Na Cealla Beaga ~ meaning: the little cells

(The 'little cells' refers to the small churches/huts built by the monks who once lived in the area).

Evening sky over Killybegs

Population: approx. 3000

Letterkenny:  75 km - 47 miles.  Donegal Town: 27 km - 17 miles

Belfast: 214 km - 133 miles.  Dublin: 285 km - 177 miles.  Shannon: 304 km 189 miles

Killybegs is the biggest fishing sea port in Ireland and lands over half the catch of the entire national fishing fleet.  It is a thriving town where you will hear many different accents from all the fishermen who dock there.  There are many pubs and restaurants to visit and plenty of night life in the bars too, with live music throughout the week.  For those renting holiday homes locally, freshly caught fish can be bought on the pier most days.

Boats in the harbour

The largest fishing trawler in the world made her one visit to Killybegs in September 2000.  This trawler, the Atlantic Dawn, is owned by a local man, Kevin McHugh.  She was officially Christened there on September the 2nd 2000.  That visit is the only one the trawler will ever make to Killybegs as it is just too huge to easily sail into the harbour.  When she docked on September the 1st she opened her gangways so that people could go aboard.  Thousands of people flocked to the town and they queued for hours for this opportunity over the four days she was docked there.  She cost approximately 74,000,000 euro to build (STG 50,000,000/US$88,000,000).

DONEGAL CARPETS

Killybegs is the home of Donegal or Killybegs Carpets.  They produce some of the finest carpets in the world and are hand tufted and stitched.  Their carpets grace such illustrious buildings as Aras an Uachtain, The Vatican, Glenveigh Castle, The White House, Buckingham Palace, and 10 Downing Street.

ST. CATHERINE'S WELL

The patron saint of Killybegs is St. Catherine of Alexandria.  The story goes that a group of monks were sailing along the west coast of Ireland when they hit a terrible storm.  They thought they would never reach land and prayed to St. Catherine to save them.  They made a promise to the saint that if she saved their lives they would commemorate her memory where they landed by building a well in her honour.  The monks did make it to dry land ~ Killybegs.  Keeping their promise to the saint, they built a well and named it St. Catherine's Well.  The well is still there today and you can visit it by driving through Killybegs along the sea front until you come to a small roundabout.  Drive through the roundabout and to your right you will see a car park.  The well is just up from the carpark.  It is suitable for wheelchair users to visit the well but there is a bit of a slope part way up and assistance may be needed at that point.  Incidentally, until a few years ago the water came up to where the first gates into the well are now but this land was reclaimed to extend the harbour and make it suitable for the larger ships and trawlers now docking there.

St. Catherine's Well

It is said that those monks prayed to St. Catherine because she is the patron saint of seafarers however this is not actually the case.  St. Catherine is listed as being the patron saint of apologists, archivists, attornies, barristers, craftsmen who work with a wheel (potters, spinners, etc.), dying people, educators, girls, jurists, knife grinders, knife sharpners, lawyers, librarians, libraries, maidens, mechanics, millers, nurses, old maids, philosophers, potters, preachers, scholars, schoolchildren, scribes, secretaries, spinners, spinsters, stenographers, students, tanners, teachers, theologians, turners, University of Paris, unmarried girls, and wheelwrights.  But nowhere is she in anyway connected with the sea or seafarers therefore we surmise that those monks were praying to her for one of a couple of reasons: that they were pastors and theologians (of which she is the patron saint), and/or scholars which they may well have been.  Or even possibly because she is the patron saint of dying people and they were sure they were about to die on the stormy seas.

St. Catherine's Well

Local people have great faith in the crystal clear waters in St. Catherine's Well and each year on her feast day (November 25th) masses are said at the well.

To the right of the well as you are facing it you will see the remains of St. Catherine's Church.  The church was built around 1620, but is is believed that a much older church stood on this site when the British planters arrived.  The church is surrounded by an old graveyard.  There are a number of vicitims from WWII buried there, though some have in recent years been exhumed for reburial in the land of their birth.  The graveyard is no longer in use, the last local having been buried there was in 1902.

