One Sunday, I think it was the end of July, beginning of August during, as they would say around here “a great spell of weather” the sun was shining and it was warm, finally the summer clothes could be worn without a coat over you it was fantastic. 

Always drawn to the coast, we decided the day before that we, myself and my daughter would join my Mum and Dad for one of our many road trips around beautiful Donegal so with everything packed - enough egg and onion sandwiches and sweet treats to feed a small army, well it was Sunday after all, we were heading through the “Gap” 

There was something about that day, stopping for ice cream to cool down in Killybegs while Dad bought some scratch cards and did the lotto.  

Dad suggested we take the coastal route via Muckross, nodding in agreement licking the last of the ice cream, all eyes were fixed on the views along the coast just mesmerised with what lay before us, from the back seat I suggested we stop and get out, it was 22 years ago, I had a phone I didn't take photos but I can clearly remember how I felt when I seen what lay before me, Standing there looking below at Trá na nglór beach following the beach around to the head land of Muckross out to Donegal Bay and across to Co Sligo making out Queen Meave’s grave Knocknarea mountain, and off course bickering about other mountains along the coast of Co Mayo. 

I grew up in the Finn Valley area with good farming land, so this to me was completely wild and unspoiled... It was natural. It felt like a place where you could be happy, wild, unspoiled and most importantly Natural. 

I began to imagine myself living there. 

Back in the car now the radio was on. enjoying the music “Everything is changing” by Keane was playing that song became the soundtrack for that day, listening to the words as we made our way “around the rock” it's crazy but to this day when I hear that song it brings me back to Muckross And how I was feeling I could relate to the words. 

I invited change into my life that day. I wished for love and to live in a place like this. 

I didn't realise at that time how much water would flow under the bridge before I would arrive at the place I wanted to be in my Life. (if that makes sense) 

For the most part I was fairly familiar with this area, as children my parents took a caravan each summer at Fintra beach for a week or so depending on the weather. They both loved this area. My Mum and Dad enjoyed the ceol agus craic in the public houses of Kilcar. My dad thought the sea was always warmer down this way for swimming too. (his words) 

I remember driving up to Sliabh liag the road was bad. My mum had a fear of heights that always made the drive up there more interesting. My dad would say” don't look”. We were brought to the Folk Village in Glencolmcille and Dad told us about Father McDyer. My Parents loved nothing better than to climb some hill and while away the afternoon relaxing, they both loved the cool breeze on the warm summer days of yesteryear. 

On our day trip which took us to Muckross that warm summer day, something had happened, maybe it was how I was feeling, something was changing how I looked at this place had changed, it’s hard to explain but it felt like home how I feel about my home where I come from. 

I was thirty-three and I didn't have a clear vision as to what I would like to do in terms of work. I had a full time job which supported myself and my daughter that was ok but and it was a very big BUT what next when you are an "early school leaver” what happens next, I knew what I liked but didn't even realise at that time there were more Opportunities as I was consumed with the mundane soul destroying endless tasks of just living with low expectations of myself and I suppose I had been feeling like this a long time but never really acknowledged how I felt. It's one thing to feel like this and sit with it, but it's another thing to actually say well it's time to make a start and that's what I did. I didn't have a choice really as I just couldn't accept that this was all there was. 

I decided I would go back to education. I tried and failed and tried many things since that day. Having realised the computer programming course was not for me after all. Coming to this conclusion on a wet Thursday afternoon at my kitchen table tiring but failing miserably to study for a up and coming exam, looking for distraction I started reading a now old Newspaper I notice an ad for bus driving lessons I quickly filled out why I would be suited to this course which covered learning to drive a bus with about sixteen other successful candidates I was so excited about the course that I wrote the letter and personally drove to the office and handed in my application form. Delighted to get the acceptance letter a few weeks later.    

I was never without work when I passed my driving test going to work for a local bus company learning the routes and gaining invaluable experience, I just loved the road, and I had some good craic with my work colleagues. Moving on to take up a position with Bus Eireann was a great experience, especially with the other drivers I had the best of craic and felt right at home, I felt like I was part of the gang. 

One day while I was working, I met a fellow driver in the diamond Donegal town. My first impressions of the meeting were.. (that) this man was very mild and gentle in the way he handled himself. I liked him instantly; I thought about him afterwards he had made an impression. 

Long story short he finally asked me out and the rest as they say is history. 

Imagine my complete joy when my now husband told me he was from Kilcar. Well, I always say I fell in love twice, first with my husband and then with Kilcar.  

