Doagh Famine Village Malin Head Co Donegal Walk Round

We are up near Malin Head outside Ballyliffin. We are at the Isle of Doagh and we are here to explore the Doagh Famine Village.
This must be one of the best Irish history and Irish culture museums on the island of Ireland.
What really sets this museum tour apart, is the absolutely brilliant, informative and funny, tour guide experience, you get from Patrick Doherty, who was born in the village. I was most impressed. This is a must do tour, if you are in and around Co Donegal.
'Doagh Famine Village Tour
Doagh Famine Village is one of Ireland’s most unique and popular tourist attractions and is visited by thousands of people from all over the world every year.
Our guided tours will take you on a journey through life in Ireland in our local community, showing you how families learned to adapt as society evolved from the 1840s to the present day.
A combination of informative story telling and life size exhibits provides an informative, thought-provoking and at time humorous look at Irish life.'
'The Famine Village 7 days a week from 10am to 5pm. Guided tours daily from 10:30am. Last tour 4:15pm. Open from 17th March to 12th October. Tours last 30-45 minutes.
Toilets on site.
Wheelchair friendly.
The tour is mainly under cover so you can enjoy a visit regardless of the weather!
Entrance Adults 12.50 Eu, Children 4-16yrs 6 .50 Eu, under 4s Free. This includes a cuppa and scone over in the 'Red Barn'.
*********Check out this video**********
: Doagh Famine Village
Stories From Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way
• Chapter 4 : Doagh Fami...
Doagh Famine Village
Lagacurry, Ballyliffin, County Donegal, F93 PK19
t: [phone] | e: [e-mail]

[@paulpayton8238]

Hey 👋 I love it all up donegal malin head I've been there lot's of times with my x wife thanks for sharing Tom 👍

[@TomMcClean]

Great spot Paul We had a fabulous time. The weather was even kind!! lol

[@georgeengelen7460]

Fantastic Tom, are'nt we lucky people to live today. i probably would have died in childhood. God bless our great grandparents, grandparents and parents. Great video Tom, thanks again.

[@TomMcClean]

I reckon you are right George. I've dandered round so many old graveyards and so many people, even the ones who could afford big headstones had died before the age of 50. So many things could go wrong health wise. The diet was probably very poor as well. No heating other than wood/coal fires back then either.

[@DynamixWarePro]

Thanks for sharing Tom. This is fascinating and it is so sad to think what some people went through in those days, especially with the famine and the evictions. My grannys mothers family were from Donegal and were tinsmiths going back to the early 1800s at least and travelled between Donegal, Derry and Tyrone. When you showed the cottage at 2:46, made me think of my great-grandmother and her parents and how they might have lived. There was 9 in total, my 2nd great-grandparents, their children and my 3rd great-grandfather and in late 1800s until sometime after 1905, they all lived in a small two room, whitewashed thatched roof cottage like that in Letterkenny before they moved to Raphoe.

[@TomMcClean]

Hi Dave. Yes times were bad back then. Those that were able escaped to places like England and America. and never returned. This is exactly how your forefathers would have lived. My grandparents lives in a similar cottage in Rathfriland on the Hill Co Down. Thanks for your encouragement. Best wishes from the Belfast Castlereagh hills.

[@jeanettekennedy7433]

another interesting video thank you for showing

[@TomMcClean]

Many thanks Jeanette.

[@joanburnison8071]

A most interesting video Tom. A very tragic time in Irish history. Thank you for sharing this 😊

[@TomMcClean]

Yes indeed Joan. When you know the history you can easily see why hard line Irish nationalism was easy to ferment. I'm afraid many foremost elements of the British Empire track record are not good throughout the world.

[@MR.T..]

another very interesting upload ...

[@TomMcClean]

We had a very good time. I would thoroughly recommend this village Mr T. Many thanks For your encouragement. Best wishes from the Belfast Castlereagh hills.

[@chriswardlow9441]

Tom this video has taken my breath away, thank you so much this is a real eye opener, and we British have a lot to answer for without a doubt, my goodness it takes a lot of digesting , it's unbelievable what these people went through. Tom like I've mentioned many times before when Anne and I can find a good time to make a return visit to Ireland this museum is definitely on the list of places to visit.

[@TomMcClean]

A lot of what went on back then didn't make the history books, here or anywhere else, Chris. It was never taught in State schools here. R Catholic schools were taught about it though and understandable animosity grew. The 1798 Rebellion wasn't taught in State schools here either. The Rebellion was led by Protestant Presbyterians who wanted better rights for themselves, Methodists and Catholics. If you weren't Anglican/Established Church ( Church of Ireland ) back then your hopes of advancement at any level were limited. So it has been easy for Sinn Fein etc to whip up Catholic hatred so that people were killed in the 'war against the English'. We only studied an English exam board syllabus at Grammar school. This was so our 'high fliers' could get to Oxford/Cambridge, St Andrews and the like. I have met people from all over the UK and always enjoyed the craic but the upper class, toffee nosed, arrogant set, -well you steer clear of them don't you. Unfortunately UK Parliament and Anglican Church leadership hasn't changed over the centuries. They are just out to perpetuate themselves They couldn't care less about the good of the common man. I'm on a rant LOL.

[@TomMcClean]

Check out this wee video Chris Chapter 4 : Doagh Famine Village Stories From Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way kzbin.info/www/bejne/d3aWaKNmoaaqatE

[@MrSuileile]

@@TomMcClean I loved your rant!