St. Catherine's Church

Directly above the well you can see the remains of Kit's Castle.  This was the home of the Bishop of Raphoe at that time, Bishop McMonagle, who built the castle around 1355.  It was for some years after used by further Bishops of Raphoe before falling into decline.

Kit's Castle

ST. MARY'S CHURCH

This church, set on a hillside in the town of Killybegs, was built from stones taken from the ruins of MacSwynes Castle at St. John's Point just a few miles away.  The church was started in 1842 and completed and first used on Christmas Day 1843.  The dedication of the Church to St. Mary was delayed because of the Great Famine, but was eventually dedicated by Dr. Cullen, the then Archbishop of Dublin.

St. Mary's Church

Inside the gates of the Church you can see a sandstone Slab Stone said to have covered the grave of Niall Mor McSwyne (MacSuibhne), who was a grandson of the first Chief of Bannagh (south west Donegal).  The Slab Stone was taken to it's present location from the ruined Franciscan Friary at Ballysaggart, St. John's Point in 1868 by the Parish Priest of Killybegs and Killaghtee, Monsignor James Stephens.  The McSwynes were a warlike Clan who came to Ireland from Scotland as gallowglasses (mercenary soldiers).  They built a castle in Killybegs at 'Castle Point' where now stands Mooney Boats boatyard. Niall Mor McSwyne had a castle at St. John's Point and the remains of this castle consisting of the south wall only cans still be seen.  

Niall Mor McSwyne's Slab Stone

In the grounds of the churchyard you can also walk up some tiny steps to the little grotto there.

St. Mary's Grotto

MASSROCK IN CROAGHLIN

Near Killybegs there is a Mass Rock you can visit.  This was a place where Catholics prayed during Penal Times.  The first mass to be celebrated there since penal times was in the year 2000 and concelbrated by three priests, Fr. Sharkey, Fr. Daly, and Fr. McCauley.

THE SPANISH ARMADA AND KILLYBEGS

A number of ships from the Spanish Armarda sailed into the Killybegs bay area with one docking for repairs in 1588.  This ship was called the Girona.  After being repaired she sailed off with her crew of around 1,500 (1,000 of them being survivors of the Duquesa Sanata Anna which had sunk earlier in Donegal).  Unfortunately the Girona sunk off the Antrim coast losing all but nine of her crew.  A monument, marking the 400th anniversary, was erected in Killybegs in 1988.

GRAINNE NI MHALLE ~ GRACE O'MALLEY

In 1513, the pirate Owen O'Malley, father of the famous Irish warrior, Grainne Ni Mhalle (Grace O'Malley) took three pirate ships into Killybegs to attack the area.  He didn't make it and had to sail out again where he then ran into stormy waters off Kilcar. Most of his crew was killed by locals enraged by his attack.  However, both he and his daughter escaped being killed.  There are the remains of a fort later built by Grainne Ni Mhalle to be seen near Sliabh Legu.  She is also known as Granuaile which is thought to be a nick name given to her by her father and brother after she cut her hair off as a young child and dressed as a boy to prove that she was able to sail with them ~ Granuaile ~ Grainne Mhaol ~ bald head.

The most famous song about Killybegs ~ The Boys of Killybegs:

THE BOYS OF KILLYBEGS

There are wild and rocky hills on the coast of Donegal

And their fishermen are hardy, brave and free

And the big Atlantic swell is a thing they know right well,

As they fight to take a living from the sea.

CHORUS:

With the pleasant rolling sea, and the herring running free,

And the fleet all riding gently through the foam.

