County Donegal

County Donegal, the northernmost part of the island (and west of Derry), is about as far-flung as Ireland gets. With more native Irish speakers than in any other county, the old ways are better preserved here. A forgotten economic backwater (part of the Republic but riding piggyback on the North), it lacks blockbuster museums or sights. A visit here is about the journey, and adventurous drivers — a car is a must — will be rewarded with a time-capsule peek into old Irish ways and starkly beautiful scenery.