[@TomMcClean]

Hey thanks SE. I'm hard to stop when I get going! lol Best wishes from the Belfast Castlereagh hills.

[@MrSuileile]

@@TomMcCleanyou are smashing stereotypes for people in the south!

[@shaunmckenna1923]

Hello Tom , that was very interesting I did not know about the removing of the roofs., this is a place I must visit . Thanks Tom.

[@TomMcClean]

Oh yes Shaun these evictions were very nasty indeed. The new landowners were unscrupulous nasties and through people on to the streets so to speak. They were mostly absentee landowners who only wanted to turn a profit. They cared not a jot for the people they kicked out. Bad times.

[@robertjamesgilmore]

Thanks Tom for a great video.

[@TomMcClean]

Yes Robert we had a great time at the Famine Village. It was so much better than we thought it would be. The guide Patrick Doherty was amazing.

[@spook5.56nato4]

Another great video Tom. So much history to be learned. Thank you for sharing. We have done the Famine ship tour in Dublin in 2015.

[@TomMcClean]

Hi Spook. Many thanks once again. I haven't seen the Dublin Famine ship. I didn't know it was there. There's a good Irish emigration ship at the Ulster American Folk Park in Co Tyrone. Not a famine ship as such but the conditions were, if slightly better, probably similar. Best wishes.

[@spook5.56nato4]

@@TomMcClean I believe it was the Jeanie Johnston Tall Ship.

[@TomMcClean]

Thanks muchly. I've heard of the Jeanie Johnston.

[@anniedavis4569]

I’m From Glenties and havent seen Doagh famine village yet but hopefully will see it next time im home as it’s been on my bucket list. I’ve been to Dunfanaghy version. Thanks for showing us and it’s terribly tragic for those poor people back then

[@TomMcClean]

Hi Annie. Good to hear from you. The Famine Village is very well worth visiting. We found it fascinating. Life was horrible in many parts of Ireland back then. Those that were able took the boat to America. Best wishes from the Belfast Castlereagh hills.

[@JulieMcguigan-d3k]

Thank you for this video Tom, so much information, made my head spin, had no idea things were soo bad Heartbreaking story 💔

[@TomMcClean]

They were absolutely terrible throughout all Ireland, north and south. This is one of the best tour guided outdoor museums anywhere. Make sure if you go to get Paddy as your guide. He is brilliant.

[@chriswardlow9441]

Just watched the other video Tom, altogether it was one hell of a period to have lived through.

[@TomMcClean]

Dreadful Chris.

[@geraldinewilson2194]

Great to see your video Tom. I visited the village in 2019 and, like you, blown away by the whole enterprise. Very well worth a visit. Did you get a wee cup of tea at the end?

[@TomMcClean]

Oh yes Geraldine a big cuppa and a substantial strawberry jam scone. I can't speak highly enough of the Famine Village. Patrick told us that they got no help from any of the South's government agencies. They have done so well by hard graft and having a vision. Patrick does up to 7 back to back tours a day in season. The day after out tour he was getting up at 6 30 to welcome an early tour!

[@marcusd2380]

So glad u posted this video and more so u enjoyed ur time at the village. These places are not advertised well at all and few know about them. We live in a country that could become a tourist Mecca. Couod be a great busness in it for someone doing tours

[@TomMcClean]

The guy Patrick Doherty, who is the main tour guide, is probably the best tour guide I have ever listened to. His local knowledge is detailed, fascinating and far reaching. He can do up to 7 tours a day almost back to back. Each tour 30-45 mins. The guy is amazing. I'm a former teacher and I have been on many a tour guide led tour. This fellow beats the rest ( and most were very good ), into oblivion. I would love to bottle and sell what he has! We heard of the Famine village by word of mouth. The Southern Tourist and the N Ireland Tourist Boards need to work together and point people in the direction of places like this. Will they? No? The N Ir Tourist Board are content to sit on their laurels with money spinners like Titanic, Giants Causeway and Game of Thrones. I would have thought the Southern Tourist Board would have been a lot better. I hope my wee video will generate some interest.

[@marcusd2380]

@@TomMcClean the older tour guide started it of his own bat a good few years ago now and built it all himself. It’s amazing what folk can do. I was at it back in July and couod stay a few mins our we boy is three now and has autism so if he’s not happy some where we have to leave but as long as he is ok it’s fine. That video will help get it out there for sure

[@TomMcClean]

Yes Marcus Patrick Doherty was a really smart man1 He was a visionary. Many people can talk the talk but he put words into actions. We have a few children with autism at our church and a few friends but you never really understand what it is like for folks until there is someone in the close family. Ah if even one person sees my see video and comes along because of it then I'm happy.

[@colincampbell4261]

Have you ever stepped on a fairies grave? If you do you will feel a shrp pain in your foot, a bit like stepping on a nail. That's his pick or shovel being stabbed in your foot. Painful for a few minutes.

[@TomMcClean]

No but I do know tat fairy trees/bushes are left well alone by farmers and even contractors. There's one off Sandy Row and a few years ago the builders refused to pull it out for housing. So the area round it was made into a small park. My father used to tell us lots of fairy stories he heard round the fireside as a boy.

[@colincampbell4261]

Irish story telling and embellishing tales and myths is famous! Good auld yarn he telled!

[@TomMcClean]

Man he was good! lol