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Lying a few miles northeast of Gartan, The Rock of Doon and Doon Well are signposted off the R255 shortly after the village of TERMON on the way to Kilmacrennan. Following the directions will lead you to a rural cul-de-sac right next to the well. A path from here ascends to a large bushy outcrop that is the Rock of Doon. From 1200 to 1603 this was the spot where the O'Donnell kings were crowned standing above a huge gathering of their followers. The inauguration stone on the summit is said to bear the imprint of the first Tir Chonaill king, a mark into which every successor had to place his foot as his final confirmation. Doon, an ancient pagan healing well , is still a place of pilgrimage, marked out by a bush weighed down with personal effects left behind by the sick, hoping for a cure. You're meant to take off your shoes as you approach and be well-intentioned before taking the water. You'll probably pick up a story or two of dramatic conversion and miracles effected by the water, which is sent to Irish emigres all over the world. KILMACRENNAN is a sweet-looking inland village on the road southeast to Letterkenny. A quarter of a mile down the Ramelton road is yet another site with Colmcille connections, Cill Mhic n-Eanain , where Colmcille was fostered and educated by Cruithnechan in around 528. A monastery stood here from the sixth century to 1129 and it was also the site of the O'Donnells' religious inauguration following the rites at Doon. The ruins on the left are of a sixteenth century Franciscan friary, while the Church of Ireland to the right dates from 1622 and fell into disuse around 1845. Back in the village, Lurgyvale Thatched Cottage (Easter-Sept daily 10am-7pm; GBP1/?1.27) is a restored nineteenth-century dwelling with furniture to match. There's a small exhibition of farm implements here, a handy tea room and traditional sessions every Thursday. Both the Angler's Haven and the Village Tavern pubs have reasonably priced food.
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