Greencastle: Maritime History and Experiences on Lough Foyle

Greencastle combines maritime heritage with varied views of the sea and sky. A Norman castle, a coastal fortification dating from the Napoleonic era, the Inishowen Maritime Museum & Planetarium and trips on the water give the place distinctive themes for a stay. When choosing a holiday rental, you might first consider whether you would like to include history, exhibitions, boat trips or the seasonal ferry service in your trip.

Maritime History and Dome Shows

The Inishowen Maritime Museum & Planetarium is housed in the Old Coast Guard Station, overlooking Greencastle Harbour on Lough Foyle. The museum presents the maritime history of Inishowen: stories about sailors and historic shipwrecks sit alongside a curated collection of artefacts and accounts of the community’s connection to the sea. The subject therefore encompasses both tangible objects and stories that focus on life by the water.

At the Planetarium & Dome Theatre, dome shows range from prehistoric seas to cosmic journeys. Earth, sky and the universe are the themes. This adds a very different scale to the maritime perspective: from the seas of prehistory to the vastness of the cosmos. If you enjoy bringing different themes together, Greencastle offers insights into the history of the Inishowen Peninsula as well as shows about astronomical concepts.

Castle and Coastal Fortification

Northburgh Castle is also known as New Castle or Greencastle. The Norman castle was built in 1305 by the de Burgh family, the Earls of Ulster. You can view the castle from the car park by the adjacent building or from the shore path. The shore path is accessible from the main car park in Greencastle village. These are two suggested ways to view the castle from the outside.

Greencastle Fort stands on elevated ground at the eastern end of the village and overlooks Lough Foyle. The coastal fortification dates from the Napoleonic era and is a significant part of the built heritage and history of County Donegal. The castle and fort represent different historical contexts: Northburgh Castle is Norman, while the fort dates from the Napoleonic era. If you are interested in history, you can consider these two topics separately when planning your holiday.

Trips on the Water and Nearby Destinations

Greencastle Boat Tours offers sea safaris and wildlife trips from the Lough Foyle Ferry Terminal in Greencastle. Highlights of the trips include the site of the Spanish Armada shipwreck. Passengers on the wildlife trips can spot seals and dolphins; with luck, basking sharks can also be seen off the Donegal coast. The possibility of spotting these animals is explicitly dependent on luck.

The Scenic Lough Foyle Ferry runs seasonally as a car and passenger ferry between Greencastle in Donegal and Magilligan in Northern Ireland. If this connection is important to your trip, its seasonal operation is one of the factors to consider when planning. It differs from the trips offered by Greencastle Boat Tours: the ferry connects two places, while the tours offer sea safaris and wildlife trips.

Nearby Greencastle, Stroove Beach lies on the east coast of the Inishowen Peninsula, close to the mouth of Lough Foyle. This small, sandy beach has been awarded Blue Flag status and is near Stroove Lighthouse. A nearby beach therefore adds to the village’s maritime and historical attractions.

More destination pages: Loughanure, Manorcunningham, Carrickart, Darney, Fort Stewart, Ballygorman, Moville and Bundoran.

Back to the main travel overview: County Donegal.