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Glenveagh Castle is a 19th century castellated
mansion and was built between 1870 and 1873. Glenveagh castle
was sited on a small promonotory jutting into Lough Veagh, with
fine views along the glen. The building stone chosen was granite,
plentiful in Donegal but difficult to work and allowing for little
detail. However, the castle's greatest distinction remains its
setting.
It was designed by John Townsend Trench, a cousin of its builder
and first owner John George Adair, who carried out the infamous
Derryveagh Evictions.
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| Glenveagh National Park is situated on the eastern side of the Derryveagh Mountains in the north-west of County Donegal. The Park contains 14,000 hectares of mountain, raised bogland, lakes and woodlands and is dissected by the valley which gives the park its name, Glenveigh (*Gleann Bheatha*) meaning Glen of the Birches.
The Estate was established by John Adair who, in April, 1861 evicted 244 tenants and cleared the land so as not to mar his views of the magnificent landscape. This ignoble history makes the beautiful views all the more poignant for today's visitor. The Park lands include the two highest mountains in Donegal, Errigal and Slieve Sneacht. At the south-west end of the park are the ice-carved cliffs of the Poisoned Glen, a corruption of the name in Irish wich mean 'heavenly glen'. Lough Veagh has natural stocks of brown trout, salmon and artic char. The visitor to the Park can also visit the 19th century Glenveagh Castle with its Neo-gothic architecture complete with ramparts, turrets and a round tower.
In 1975 Glenveagh Estate was purchased for the State from Mr Henry McIlheney by the Office of Public Works and in 1981 Mr McIlhenny presented Glenveagh Castle and gardens as a gift to the Irish nation.
The Park has the largest herd of Red Deer in Ireland if not in Europe. The deer spend the summer on the Derryveagh mountains, coming down hill in winter. The most frequently sighted birds in the Park are the meadow pipit, stonechats, grouse, ravens, siskins, tree-creepers, redstarts, wood warblers and occasionally peregrines and merlins. The Golden Eagle was reintroduced to the park in 2000. The Golden Eagle became extinct 100 years ago, largely due to over hunting by both farmers and game keepers. Wildlife in the Park includes badgers, foxes, the native Irish Hare and stoats.
The Park is particularly spectacular when the prolific *Rhododendron Ponticum* are in bloom in early Summer. |
