Colour is at the heart of what we do at Magee 1866, in the 1960’s our mill started to focus on more colourful fabrics, moving away from the functional, hardwearing tweeds which sometimes lacked colour into more design lead cloths, inspired by our surrounding land and seascape. The ‘true Donegal tweed’ is a salt and pepper which is speckled with bright colours – gorse yellows, sea blues, sky greys, mossy greens, fuchsia pinks and leafy reds and oranges.
Timeless salt & pepper and herringbone Donegal tweeds.
Blue is one of my favourite colours and a seasonal classic – summer or winter and a colour that works across men’s, women’s and home accessories. We take much of our inspiration from nature and in Donegal we are surrounded by blues – the sea, the sky (albeit often grey!), flowers and our landscape. The mountains near Donegal town are aptly named the Bluestack mountains.
Murvagh beach with the Bluestack mountains in the distance.
The Mya dress
The Emma coat
We use blue across many pieces from the more formal to casual. It is an easy colour to wear and has such an amazing colour palette from classic navies to mid-denim to pale blues. I love this herringbone mid-blue Emma coat – with a soft creamy white contrast.
Blue is a beautiful colour to incorporate into your home, on its own in varying shades or mixed with oats, greys or creams.
One of my favourite accessories – our Donegal tweed teddy bears – this one is made in a beautiful blue salt & pepper tweed.
From the
dramatic rise of black sea cliffs over the Atlantic to wide, sandy beaches;
from taking the scenic route along winding country roads to exploring vibrant
local towns, it’s no wonder we say Donegal has it all. An absolute haven for
those of us who love the outdoors, Donegal also offers plenty in the way of
relaxation and luxury. If you’re planning a weekend, let us help!
Spend your
first day near Donegal Town, which is a lively spot all year round.
TAKE
YOUR TIME AT MOUNTCHARLES & SALTHILL GARDENS
In the
morning, take a five-kilometre spin down the road to Mountcharles Pier. Stop
for a coffee at the small café there, and have a splash in the ocean if you
feel up for it!
After enjoying the views across the bay, head to Salthill Gardensjust up the road, 200m from the sea. Built within old stone walls, this contemporary garden is bursting with flowers, shrubs and vegetables. Wander the paths, peer through rod iron garden gates, and feel as if you’ve stepped into the pages of The Secret Garden.
ENJOY
AFTERNOON TEA AT LOUGH ESKE CASTLE
Served from 12pm to 5pm, a luxurious afternoon tea at Lough Eske Castle Hotel is the perfect place to whet your appetite. Explore the lovely grounds of the castle hotel and then sit down to indulge in home-baked treats, savoury sandwiches, and a glass of bubbly.
EXPLORE
DONEGAL TOWN
For a town
that many would consider remote, Donegal is absolutely bubbling with life. We
often get to enjoy music from talented buskers in the town square, and if the
sun is shining be sure to get an ice cream cone from Little Mamma’s ice cream
shop. For a bit of history, pop into Donegal Castle for a tour.
Of course no trip to Donegal would be complete without a visit to Magee of Donegal (if we do say so ourselves!). The shop has been in that same location since 1866, when we began as drapers shop and traded genuine Donegal tweed. Ask for a demonstration of handweaving, which dominated the tweed market for centuries. Have a peruse of our clothing collections, which features fabrics designed and woven at our working weaving mill just down the road.
STAY AT
HARVEY’S POINT
Situated on the banks of Lough Eske, Harvey’s Pointoffers a relaxed getaway for your weekend. If the sun is shining, sit out at the Harvey’s Point Bar & Terrace and enjoy the view. Alternatively, treat yourself to a delicious dinner at the Restaurant. Their seven-course tasting dinner is the perfect way to enjoy the best of Irish produce. Retire to a luxuriously comfortable room, furnished and fitted with complete attention to detail – and even fresh-baked cookies delivered to the door!
On your
second day in Donegal, head out the coast road and enjoy the coastline that
Donegal is famous for.
TAKE A
SCENIC SPIN ALONG THE COAST
In the
morning, take your time enjoying the coastal road that brings you from Donegal
Town to Sliabh Liag cliffs. Be sure to head toward Muckross for the spectacular
views across the bay. There’s a beautiful sandy inlet there surrounded by green
fields, well worth stopping the car to get out and stretch the legs.
