If you haven’t visited Fort Dunree recently, now is the time to go! The scenic attraction north of Buncrana has undergone a series of enhancements to add to its offerings. Now, visitors can experience a rich mix of history, wildlife, walks, water sports and the most scenic coffee shop in Ireland!
With a rich and varied history which dates back to 1798 Fort Dunree houses a Military Museum, Wildlife Discovery Room and a network of walkways that take advantage of the majestic scenery on view. In recent years more and more people are visiting this national asset particularly with the advent of the Wild Atlantic Way.
The popularity of the site has led to the board of Fort Dunree looking at more ways to enhance the visitor product and have embarked on a series of developments to enhance the visitor experience. Following a successful funding application by Donegal County Council the pier at Dunree has recently been redeveloped. The finished product is a magnificent addition to the tourism product at Dunree.
Water sports at Fort Dunree
Another exciting development at Fort Dunree was the restoration of the old Boathouse at the pier. With a grant from FLAG a new roof and doors to this wonderful old building and also create a new path connecting it to the pier walkway. This building allows for a fantastic new product on site with Kayaking, Snorkelling and Coasteering now available at Fort Dunree.
With funding from REDZ and Donegal County Council Fort Dunree were able to renovate the old coffee shop on site with the aim of increasing the capacity for catering for visitors at the site. The development of an outside seating area in the court yard to the rear of the Café caters for an additional 20 people.
This space is used on a year round basis, allowing visitors to avail of “al fresco dining” when appropriate and providing a closed in, comfortable space, when the weather is not suitable. Since June 2017 the Coffee Shop at Fort Dunree has been run by John and Michelle McLaughlin and is called The Coffee Cup at Fort Dunree.
The Café now offers visitors a range of food prepared on site which enhances the site’s appeal and justifiably claims to be “The most scenic Coffee Shop in Ireland”!
For more information, check out dunree.pro.ie/ and www.facebook.com/fortdunree
