Grianan Of Aileach
Grianan Of Aileach
4.6
About
Legend says it was built by the ancient gods; the ring fort was known as the Sun Palace and was held sacred. Traces of ancient earthworks, dating to the early Iron Age, surround the fort, enclosing an area of about 5 acres (0.02 km2). The fort itself was probably built in the early centuries of the Christian era. From the 5th to the 12th century AD it served as the royal seat of the O Neill sept of Aileach; it was destroyed by Murtogh O Brien, king of Munster in 1101. To make the demolition complete, the king ordered each of his soldiers to take away a stone from the fort. Grianan of Aileach was reconstructed by Dr Bernard of Derry in 1870, but archaeologists are doubtful about the inner restoration. Surrounding the stone fort are three concentric low walls which formed part of the original fortification of the fort.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.6
379 reviews
Excellent
250
Very good
118
Average
7
Poor
2
Terrible
2
PaulG
Kilkenny, Ireland127 contributions
Jul 2020 • Family
Best situated fort I've ever seen, with 360 degree views for miles and miles. A relatively short but steep walk up from the road. You can walk all around on the outside and then on the inside, from where you get stunning views of Inishowen, Fanad, Lough Swilly, Derry, the River Foyle and mountains like Muckish and Errigal.
Written July 26, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Aislinn B
United Kingdom4 contributions
Oct 2024 • Family
Was at a wedding here on 4/10/24 and had such an excellent experience. The venue was wonderful, and had such amazing service from the bar staff during the evening of the wedding. In particular Jack, Oran and Daniel made every time I ordered a drink a pleasure. They were so fun and happy to make me any drink they could (I really tested their cocktail knowledge). They were great representatives for the venue and helped contribute to the fun of the night so hats off to them. Will definetely be back.
Written October 12, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kerryman86
Kilflynn, Ireland235 contributions
Jan 2020 • Couples
This mysterious settlement in Donegal was well worth coming to visit. There was a short but steep walk from the car park to the site. It was a windy day and it is up on a hill exposed but once you go inside there is no wind. The views from up on top are very nice. It is free to visit. I would highly recommend coming here.
Written January 23, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
J K
San Antonio, TX215 contributions
Mar 2023 • Couples
I wish I could share our great experience at this historical attraction. We drove about 30 miles out of the way to see this site, arriving about 4:30 pm, only to discover it closes at 3:30 pm until the middle of March. That didn’t make a lot of sense since it didn’t get dark until after 6 pm but, needless to say, the entire site was unreachable and also could not be seen from the road below, with a locked barrier on the road preventing access. That was not very impressive, and we chose to skip it altogether rather than doubling back and burning valuable time the following day.
Written April 9, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
kirkgirl
Ireland396 contributions
Aug 2020
Wonderfully preserved fort up on top of a hill in the middle of nowhere - super 360 degree views. Surprised there wasn't a small entrance fee towards preservation but in fact you can just walk straight in and around. Car park at the entrance. A good diversion.
Written August 19, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ProctorParquette
Manchester, NH116 contributions
Jun 2023 • Family
Holy cow, this was better than expected. We stopped here because it broke up a long drive and are thankful we did! 360 degree views of the countryside. Amazing history about this historic fort. Walking on the top of the stone walls really gave you a sense of the purpose of the fort.
Written July 17, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Emily O
Mullingar, Ireland1,795 contributions
Aug 2021 • Family
My husband, toddler, baby and I visited here on the 1st Wednesday in August. I had heard of it but was reminded of it from a friend whilst we were on holiday on the Inishowen peninsula so off we went in search of it. I used Google maps to get there-big mistake and not recommended. Basically it got us near but on the wrong road. So we followed our nose until we came to the main entrance which is a steep climb in the car up a narrow road. Near the top, there is a car park with rubbish bins but no toilets. There is no visitor centre or fee in or fee for parking. I was impressed with the short path to the fort which is buggy friendly and wheelchair accessible. The views are wonderful as is the Fort. Highly recommended if in North Donegal or Derry.
Written August 4, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Scenic777568
2 contributions
Jul 2021 • Family
Grianan carpark is closed which means it is not accessible to anyone unless they wish to hike up a step hill. Why they cannot state this at the main road is crazy. I'm a local and can confirm it is normally a site worth visiting but I was unable to take my grand children up to enjoy the views.
Written July 20, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Matt Rogers
Louisville, KY243 contributions
Jul 2022
This amazing site is only a ten minute drive outside of Derry and well worth the trip, especially on a sunny day. The views from the top are just spectacular. Plenty of great photo ops too. I highly recommend a stop at this site.
Written July 17, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Seamus Murphy
Letterkenny, Ireland717 contributions
Jan 2020 • Couples
We took our American and Canadian visitors to this ancient fort which is very ancient. It is on a par with Stonehenge in England. If you happen to run late be aware that the gates close half an hour before the time. You can still access the fort on foot but it is a steep walk for .5kilometres.
It is worth the climb because the views are 360 degrees. You can see all the way up to Letterkenny and the
Mountains around it. Or go Lough Swilly, Innishowen and go another few degrees and see Derry city and Lough Foyle. The work that has been done to keep this Fort in its original condition. Best of all it is free!
A new addition is a coffee truck which is a welcome addition but it is down at the road. This means it doesn't clash with the ancient fort. Oh don't drink too much coffee as there are no toilets. Well it is an ancient fort after all.
It is worth the climb because the views are 360 degrees. You can see all the way up to Letterkenny and the
Mountains around it. Or go Lough Swilly, Innishowen and go another few degrees and see Derry city and Lough Foyle. The work that has been done to keep this Fort in its original condition. Best of all it is free!
A new addition is a coffee truck which is a welcome addition but it is down at the road. This means it doesn't clash with the ancient fort. Oh don't drink too much coffee as there are no toilets. Well it is an ancient fort after all.
Written January 9, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Eveliute
Dungannon, United Kingdom
Is it suitable to go up with a two ear old? Or even a pram? Thanks x
Written August 16, 2018
yes, if you park in the car park, there is a very child-friendly path up to the monument. it is very accessible.
Written September 8, 2018
I would like to know hours of operation. One source said it closes at 4 pm each day, another 9 pm We are going at end of September.
Written February 25, 2018
We were there around noon. I don”t remember a sign that stated hours. Given the rustic nature of the sight, I would suspect that if it is open tom9:00 pm, it is only in the summer months.
Written March 11, 2018
hello. is this place a good idea to take a 3 year old and a 1 year old or is it a long walk?
Written October 20, 2017
Well worth a visit with family - the children will enjoy exploring. During the day (gates close at night) it is possible to drive up to almost the top - the road is well paved, twisty, narrow and steep but is easy to drive up, with care. The Grianan is only a short walk from the car park. You need to ensure the children are well supervised since the walks around the walls are quite high and unguarded. Hope this helps - enjoy your visit.
Written October 22, 2017
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