The Old Manse, Monreagh, Carrigans, County Donegal

T: +353 (0)74 9140708 | E: office@monreagh.net

Monreagh Heritage Centre

MONREAGH HERITAGE CENTRE – ULSTER SCOTS – SCOTS IRISH

The Monreagh Ulster Scots – Scots Irish visitor centre is located about 1 mile from Carrigans Village in County Donegal, Ireland. It nestles in a scenic rural setting in the Laggan district of East Donegal. Visitors can explore the history of the 17th century Scottish settlers and their voyages to ‘New World’ America.


THE JEWEL OF THE LAGGAN

Monreagh Heritage Centre is housed within a beautifully restored Victorian manse, with spectacular views of the lowlands of East Donegal. It is just a fifteen-minute drive from the historic city of Derry-Londonderry, and approximately 20 minutes from Letterkenny   Each room of the former manse focuses on a particular aspect of Ulster-Scots and Scots-Irish history. This allows visitors to gain a unique insight into the contributions that people from the Laggan region have made to industry and politics, particularly in the United States of America and Canada.

AMERICAN CONNECTIONS

Many former United States presidents and industrialists have ancestral connections with the area, most noteworthily Presidents James Buchanan and James K. Polk. During the 17th and 18th century, many people immigrated from this region to ‘New World’ America.

FAMILY HISTORY

As part of a self-guided tour, visitors can view a rarely seen collection of original photographs, paintings, and other memorabilia. A selection of local historical records is also available which helps visitors to trace their family history. A few yards from the Visitor Center is a seventeenth century Scottish Church that was established in 1644. A congregation still worships there to the present day.

REGULAR EVENTS

The Centre hosts regular music, cultural and industrial events, as well as a ‘Living History’ schools’ projects.

Our Visitors Have Their Say…

Great place to go with a lot of great stuff inside documenting the Ulster Scots here in Ireland. I am a genealogist and I came to learn more about why my people came here and why they left for America. I was given a lot of good information.”
Jim and Cindy, Texas, United States

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I discovered a lot about my ancestors. My fifth great Grandfather was the Reverend Jospeh Rhea who was minister of Fahan Church from the 1740s to 1769. He went to Philadelphia with his family  in 1769 and became minister of a church in Maryland.
Flora Gammon, North Carolina, USA

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I really enjoyed my visit and found the tour very very interesting. I will be recommending my family and friends to come along and visit. Very impressed. Thank you so much.
Sean Fleming, County Meath, Ireland

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DISCOVER DONEGAL

You will find some of the most important sites and people of Ulster Scots history in this 40 page guide to Donegal. It was here that the first Scots lived and worked when they arrived in Ulster. 

FREE DOWNLOAD

FAMILY
HISTORY

The purpose of this booklet is to provide a simple step
by step guide for those who wish to research their ancestry in West Ulster in the
Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries.

FREE DOWNLOAD

Sam Fletcher: Farming, School & Poetry. Growing up in Donegal

Local man, Sam Fletcher, grew up on a farm near Letterkenny, County Donegal. He attended Glenmaquin National School where he developed an interest in writing poetry. Sam talks about his life on the farm, forges, school, and his love for poetry. He recites some of his own poems including the humourous ‘The Midges of Glenveagh’

Raphoe Castle, Donegal

Although still awaiting restoration, Raphoe Castle is probably the most impressive castle in Donegal. In 1633, John Leslie was translated from the Scottish See of the Isles to become the Bishop of Raphoe. Marrying at the age of 67, absorbing the Bishopric of Clogher at the age of 90, Leslie dominated the area until his death, aged 100, in 1671.

The Redshanks Donegal

THE REDSHANKS IN DONEGAL   Redshank Scottish mercenaries in Donegal From the middle of the 16th century, a new type of Highland warrior began to appear in Ireland. These mercenaries have been called 'New Scots’ to distinguish them from the earlier galloglaigh. In the...

EARLY CONNECTIONS BETWEEN DONEGAL AND SCOTLAND

EARLY CONNECTIONS BETWEEN DONEGAL AND SCOTLAND The connections between Donegal and Scotland date back millennia. Dozens of archaeological sites across the modern county confirm the presence of prehistoric hunter/foragers following in the wake of the retreat of the...

Mongavlin Castle, Saint Johnston

Back in the sixteenth century, Mongavlin Castle was the riverside residence of the notorious ‘blacked haired queen of Donegal’, Finola MacDonnell. This formidable lady was the daughter of James MacDonald of Dunnyveg, the wife of Sir Hugh O’Donnell, and the mother of the fighting prince of Donegal, Red Hugh O’Donnell.

Donegal Castle – the largest and strongest fortress in all Ireland

Donegal Castle stands in the centre of Donegal Town in the northwest of Ireland. For most of the last two centuries, the majority of the buildings lay in ruins, but the castle was almost entirely restored in the late 1990s.

International Appalachian Trail, Ulster, ireland

Ulster’s International Appalachian Trail

It’s 2,200 miles long; it is roughly 300 million years old, and it’s the only trail in the world to span an ocean. It’s safe to say that the Appalachian Trail isn’t your average walking route.

The remarkable history of O’Doherty’s Keep, Buncrana

The remarkable history of O'Doherty's Keep O' Doherty's Keep Built by the Normans, developed by the O'Doherty's Sitting on the banks of the River Crana near Lough Swilly stands the remains of a former 14th century Norman castle, O'Doherty's Keep. In 1601 it was a...

The Bridge of Sorrows

The Bridge of Sorrows A Story of Famine, Poverty, and Tears   It is a sad and painful episode of Donegal history that many were forced to leave home, family and friends in the hope of a better life abroad. A little bridge, in a rural setting of West Donegal,...

Raphoe to Strabane Rail Link

Why did a rail link with Strabane destroy Raphoe’s once thriving economy?   The nineteenth century East Donegal community petitioned for a rail link between Raphoe and Strabane. Ironically, when they got it in 1909, it destroyed the local economy. It was...

The mystery of the Poisoned Glen

The Poisoned Glen lies at the foot of Mount Errigal, the tallest peak of the Derryveagh Mountains range, in Dunlewey (Dún Lúiche) in the Donegal Gaeltacht. The Poisoned Glen is one of the most renowned areas in Co. Donegal for its sweeping valleys, imposing mountains and shimmering lakes. It is very true to say the magnificent beauty of this area is such a capturing sight that it remains as a sanctuary in your mind forever of a very special place. Keep an eye out for the ghost of the Green Lady on the Guinness Estate across the tranquil Dunlewey Lough!!

Owencarrow Viaduct Railway Tragedy

THE OWENCARROW VIADUCT DISASTER The Tragic Night of 30 January 1925 Disaster occurred on the night of 30 January 1925 at around 8pm at the Owencarrow Viaduct, Donegal. Winds of up to 120mph derailed carriages of the train off the viaduct causing it to partially...

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