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Traditionally a centre for weaving and knitwear, the bustling little town of ARDARA , ten miles or so north of Killybegs on the N56, has recently acquired heritage town status. The European Union grant which accompanied this award has been used to transform the old Law Courts by the bridge into a heritage centre (Easter-Oct daily 10am-6pm; tel 075/41262; voluntary donation). Inside, there's a coffee shop and a fascinating exhibition on the history of hand-weaving, Aran knitwear and lots of intriguing photographs and equipment, but the real treat is watching the weaver plying away at his loom and supplying his own anecdotes about the industry. There's tourist information in the reception area and the friendly staff can answer most questions about the town. Ardara is an excellent place to buy Aran sweaters , sometimes at half the price you'll find further south. Molloy's Tweed Factory, a mile or so beyond the southern end of town, is the biggest outlet, but Kennedy's, at the top of the hill, is handier (its owner is also a mine of local tourist information), and all the stores are well stocked with hand-loomed knitwear and tweeds. The Catholic church west of the Diamond has a striking stained glass window, Christ among the Doctors , by the Modernist-inspired Evie Hone , one of the most influential Irish artists of the last century: the authors of the Gospels are depicted symbolically with the infant Christ at the centre and David and Moses above and below. Up the top of the hill, by the Methodist church car park, stands a house once occupied by Jimmy O'Rourke, a notable storyteller and fiddler on whom the Disney film Darby O'Gill and the Little People was based. Accommodation options include the grand old Nesbitt Arms Hotel (tel 075/41103, nesbitta@indigo.ie ; GBP70-90/?88.88-114.28) named after the town's former landlords, which has reopened after major refurbishment, while a mile east of town off the Donegal road is the stylish, seventeenth century Woodhill House (tel 075/41112, www.woodhillhouse.com ; GBP70-90/?88.88-114.28), set in its own extensive grounds. Central B&B is available at Laburnum House on the Diamond (tel 075/41146; GBP26-33/?33.01-41.90), Brae House , Front St (tel 075/41296, braehouse@tinet.ie ; GBP33-40/?41.90-50.79), and Homeward Bound , Glenties Rd (March-Oct; tel 075/41246; GBP33-40/?41.90-50.79), or, for sea views, try Greenhaven (tel 075/41129; GBP33-40/?41.90-50.79) or Bay View Country House (tel 075/41145; GBP33-40/?41.90-50.79), both up the Portnoo road. There's a small hostel on the Diamond too, the Drumbaron Hostel (tel 075/41200). Bike rental is available from Don Byrne, south of town (tel 075/41658). The best place to eat is Woodhill House , whose restaurant offers an innovative menu that changes daily and is well worth the asking price of GBP25/?31.65 or so. It's worth a visit even if you're not hungry as there's a bar, often with music. Nancy's , just across the bridge, has good value bar meals and snacks, while L'Atlantique on Main St (daily 6.30-9.30pm; tel 075/41707) offers splendid French cuisine. Light meals are available at the heritage centre restaurant and Charlie's West End Cafe , Main Street. Ardara's L-shaped main street is crammed with pubs . For a quiet drink, try the ancient Padraig MacGiola De , to the west or the renovated Corner House bar. For a livelier time, you shouldn't miss Peter Oliver's , with traditional music in the front bar (June-Sept nightly) and dancing at the back every Saturday (from 10.30pm or later). Nancy's , a cosy 200-year-old pub run by the same family for seven generations, is also excellent, with something happening most nights during the summer. A McGeehan's bus leaves for Dublin from outside the post office daily at 8.30am.
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