nearby. The structure was used to store salmon caught in the abundant waters of the River Gweebarra, to which the Marquis owned exclusive rights. In a properly constructed building, the ice could last for up to three years. View on map / more info
3. Joseph McKelvey
Born 17th June 1898, Stewartstown, Tyrone. Executed December 8th, 1922. Joseph’s father, Patrick McKelvey, was a native of Doochary village and worked in the Royal Irish Constabulary. His home-place is yards from the McKelvey memorial in the village. View on map / more info
4. Sarah’s Well
Just outside the village, on the back road to Glenveagh National Park, is Sarah’s Well/Tobar Shorcha. The water is reputed to cure skin conditions and people can make a pilgrimage there to either seek a cure for themselves or for a friend or family member. Should they seek the cure for someone other than themselves, they bring a piece of clothing or some other item belonging to the person for whom they are seeking a cure. View on map / more info
5. The Swallow
This sculpture ‘The Swallow’ by Donegal artist John Gillespie has been erected in memory of all those families from Doochary who sought a new life in the Americas, in the hope that they, like the swallow, will return to their homeland once more. View on map / more info
6. The Doochary Band
The first account of The Doochary Band was in 1888 when they welcomed home political prisoners in Dungloe. Many villagers played in the band over the years, with a strong revival in the 1950s. View on map / more info
7. Doochary Bridge
The name Doochary comes from the Irish name An Dúchoraidh meaning ‘the black weir’. The first bridge over the Gweebarra Estuary was built at Doochary in 1786. It was commissioned by William Burton Conyngham (1733-1796), one of the major landlords in the region who carried out many improvements to local infrastructure. Prior to that, the only way of crossing the Gweebarra Estuary was by ferry. View on map / more info
8. O’Hanlon’s Pub
This mural by artist Andrea Redmond of Cailleach Moon Cottage is dedicated to memories of O’Hanlon’s Pub. The pub/inn was run by the Caulfield and O’Hanlon families during the 20th Century. At the left side of the bench, you can still see the corner of the exterior of the pub and on the ground are tiles from its interior floor. View on map / more info
9. Knitwear Industry
During the late 19th Century, the Rosses were celebrated for knitting woollen stockings. Women of Doochary were deft knitters, often stitching as they walked – as this photo, installed in a derelict white cottage near to the bridge, demonstrates. They sold their ‘piece work’ to Kennedy’s of Ardara. The business owner could show them a finished garment and the women could calculate stitches and design without any need for a pattern. Kennedy’s then sold the work on to USA. This skilled craft work boosted the income of local families. View on map / more info
10. Gweebarra River
In 1906, the Marquis Conyngham took village fishermen to court for fishing on the tidal stretch of river between Doochary and Ballynacarrick, claiming full fishing rights over the area. Local netsmen lost the case and were ordered to pay costs. However, they appealed this decision at the High Court and won the right to fish for themselves and for future generations. View on map / more info
11. Picnic Area
There is a picnic area and nature garden on the South East side of the village with a wheelchair-accessible picnic table and benches to enjoy the view of the Gweebarra River. From here, you can view St. Conal’s Church across the river and enjoy a display on the Salmon Fisheries. View on map / more info
12. Dónal Mac Diarmada
The Gweebarra Poet mural remembering poet and postman Dónal Mac Diarmada by artist Andrea Redmond of Cailleach Moon Cottage. The mural is installed on the side of Mac Diarmada’s cottage. View on map / more info
13. St. Conal’s Church
St. Conal’s Church was built under the direction of Fr. Scanlan in 1896. To finance the work, a levy was placed on each house in the parish and each paid according to their valuation. Anybody who had a horse and cart had to give a week of their time to the project, which consisted of carting stones, and every able-bodied man had to contribute 26 days work. The church still has the book presented by Lord Mayo, the local landlord, for the opening ceremony on St. Patrick’s Day, 1897. View on map / more info