EXPERIENCE
IRELAND’S HIGHEST SEA CLIFFS
Sliabh Liag (alternatively Slieve League) are the highest sea cliffs in Europe, reaching over 600m above sea level, and unmissable on a trip to Donegal. You can choose to drive your car up nearly to the top of the cliffs, or park and enjoy the hike (and the views!). It’s a few miles, and it’s the best way to fully enjoy the spectacle of the area.
For the
adventurous and experienced walkers, a One Man’s Pass loops around onto the
Pilgrim’s Path, offering a strenuous but rewarding walk. It can be dangerous,
especially in adverse weather conditions, so proceed with caution!
STOP AT
KILLYBEGS SEAFOOD SHACK
The Seafood Shack captialises on Killybeg’s position as a working harbour town. Their seafood chowder won Ireland’s Best Chowder in 2019 at the 9th All Ireland Chowder Cook Off in Kinsale, so you definitely won’t want to miss it. Their box of fried seafood is another option you won’t want to pass up; it’s freshly made and full of local seafood. The place is literally a shack (although a very nice shack), so don’t expect fine dining – but with views of the sea, we promise you won’t mind.
HEAD TO
A LOCAL PUB
What trip
would be complete without a pint of Guinness and some music? Donegal Town has
plenty to offer in the way of pubs, from small locals to lively bars brimming
with music and energy. McCafferty’s Bar has music seven nights a week if you’re
looking for a place to pass an evening!
On your
third day in Donegal, it’s time to head north into the country.
VISIT
GLENVEAGH NATIONAL PARK
It’s just over an hour from Donegal Town, but Glenveagh is certain to be one of the highlights of the trip. Given the distance and the amount to do in the area, we’d recommend spending the day.
Park your
car for free, and then a free shuttle bus will take you up to the castle. The
tour of the castle will take you through the history of the area. The
surrounding gardens are built on the banks of Lough Beagh, offering a relaxing
stroll with lovely views.
The café on
site offers delicious, affordable food for your lunch. Fully fortified, we
recommend taking a hike through the national park, following the trails. You’ll
see Mount Errigal and other breath-taking views as you go. If hiking isn’t your
favourite pastime, it’s still worth hopping in the car and taking a leisurely
drive around the lough to fully appreciate the beauty of the area.
If you’re
on the lookout for more to do, don’t miss the Poisoned Glen at the foot of
Mount Errigal, just west of the National Park.
As always,
we hope you enjoy your visit to our beautiful county and come away saying, as
we do… Donegal has it all!
Handweaving is a skill that has been passed down through the generations. It is suggested that the art of weaving dates back to the Palaeolithic era, although there is little evidence to support this. Woven linen cloth has been found dating back to the Neolithic period. While there may be a few thousand years in the debate as to when weaving was first developed, we know for a fact it is a reassuringly ancient skill and craft!
Market day in the ‘Diamond’, Donegal Town.
This unique fabric is the backbone of our family company – in 1866 John Magee founded his handwoven tweed business in Donegal, Ireland. At that time weaving was a skill many farmers and fishermen had honed, the cloth they wove on large wooden looms was hardwearing and tough, and the most ‘technical’ fabric of its time – used to keep out the damp and cold in not only Donegal, but across Ireland, the UK and was a staple garment for the early polar explorers and alpinists across the globe.
Photograph of the 1924 Everest Exhibition – photograph from the John Noel Collection. Tweed and wool feature as the ‘ultimate kit’ for these pioneering alpinists. Wool has a natural ability to ‘wick’ away moisture to its vapour state, making it still one of the best and most sustainable technical fibres.
In 2019, we are still designing and producing a unique handwoven fabric – we retain similar, timeless designs – namely the herringbone – inspired by fish-bones and the ‘true Donegal tweed’ – the salt & pepper. We use the finest of yarns – lambswool, mohair and cashmere. Designs are sent to the weavers who work in their homes, the raw fabric is then sent back to the mill to be washed and finished. We wash the raw, oily fabric in the peaty waters of the River Eske, which flows by the mill, resulting in a beautifully soft finish.
The traditional wooden handloom
Donegal handwoven tweed is distinctive with its bright flecks of colour woven through each piece. Heather purples, grass greens, fuchsia pinks, gorse yellows, sea blues, rusty oranges and earthy browns to name but a few colours found in this unique fabric.
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