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Set at the foot of two glens, GLENTIES lies six miles east of Ardara on the N56, a tidy village of plantation grandeur that is reflected in its elegant Neoclassical courthouse, old lodge and Highlands Hotel . It also sports one of the largest discos in the northwest, the Limelight at the north end of town (Saturday nights), and a host of bars on the main street. Another community attraction is a beautiful modern church at the Ardara end of town, designed by the Derry architect Liam McCormack; the vast sloping roof reaches down to six feet from the ground, and the rainwater drips off the thousand or so tiles into picturesque pools of water. Opposite the church, the St Conall's Museum and Heritage Centre (June-Sept Mon-Fri 11am-1pm & 2.30-5pm, Sat & Sun 2.30-6pm; GBP1/?1.27) houses items from all periods, including an interesting set of pleas submitted to the courts during the Famine and an Edison phonograph that plays It's a Long Way to Tipperary . The town's most famous son was Patrick MacGill (1890-1963) who was sold by his parents at a hiring fair for servants. He escaped and fled to Scotland, working as a farm-labourer and a navvy, while at the same time writing poems and attempting to hawk them around. He was lucky to attract patronage and ended up working on the Daily Express , was wounded in France fighting for the British in World War II, then returned to Ireland before marrying the American author Margaret Gibbons and emigrating to the US. His best-known work is the semi-autobiographical Children of the Dead End which brilliantly recounts the wayward lives of migrant navvies, while The Rat Pit parallels this in its tale of young Irish women forced into prostitution. A huge summer school is held in his honour annually in mid-August, drawing hundreds of people to its exhibitions, seminars and literary debates. Accommodation in town includes the family-run Highlands Hotel (tel 075/51111, highlandshotel@ireland.com ; GBP40-55/?50.79-69.84), on Main Street, and, among several B&B choices, nearby Marguerite's (tel 075/51113; GBP33-40/?41.90-50.79). Alternatively, outside the village are Lisdanar House , Mill Rd (March-Oct; tel 075/51800; GBP33-40/?41.90-50.79) and Claradon Country House , less than a mile out on the R253 (tel 075/51113, mccafferty@tinet.ie ; GBP33-40/?41.90-50.79). Next to the museum is the comfortable Campbell's Holiday hostel (March-Oct; tel 075/51491, campbellshostel@eircom.net ). Options for eating out are limited, but the excellent Highlands Hotel , very much the centre of town life, with traditional-music sessions on Sundays and a small art gallery displaying the works of its landlord, John Boyle, offers a wide range of food - the gargantuan lunches are exceptional value. Alternatives on the main street include Nighthawk for pizzas, and Central Cafe and Jim's Cafe . McGeehan's buses en route to Letterkenny and Glencolmcille stop outside Jim's . Although there's little in the way of entertainment, there are plenty of places to drink - Wee Joe's Bar and McMonagle's Riverside Bar are both good. For traditional music , Paddy's Bar has Wednesday night sessions and there's the fiddlers' weekend at the beginning of October; otherwise head for the Glen Inn , three miles out on the Ballybofey road, beautifully situated by the river at the foot of the Blue Stacks; there are sessions most Wednesday nights. Fishing equipment and advice are available at McDevitt's Tackle Shop.
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