Attractions and Places To See around Manger - Top 12

A wide Atlantic beach with hard sandbanks where you can easily cycle at low tide. Open views, calm atmosphere and ideal for a break between Ballyshannon and Donegal Bay. It is once again an Irish surf hotspot.

For Ballyshannon, Rory Gallagher is not just a world-famous guitarist; he is the "Born and Bred" pride of Ireland's oldest town. Although he moved to Cork at a young age, Ballyshannon claims him with heart and soul as their own son. He was born here in 1948 at the Rock Hospital, and that deep connection can be felt everywhere in the streets. In the eyes of the local community, Rory embodies the humble, hardworking spirit of Donegal. He was the man who brought the blues to the Irish soul, armed with his iconic, battered Fender Stratocaster and his signature checkered shirt. For the locals, he is the reason thousands of fans from all over the world flock to the Rory Gallagher International Tribute Festival every year, turning the town into the centre of rock 'n' roll for a while. Rory is not a distant legend here, but a tangible presence that lives on in the statue on The Diamond and the colourful murals that adorn the town.

For those who want to hear the music of Rory GALLAGHER – whom the British newspaper The Times praised with "He is one of the few guitarists you can recognize within seconds, his style is so individual." –: In 1977, the native Irishman (1948 to 1995) gave a one-hour concert on the then popular German show "Rockpalast" by Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR), which can be viewed on YouTube => https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qkr-XlNZKM

The shimmering waters of Lough Melvin attract anglers from around the world for its beauty and diverse fish. The lake is home to three unique species of trout, as well as salmon, and an endemic species of char, the Melvin charr. If you want to try your hand at fishing, you should purchase a license and consider renting a boat. The lake is 7.5 miles (12 km) long and 1.9 miles (3 km) wide and set amongst the beautiful green countryside along the border of County Leitrim and Country Fermanagh. If you are not into fishing, there's plenty of wonderful flora and fauna to enjoy too.

As the Glenanniff River travels down from the mountains above, it has eroded the local blue limestone to form a deep river valley. Fowley’s Falls is not a single drop waterfall; instead, it cascades in a series of drops over the exposed bedrock to form a spectacular torrent of water rushing through the steep valley towards Lough Melvin.

The Wishing Chair is carved out of stone and sits overlooking wonderful views of Donegal Bay. If you want to follow in the footsteps of the surfer Kelly Slater and make a wish, there is an information board closeby which tells you how to do it properly. The naturally eroded bridges were once thought to be the home of fairies, hence their evocative name.

The Wishing Chair is carved out of stone and sits overlooking wonderful views of Donegal Bay. If you want to follow in the footsteps of the surfer Kelly Slater and make a wish, there is an information board closeby which tells you how to do it properly. The naturally eroded bridges were once thought to be the home of fairies, hence their evocative name.

Rossnowlagh Beach is one of the best Blue Flag surfing beaches in Ireland, making it popular with surfers and beach-goers alike. The long sandy beach stretches from the cliffs at Coolmore in the south to a rock outcrop at Carrickfadd. There's a few shops and restaurants where you can refuel overlooking the crashing waves, as well as a museum and visitor centre. The beach is very popular with walkers, surfers, wind-surfers, swimmers, and kite-surfers, especially in summer. It's a bit steep to access on your bike, but once there, it's a wonderful spot to relax on the soft sand.