Connections 

I forgot about our day trip all those years ago until one day we were walking on Muckross head I remembered the trip, I retold the story to my husband, in the retelling of the story it became real. Hand on heart living here inspires me daily, it is very pleasing to my personality. I can be creative. I have created a job for myself in a place of outstanding beauty. I love that I am only a few mins from the beach. In winter I can watch the giant waves pound the cliffs from the Safety of dry land. I know where to go to see the barnacle geese forage. I can identify seaweed on the shore on my beach walks. These are the things that make me happy and how I like to spend my time exploring and learning about where I live. (you never stop learning). 

One of the first events I attended after I settled here was a seaweed foraging day at TráBán (Muckross) and later a cookery demonstration by the wonderful Rosaria from Algran. I still make strawberry Carragheen mousse from time to time. I met my good friend that day and have enjoyed many a shore walk and sea swim since. 

I love nothing more than rambling through the hills with another like-minded friend who I met since I came to live here. We both love exploring every nook and cranny when we get out and have been known to get carried away and not know when to come home.   

Through Oideas Gael the adult Irish college based in Glencolmcille and as a local I have the opportunity to learn about the Archaeology and Geology of the area I live in. I will return to learning Irish one of these days I promise. 

The blue bells in spring spread across the hills are such a welcoming sight as is the return of the cuckoo. Listening to locals telling stories having the craic is all part of the charm of this part of the world. Kilcar South west Donegal. 

After my father died, I did a DNA test, it was one of those things that I always said I would do but never got around to it. I always thought I may have some European in me as I'm above average in height for an Irish woman over the years I had discussed this with my father he maintained that my mother was the one with the “foreign blood” (his words) and that he was in fact 100% Irish from both the Doherty and O Donnell clan’s, how interesting.. How do you know this,, I would ask, his response would always be “ I just do”

When the results came back stating that I was 99% Irish and the other percentage was from faro islands, Scottish/ Scotland and English/England I was a wee bit vexed but not too surprised.  

The results traced the finding with a map and the migration journey. 

The results also highlighted that my mother has a higher percentage of Irish than my Father. Gosh I thought.. I do wish he was around to tell him that!!It makes me laugh to think about it still. He would probably say that it was a mistake backing up again, his true Donegal clan story. He was a proud Donegal man. 

I was always proud of my county too, whenever we had guests staying, I always made a point of showing them around, after every tour I would hear the same thing “you should do this for a living” “you really love this place” I naturally always dismissed these remarks, instead putting some or other barrier in my way, nevertheless it was always on my mind. Also, the birth of our son kept me busy and I loved being home and I will always be grateful for that time. 

So, in 2016 I applied for a tourism course called Marine tourism and seafood fundamentals, in neighbouring Killybegs at Atlantic Technological University (ATU) The course was only one day a week, sparking joy, later leading me to Bord Failte approved regional tour guide course and then in 2017/18 completed Bord Failte approved national tour guide course. 

I quickly establish a walking tour of Kilcar village and Turas Cartha was born. I dedicated Turas Cartha to the memory of my father. My father passed away December 2018 and my mother was there to support me that first morning as we made our way through the pretty village of Kilcar here in south west Donegal. 

I am so grateful to everyone for their support on my walking tours, friends Neighbours/locals, visitors from around the world and fellow tour guides. It was a great start. 

Covid, dare I mention, hit the pause button on my wee ideas. Alas when one door closes another one opens. I truly got to know my surroundings during this time and in-between making banana bread and home-schooling we got out exploring as much as possible. 

I thought about getting a bus to provide tours but that's as far as it went- “a thought” 

I returned to driving again and soon settled into my school bus run. My son loved that I was the school bus driver. He thought it was cool he isn't at the embarrassed by your parent's stage yet.. I was grateful to be working locally but there it was again, the notion of owning my own bus always on my mind, and over time the notion kept getting louder. I needed to either rule it in or out so with the support and encouragement of my husband we explored the possibilities. So, we embarked on this journey, I will not bore you with the details but let's just say in order to be legal and above board in Ireland we had a lot of hoops to jump through expense hoops I might add but that's what it took to progress Turas Cartha to the next level 

So it was, Turas Cartha gained wheels in the form of “Cara” , my eight-seater VW transporter and went countywide in July 2024. 

Today I am preparing for the 2025 season and thinking, if anyone said I would be living and working in the Sliabh Liag Peninsula along the Wild Atlantic Way in South West Donegal doing a job that I'm very passionate about, I would probably laugh and say “yeah right “that's the stuff of my dreams. It's been a journey so far. Let’s journey together and keep sharing our stories.  

Love and best wishes Nicola x