Donegal in Irish Art: Slieve League, Glenveagh, Tory and the Wild North

Donegal is the county Irish people tend to describe in lowered tones. It sits at the top of the island, further north than anywhere in Northern Ireland, connected to the rest of the Republic by only a short land border, and it has always felt like its own place. The coast is a long run of cliffs, strands and sea loughs; inland there are bare mountains, bog and lakes. Artists have gone there for the light and stayed for the isolation.

This guide walks through the Donegal subjects people most often look for in Irish wall art, and what is worth knowing about each. If you would rather browse everything at once, the full Irish art prints collection is the place to start.

Slieve League: the cliffs that outdo Moher

Most visitors to Ireland go to the Cliffs of Moher. Slieve League, near Teelin in the south-west of the county, is the one that locals will quietly recommend instead. The sea cliffs rise to about 601 metres, which makes them the second highest in Ireland after Croaghaun on Achill, and among the highest in Europe. The naturalist Robert Lloyd Praeger, writing in the 1930s, described the northern face as dropping some 1,500 feet.

It is a hard subject to photograph without flattening it, because the scale only registers when you can see the sea far below. The Slieve League framed print handles that well, and it suits a hallway or a long wall where the vertical drop has room to work.

Glenveagh: the park and its lake

Glenveagh National Park covers roughly 170 square kilometres of the Derryveagh Mountains, making it one of the largest national parks in the country. It is home to Ireland's largest herd of red deer, and golden eagles were reintroduced there in 2000. At its heart are Lough Veagh and Glenveagh Castle, built by Captain John George Adair, with gardens that look improbably lush for the surroundings.

The Glenveagh National Park framed print takes the lake as its subject in a poster-like, art deco manner, a good fit for a room that wants a bit of graphic punch rather than a literal view.

Fanad Head and the lighthouses of the north

Donegal has some of the most dramatic lighthouse sites in the country, and Fanad Head, guarding the entrance to Lough Swilly, is the one most often photographed. A white tower set against dark rock and open Atlantic, it is close to the ideal lighthouse picture. The Fanad Head Lighthouse framed print works equally well in a coastal-themed hallway or a study, and it is a popular gift for anyone with Donegal roots.

Bunbeg and the wreck of the Bád Eddie

On the beach at Bunbeg, in the Gweedore area, the rusting hull of the Bád Eddie has become one of the best-known sights on the Donegal coast, especially at sunset when the metal turns copper against the sand. Photographers return to it again and again. The Sunset Ship Wreck Bád Eddie print captures that evening colour, and the name itself, which is Irish for "Eddie's boat", suits the Gaeltacht setting: Gweedore is one of the strongest Irish-speaking districts in the country.

Tory Island and its painters

Tory lies about eleven kilometres off the north-west coast and is often called the most remote inhabited island in Ireland. It keeps an unusual tradition: the islanders choose a king by consensus. The role carries no legal authority, but the king welcomes visitors and speaks for the community. The most recent was the painter Patsy Dan Rodgers, who held the title until his death in October 2018.

Tory also has a small artistic community that took shape from the 1950s, with the English painter Derek Hill closely associated with the island's painters. Our King of Tory Island print is a portrait of Patsy Dan, and it carries a good story for anyone who asks about it.

Choosing a Donegal print

If you want scenery, start with the Irish landscape and seascape prints or the landscape photography prints. For something rooted in the Gaeltacht, the Irish language prints pair well with a Donegal image on the same wall. Donegal pictures tend to look best with plenty of space around them and a simple frame; the subjects are already busy enough.