The land around Bonny Glen was once part of the Porter estate, and during the Great Famine the landlord paid the passage of his tenants here to America – a small mercy in a county that lost so many. The cleared ground was replanted as a Coillte forest, improved under the Neighbourwood scheme, and it’s that quiet woodland around Bonnyglen Lough that you come to walk today.
Set expectations first: despite the name, Bonnyglen Falls is not a thundering waterfall. It’s a noted salmon pool on the Eany River, and the draw of the wider site is a peaceful lakeside walk rather than a big drop. If you’ve an hour, the easy loop around Bonnyglen Lough is the one to do.
The two walks
Both trails start and finish at the forest car park above the glen, and both begin with a short steep descent before the path levels out onto fine gravel.
- Bonny Glen Walk – a roughly 1km loop (about 40 minutes, easy) around Bonnyglen Lough on forest road and path, through a stand of Sitka spruce, crossing a small bridge to a picnic area with a shelter and benches. Good for young families or anyone after a flat, short stroll.
- Lough Namanlagh trail – a linear walk taking in Bonnyglen Lough, Lough Namanlagh and a few smaller lakes and streams. Sport Ireland lists it as 1.5km (about an hour, moderate), though Go Visit Donegal gives 3km; either way it’s a step up from the loop, on rougher ground. Look out for the heron colony in the trees – the most reliable wildlife sighting here.
Fishing the Eany
Bonnyglen Falls is one of about 30 named pools on the Eany, a salmon and sea-trout river. For the 2024 season the fishery was catch-and-release, with single or double barbless hooks only, and all salmon (and sea trout of 40cm or over) returned. Note the local rule: no angling from the northern bank between the footbridge just upstream of Bonnyglen Falls and the fish counter. You’ll need a permit, licence, logbook and tags before going on the water – check the current Eany fishery rules before you travel, as the catch-and-release terms change season to season.
Getting there
Take the N56 north from Glenties, turn onto the R261 after about 7km, and the site is signposted roughly 3km further on. Parking at the top of the glen is free. There are no toilets, café or fuel on site – the nearest are in Glenties, Ardara and Portnoo – so this is an easy inland stop to fold into a Wild Atlantic Way coast day rather than a destination in itself. Bring boots for the Lough Namanlagh route, especially after rain.