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Our Hometown · County Donegal
Rockhill House sits in the hills above Letterkenny, looking out across the valley towards the town. From the house, the spire of St Eunan’s Cathedral is visible on the skyline — aligned, as it happens, with the temple on the estate grounds — a reminder of how close the town and the estate have always been.
Donegal’s largest town has considerably more to offer than its size might suggest. Our team are always happy to point you in the right direction.
From Rockhill House
10 min
by car
St Eunan’s Spire
240 ft
visible from Rockhill House
Artisan Market
Weekly
Saturdays & last Thursday
Earagail Arts Festival
July
county-wide, annually
County Museum
Free
entry & parking
Golf Began in Letterkenny
1894
on the lawns of Rockhill House
The Cathedral Quarter
St Eunan’s Cathedral is the visual anchor of Letterkenny — a Victorian neo-Gothic cathedral built entirely in white Mountcharles sandstone, with a 240-foot spire that rises above the town roofscape and is visible from Rockhill House across the valley. Inside: oak furnishings, stained glass by Mayer of Munich and Harry Clarke, and a bell chamber containing twelve bells.
A walk around the Cathedral Quarter and along the 17th-century streets below it is one of the best introductions the town can offer — varied architecture, local shops, places to eat, and a sense of a town that has been here a long time and is comfortable with the fact.
For those who have attended their wedding ceremony at St Eunan’s, the spire visible from Rockhill House on arrival is a moment many couples remember.
Our Recommendations
Throughout your stay, our team are always on hand to suggest local festivals, markets, and places to eat and drink.
Theatre & Performance
A full year-round programme of touring plays, comedy, international music, and local drama. One of the finest regional theatres in Ireland and a key venue for the Earagail Arts Festival each July. Worth checking what is on before you arrive.
angrianan.com →Music, Art & Film
The bright, airy RCC hosts jazz, folk, traditional, and blues performances alongside art exhibitions and independent film screenings. A different register from An Grianan, and often the more surprising of the two evenings. Well worth checking alongside it.
regionalculturalcentre.com →History & Heritage · Free Entry
Housed in part of the historic Letterkenny workhouse, the county museum holds a substantial collection of artefacts alongside regular exhibitions on Donegal’s archaeology, geology, and natural history. The North West Film Archive is available for public viewing. Free entry, free parking, family friendly.
READ MORE →Food & Craft
Runs every Saturday morning (10am–3pm) and on the last Thursday of each month (5.30pm–9.30pm) at Carrygally Business Park in Lismonaghan. Fresh farm produce, street food, vegan treats, and local crafts. Well worth the short drive from Rockhill.
Independent Shopping
Among Letterkenny’s more interesting shops: The Counter for local produce and a good coffee; Mourne Antiques for antiques, jewellery, and crafts; Moonshine Coffee Shop and Craft Studio for Donegal pottery and tweeds; and Foy & Company for giftware and home interiors. For traditional Irish instruments, Mulroy Music in Milford is 20 minutes away and worth the trip.
Sport · Links Golf
Letterkenny Golf Club is the most convenient course from the estate — and golf in Letterkenny has its origins on the lawns of Rockhill itself, in 1894. For world-class links, Ballyliffin Golf Club and Portsalon are both within easy reach. We can arrange tee times and transport.
GOLF GUIDE →Family · Wet Day Option
A comfortable multiplex in the Retail Park screening the latest releases. A reliable option on a wet Donegal day, with a synthetic ice rink next door during winter and a soft play facility adjoining a diner — making it a full afternoon in one location.
centurycinemas.ie →Evenings Out
From a quiet pint in The Cottage Bar or McCafferty’s to a late night at Pulse Venue, Letterkenny has a lively and genuinely local night-time scene. The town changes — ask our team before you head out for a current steer on where to go.
NIGHT OUT GUIDE →Families & Children
Beyond the cinema, Letterkenny has several dedicated family attractions worth knowing about.
Tropical World
Exotic animals and birds, a butterfly house, a Jurassic experience, and Bug World — a collection of spiders, beetles, and other creatures that tends to provoke strong reactions. Also an indoor play area, making it a reliable wet-weather option for families.
tropicalworld.ie →Smarty Pants Play & Learn
A children’s role-playing centre just minutes from the estate. A wonderfully scaled-down town where children can play make-believe in a supermarket, pizzeria, hospital, and recycling centre. Ideal for younger children with busy imaginations.
FIND OUT MORE →Letterkenny Activity Centre
Go-karting, zip-lining, high ropes, and airsoft for those who need to burn off energy after a few days of estate life. Suitable for older children and adults as well — a good option for a group with a range of ages.
lkactivitycentre.com →Arena 7
Bowling, a children’s adventure centre, Laser Quest, pool, and an arcade. The kind of place that resolves the “what shall we do this evening” question quickly and reliably. Something for every age in the party.
A Little Further Afield
McElhinneys · Ballybofey
A traditional family-owned department store with a fine reputation for fashion and homewares, and dazzling window displays at Christmas. A Donegal institution that draws shoppers from across the North West.
Derry Craft Village · 30 min
Worth visiting alongside a walk around the historic walled city — one of the best-preserved walled cities in Europe and the gateway to the Causeway Coastal Route.
Mulroy Music · Milford · 20 min
The place to find traditional Irish musical instruments — fiddles, uilleann pipes, bodhráns, whistles — from knowledgeable people who play them. Worth the short drive if you have any interest in traditional music.
Grianan of Aileach · 20 min
A stone ringfort with origins dating to 1700BC on the summit of Greenan Mountain. Views across three counties. One of only five Irish sites on Ptolemy’s 2nd-century World Map and a short but memorable detour from Letterkenny.
Complimentary for All Guests
All guests at Rockhill House receive complimentary access to our digital guide — a curated collection of our recommendations for Letterkenny and County Donegal. Restaurants, shops, pubs, markets, and insider tips from our team, all in one place.
ACCESS THE GUIDE →Need a Recommendation?
Whatever you are looking for — a particular kind of evening, a specific shop, a restaurant recommendation, or a local festival — ask us or use our complimentary digital guide. We are from here and we enjoy sharing it.
