A Day to Remember for a Long Time
Without a doubt, my day out touring with Henry was the highlight of my trip to Ireland. I traveled to Donegal with a mission in mind – to spend a day experiencing the area around Lough Swilly and Inch Island as my mom’s family may have done before coming to America. Several decades earlier, I had helped my mom locate her last few very elderly relatives who stayed and it meant the world to her. With that memory, I wanted to return to gain a deeper context for the stories of my mom’s family.
Henry was amazing! He very thoughtfully considered my objective and came up with a plan that took us up to Grianana Aileach first for the incredible vista across Lough Swilly to Lough Foyle and from Inch Island across to Derry – where my mom’s cousins were from. The view was nothing short of majestic, and its impact will stay with me for a very long time. Then on to Inch itself for a drive through while I captured video of life as it is today on the island.
Later in our day when Henry mentioned he had worked on documentaries, I wasn’t surprised. His talent and expertise set the stage for me to experience a personal and very meaningful documentary of my family’s history in Donegal.
Henry had great suggestions to follow after we headed north. I loved the town of Buncrana and learned quite a bit at the Doagh famine village. The Magic Road on the way to Malin Head was unique, and of course the scenery was grand at Fort Dunree, at the Star Wars movie site, and at Malin Head. Henry was very patient (hello – husbands out there!) as I took my time absorbing and capturing the incredible beauty at each stop.
Plus, it was just a lot of fun to ride with Henry and catch up on the issues of the day in contemporary Ireland. My most recent trip had been in 2018, so I have a small perspective on how it has changed over the decades and I’m always interested in being properly informed by the people who are living it day to day.
If you make the effort to visit Donegal, you would be remiss in not relying on Henry’s expertise to thoroughly enjoy Donegal!