A leading tourism figure has said Donegal is already seeing the benefit of the amazing and famous northern lights.
The spectacular natural phenomena has been the talk of the country in recent days.
Now Kathleen Gill, marketing manager of Inishowen Tourism, says people from as far away as Cork are making enquiries about the area.
The Inishowen Peninsula is considered the best place to see the lights which will be visible until March.
“We have had a lot of calls from as far away as Cork about the lights and what accommodation is available in the region.
“We are working on finding the most suitable times for people to visit so they can have the best chance of seeing the lights.
“The best place to see the lights is in the Ballyliffin and Malin around the Polan Bay but the entire Inishowen Peninsula has so much to offer.
“There used to be the perception that Donegal and Inishowen was so far away but the road networks has improved so much that nowhere is isolated anymore ,” she said.
This year’s could be the most spectacular in a decade because of a peak in the sun’s activity.
The celestial light show appears as ghostly, wispy rays of greenish and whitish colours dancing across the heavens.
Local astronomer Brendan Alexander is hoping for some clear night skies over Donegal in the next few weeks.
“It’s definitely worth seeking out. It’s an event that – especially on these shores – is so rare.
“But we are lucky to live just north enough to experience it – any country further south than us won’t be able to see it. It’s certainly something tourists would come to see.”
The sun has a “heartbeat” every 11 years or so – known as the solar cycle – and when it erupts, charged particles blast into space and are sucked into the North Pole.
These explosions react with the earth’s atmosphere, sparking great swathes of coloured light over the night skies, known for centuries by native north Americans as the Dance of the Spirits.
For further information see www.visitinishowen.com
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