AN PORT
An Port is a stunningly beautiful area of Donegal, sitting as it does on a rugged coastline with high seastacks and sea cliffs around it. It is silent but for the crashing of the waves and the sounds of the seabirds who live there.
The village is probably best known for the ruins of the old stone cottages there. These are clustered together and hand made of silvery-grey stones cut from the surrounding hills.
An Port lies at the end of a narrow, winding road and is around 15km / 10 miles from Glencolmcille and 25km / 15 miles from Ardara (see directions and map at the end of this page).
The village is probably best known for the ruins of the old stone cottages there. These are clustered together and hand made of silvery-grey stones cut from the surrounding hills.
An Port lies at the end of a narrow, winding road and is around 15km / 10 miles from Glencolmcille and 25km / 15 miles from Ardara (see directions and map at the end of this page).
One of the old stone cottages of An Port
It was wrongly believed by many over the years (ourselves included) that An Port was left empty as a result of an Gorta Mór (The Great Hunger aka the Famine). Hence the incorrect term 'Famine Village. Read out blog post on this HERE.
An Port was never abandoned en masse, it was a gradual thing as sometimes happens with more remote locations as young people moving off to busier parts and some emigrating. In fact, people lived in the village up until around the late 1960's when the last residents left.
Earlier An Port must have been a thriving village given that it is said that this is probably the first maritime port in County Donegal.
The houses were all built of local stone as can be seen from the clean cut corners of the stones which reflect the make up of nearby rocks and can be seen on the high cliff above the water there.
An Port was never abandoned en masse, it was a gradual thing as sometimes happens with more remote locations as young people moving off to busier parts and some emigrating. In fact, people lived in the village up until around the late 1960's when the last residents left.
Earlier An Port must have been a thriving village given that it is said that this is probably the first maritime port in County Donegal.
The houses were all built of local stone as can be seen from the clean cut corners of the stones which reflect the make up of nearby rocks and can be seen on the high cliff above the water there.
Some of the old stone cottages at An Port
In 1576 the head of the Clann Ui Bhaoill (the O'Boyle Clan), Tarlach Neill’s daughter Siobhan drowned here. In the Annals of the Four Masters, which are stored in Trinity College, Dublin, but a copy can be seen in the museum at the Franciscan Friary, Rossnowlagh, they wrote that she had drowned whilst learning to swim in the river that runs into the sea at Port.
The rocky shoreline at An Port
However this is more like a stream than a river and so the alternative explanation of how she drowned seems more likely: that is that she was being forced into an arranged marriage and escaped to Port followed by the man she was to marry and here he drowned her.
The small pier at An Port
Today there is a slipway and a small pier there beside the rocky beach and a little bridge over the river.
An old stone bridge crosses the little stream which runs through a rocky ravine into the sea below.
It is very peaceful and a place to visit to get away from the hustle and bustle and maybe later, visit nearby Glencolmcille and the Folk Village there to see how these houses would have looked when they were inhabited.
Click on any of the photos below to enlarge.
An old stone bridge crosses the little stream which runs through a rocky ravine into the sea below.
It is very peaceful and a place to visit to get away from the hustle and bustle and maybe later, visit nearby Glencolmcille and the Folk Village there to see how these houses would have looked when they were inhabited.
Click on any of the photos below to enlarge.
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GETTING TO AN PORT FROM ARDARA
1. Take the Killybegs road 2. Just outside Ardara on the Killybegs road turn right for the Glengesh Pass 3. At the top of Glengesh Pass take the first right 4. You will come to a T junction and you should turn right (the road to the left goes to Glencomcille) 5. Keep driving until you come to another T junction which has a lough (lake on the left) and take a right turn here 6. Keep driving along this road and you will eventually see the sea and the rocky shoreline of An Port. 7. At the very end of that road you have arrived at An Port with the old stone cottages on your right. |