Ask any Irish adult about their teenage summer in the Gaeltacht and you can guarantee their eyes will mist up like a Donegal dawn – three weeks away from the parents, on holiday with members of the opposite sex who aren’t your relations, the Gaeltacht holiday is a cherished journey into Irish adolescence.

You’ll see the occasional group of blissfully happy teenagers while you’re driving around the remote back roads of Donegal. They’ll probably have a better idea of where they are than you will – because in the Gaeltacht, all the road signs are, of course, in Gaelic.

The Gaeltacht is all the parts of Ireland where Gaelic is spoken, and locals move easily between English and Irish. Ireland’s largest Irish-speaking parish is Gweedore (Gaoth Dobhair) – on the North West coast of Donegal. Players of Irish music from all over the world come here to hone their skills.

Maybe because Donegal only borders with the Irish Republic with a few miles it has always been considered a remote spot, though it’s actually easy to get to. Flights to Derry Airport are cheap (tuppence return including taxes is possible). Half an hour west from Derry Airport and you’ll be over the border (though there’s no sign now to tell you that) and near Letterkenny – Donegal’s largest town and the gateway to the Derryveagh mountains and the Glenveagh National Park.

It’s worth spending a night in Derry before heading out to the mountains and the coast of Donegal. The city has had a rough time of it over the years, and its notoriety is part of its charm, but it’s an optimistic place. Derry people are softly spoken, the pubs are friendly and although eating out in this part of the world can leave you wondering if there’s a world beyond steak and chips, good restaurants can be found.

Where to stay

Derry Independent Hostel

A back packers joint, but a civilised place, where a bright and clean room for two and a help-yourself breakfast of cereal, toast and tea is £18 a night per person as long as you book online in advance.

City Hotel, Derry

At the other end of the scale, this is the poshest place to spend a night in the walled city and a good place to wind up a long weekend before making it out to the airport for an early flight. While the official room rates are around £125, you’re likely to save around 40 per cent by booking online. If you don’t make it into the Atlantic, you can wet your togs in the hotel’s pool and steam room.

Woodhill House, Ardara

Ardara is under an hour from Bunbeg, and just up the road from Killybegs, Ireland’s biggest fishing port. Woodhill House is family-run, and has an excellent small restaurant whose French-based menu could include the likes of roasted figs with proscuitto and chive cream, oysters, red onion and leek encrusted sea bass and Carrageen pudding with mixed berries.

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