More wonders of Dunfanaghy

PART 2 of 2: This story is the second in a two-part series about Dunfanaghy, Ireland. You can read the first part here.

Centrally located in Dunfanaghy, with magnificent views of Sheephaven Bay and Kilahoey Beach, Arnolds Hotel is a fourth-generation, family-run operation. Founded in 1922, the plaid-designed carpets, red velvet furniture, and dark wood décor harken back to glamourous days of old.

The on-site restaurant serves delicious dishes like slow-cooked beef brisket with creamy mash potatoes, roasted duck with braised red cabbage, locally-caught fish and chips, and other sorts of comfort food. At the Whiskey Fly Bar you can sip on cocktails, wine, pints, or try Ireland’s iconic stout.

Guinness beer is world-famous for its rich dark color, smooth roasted flavour, and creamy head. First concocted in 1759 at St. James’s Gate in Dublin, it has since become a global symbol of Irish pride and brewing craftsmanship. I had my first-ever Guiness at Molly’s Bar just down the street from my hotel, unaware that I was supposed to ‘split the G’ on the initial sip. But if at first you don’t succeed, you can always try again.

There are six pubs in Dunfanaghy, each one a stone’s throw from the next. Live music is alive and well here, with musicians playing repertoires of mostly cover songs, and lively patrons dancing the night away. The rooms truly come alive when an Irish song is covered, like The Way I Am by The Tumbling Paddies — an incredibly catchy tune I had never heard before visiting Ireland, that I now can’t get out of my head.

There are several cafés and bakeries in Dunfanaghy, and more than a dozen galleries and boutiques. Molly’s Old Fashioned Sweet Shop is a nostalgic delight for anyone with a sweet tooth. The hard part, though, is for your batch of candy to last long enough that is actually makes it into your suitcase for the trip home.

The tradition of markets in Dunfanaghy dates back for hundreds of years, as thriving hubs where community and commerce meet. Every Saturday morning from spring through fall, you will still find a pop-up place for goods at the aptly-named Market Square in the centre of town. Local vendors come here to sell homegrown produce, homemade preserves, fresh fish, flowers, knitwear, one-of-a-kind crafts, and more.

If you’re looking for grand monuments or polished attractions, you won’t find them in Dunfanaghy. But what you will find is a beautiful balance of nature, history, and human warmth, in a way that makes you slow down, think more clearly, and breathe a little deeper. You’ll also come to realize that travel is not just about seeing new locales and buying souvenirs. Rather, travel is about experiencing a little slice of life in the places that capture a little piece of your heart.

After four days of exploring this charming coastal village, and meeting so many wonderful people, I could only come to one conclusion. Dunfanaghy isn’t the kind of place you stumble into, spend some time in, and then forget about. Because from the moment you arrive, it feels like you were always meant to be here. And then after you leave, you’re already dreaming about when you might be able to go back.

Which must be the magic of Ireland.