Doagh Famine Village — Attraction in County Donegal

This place has the potential to be really good, but on entering we had to struggle to pay, as the same till serves the outgoing visitors coming out through the shop with their purchases and the new visitors coming in. Separate payment points would surely be much better. We firstly visited the recreated/refurbished Irish cottages and were regaled with a knowledgeable and bantersome story about life in the second half of the 20th century, then on to a cottage themed as a 'shabeen' - an illegal Irish pub where poteen (illegal spirit) was served. A lively tale of illict brewing ensued with samples of poteen (marvellous) and stories of the dangers of methanol which could lead to a couple of days of catatonia and thence to the next hut where stories of how the wake developed and tales of folk being buried while catatonic rather than dead. All good fun but still little or no mention of the potato famine! We were then handed over to 'Pat' bless him. Now Pat was a lovely young fellow, but he was only about 20 years old with no craic or any fund of stories built up through life - obviously not his fault as he's just young - and he took us into the next hut/shelter where there was (finally!) Information on the details of the Potato Famine, but Pat just mumbled on a bit and told us to read the various information boards and then told us about the evictions - scant detail on an important subject - and that the exhibits then went on to cover a bit about 'the troubles' and the subsequent 'peace process' and to just carry on andcread the information boards ourselves! The quality of the scenes and the care taken to set them all up isn't in doubt but we really needed a conducted tour, certainly of the 'famine' part of the exhibits. It's billed as the 'Famine Village' but so little information was forthcoming on the actual Famine that it would be better renamed the 'Irish History Village'. There is a great deal to like here but it could be so much better. The Famine aspect needs to be seriously beefed up! I mean, the tale of illicit whiskey, while very entertaining, has little to do with the actual famine itself, but it is the self styled 'Famine Village after all! I don't want to be too critical as it is a very entertaining place to visit and a lovely set up but I'd really like to see much more information on the actual famine itself. It is, after all, one of the defining events in...

I visited Doagh Famine Village during a recent trip to Donegal and was completely blown away by its depth and authenticity. From the moment I stepped into the original 19th-century thatched cottages—still standing exactly as they did when founder Pat Doherty’s family lived there until 1984—I felt transported back in time. Each room tells a story of resilience, from ingenious fishing methods to the role rabbit trapping played in sustaining local families.

What truly sets this place apart is Pat’s dedication to presenting Irish history in a balanced, inclusive way. The exhibit on poitín production brilliantly captures both the cultural significance of this illicit spirit and the hardships it could cause. The Irish wake section is informative yet surprisingly warm, and the recreated Orange Hall and Safe House illustrate the complexities of the Troubles in a profoundly moving way. Even Ireland’s Travellers have their own carefully researched exhibit, highlighting cultural contributions often overlooked elsewhere.

This museum continues to evolve, and I love that they’re introducing new sections each season, not to mention the upcoming digital translations for overseas visitors. You can tell Pat Doherty’s passion runs deep—he’s preserved not just buildings, but an entire way of life, right down to ancient rock art on the peninsula that proves people have lived here for millennia.

If you’re anywhere near the Inishowen Peninsula, Doagh Famine Village is an absolute must-see. It’s a rare gem that brings together archaeology, folklore, social history, and heartfelt storytelling in one unforgettable visit. Five stars...

We visited doagh famine farm on thursday 10th september , there is a great big carpark to accomodate loads of visitors , you have to go out of the carpark and straight opposite to purchase your tickets ( there wasnt a sign so took us a minute to find out lol ) we bought our tickets which included in the price was a tour guide and a cuppa tea and a scone for afters which was really good value ! We waited 10 mins looking around the gift shop and then our guide came to get a group of about 16 of us ! The young man who was our guide was brilliant ! His family had lived in one of the houses thats in the village and his knowledge and stories was great ! So informative! We even had a taste of poitin which would have blew the socks off ye lol but kept us warm ! I have to say in our group a few people just wandered off while our guide was still talking and to us that was the height of ignorance ! Once our guide had finished you can walk about the rest of the famine village at your own pace reading all the info it has to offer ! Once we had seen everything we headed back to the carpark where there was the wee cafe and got our tea and scones which was delicious and a lovely young girl serving made u feel at home ! We had our tea and scones outside where the scenery was spectacular and there wasnt a breeze ! We would defo recommend taking a trip to doagh famine farm ! Great wee place ! Thanks...