(Distance 4.5 miles, 7Km)

Portnablagh (which means 'Harbour of the Buttermilk' - possibly because of the foam caused by huge waves in north-westerly gales) is a very scenic spot with pier, beach, viewing point/car park. Taking a clockwise circuit of Breaghy Head around its relatively quiet 3rd class roads offers excellent views of Portnablagh Harbour, Killyhoey Beach and Horn Head. About half way along the first leg of this route in a north easterly direction a large house can be seen on the left. This is Mullen's Boarding House,famous in the early part of this century among such notables as Jack B.Yeats, Domhnall O'Buachalla, Stephen Scott, son of Captain Scott of Antarctic fame, Standish O'Grady and the O'Rahilly. Captain Scott himself and his wife stayed here shortly before his ill-fated Polar expedition of 1912.

Turning up to windward, white sails are unfurled,
Halyards pulled and tightened, loose ends quickly curled.
Turning off the wind, sheets are hardened in.
Heeling gently to the breeze.
Shapely, long and thin.
Reminds him of a woman...

The road turns southerly downhill towards Marble Hill Strand. It was here that George Russell (AE) writes in one of his books of a meeting he had with Pan, God of the Nature Kingdom, and where he introduced WB Yeats to the realm of fairies, devas and nature spirits for which the latter is now surely better known.

Both men frequently stayed at Marble Hill House, a fine Georgian mansion which is not open to the public. At that time the house was owned by Hugh Law MP, who later became TD for Donegal after the foundation of the state. Other visitors around that time were PH Pearse,William Orpen, Percy French, GK Chesterton and Hilliare Belloc.

On the way back to Portnablagh, along the N56, you will pass on your right the "middle road" out Breaghy Head, on which you will see a roofless ruin called Faugher House. This was built by the O'Boyles as a "fortified house", 1691, the time of the Plantation of Ulster, and taken from then after the 1641 rebellion.

ROUTE

Travelling southeast on the N56 from Portnablagh, take the first left, to travel north-east around the third-class road which circuits Breaghy Head, past Marble Hill strand and exits again onto the N56 near Faugher school. Turn right and return north to Portnablagh again.

If time permits, take the road to the left, opposite the road were you first turned towards Breaghy Head. This will bring you past a fine example of an old lime-kiln, Sessiagh Lake (with its crannog) and returning right onto the N56 to Portnablagh again.