When the obars are loaded down, there'll be singing in the town,

When the boys of Killybegs come rolling home.

~~~

Now you don your rubber boots and you've got your oilskins on,

And you check the gear to see that it's okay.

And your jumper keeps you warm, because it's cold before the dawn,

And you're ready to begin another day.

CHORUS

Well you're headed out to sea, and the wind is blowing free,

And you cast your nets as rain begins to fall.

But the sun comes riding through, and the clouds will soon roll by,

And tonight we'll maybe take a bumper haul.

CHORUS

Sure there's purple on the hill, but the streams down by the shore,

And the sun has cast it's gold upon the sea.

And there's silver down below, where the herring fishes go,

When we catch them there'll be gold for you and me.

CHORUS

Boats in Killybegs Harbour at dusk

More Pictures of Killybegs

Approach to Killybegs

The harbour area

Boats in the harbour (1)

Boats in the harbour (2)

Church of Ireland Killybegs

For dialing within Ireland, drop the 00353 and add a zero infront of the 74.

ATTRACTIONS & THINGS TO DO

Archaelogical Walking Tours                        00353-87-7706334

Bluefin Tuna Fishing                                       00353-74-9738377

Kilaghtee Art Gallery & Heritage Centre      00353-74-97

Sea Angling Club                                            00353-87-220982

Shore Angling                                                 00353-74-9721148

ACCOMMODATION

BED & BREAKFAST

Bannagh House                                             00353-74-9731108

Cahill Family                                                  00353-74-9731035

Conkay House                                               00353-74-9731273

Cope House Ship's Inn                                 00353-74-9731834

Cornton House                                               00353-74-9731588

Credo House                                                 00353-74-9731364

Drumbeagh House                                        00353-74-9731307

Dun Ard House                                              00353-74-9731335

Eventide                                                         00353-74-9731599

Fleet Inn                                                          00353-74-9731518

Gallagher Nuala                                             00353-74-9731119

Gallagher, Michael                                        00353-74-9731257

Glenlee House                                              00353-74-9731026

Hollycrest Lodge                                          00353-74-9731426

Inishduff House                                             00353-74-9738542

Lough Head House                                      00353-74-9731088

Lupra Lodge                                                 00353-74-9732135

Mountain View                                              00353-74-9731426

Ocean View                                                  00353-74-9731576

Oilean Roe House                                        00353-74-9731192

Pine Brook House                                        00353-74-9731165

Ritz Budget Accommodation                      00353-74-9731309

Sea Spray House                                         00353-74-9731854

Seawinds                                                      00353-74-9732003

Tully Family                                                   00353-74-9731842

Tullycullion House                                         00353-74-9731842

CARAVAN PARKS

HOLIDAY HOMES & APARTMENTS

Barry, Dermot                                               00353-74-9731174

Carricknamohill                                            00353-86-6090550

5 Points                                                         00353-74-9731469

Glenlee Holiday Cottages                           00353-74-9731183

Hegarty, Kaye                                               00353-74-9731011

Merchant House                                           00353-74-9732098

Portnacross                                                  00353-74-9731849

Teachin Na Mara                                         00353-74-9731842

Tullaghcullion                                                00353-74-9732045

HOSTELS

Ritz Budget Accommodation                     00353-74-9731309

HOTELS

Bay View Hotel                                            00353-74-9731950

Tara Hotel                                                    00353-74-9741700

Castle Murray House, Dunkineely             00353-74-9737002

BARS/PUBS

Fawlty Towers                                             00353-74-9731295

Holly Bush Bar                                             00353-74-9731118

Hughies                                                        00353-74-9731095

McGinley, Patrick                                        00353-74-9731049

McGuinness J. P.                                        00353-74-9731020

Pier Bar                                                        00353-74-9731045

RESTAURANTS/CAFES

Bay View Hotel                                            00353-74-9731950

Blue Haven                                                   00353-74-9738090

Castle Murray House                                  00353-74-9737002

Clock Tower, The                                        00353-74-9741922

Cope House Ship's Inn                               00353-74-9731834

Hoi Poi Chinese Restaurant                      00353-74-9731834

Harbour Bar                                                 00353-74-9731049

Kitty Kellys                                                    00353-74-9732386

Mellys Cafe                                                  00353-74-9731093

Peking Chef                                                 00353-74-9731894

Shines Take Away                                      00353-74-9731996

Tara Hotel                                                     00353-74-9741700

Teach Barnai                                               00353-74-9738160

TAXIS

Conneely                                                      00353-74-9731171

McBrearty                                                    00353-74-9731056

ESTATE AGENTS

Boyle & Dorrain                                          00353-74-9731291

ERA                                                             00353-74-9732323